Suicide Squad Raise The Flag #2

I’m very disappointed that the Showcase reprints of the original Suicide Squad have been delayed, because I really feel the need to go back and read this series, based on recommendations from friends who did. I was an intermittent reader, picking up crossovers or character appearances that I liked, and while it was always a good read, I didn’t feel the need to buy every issue.

That will be a little easier with this miniseries. The Squad is reborn with writer John Ostrander at the helm again, and so far it’s a heckuva ride. Ostrander plays fast and loose with time and POV here, leaving us unsure of exactly what we’re seeing: Rick Flag’s memories, hallucinations, current events, or all of the above. We cut abruptly from location to location, visiting some of our old favorite characters and popping into Skartaris, to boot. While the disorientation is a calculated effect on Ostrander’s part -- to make us feel like we’re Flag -- I hope it resolves relatively soon.

But all this pales beside the return of Amanda Waller. Her deservedly high-profile role in television’s Justice League Unlimited has given her new appeal (at least to me, anyway), and I want to see more of her. Next issue promises a new Squad, and I can’t wait.