Review: Suicide Squad Volume 5 - Walled In

During the Crime Syndicate’s takeover of the Earth, the most dangerous villains are freed from their prisons in hopes of unleashing anarchy on the world. With the members of Task Force X free from her purview, Amanda Waller must find a way of bringing them back into the fold in order to defeat the Thinker.

Suicide Squad Volume 5: Walled In collects Suicide Squad #24-30 and Suicide Squad: Amanda Waller #1, written by Matt Kindt and Sean Ryan.

This collection functions as a pseudo tie-in to Forever Evil. The plot of that event has bled over into the lives of the Suicide Squad, creating a slight jump in the overall flow of their narrative. It’s jarring and makes the title far less accessible than it previously had been. Readers unfamiliar with Forever Evil are likely to be confused as to what’s going on and even those who are may be displeased with the direction taken with the Squad. Harley and co have been freed from Belle Reve, while Amanda Waller is stuck in the prison she formerly ran. It’s an inversion of roles, but is done haphazardly as a result of Forever Evil imposing its status quo onto the DC Universe at large.

Overall, Walled In is a bit of a chore to read. Its narrative hinges on two teams converging on Belle Reve with the intention of defeating O.M.A.C., a powerful cyborg that the Crime Syndicate has turned into a weapon. What’s really cool about this arc is that we see Power Girl and Steel teaming up to help in the effort to stop O.M.A.C. Power Girl in particular is a standout in this volume, as her snarky personality and aggression on the battlefield give her a unique presence amongst the other characters. King Shark is another memorable character, whose development is rather notable. We finally get his origin (which is tragic, I might add), cementing my growing affection for his character. Sadly, Power Girl and King Shark are pretty much the only good things about this volume. Harley Quinn oddly fades into the background, Deadshot continues to be unremarkable and the rest of the cast is kind of blah. 

This particular volume acts as the final note in the Suicide Squad saga that started with Adam Glass at the helm in 2011. As such, Walled In provides zero closure and almost no character development. It closes on something of a cliffhanger, which is obviously intended to be the lead-in to the New Suicide Squad title. It’s recommended to those who have stuck with the series, but isn’t an essential read to anyone looking for some Suicide Squad fun.

RATING: C-