Task Force Z #3
Written by: Matthew Rosenberg
Art by: Eddy Barrows
There’s no rest for the wicked! Especially if you’re Floyd Lawton, a.k.a. Deadshot. He thought the mission that killed him would be his last, but now he’s been recruited into Task Force Z. But Deadshot’s never liked playing by anyone’s rules…and Red Hood and his would-be team are going to learn that the hard way!
Task Force Z #2
Written by: Matthew Rosenberg
Art by: Eddy Barrows
After Task Force Z’s first bloodbath-err, sorry, first mission-goes awry, Red Hood must rethink how to lead a team of unstable monsters against some of the most organized ranks of Lazarus resin dealers in the world. To manage this unruly bunch, Jason Todd is going to need a deputy in the field whom he can trust to be his eyes and ears…but on this team, such an ask isn’t limited to the living. A ghost from Suicide Squad past returns in the cameo no one will see coming (that’s a clue)! Plus: Bane’s rampage, the Resurrection Twins get carried away, and more clues to the secret identity of the team’s benefactor!
Wednesdays (and now Tuesdays) are new comic book day! Each week hundreds of comics are released, and that can be pretty daunting to go over and choose what to buy. That’s where we come in
Each week our contributors choose what they can’t wait to read this week or just sounds interesting. In other words, this is what we’re looking forward to and think you should be taking a look at!
Find out what folks think below, and what comics you should be looking out for this week.
American Comics: A History (WW Norton) – Professor Jeremy Dauber takes readers through the history of American comics starting with the Civil War through modern times. It’s 150 years of history.
Black Panther #1 (Marvel) – John Ridley takes over Black Panther and we’re beyond excited.
DC vs. Vampires #2 (DC Comics) – It’s the latest apocalyptic spin with DC superheroes and the first issue was a solid build up with a really good unexpected twist.
Deathstroke Inc. #3 (DC Comics) – The series has been a solid take on the character without him going the “hero” route. He’s the asshole we love to see what he does next.
Harbinger #2 (Valiant) – The first issue was a solid debut that worked well for long-time fans of the characters and a jumping on point for new readers.
Hawkeye: Kate Bishop #1 (Marvel) – With a high-profile debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Kate Bishop is getting a new series that should be perfect for new readers.
The History of Science Fiction Vol. 1 (Humanoids) – What will be covered and what will be left out? We want to see what gets the spotlight in this graphic novel that covers the genre from the 1800s to present day.
House of Slaughter #2 (BOOM! Studios) – Something is Killing the Children has been a hit and we’re watching this spin-off series to see if it can repeat the magic.
Hulk #1 (Marvel) – After an epic run, where do things go? We’ll find out soon!
Joy Operations #1 (Dark Horse Comics) – Brian Michael Bendis brings his talent to Dark Horse with a new creator-owned series through his Jinxworld imprint.
Serial #8 (Abstract Studio) – The series has been growing on us as Zoe has been getting closer and closer to figuring out what’s going on with the serial killer Jenny and we learn more about Jenny’ motivations.
Task Force Z #2 (DC Comics) – The concept shouldn’t work but the first issue proved it can! Red Hood leads a team of revived “zombie” villains.
Task Force Z #2
Written by: Matthew Rosenberg
Art by: Eddy Barrows
After Task Force Z’s first bloodbath-err, sorry, first mission-goes awry, Red Hood must rethink how to lead a team of unstable monsters against some of the most organized ranks of Lazarus resin dealers in the world. To manage this unruly bunch, Jason Todd is going to need a deputy in the field whom he can trust to be his eyes and ears…but on this team, such an ask isn’t limited to the living. A ghost from Suicide Squad past returns in the cameo no one will see coming (that’s a clue)! Plus: Bane’s rampage, the Resurrection Twins get carried away, and more clues to the secret identity of the team’s benefactor!
There’s something a bit silly about the concept of Task Force Z but at the same time it all works so well. The concept is simple, A-Day resulted in the death of numerous criminals in Arkham Asylum. Now, those criminals have been resurrected and forced on a team, much like the Suicide Squad. It’s the Suicide Squad with pseudo zombies. The comic is also completely self-aware and has a lot of fun with its concept acknowledging how crazy the idea is.
Written by Matthew Rosenberg, Task Force Z #1 lays out the insane concept putting everything on the table. We know the “how” of it all, we sort of know the “who” of it, and kind of know the “why” of it too. Led by Jason Todd, aka Red Hood, the initial team features Bane, Man-Bat, and eventually Arkham Knight, and Mr. Bloom. The last of which is an unexpected character who stands out showing off so much personality in their back and forth with Todd.
The issue is really solid though. Rosenberg keeps the familiar of Suicide Squad but enough of a spin on it to make it interesting. The spin is the “how” and Jason Todd’s reaction to it all. It’s a silly concept when you think about it and Todd seems to recognize that. He’s dealing with “zombie” villains in a situation that has them taking down other villains and the absurdity of it all isn’t lost on him. His reactions and lines are funny adding to the enjoyment of the debut. But, Rosenberg also gives him some humanity showing off his unease of it all. One particular moment has Todd being the voice of reason, a role we don’t associate with him and in that moment a lot is added to the character and the seires.
