Janus Directive splash page

It seems after all there may yet be a little bit of Suicide Squad stuff to blog about as we kick off 2017. I was at the library today when I noticed a Janus Directive trade paper back on the shelf. I never knew there was a TPB of that multi-titled DC story line in which a conspiracy devised by Kobra turns all the U.S. meta human special ops organizations against each other. The top part of this splash page ( jeez, did they really have to draw Bronze Tiger with that excessive bulge in his costume?) from Checkmate 15 can be found at the DC Wikia page but I mostly like the bottom half with the character chess pieces.

Also today, I was reading Justice League vs Suicide Squad # 3 on Youtube. I have to admit it was actually pretty good. Top notch art with some well done character development and a story line that looks very promising.

Unknown Suicide Squad Millennium art recently discovered

I recently found this art work on DC's wikia page. Although I don't know where this art work originated from I'm always never the less delighted to uncover some Suicide Squad related art from the late 80s and 90s. We see there Rick Flag and Bronze Tiger along with Karen Grace (mission casualty) who's got some some "history" with Flag back from their pre Ostrander Squad days together. There's also The Privateer (a.k.a Mark Shaw), a former manhunter recruited to help Task Force X for the Manhunter Louisiana fortress assault mission (see Millennium week 4, Suicide Squad 8 and 9).

Ok I just wanted to open up this next segment of the posting by saying I was a graphic designer for 10 years so I thought these panels were funny as Hell. Last night I came across this these panels (issue 4) while watching some youtube videos that basically let you read the Suicide Squad Rebirth series in slide show format they have issues 1- 7 so far. Considering how easy it is to read a comic book series these days online I think you must really really want to buy something for the sake of having a hard cover in your collection.
Anyways, this latest Squad series is much of an improvement from what DC came up with when the DCU relaunch first happened not to mention The Squad title reboots prior to Rebirth. This rebirth series is certainly worth taking the time to read on youtube but not worth buying and taking up space at home. It does have it's moments, like Captain Boomerang getting killed in issue 2. Just go to Youtube and paste the following in the search bar...suicide squad rebirth #1. Or start with a later issue but either way after the video finishes it'll go right to what ever the following issue is until you finally reach # 7.

Secret Origins 28 (1988) Nightshade and Task Force X

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This weekend I found this issue in a $1 box and even though it wasn't something I was hunting for it turned out to be a good grab. The issue opens up at Belle Reve with Nightshade talking to father Craemer and basically giving him her life's story starting with her childhood leading all the way up through the events of Suicide Squad 1 - 13. As some of you may know Nightshade is the daughter of a fugitive princess from "The Land of Nightshades" who ended up marrying some up and coming politician who is Nightshade's father. And as we see here Nightshade joined the Squad as an eventual means to an end for some personal matters.

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As far as I know Nightshade never hooked up with either Flag or Nemesis. Like she said here Flag took the Squad way too seriously and Nemisis, . . . well even though she did feel something for him too he was just that "nice guy" and we all know how that goes.

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On the other hand I'm pretty sure she did hook up with Captain Atom given their long history together even though some where along the lines he was also tapping Plastique's ass. But can you blame him I bet that French Canadian action must have been . . .explosive. Captain Atom may be "Nobody's favorite super hero" but at least he gets plenty of tail.

As you can see from the footnote here this story concludes with a lead in to Suicide Squad issues 14-16 which was the Nightshade Odyssey story line in which Nightshade would finally get to use The Squad on the before mentioned personal mission. Interesting enough upon reviewing those issues I now see that there is a footnote for Secret Origins 28 in Suicide Squad 15.

BATMAN: Assault on Arkham is here . . sort of

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First up, I found a little flash back cameo in a discount back issue bin last week from Millennium - Week 5 (1987). Suicide Squad # 8 was a cross over into the whole Millennium series in which The Squad was sent with an experimental explosive device to go destroy a Manhunter strong hold in the Louisiana Bayous. Along the way they're joined by Captain Atom who shortly there after takes on a brain washed Firestorm after he attacks The Squad even though the actual fight takes place in the pages of The Atom.

Apparently this video is still a couple weeks or so away from being released at retail stores but as I understand it you can see it digitally on iTunes. I'll update this posting accordingly as soon as I get a chance to watch it (sooner then later I'm hoping) so that the 3 or 4 of you who still read this blog I update about once a month can know what I thought of it.