Squadron Supreme #6 By Hervé St.Louis Aug 20, 2006 - 9:56:00 PM

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Marvel Comics
Writer: Michael Straczynski
Pencils: Juan Barranco
Inks: Vincente Cifuentes

Another quiet issue where the writer reintroduces all the characters for new readers. Blur, feeling conflicted for his participation in the war calls on his old friend, Nighthawk, hoping he can be recruited in the team. Can Nighthawk show interest for anything bu his personal vendetta against crime and the destruction of the black community in Chicago?

The Squadron Supreme started as a copycat of the Justice League. In the previous volume to this new interpretation of Marvel’s Justice League copycats, Straczynski introduced many of the characters just like they had been before in the Justice League, but with a twist. This issue, he plots another twist, but this time it’s based on classical material from the Squadron Supreme.

Nighthawk did not trust the Squadron Supreme when Mark Gruenwald wrote the groundbreaking maxi series in the early 1980s. This time it’s Blur who doesn’t trust them, but he makes sure this Nighthawk fears the Squadron, like the old one from Marvel did. The set up is there with the inevitable confrontation of Nighthawk with the smartest man alive, Emil Burbank. I can’t wait for that to happen. Now if only Straczynski could stop padding instead of writing and give the readers some payoff for their patience.

I thought that Squadron Supreme was dependent on Gary Frank’s work. I was wrong. Barranco and Cifuentes matched his style well, while not keeping their own interpretations of the characters. Usually when reading series where the artist’s designs are so prevalent, one loses interest and cannot suspend disbelief when a fill in penciller comes to the rescue. Not this time. While the facial expressions which are staples of Frank are absent, the storytelling is decent. One caveat, the super hero staging and fight is weak.

7/10

Past review:

Squadron Supreme #5

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