Written by Jai Nitz & Michael W. Barr
Illustrated by Scot Eaton & Phillipe Briones
Published by DC Comics
This is a tough one.
I love the story by Michael W. Barr with Katana. That one is pure gold and Barr hasn’t lost his touch at all. It’s the other story by Jai Nitz that brings it down for me. It’s boring, predictable and just trite. I’ll start with that story and make it as quick as possible and then go over to the Katana story.
So the first story of the book basically has the Suicide Squad Black going against the evil Sebastian Faust. Since this version of the Suicide Squad is based in the supernatural, they are able to go up against him. Nitz writes a very obvious story and it goes in a very predictable direction.
Because his name is Faust, guess what happens?
That’s right, he offers them all a deal.
Guess what it will cost them?
That’s right! Their souls. That’s about as deep as it gets here folks. By this point I was pretty tuned out to be honest.
The art by Eaton doesn’t really help all that much. I know that there are a lot of people who love his work. I just find it bland and unexciting.
Let’s just move on from this story. It didn’t work for me.
The Katana story is wonderful, however.
Katana and her husband, Maseo, are trapped in another dimension. Apparently, there is a dimension inside the Soultaker sword.
They are fighting the army of the swordsman names Muramasa. The story starts off with a battle. But there is something else going on beneath the surface of it all. It seems Muramasa has an evil plan.
Katana and her husband are fighting against the army inside the sword. But outside of it, it seems that Muramasa is forming an army as well. What’s going to happen? Can they stop Muramasa? This all leads to a crazy ending that just made me end up wanting more!
Phillipe Briones also draws a great book! His version of Katana may even be definitive. I wish the whole issue featured this story. It certainly does well to merit that.
RATING: B