The man who defined the team for the modern era has returned with an original story that can stand up alongside any of his classics. Read Full Review

Suicide Squad Special: War Crimes #1 is another testament to how to tell a Task Force X story and do it well. Everyone has their role, the mission is appropriate to their skills and with get the ruthless, cutthroat moments we love from the team and especially Waller. Fans of the movie will enjoythis comic because its more Suicide Squad, while comic fans will love it because its the Suicide Squad they know and love without the meddling of Hollywood. Read Full Review

Overall, SUICIDE SQUAD SPECIAL: WAR CRIMES was a great issue that harkens back veteran writer John Ostrander. With hilarious writing, thrilling action and an all-around well-written team of psychopaths, WAR CRIMES makes for a wonderful read. While it may not be perfect, with rushed pacing and a couple of knee-jerk moments that speed by, WAR CRIMES has a lot to offer fans of SUICIDE SQUAD. I personally cannot wait to see what is in store for our beloved freaks in their next adventure. Read Full Review

This was a fun little one-shot Suicide Squad story by the daddy of the whole damn thing.  In the end, nothing and everything happens which is par for the course for the Squad.  One mission just leads to the next, but it was fun to ride along with John Ostrander as he takes another spin around the block.  He still has it and I hope DC let's us see more of it in the near future. Read Full Review

Suicide Squad; War Crimes Special #1 is not arevolutionarystory. Yet it is more than a welcome slice of nostalgia. More than anything else it is proof positive that John Ostrander can still craft a good, topical political thriller nearly three decades after he first revived Task Force X as a new kind of team at the height of The Cold War. Read Full Review

Its just one special, but War Crimes is classic Suicide Squad greatness penned by the master. Longtime Squad fans wont miss it and new fans should find it equally enjoyable. Read Full Review

All in all, War Crimes is a comic Id hand anyone interested in seeing a quintessential take on the Suicide Squad, assuming I couldnt put hands on my original issues. Where the book lacks a bit of depth and fresh nuance, it makes up for it in reminding me just how special John Ostrander with his hand in the Squad really is. Lets get more from the man and these characters, stat. Im dying to dive back in all over again, and I doubt Im alone. Read Full Review

Suicide Squad has been saturating the market lately, enough to turn some readers off, but if you're looking for a return to top form then this is it. Now, with some luck, we'll get more stories like Suicide Squad: War Crimes. Read Full Review

While War Crimes doesn't meet the prestige of Ostrander's original run, it's still extremely satisfying. It's a pleasant read for any fan, but I would most likely recommend this issue as an introduction for people who aren't familiar with Suicide Squad. In fact, this would be perfect for fans that want to transition from the film to comics. Regardless of the bracket you group yourself in, this is still a solid issue, and an incredibly entertaining read! Read Full Review

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review Read Full Review

All in all this first issue serves as a fairly good jump on point for anyone wanting to check out 'Suicide Squad', but it will not blow away those that have read the previous incarnations of this comic. Read Full Review

This issue proves that Ostrander hasn't lost his touch with Suicide Squad. If anything, it argues that Ostrander should be playing a more active role at DC these days. Fans of the classic Suicide Squad will feel right at home with this new adventure, even if the art doesn't quite gel with the tone of the story. Read Full Review

All in all, Suicide Squad Special: War Crimes #1 feels disposable, but that's far from a criticism. Ostrander's 40-page tale evokes childhood trips back from the newsagents with a wad of cheap creased comics under your arm, to be enjoyed once then flung into a bedroom corner and forgotten about. Visually, while Gus Vazquez and Carlos Rodriguez contribute some characterful illustration here, Gabe Eltaeb's bright colors detract from the murky nature of the Suicide Squad's mission. Despite this tonal weakness, Ostrander shows that he's just as comfortable writing for DC's Clown Princess of Crime as he is with classic Squaddies Amanda Waller, Rick Flag, Captain Boomerang and Deadshot. There are technical problems here, but Suicide Squad Special: War Crimes #1 is still a neat little one-and-done that harkens back to a simpler time, for whatever that's worth. Read Full Review

That's it. This is an unremarkable comic released because there's a film out and if you enjoyed that you might like this. Read Full Review

Overall, Suicide Squad: War Crimes Special #1 is a recommendable book, especially for people who are new to Suicide Squad, but at times offers a mixed bag of characterization. Read Full Review

As a one-shot, War Crimes does a solid job of getting across who these people are and what they do, as well as the consequences and ideologies behind their actions. This is something I think worth handing to a newer fan of the series like myself especially if you're not keen on digging through older Ostrander Suicide Squad stories. But if they like this, it feels like a good gateway to more Squad adventures. Read Full Review

Ultimately,War Crimes isn't a great comic. It's an OK comic, but perhaps not the best choice for introducing a new reader to either the Squad or to John Ostrander. The former can be done with this month's much less expensiveSuicide Squad #1, and the latter can be done with the new trades collecting the 1980s series. Read Full Review

Recommendation: I'd pass on this. It just doesn't feel worth the money, especially when there is much more quality stuff out there. Read Full Review

Suicide Squad: War Crimes Special #1 is a very skippable special indeed. Harley fans will enjoy the character's always silly panache, but the story lacks purpose, teeth, or exciting action. Read Full Review

W

There is nothing that "special" about this issue. It really doesn't have a real significant story. Its just interesting enough to keep your attention and the dynamic with most of the characters in solid. Some of the dialogue is really dumb and can sometime make this book feel like its written for little kids. Its fun but you're not really missing anything if you skip it.

Loved Ostrander's original Suicide Squad run (it was the only book I bought every issue of month by month for that many years) so it's nice to see him back, and the plot here is great! It's just a single special cannot be packed with the depth of characterization that he specializes in, so while a fun 5th week distraction, it's not as legendary a return as an extended run could be. Also the art was serviceable but not anything to knock socks off.

I enjoyed the plot and concept for this one; it felt very Suicide Squad-esque, and there were plenty of twists and turns to keep you interested. The political focus in this one was also very suited to the team, and gave the story more depth without feeling overburdened. That said, whilst occasionally funny, the dialogue did feel a bit forced at times; and the art and colouring really didn't appeal to me much at all. The colours were too bright and the lack of shading made it feel like an old childrens cartoon, which detracted from the serious content of the story. Overall, it was a nice idea and a good filler issue for the DC 5th week, but lacked the wittiness of dialogue and great art to really bring it up from just 'good' to actually being a 'great' issue. more