DC Direct Currents issue 14 and how it brought me back to The Suicide Squad and introduced me to Checkmate

https://www.comicbookdaily.com/collecting-community/bound-together/time-capsule-dc-direct-currents-14-february-1989/

I guess you could say DC Direct Currents was DC's version of Marvel Age Magazine except it was more in a brochure format and it was free. Anyways, I had started picking up what was at the time the new Suicide Squad series starting with issue 1. Even though I enjoyed the series I dropped it around issue 8 or 9 for reasons. I can't recall today why but I was at the tail end of my teens at the time after all.

Almost a year later I happened to see this issue of DC Direct Currents and ofcourse I took notice of the Suicide Squad clip art on the front page. I was really intrigued with those 3 panels, enough to want to check out this Janus Directive story line and that's what got me back into The Suicide Squad. It's also what got me interested in Checkmate. Eventually I managed to also pick up all the back issues I needed to complete the entire run along with most of the tie-ins which included several issues of Checkmate. That collection is one of my most prized posessions to this day.

https://www.zipcomic.com/kobra-issue-6

Needless to say putting together this posting together got me feeling pretty sentimental so that got me in the mood for some new fan art of the arch villian of The Janus Directive. One of DC's most underated villians I'vs always felt that KOBRA was basically a composite of Cobra Commander and Destro. Like Cobra Commander, he was a master manipulator and schemer who was prone to temper tantrums. But at the same time like Destro he was a savvy tactition who had no problem with throwing fists when he needed to. 

Sometimes, I also like to do art that doesn't just speak to despots and religious lunatics bent on global domination in the fictional world of the DC universe. By the way, have you ever read the one Suicide Squad issue that took place in Iran? If not it’s a good time to check it out or even re-read for that matter 

https://www.zipcomic.com/suicide-squad-1987-issue-32

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.

Suicidal Tendencies with Shadowpact

Shadowpact 10

Left click to enlarge

So I was in LA this past weekend and found a really cool comic shop (Golden Apple Comics) where I picked up some Shadowpact back issues (1,2, 9 and 10) from their $1 discount back issue boxes. Between having some former Squad members (Nightshade and Enchantress of course) on the team and with my growing interest in Ragman I've been meaning to check out some Shadowpact stuff for a while now.
Those issues were a good read I'll be on the look out for more. Aside from just the all around good writing I liked the some what subtle Suicide Squad reference in issue 10. And on some what of a side note I went ahead and grabbed a copy of Checkmate 10 which guest starred Shadowpact. In that issue Checkmate enlists the aid of Shadowpact to counter act a magic based ritual process that Kobra uses to expose Checkmate and other government agencies infiltration attempts. . .
http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Checkmate_Vol_2_10

False God, false Universe

Left click to enlarge

I'm sure by now most of you have seen that Batman Superman: Dawn of Justice trailer with that scene of the Superman statue with the "False God" graffiti right? It made me think of this panel from Checkmate 24 (2008) in which Superman teams up with Checkmate in order to take down a Kobra plot. Fuck the new DCU for having some cheap Kobra knock off (Basilisk) instead of the real thing. The New DCU, a false universe.

Suicide Squad 30 (1989)

No Kobra escapes the Manhunter

Manhunter #7 written by John Ostrander left click to enlarge image

 Former public defender turned bounty hunter Mark Shaw was a character that appeared through out the Ostrander Suicide Squad series. His appearances in the Suicide Squad usually coincided with DC Universe story lines that spanned several titles such as the late 80s Millennium and later in the Janus Directive. But he also has been in the pages of the Suicide Squad for internal story arcs as well such as when he helped the Squad take on a mission against the Japanese mob that was trying to obtain a huge cache of stolen Russian weapons known as The Dragon's Horde. But as seen in the above clip art it looks like some Suicide Squad related story lines crossed over into his title at one point such as The Phoenix Gambit which dealt with a brain washed Count Vertigo caught in a power struggle between Vlatavian nationals and the Russian government.

Suicide Squad #30

 I'll admit I didn't know much about the character back when I was reading the Ostrander Squad series but I know that he was one of the non-super powered characters that had a variety of good skills and exotic weaponry. He was also one of the best martial arts fighters in the DC Universe having held his own against Rick Flag and eve managing to have kicked Kobra's ass. By the way DC relaunch and Adam Glass fuck you both with your lame Kobra knock off Regulas from Bassalisk. Let me leave you good people with a couple for links to some cool moments with Manhunter (with Rick Flag and Boomerang too) in the pages of the Ostrander Squad  http://random-happenstance.blogspot.com/search?q=Suicide+Squad+Annual+%231    as well as this cool video of the DC Universe Classic 6" figure  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2pi3oOw50c