Suicide Squad #43 Review and **SPOILERS**

Will He? Won’t He?

Writer: Rob Williams 

Artists: Philippe Briones, Hugo Petrus 

Colorist: Hi-Fi 

Letterer: Pat Brosseau 

Cover: Guillem March and Tomeu Morey 

Variant Cover: Francesco Mattina 

Assistant Editor: Andrea Shea 

Editor: Mike Cotton 

Group Editor: Brian Cunningham 

Cover Price: $2.99 

On Sale Date: June 13, 2018

**NON SPOILERS AND SCORE AT THE BOTTOM**

Ha, what’s up the cover advertising that this issue features “THE DARK KNIGHT!”? He’s been in the last two issues! And featured on at least one of the covers...ah well, better late than never, huh? So for all those who jumped on this issue, Suicide Squad #43, for the Batman content, have a look at my review and maybe I can help fill in some of the story gaps.

Explain It!

I am not made of stone, I am a living, thinking, feeling person of flesh and blood and probably phlegm. So of course I get jazzed seeing that Batman is going to be in a comic book. It’s tough to remain jaded about comics when you see Batman kicking and punching and throwing batarangs and generally looking like the mean dad that he is. And let me tell you, this issue has a lot of that: lots of great scenes of Batman beating up a giant snake, then Batman beating up Deadshot because he killed a guy, Batman running away from the other members of the Suicide Squad sent to retrieve him.

Unfortunately, we end this issue more or less the way we left the last issue: Deadshot and Batman in a death-defying cliffhanger, the Suicide Squad hot on their tail, Zoe edging closer to becoming the possessed leader of Kobra while that half-snake fella looks on with jealousy. Deadshot has a lot of inner dialogue that suggest he has a crush on Batman, and really, we can’t blame him. Just look at the way he takes down that kaiju cobra!

This feels like an issue of padding to get this story arc to eight issues, but it is a pretty engaging issue of padding, at that. The storytelling is dynamic and Philippe Briones does a spectacular job rendering everyone’s emotions and movements. Deadshot tells Batman off, but it doesn’t feel authentic since he pines after him earlier in the issue. Really, this is a nice-looking, fun issue that you could skip if you’d rather save the three bucks. Pick it back up when these guys make it to the Kobra compound (kompound?)

Bits and Pieces:

A great-looking issue that is fun to read, but ultimately adds no progress to the overall story. Deadshot reveals his true feelings about Batman to us, which come as no surprise. This is a good singular issue, but feels like it's stalling the narrative for trade collecting's sake.

6.5/10