Suicide Squad: Raise the Flag # 7 (of 8)

DC Comics
Suicide Squad: Raise the Flag # 7 (of 8)
By Koppy McFad
March 23, 2008 - 01:12

DC Comics
Writer(s): John Ostrander
Penciller(s): Javier Pina, Jesus Saiz, Robin Riggs
Cover Artist(s): John K. Snyder

Suicide Squad members betray one another as they battle an evil corporation in the Middle East.

A good issue, at least on the writing side. The story is full of surprises, yet all of the surprises are believable, not the kind that look like they came out of nowhere. Most of the characters come off well, even in their brief scenes before they kick the bucket. The dialogue is clever without resorting to excessive wisecracks or overbearing sarcasm. The growing mood of chaos, of a mission going out of control on all levels, is exciting and leaves the reader wanting more. Sure, there are some plot holes, like why an evil corporation with an army of cyborgs would not even have personal bodyguards for their board of directors. Or how a blindfolded man would find his way better than a man with just impaired eyesight. But the story moves so fast, harping on these details seem like quibbling.

The art however, looks a bit rushed. Many panels barely have any background and the action scenes all look like they were shot using a single, floor-mounted camera. There are also some panels which leave you wondering if Rick Flag actually knows how to shoot a gun. It's a rifle, Rick, not a video camera. Clearly the artist Jesus Saiz, was brought in at the last minute. The ads for this issue don't even list him as one of the pencillers. At least his art blends in well with the rest of the issue but that isn't really saying much.

This miniseries has some of the best writing in comics but it appears to be ignored by the fans. Maybe that is because it doesn't contain any fan-favourite characters and isn't being done by fan-favourite writers or artists. But if DC Comics just put the spotlight on this team and maybe gave the book a more prominent art team, the Squad could finally leave the margins or the DC universe and become a major player, both in the fictional world and in sales.