During the first few arcs of Rebirth era Suicide Squad, we met the metahuman Hack. Her power allowed her to communicate and control technology, as well as travel through it. During the Squad’s war against the villainous group, The People, she was murdered. A year has passed and Hack has come back as the equivalent of a ghost to attack Belle Reve at its most vulnerable. With the Squad fighting the new hero, Damage, and Amanda Waller out observing a potential Task Force X replacement, this cyber ghost of the past has possessed the Squad’s home base. How will this sin of the past haunt the Squad in the present?
**Some Spoilers Below**
Story:
When the Squad returns home from their fight with Damage, they find the place controlled by Hack. They do their best to fight back, but it’s hard to fight a prison with high-security robots. After they’re captured, Hack explains to them why she has returned. She wants to kill the one who murdered her and will hold them hostage till the culprit is revealed. Hack calls Amanda Waller to try and get her to return to the prison to give her answers. Waller has her own problems at the moment, in the form of The Wall. The government issued hero is sent out on exercises so Amanda Waller can get a good grasp of his abilities.
Hack’s killer is Captain Boomerang. I would apologize that I ruined the killer’s identity, but even the series makes it clear. If you haven’t read the series before this issue, you would still be able to piece it together. Not because Digger Harkness is a bad guy, because you have the killer that Hack flashes back to is wielding a boomerang! You mean to tell me that she can’t access autopsy files on her own body? That the weapon that stabbed her has an odd almost boomerang shape? It’s questions like this that ruins the plot of this story. We have this battle against a digital ghost but it could have all been avoided if someone decides to check the files. Sure, the action is fun, but logic can only be kept away for so long.
Art:
As I said, the action is fun, but that’s only because the art is amazing. Eduardo Pansica’s pencil work is fantastic, especially when it comes to the designs of Hack. The different forms of the cyber ghost are incredibly unique and makes each encounter a ton of fun. Adriano Lucas takes it a step further with his epic colors. He is able to keep it vibrant enough to show the amount of energy powers are using yet keep it grounded enough for some of the more serious moments. If there’s anything steady about this story arc so far, it’s how phenomenal this art team is.
Conclusion:
This was another disappointing chapter in this arc, but not for the same reasons as last time. While the action is fun, thanks in large part to the art team, readers will be able to point out the flaws in the story a mile away. If you’re looking for a senseless, action-filled romp, this might be what you’re looking for. If you are looking for more substance, however, look somewhere else.
