Future State: Suicide Squad #1

Future State: Suicide Squad proves that no matter when, no matter how, Amanda Waller is gonna put a bomb in some people's brains. Read Full Review

While it might just play out like DCs answer to Dark Avengers, Thompson and Fernandez make this a fun read and dynamics worth exploring next month. Read Full Review

Solid start, with a very intriguing last-page twist. Read Full Review

All in all, Future State: Suicide Squad #1 delivers a solid pair of stories. While its opener stumbles a little in my opinion, its not without its worth. While the back half of the book hits with a bang and never lets up. This book is worth the price of admission for that alone. Read Full Review

Thompson and Adams stories could each carry a satisfyingly standalone issue. Packaging them together prevents the story stumbling that has occurred in other Future State titles. That is a victory worthy of returning to for another issue. Read Full Review

All in all, Future State: Suicide Squad #1 was worth the read. Some books are going to be a must-read, and some you are going to take a chance on. Future State: Suicide Squad is one of those that you may thank yourself for giving a chance. Read Full Review

For the Black Adam story, we see heroes putting their last hope into Black Adam. While this story lacks an interesting cast of enemies, it does makes up for it with the dialogue Black Adam shares about how his past trauma affects him. The art does an incredible way of capturing the beauty of the planet of Kahndaq. Read Full Review

Future State: Suicide Squad #1 highlights some unique and obscure characters, cloaking them in very famous disguises whilst offering a peek at the state of the omniverse at the very end of time. The spectacle of it all is the draw here, and there's not much beneath that shallow surface. Weird and gross, it's a fresher take on a concept that had become tired in recent years. Read Full Review

Even if the overall construction of Suicide Squad feels far too full"making it difficult to imagine any of these ideas receiving a satisfying conclusion"there's still enough on the page to deliver an interesting, if not gratifying, read. Read Full Review

I wish I could recommend this book. In my heart, I like it -- I like the spirit here. I just wish that the rest of the book was as good as its soul. Read Full Review

The Suicide Squad comic presumes the reader is already familiar with the concept and characters involved, yet makes little effort to be funny or get us emotionally invested in any of the characters. Read Full Review

Future State: Suicide Squad is a bit of a mixed bag. Neither story knocks it out of the park as far as a stand-alone story is concerned, but "The Justice Squad" manages to at least pique my interest for the next chapter and future titles coming from DC. Black Adam's "The Beginning of the End," however, while not bad, is forgettable in every single way. Should you pick this up? Mmmm" That's on you. If you're a die-hard Black Adam fan, then you might find something there. Other than that, I'd say only pick this book up if you want a tease into what DC has planned for Suicide Squad and The Crime Syndicate. Read Full Review

This issue is a bit of a mixed bag because while I was here to see what the Suicide Squad of the future was up to, I found myself caring way more about the Black Adam backup and enjoying that art more as well. The Suicide Squad story is just kind of a mess and doesn't give you enough of a look into that world to really care about what's going on and the Black Adam backup does feel like it needs you to know the DC One Million characters to fully enjoy it but maybe that's just me thinking too much into it but I'm just happy that it was here because at least I had something to enjoy out of this issue. Read Full Review

If you're not already a fan of these concepts there's not a lot here to see in terms of the Suicide Squad and Black Adam. While there appears to be a bizarre synergy between the two stories, the execution leaves a lot to be desired. This probably won't bring in any Conner Kent fans either. Both tales seem to lack a significant direction. Definitely not one of the better "Future State" issues. Read Full Review

Both stories could have been better and it stinks that they weren't. Read Full Review