Task Force Z #1 also has a bit of old-school horror to it all. The end of the comic especially delivers a tense moment that is left hanging and really plays off the concepts of zombies and horror films of the past. Again, it adds to the fun, campy, pulp aspect of it.
The art by Eddy Barrows is great. Along with ink by Eber Ferreira, color by Adriano Lucas, and lettering by Rob Leigh, the comic is “dark” adding to the atmosphere and concept but never crosses a line into scary. Yes the villains are zombies but the comic never really goes for the gross out factor of decay. There’s some small moments here and there and details as well that makes it all clear but where the comic could easily go over the top with decaying villains, it hasn’t yet. Instead, it plays it somewhat serious in a way adding to the grounded aspect and making the comic feel visually like it fits into the world of Batman.
Task Force Z #1 is a debut that does an excellent job of playing off of the current meta story going on in the world of Batman. While “Fear State” isn’t present, it does build off of the launch of the new line’s narrative and has some fun with the possibilities that sets up. Overall, it’s an unexpected debut that’s both serious and camp at the same time and leaves us wanting more. Task Force Z #1 feels a bit like old-school EC Comics at times and never takes itself too seriously.
Story: Matthew Rosenberg Art: Eddy Barrows
Ink: Eber Ferreira Color: Adriano Lucas Letterer: Rob Leigh
Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25 Recommendation: Buy
DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE comic for a review
Purchase: comiXology – Kindle – Zeus Comics – TFAW
Wednesdays (and now Tuesdays) are new comic book day! Each week hundreds of comics are released, and that can be pretty daunting to go over and choose what to buy. That’s where we come in
Each week our contributors choose what they can’t wait to read this week or just sounds interesting. In other words, this is what we’re looking forward to and think you should be taking a look at!
Find out what folks think below, and what comics you should be looking out for this week.
Amazing Spider-Man #77 (Marvel) – “Beyond” has been a solid new direction for the Spider-Man titles and Kelly Thompson steps in as writer and Sara Pichelli as artist of this issue. We’re excited to see what they do with the new focus.
Ant #1 (Image Comics) – After a week delay, we get to see Erik Larsen’s take on the classic character. Can’t wait to see what Larsen does with a brand-new ongoing series.
Comrade Kill (Adhouse Books) – “A Cold War super soldier accidentally wakes from a cryogenic freeze long after the war has ended to find out his existence is now meaningless. Being too dumb to reconcile this he goes out into the wild to satisfy a pointless mission objective that no one asked him to do.” That sounds too awesome to not check out.
Cross to Bear #1 (AfterShock) – Jack the Ripper ran to the Wild West and is being pursued by The Order, descendants of Crusaders sworn to eradicate the unnatural.
DC vs. Vampires #1 (DC Comics) – It’s the Justice League vs. Vampires!
The Harbinger #1 (Valiant) – Harbinger is back and we’re so excited for this new volume and direction. This is a series that is likely to be the center of the Valiant world going forward and we want to see where it all goes.
Hellboy: The Silver Lantern Club #1 (Dark Horse) – We’re always excited for a new Hellboy series which tend to do a solid job of balancing the big meta picture and being accessible for new readers.
House of Slaughter #1 (BOOM! Studios) – Something is Killing the Children is a hit and we want to see how this new spin-off series is handled.
Inferno #2 (Marvel) – The first issue was a lot of setup as the end game of Jonathan Hickman’s vision for the X-Men begins. Here’s hoping things really get rolling here.
Primordial #2 (Image Comics) – A brand-new series from Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino that puts a twist on the space race with an alternative take on history.
Search for Hu #2 (AfterShock) – The first issue was great with dips into generally not known history when it comes to Jewish migration mixed with action and family drama.
Swamp Dogs #1 (Scout Comics/Black Caravan) – Confederate soldiers are brought back to life by Voodoo and crave flesh!
Task Force Z #1 (DC Comics) – Task Force X saw villains working their way to freedom. Task Force Z will see dead villains working for a new chance at life! Well ok then.
Tiny Dancer (Atheneum Books for Young Readers) – Sien Cherson Siegel’s second graphic novel about her life in ballet.
The Winchester Mystery House #1 (Source Point Press) – The house is pretty famous and we’re intrigued into how you turn it into a comic series.
This October, Task Force Z is unleashed written by Matthew Rosenberg with art by Eddy Barrows and inks by Eber Ferreira.
On A-Day, hundreds of Gotham City’s most dangerous and deranged criminals were left dead after an attack on Arkham Asylum and now, they’re getting a second chance at life. A mysterious benefactor is bringing together a new Task Force and has recruited the only person who could lead them, someone who knows what it’s like to come back from a brutal death: Red Hood. Now Jason Todd has to unravel the mystery surrounding this team of the recently deceased while leading a line-up of some of Gotham City’s worst criminals who’ve ever lived: Bane. Man-Bat. The Arkham Knight. Sundowner. Mr. Bloom.
Coming October 26, 2021, Task Force Z #1 also features a variant by Tyler Kirkham, 1:25 variant by Dan Mora, retailer team variant by Rodolfo Migliari, 1:50 Arkham Knight variant by Kyle Hotz, and 1:100 Mono-chrome variant by Hotz.
