Written by Andrew Fontana
Suicide Squad #17 is definitely not a perfect comic. By certain measures of quality, it may not even be a good comic, but by now all the readers of this volume and the several ones preceding it have learned to temper their expectations. Even so, Robbie Williams and Tony Daniel deliver a fun, action packed issue that promises exciting things in the arc to come.
Making Superman Arch nemesis (and all-around egotist), General Zod, a member of the Squad is an inspired choice that Williams exploits to the full. His power-set and lack of moral scruples ensure that any scene he’s in is choke full of brutal action. He and the rest of the Squad are given plenty to do against their soviet-inspired counterparts the Annihilation Brigade.
Williams keeps things light and humorous despite the grim nature of their mission, including a nod to Zod’s favorite line and a dig at student radicalism. He toes a delicate line juggling a light tone with the violence and grittiness of this particular franchise, and its one he’s unable to maintain at all times. There’s one particular event near the end of the issue that raises interesting implications about the nature of the Squad’s work, and its undermined by the constant attempt at humor. Williams should be given props for his grasp of these characters and their world, but the light tone of his scripts doesn’t always do the stories he tells justice.
Tony Daniel does action really well. He’s given plenty to work with this issue, and he doesn’t hold back. His characters are muscular and imposing without losing their distinctiveness. Daniel makes the action look seamlessly cinematic like a summer blockbuster. Morey’s colors highlight the details of his pencil work, giving the art a clean, easy to follow look.