DiRT

May 13, 2021

This review covers both Future State: Suicide Squad #1 and #2. I knew that Future State had to offer at least one book that was a bonafide good title worthy of your money in both story and art, from start to finish. I had hoped that I would find that praise-worthy title amongst the Superman and Batman titles that crowd the shelves. You can only imagine my surprise when I has finished the first issue of this Suicide Squad/Black Adam book and realized that I eagerly wanted to read more. Other titles in Future State had given me hope with a good back-up story after a terrible feature, but this title gave me a good feature and a good back-up, mixing good stories with good artwork, all while properly paying homage to the characters of the DCU and forging ahead with bold creative choices. The only downside to these stories is the “Elseworlds” effect – that feeling that what happens in these might not be as important they make themselves out to be, but the Black Adam back-up story actually seems to fix this issue with an ending that shows that it might be a key development in the character after all. Writer Robbie Thompson is no stranger to the world of comic books, so I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess that this is why his story works so much better than many of the others that come from writers who have only ever worked in the worlds of television, movies, or novels. Thompson gives us a look at a world where the Suicide Squad is masquerading as the “Justice Squad” in a nod to the Dark Avengers era of the Marvel Universe. Amanda Waller has found several villains to take on the roles of the heroes we are more familiar with, though the exception being Conner Kent who is standing in as Superman. Waller has devised a plan to create a world safe from all otherworldly threats and has convinced Kent to join her. Our story opens with the team taking on Mongul, Sinestro, Cheetah, and Brainiac for a piece of tech that Waller needs for her plan, and lives are lost on both sides as the Squad eventually finds success. Of course, there’s more to Waller and her plans than meets the eye, but that’s the charm of Suicide Squad in any incarnation. This alone as a Suicide Squad story would be fine and dandy, but Thompson throws in an extra wrinkle. It seems that there’s another Squad working in secret to find Waller. This Earth is, in fact, Earth-3, home of the Crime Syndicate. The Syndicate is dead is Amanda Waller from Earth-1 has apparently escaped here because she’s found that this world is more willing to allow her to proceed with her plans. The problem is that Earth-1 is facing some dire problems and the leaders now realize that they need Amanda Waller to help keep things in check. Peacemaker has arrived with his Squad from Earth-1, but the time they spend on Earth-3 is slowly killing them, giving them a small window of opportunity to find Waller and bring her home. The artwork from Javier Fernandez and Alex Sinclair is dark and gritty when it needs to be and clean and futuristic when it’s called for, and looks great in the story. Each character from each world is recognizable when they need to be and even though the Earth-1 Squad is hidden in shadow for almost all of the first issue, they are recognizable once you know who you are looking at when you go back and revisit the story. While I’ve had my ups and downs with the Suicide Squad from incarnation to incarnation (the last series from Tom Taylor was unreadable and hopefully undone by these universe rebuilding shenanigans), this story was a massive load of fun and caused me to purchase the new series with the hope that it might be OK this time. The back-up story features a group known as the Justice Legion-A in the far future (making this story feel more like a Justice League or Legion of Super-Heroes story than a Suicide Squad tie-in) made of future version of Superman, Batman, Flash, and Wonder Woman, who exist in a universe where cities and nations now exist on individual planets while Earth sits in ruins. As a new evil known as The Unkind appears to destroy the universe with the help of the personified 7 Deadly Sins and the Lords of Chaos, worlds and heroes fall (including the original Superman who is still alive, but now living in a yellow sun and glowing like golden metal) and the fabric of reality appears to be dissolving. The future heroes of the Justice Legion-A are too inexperienced to handle this massive threat, but Wonder Woman knows of one man who might have the power to help them. Black Adam, the longtime arch-nemesis of Shazam (formerly known as Captain Marvel, but, well, you know…) has given up his former ways to be a man of peace and no longer rules his people but works as their ambassador. Apparently, he and Wonder Woman have secretly been having a relationship and Wonder Woman now finds herself pregnant, so she uses the news of Adam’s impending fatherhood to bring him out of his pacifist ways to help them in their battle with The Unkindness. As they battle and find themselves losing terribly and needing to regroup, they are met by Gold Beetle – the time traveling successor to Booster Gold and Blue Beetle, who appears in the nick of time to help them save all of reality, if she can remember how. Jeremy Adams’ story is admittingly frantic and full of references that might require the occasional comic reader to check Google from time to time, but it’s also a dream for long time comic book readers and fans of DC’s difficult continuity. Adams is mostly credited as a screenwriter who has worked on a number of properties, but among them are The Green Lantern animated series, the DC Comics Scribblenauts Unmasked video game, the Justice League Action animated series, and a bunch of the LEGO DC properties. I can’t help but get the feeling that he’s a huge DC Comics fan who happened to pursue screenwriting and now has the ability to write the comics he reads. Amazingly, this feels more like a Crisis event comic story set in the far future than a random “What If…” or “Elseworlds” story like most of the others we’ve gotten. Paired with the excellent Suicide Squad story, it makes these issues feel like a great collection of mini-series events that have nothing else to do with Future State, and that makes them even better. The artwork from Fernando Pasarin, Oclair Albert, and Jeromy Cox is highly detailed and stylishly colorful. The influences of artists like George Perez and Jerry Ordway can’t be overstated enough, and helps to give the story that feel of a classic “big event” comic from the 80’s and 90’s. With the time travel elements and the ending that makes it feel as if it is important to the ongoing story of Black Adam (and I’ll give them credit for finding a way to make it look like this story matters to current continuity), this looks to be like one of the must read stories of the DCU. If these two comics can do so much in just 2 issues, it’s a shame that characters like Batman and Superman felt so underserved by Future State. DC’s current editorial staff are too worried about checking the right boxes for the wrong reasons that they’ve forgotten that you’re supposed to tell a good story in each issue and pair it with good art that makes people want to spend money on it. The current crop of DC Comics coming out from the AT&T conglomerate are a pale imitation of the books that came before, but luckily, comics like these still manage to slip through the cracks when no one is paying attention. I’ll bet that most people never read these issues of Future State, but I wish everybody would. If all the comics from DC were as thoughtful and creative as these, they might just inspire people to read and buy comic books again. http://dirtmound.com http://ThePopC.Net more

