REVIEW: Suicide Squad: Dream Team #3

Suicide Squad: Dream Team #3, “Insomnia” is the penultimate issue of this prologue to Absolute Power. On the hunt to reclaim Dreamer, the Dream Team find she’s a formidable foe as each side pleads their case on how best to foil Amanda Waller’s plans. Emotions run wild as Waller’s machinations continue to unfold.

The standard cover is by Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira, and Adriano Lucas. A great image of Bizarro trying to save the day by swooping an unconscious Dreamer and Harley Quinn into a burning structure. Tears of joy stream down Bizarro’s frowning face as he’s able to fulfill his wish of being a good guy. Although the scene doesn’t take place in the book, it’s still a fun depiction of all the backwards hijinks Bizarro represents.

Sweeney Boo’s variant has their sights aimed at Amanda Waller herself. Looking as displeased with everything as she always does, Boo really manages to make her feel menacing and intimidating. It’s said bad guys wear purple in comics, and bathing her in purple hues, Waller’s about as bad as any villain’s ever been.

The variant by Rafael Sarmento really captures the conflict this issue deals with in one image. Even the emotion represented on Dreamer and Harley is fairly appropriate to how they approach each other in the story. Much is at stake for everyone involved and this issue brings much of it to light.

Pencillers Eddy Barrows & José Luís along with Inkers Eber Ferreira & Adrian Di Benedetto and Colorist Adriano Lucas make up the interior art team. This issue is packed with heighten emotions and spectacular action sequences that really suck you into this book. You get a true sense of the desperation each side feels in their given tasks and although there’s a clear victor, no one truly feels like they’ve won. As if their art was enough to convey all this on its own, they go and make everything happen in a downpour which simply amplifies the mood and adds an audible element to each panel. It’s simply great and elegant work.

Nicole Maines, lettered by Becca Carey, delivers a passionate moral debate between the members of The Dream Team. Not just lives are on the line as principles of good and evil are laid bare within the core of this action packed issue. We also get a cool look at how hardcore Dreamer can be as she holds her own against the rest of the squad, including Bizarro. Again, each characters voice is captured well and Maines does an excellent job exploring multiple viewpoints of their situations. It’s actually a little sad we only get one more issue because this has been a thilling and thought provoking ride from the beginning.

(9/10) The art and storytelling in Suicide Squad: Dream Team #3 is absolutely fantastic. I’m not typically one to get into The Suicide Squad, but this series has been top notch with this issue being my favorite thus far.