In Task Force X, even the worst villains in the DC Universe can serve a higher purpose. But what happens when that purpose is called into question, and these villains are forced to strike out on their own? How do you redeem the irredeemable?
The team of antiheroes known as “The Suicide Squad” has been a part of DC Comics history for over 50 years, though most of its fame is credited to John Ostrander, Kim Yale and Luke McDonnell’s spectacular 6-year run on the title. Re-envisioning the squad as a team of villains forced to work for the US government, Ostrander and company were able to re-tool the title into something much more nuanced, tackling themes of exploitation and trauma while hammering home the life-and-death drama behind the team’s missions. While Ostrander’s run was widely celebrated for how it humanized its characters, the title began to stagnate after the end of his run, leading to a re-introduction in DC’s “New 52” that many saw as an all-time low for the series. With a growing reliance on bigger names, shallower stories, and high-profile movie tie-ins, the title was practically dead. That is, until 2019. [Read more…] about Suicide Squad by Tom Taylor & Bruno Redondo: Redeeming the Irredeemable
as a whole?
was a good book focused on establishing the status quo of Gotham, and showing what kind of Batman Jace was. But Ridley didn’t make us care much about him. What Future State: The Next Batman was missing was character work on Jace himself.
comes in. The book focuses on Jace Fox and the rest of the Fox family as they figure out their place in a post-Joker War city. Bruce Wayne is no longer the wealthiest man in Gotham, as the Fox family has gained all his assets. Now Gotham’s first family, the Foxes have to contend with their new status in the city. While fleshing out the Fox family and focusing on their dynamics, the story finds a lot of interesting conflict. 
is the story of Al Simmons, a mercenary who comes back from hell to be reunited with his wife, only to be turned into a superpowered antihero caught in a war between the forces of good and evil. But really, the story of the Hellspawn is the story of Todd McFarlane – a superstar artist and writer who used his popularity and the booming comic book industry to help form a new publication and build a multimedia empire while entire publications floundered and ran out of money.
, the fifth trade paperback of Jed MacKay’s Black Cat run, and the second of the series that began with the relaunched Black Cat #1 in 2021, wraps up the storyline with Black Fox, Felicia’s mentor.