C.V.R. The Bard

Jan 31, 2021

Batman gets his head blown off, Superman gets checked, and tbe Crime Syndicate makes a return - Amanda Waller has assembled a better JL team than whatever the current DC writers ever could on the main title ! Didn't read the Black Adam short. After all that, why? - cvrthebard.tumblr.com

REYNARD

Jan 26, 2021

I actually had a lot of fun with this issue. Not a lot happened, but I really enjoyed the concept of Waller going to Earth 3 with an ad-hoc Suicide Squad made of Justice League analogues taking out the Crime Syndicate and "saving the world". As for the Black Adam story; I think its incredibly stupid to have Superman One Million job/act as a metric to prop up the villain. They did that in Orlando's "Electric Warriors" and I personally think its pretty shallow from a narrative stand point. Black Adam has always been a compelling anti-hero and I'm excited to see how he deals with "The Unkindness" (stupid name btw) as well as Gold Beetle.

Psycamorean

Jan 30, 2021

The Suicide Squad story was alright. There were things in it that were entertaining, but also things that held it back. But it was better than I was expecting. The Black Adam backup was similar, except it did far more egregiously bad things.

Bananaknight

Jan 28, 2021

I actually enjoyed the first story, but the second one was so bad and boring that I stopped reading it halfway through.

mrDovydas

Feb 21, 2021

Ugh, the first story was half-decent, but my god do I not care about the backup one. It's just plain awful.

Ulf

Jan 29, 2021

For all the writers hailing the work of Ostrander and company from the 80s Suicide Squad glory days, rarely do you see a writer who will actually capture that flavour. Strange - the Ostrander-style Squad is so good but we never get it much anymore.

F.T. Wolf

Feb 24, 2021

The book is a definete 'meh'. The main story has potentail, Waller having her own 'Dark Avengers' in the from of the Justice Squad is an intriguing idea. An unexpected, but still logical step up from her ussual Suicide Squad. I'm not onboard with the story though, as I find it quite lacking in many departments. From the art to the character work (with exception of 'Flash', she intrigues me) and the overall pacing of the story. The Black Adam backup story is just... bad. Just bad. The only interesting thing that happens in it is the final panel with arrival of 'Gold Beetle'. Would love to know more about what her deal is! All in all, read at your own risk.

Onomatopoeia

Jan 27, 2021

Every time I felt this comic was about to get interesting, it falls back on old tactics that are just boring at this point. Amanda Waller is a puppet master whose only real power is a bomb implant. Yup, control, and freewill subverted for the greater good... or is it?! Just want something new at this point. As for the second story, I can't help but laugh that Black Adam is meant to help defeat something Superman Prime couldn't.

Nihilist

Jan 26, 2021

Sometimes comics don't even try to mask their obvious intent to cross promote something else without offering anything of value themselves. That's how I feel about this comic - it's an obvious cheap and hollow attempt to introduce audiences to chaarcters that are going to play a role in DC movies to come. There's Mongal and Peacemaker, representing James Gunn's The Suicide Squad (which I actually look forward to, since I'd like the brand to redeem itself after the abominable face tattooed atrocity directed by David Ayer 4 years ago), and there's Black Adam looking like The Rock. You know what's not here, though? Engaging story, well written dialogues and memorable characters. Yeah, sure, the new Flash is pretty cool, but she kinda falls int o the archetype of someone who wants to be good being forced to do something less than good. Neither Robbie Thompson nor Jeremy Adams care enough to create compelling narratives. Both stories here are so painfully unimaginative and boring, I'm truly stunned, shocked beyond belief. It's actually pretty funny how Tom Taylor's short Suicide Squad run was actually more creatively free, out of the box and surprising than this elseworld which in theory is unrestrained by anything. That's a skipper, sadly. more

Sup3rsa1yan1990

Jan 26, 2021

Great to see that quality writers like tomasi, venditti and jurgens were dropped for losers like this