Suicide Squad #3

Title: Suicide Squad
Issue: 3
Date: January 2012
Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Adam Glass
Artist: Cliff Richards
Colorist: Val Staples
Letterer: Jared K. Fletcher
Editor: Sean Mackiewicz, Pat McCallum
Cover: Ken Lashley

Mad Dog!

Sadly, though, it's Mad Dog repackaged as a generic mercenary/bounty hunter with none of what made the original character (a "home grown" midwestern vigilante) interesting or appealing.

In spite of being in a downtown domed stadium last issue, the team is out in the boondocks. They've got a baby (carrying zombie virus immunity) to protect, but it's pretty much the most cooperative baby of all time, as NONE of the possible problems one might expect from trying to care for a newborn in a dangerous situation actually occur. In fact, the baby is pretty much an afterthought.

Actually, logic and common sense are afterthoughts in this issue as well. The structure of the story is an unnecessary jumble of flashbacks for no apparent reason, as the team counts down to an arbitrary "evac" and wander around town scrounging supplies (evac is only two hours away!) in really bad attempts at "disguise".

Then Mad Dog, who's been sent to recover the baby, decides to blow up a diner with the Squad AND the baby inside.

Oh, and Harley seduces Deadshot in the midst of all of this. Because this story didn't have enough sex, I guess.

Ends with the team being assigned some additional personnel. Except that they spell it "personal". Hey, look, it's an Asian guy named Yo-Yo! Does he play cello? Because that would actually be cool. The other new addition is a classic Suicide Squad regular, and fairly inevitable choice.

Oh, and he's got a handy remote control detonator for everybody's implanted bombs. Because of course that makes a ton of sense.

I could go on, because there was plenty more idiocy in this issue, but I think I'll leave it at that. And I'll be leaving future issues of this series on the shelf, a decision I probably would have been better off making three issues ago.

Rating: 3/10