Drawn by: Luke McDonnell
Originally purchased: I have no idea.
Repurchased: Titan Comics Smyrna.
Cost new: .75
Cost used: .25
In the beginning there was Crisis on Infinite Earths, and it was good, sort of. And on the second proverbial day the powers at DC created Legends, and it was good, sort of. And out of Legends came the Suicide Squad, and it was very good. Legend has it that John Ostrander wasn't thrilled with the idea of reviving the Suicide Squad until he hit on the idea of turning them into a covert ops team. The rest they say is history. The Ostrander Squad was one of the comic high points of the 80s. And it all began right here.
We open with the bad guy in a typical American airport. We can tell he's a bad guy because he's brown and frowning.
The bad guy then begins an attack on the airport with help from some friends.
After successfully killing everyone including the mayor, governor, and a plane full of people, the bad guys take off.
Psyche! It wasn't an American airport at all. Instead it was setup to look like and American airport to test the super terrorists.
Cut to Belle Reve (its first appearance by the way) prison where Vicki Vale is taking the tour.
But the tour was simply a rouse to keep the real power at Belle Reve hidden, Amanda Waller. The Wall was a brand new character at this point having only been introduced a few months earlier in the Legends mini-series but she already had the traits that would make her so popular. I loved Amanda Waller from the start. She reminded me of the women I knew as a kid, strong, opinionated, and someone who knew how to get the job done.
Rick Flagg briefs the new members of the squad on the deal. Which gives us a perfect chance get a rundown of the Squad's members.
Rick Flagg
Deadshot
Bronze Tiger
The Enchantress
Captain Boomerang
and the rest.
Hmm, I wonder which of the members of the squad won't be coming back from their first mission. The people we got the in depth background on or one of the new guys.
We then get the scoop on the bad guys, the Jihad.
After the briefing the team gets ready for the mission with the usual new team member squabbling including Mindboggler putting the whammy on Boomerang.
Who responds by wanting to be a homophobe but the standards of the time wouldn't allow it. Bronze Tiger breaks up the argument and the team departs.
"You..bloody..bike!" We get it, Boomerang's a jerk.
The end.
So how does it hold up. Eh, the biggest flaw is that nothing really happens in this issue. It's a let's get to know everyone story that could have been done in a couple of pages. In fact had Suicide Squad been published a decade earlier I'm sure issue one and two would have been combined into one story. But even here in the late 80s the shadow of decompression was falling across comicdom. Luckily, I know what kind of awesomeness comes next so it buys this book a little bit of goodwill.
Which brings me to Captain Boomerang. I really wish I had the next issue because in it Boomerang displays just what it takes to be a villain in the DC universe. You see, because he's one of the Flash's rogues Boomerang is assigned to "neutralize" the Jihad's speedster Jaculi. Boomerang confront's Jaculi on a cliff where he lives or mediates or something like that. And in less than a minute Jaculi is dead.
Splat. "Guess yer just weren't in ol' Flashies class myte. Sure as hell weren't in mine."
And in those two lines Boomerang gives us the single greatest insight into what it means to be a villain in the DC Universe. You see unless you're a Batman, Green Arrow, or some other non-powered hero's rogue, chances are, that if you're a villain you're hopelessly out powered in the DC Universe. The heroes of the DC Universe are like Earth-bound gods, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, the Martian Manhunter, the Flash. To face off against these powerhouses you don't need power you need moxie.
Think about it.
Captain Boomerang is a guy who's really good with boomerangs. Yet he feels he can challenge a man who can run at the speed of light. A man who can vibrate his molecules through solid objects. But Captain Boomerang is confident that he is going to defeat him with trick boomerangs. It's insane but it works. This is why Captain Boomerang is the DC Universe villain. I know it's crazy but if like me you grew up with those insane silver age tales it makes perfect sense. To be a great DC Universe villain your most important super-power is self-confidence.
There's a classic panel in Crisis on Infinite Earths that shows the Penguin facing off against Firestorm. Let me repeat that, the Penguin vs. Firestorm. A criminal boss with an ice fetish and trick umbrellas versus a man who could turn the air around him into acid. I'm sure if the Penguin had a thought balloon it would read, "I can take down this flame headed freak!" That makes sense to me.
I'm Toyman. I make really dangerous toys. I'm one of Superman's rogues.
Bonus: The Young All-Stars
Double Bonus: The New Flash starring Wally West as the Flash with a top-speed of 700 mph. Young Justice fans will note that the episode Cold Hearted paid homage to the first Wally West Flash story.
Next time: 68 pages, no ads, $1.00
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