One-Star Squadron #3 Review

Corporations Suck and Water Is Wet

Written by: Mark Russell

Art by: Steve Lieber

Colors by: Dave Stewart

Letters by: Dave Sharpe

Cover price: $3.99

Release date: February 1, 2022

One-Star Squadron #3 paints a grim picture of corporate restructuring as Superman appears in front of the HEROZ4U executives to deliver an ultimatum. When the deal is offered, executives do what executives do best - make everything worse.

Was It Good? 

One-Star Squadron #3 is a glum, sad, tedious, ugly little issue. But, if that's your idea of entertainment, you have my sympathies.

The question you can't help ask yourself over and over while reading this issue is "Why?". Why does this story exist? What's the point of it? What's the message Russell is trying to convey here, if any, beyond "the corporate ladder sucks when you're on the bottom rung". Are you meant to feel anything more coming out of this issue besides tedium and misery?

[Spoilers Ahead]

Things are going badly for Red Tornado at the local office. Power Girl got the office to sign a letter for corporate that spells out a general dislike for Red amongst his entire staff. 

Meanwhile, Superman visits HEROZ4U HQ to express his dislike for the corporate model to heroism. Then, when a rescue scene involving Jack 'O Lantern goes bizarrely wrong, Superman informs the board that the Justice League is pulling its sponsorship for HEROZ4U.

Red Tornado is called to meet with the board when all seems lost, but it doesn't go how you'd think.

That's it. There's nothing really pertinent to heroes in general or the specific characters that appear in this issue. This issue is an ugly, sad drama that happens in corporate environments every day. It's a pitiful thing to read. 

If the story had at least some unique twist, maybe there would be a redeeming quality to make it worth your time. But, as it stands, this comes across as Russell's thinly-veiled attempt at chastising the corporate ecosystem while using DC characters as puppets in his stage play. There's nothing uniquely DC here. There's nothing bitingly clever or funny here. And, there's certainly nothing entertaining here.

Make sure to listen to our Weekly DC Comics Recap and Review Podcast to hear us talk more about this book.  Just look up "Weird Science DC Comics" anywhere you listen to podcasts, and make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!

Bits and Pieces

One-Star Squadron #3 is a dull, depressing, tedious look at sad characters with sad lives doing sad things. It's not funny or clever, and there's nothing uniquely DC about this story except for some characters wearing DC character skins. The only message here is, "corporations suck, so spend $3.99 to read all about it."

5/10