Review of Suicide Squad: Drain the Swamp

Suicide Squad, Volume 7: Drain the Swamp by Rob Williams

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

How do you stir empathy for monsters? Isn’t that the eternal question posed by this series? Characters with complicated backstories twisted enough to make the reader question their motivations, thrown into impossible situations you know will lead to the inevitable death of at least one. It’s a macabre dance designed to play on moral ambiguity.

Or maybe I simply read too much into an entertaining comic.

But how else do you explain a single glance into the life of Amanda Waller, granting her a new humanity lacking from the beginning? (No reason to touch on Hack, considering her story) The biggest monster in Belle Reve, and she stands in a new light. Maybe it’s only for a moment, but it offers enough of a question to set her apart from the raving sociopath portrayed throughout the various story arcs.

The various facets Mr. Williams and Mr. Spurrier offer of these characters are fascinating. It’s what makes the series so richly captivating. (Although it’s also hard to deny the humorous touches, such as the nod to Red Shirts) I’m curious to see where they choose to go from here.

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