Suicide Squad #14 (2022)
- Writer
- Dennis Hopeless
- Artist
- Eduardo Pansica, Julio Ferreira, Dexter Soy
- Letterer
- Wes Abbot
- Publisher
- DC Comics
- Price
- 3.99
- Release Date
- 2022-04-05
- Colorist
- Jeremiah Skipper, Peter Pantazis
The War for Earth-3 has come to an end and opened a new chapter for the rebel hero-villains of the Suicide Squad. Written by Dennis Hopeless, with visuals from artist Eduardo Pansica, Júlio Ferreira, and Dexter Soy, colors by Jeremiah Skipper and Peter Pantazis, and letters by Wes Abbot, Suicide Squad #14 brings to an end a promising arc of a usually thrilling series, but with a few twists. This issue, entitled "Defunded - Part 1," picks up where the last issue left off after Amanda Waller's victory over the Evil Justice League of Earth-3 with the reluctant assistance of the Suicide Squad.
Victory is short-lived, however. Back in their own dimension, the Squad is in shambles. Two members died in battle, with Talon dying soon after, Culebra is left without a body, Belle Reve has been destroyed, Amanda Waller is M.I.A., and the Task Force X is disbanded. The Squad finds themselves without purpose or funding, though at least they got to keep Bloodsport and his brothers. What's a ragtag team of misfit heroes to do now? Their first mission is to reconvene, then they must find new funding, at any cost. Rick Flag has a few ideas on how to get it.
Suicide Squad is a franchise known for its reckless abandon, chaos, dark humor, and disregard for convention, matching the wild-card attitudes of its ragtag cast of anti-heroes, anti-villains, and misfits. Everything from victories and losses to brutal deaths and mutilations has a wicked sense of comedy to them. Most of the time, it's effective. However, Suicide Squad #14 doesn't quite match this energy.
In this series, the last 13 issues have focused on the crossover event, the War for Earth-3. It was a high-stakes battle with plenty of bloodshed, casualties, and drama that ended abruptly. This is a recurring problem for Suicide Squad #14. Plots that were previously built up, character arcs that were being developed, and new twists for the story are all dropped abruptly and with little to no warning or resolution. Belle Reve's destruction is sudden and feels almost aimless, doing nothing more than scattering the Squad a little further -- a problem that is resolved pretty quickly. Talon's death is a mere hand wave and lacks the impact it could have had, despite his final tender moment with Culebra, which Ambug Bug so kindly elaborates on for the audience's benefit.
This sort of irreverence is par for the course for the Suicide Squad, which has reveled in its subversive take on superheroes and the conventions of the DC Comics canon. However, it fails here because the issue loses much of its narrative momentum immediately afterward, save for a few scenes that, while action-filled and fun, feel disjointed.
Up to this point, writer Dennis Hopeless has captured the tone and pacing of the Suicide Squad nicely; however, this issue is lacking in comparison because the previous arc dropped right as it was picking up steam. Suicide Squad #14 feels less like another chapter in a story and more like a filler issue between two arcs. The issue focuses on picking up the pieces of the Earth-3 storyline and scrambling to tie loose ends, which can be frustrating to read.
However, Suicide Squad #14 isn't without a few draws. There are glimmers of that signature twisted humor that makes the series so enjoyable. Ambush Bug is the standout of the cast for his carefree, naive attitude, quick wit, and distinctive speech patterns. His chemistry with Peacemaker, in all his surly and violent glory, steals the show. The visuals shine here as well, with the line art having a rough, almost unfinished quality with pulpy, grimy textures in the colors.
Suicide Squad #14 doesn't feel like a conclusion to an arc but rather a bridge between two stories -- one that can be difficult for some readers to cross without some sense of disappointment. However, the ending scene and a promising tease of Lex Luthor's involvement in the story give readers plenty of incentive to make their way to the other side.
