Connect with us
Crime Syndicate #3
DC Comics

Comic Books

‘Crime Syndicate’ #3 seeks to overcome the series’ initial problems

The Earth-3 villains origin story continues, but still struggles to get any momentum going.

This summer, we will see a group of morally dubious super-powered people taking on giant alien starfish Starro on the big screen, but before that it’s time to let DC’s other group of “mostly-evil-sometimes-good guys” take a stab at the big wet conqueror. That’s right, this month’s Crime Syndicate #3 sees the title team uniting for the first time to take down Earth-3’s version of the intergalactic starfish.

We have officially reached the halfway point of the six issue mini-series, which seeks to re-establish the Crime Syndicate in a post-Death Metal  multiverse, for better or worse (so far, mostly worse). This issue acts as a finale of sorts to the first half of the series, with the disparate group of villains uniting to take on the larger threat at last.

Listen to the latest episode of our weekly comics podcast!
Crime Syndicate #3
DC Comics

The issue starts off with a flashback explaining a little bit about this Earth’s version of Starro, and a look at its history with the power rings. Very little time is spent on this before we snap back to the modern day and the big fight that will fill the story for the remainder of the book. In an interesting turn (which I won’t give away here),  we discover that there are a great deal of metahumans on this Earth, each one a dark reflection of their Earth Prime counterpart. Now I must admit I have a weakness for evil redesigns of characters, so this stood out to me as a personal highlight. However, even with my bias towards such a thing, I was disappointed by Kieran McKeown’s designs. Whereas the core characters have similar but distinctively different costumes from their heroic counterparts, these extras have essentially the exact same design.

Throughout this battle, we get to see most of the Syndicate interacting, so we get a real sense of the dynamics at play. This is definitely a strong point of the issue, with writer Andy Schmidt getting to play with the interpersonal relationships that are key to this team. Sadly we don’t get too much of this (fighting to be done and whatnot) but it does set the stage for some great moments in the back half of the series. Longtime fans of the Crime Syndicate will know that there is always plenty of drama going on between the team, and it will be fun to explore how that all got started.

In each issue, we have had a backup story looking into the origins of each member of the group, and this week was no exception with the spotlight on Donna Troy AKA Superwoman. In a sensible if not boring choice, this Earth’s Donna Troy is given a similar origin to that of Earth Prime’s Diana Prince AKA Wonder Woman. This isn’t surprising, as Donna’s origin is a bit more complex and tricky to outline in a short four page story, but I can’t understand why they have chosen to create this new Superwoman if they were just going to do a carbon copy of the original.

In summary, the story is starting to come together and the back half of the series looks to be a fun look at the early days of the Crime Syndicate we know and love, but poor character designs and lazy writing are still holding the series back from true greatness.

Crime Syndicate #3
‘Crime Syndicate’ #3 seeks to overcome the series’ initial problems
Crime Syndicate #3
Showing signs of improvement at the halfway mark, 'Crime Syndicate' is shaping up to overcome its initial problems for a perfectly average conclusion.
Reader Rating0 Votes
0
Setting up a fun back half
Enjoyable interpersonal dynamics
Lazy character designs
Not enough originality
5
Average

Join the AIPT Patreon

Want to take our relationship to the next level? Become a patron today to gain access to exclusive perks, such as:

  • ❌ Remove all ads on the website
  • 💬 Join our Discord community, where we chat about the latest news and releases from everything we cover on AIPT
  • 📗 Access to our monthly book club
  • 📦 Get a physical trade paperback shipped to you every month
  • 💥 And more!
Sign up today
Comments

In Case You Missed It

WWE SmackDown preview, full card: March 1, 2024 WWE SmackDown preview, full card: March 1, 2024

WWE SmackDown preview, full card: March 1, 2024

Pro Wrestling

AEW Dynamite preview, full card: February 28, 2024 AEW Dynamite preview, full card: February 28, 2024

AEW Dynamite preview, full card: February 28, 2024

Pro Wrestling

AEW Rampage preview, full card: March 1, 2024 AEW Rampage preview, full card: March 1, 2024

AEW Rampage preview, full card: March 1, 2024

Pro Wrestling

Marvel unveils the new villains Bloodcoven appearing in 'Blood Hunt' Marvel unveils the new villains Bloodcoven appearing in 'Blood Hunt'

Marvel unveils the new villains Bloodcoven appearing in ‘Blood Hunt’

Comic Books

Connect
Newsletter Signup