090 Justice League Vs. Suicide Squad

A few posts ago, I mentioned that I went on vacation in mid-June (and that's when my posts stopped.)  I had a layover on my way to Austin, Texas, but because of bad weather, my flight was delayed.  By hours.  Thankfully I had a big stack of books to read during my travels.  This book I read cover to cover during my delay in the Baltimore Airport.

I'll be honest.  I wasn't expecting much out of the book.  And maybe because the bar was low, I really enjoyed what I read.  Well, most of it.  This book collects the complete mini-series as well as the crossover issues from each team's regular series.  The mini-series was a lot of fun.  The crossovers were nothing more than pointless money grabs.

The book is basically the JLA vs. the Suicide Squad, then the JLA teaming up with the Suicide Squad against the greater enemy.  Your basic super-team crossover.  But more specifically, all this is is a set up for the upcoming Justice League of America book.  The Batman lead team.  Killer Frost is a member of the upcoming JLA book, and this story is very much about her redemption, however temporary or permanent it's going to be.

While I'm not a big fan of the Suicide Squad, I've been warming up to the during the whole Rebirth thing.  I had a good time with this book.

Justice League Vs. Suicide Squad

Writer: Joshua Williamson, Tim Seeley, Rob Williams, Si Spurrier

Artist: Jason Fabok, Tony S. Daniel, Jesus Merino, Fernando Pasarin, Robson Rocha, Howard Porter, Christian Duce, Riley Rossmo, Scot Eaton, Giuseppe Cafaro, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Sandu Florea, Andy Owens, Matt Ryan, Wayne Faucher, Jay Leisten, Daniel Henriques, Oclair Albert, Francesco Mattina

DC Comics

017 Flash Vol 1: Lightning Strikes Twice

Confession time.  I love the Flash.  I've always loved the Flash.  Then the New 52 came along and I couldn't read the Flash anymore.  It was an awful book.  They took away the Flash and replaced him with someone I didn't recognize.  Now we're in the midst of Rebirth and I thought I'd give The Flash a look.  I was happy with what I read.  I honestly wasn't expecting to like this book.  Maybe I had the bar set low and this exceeded my expectations because of it?  I don't know.  He still isn't quite my Barry Allen, but this is the Barry Allen I could have accepted with the New 52.  He sounds like Barry.  He looks like Barry.  He acts like Barry.

I felt like this first trade was kind of mirroring or maybe aping what's going on on the Flash TV show.  That show is obsessed with speedsters.  Every season, every week it seems like all we have are speedsters.  And it gets tiring.  This trade is all about speedsters.  A new speedster villain.  A new speedster sidekick.  A whole slew of new speedsters.  Speedsters speedsters speedsters.  Sure, a lot of them end up dead, but there are still way too many speedsters in this book.  But it was a well done story, rushed (no pun intended) in some spots, but a really fun read.  The art is beautiful.  Carmine Di Giandomenico has something in his style that reminds me of Scott Kolins run on the book.  It's beautiful.  My only gripe with the art is I still hate all the lines in the costume and I really hate the constant halo of lightning surrounding the Flash.  That shit needs to go.

Based on this first volume, I plan on a return visit.

Flash Vol 1: Lightning Strikes Twice

Writer: Joshua Williamson

Artist: Carmine Di Giandomenico, Neil Googe, Felipe Watanabe, Andrew Currie, Oclair Albert

DC Comics