It’s the final showdown between Dreamer and Amanda Waller in Suicide Squad: Dream Team #4, written by Nicole Maines, with art by Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira and Adriano Lucas and lettering by Becca Carey. Dreamer will have to battle through her teammates in the Suicide Squad first, though.
This whole mini-series has been amazing, partly because of the team’s great lineup of characters, but primarily because of Dreamer. I had fears that once DC incorporated Dreamer into their books, she’d be lost in the shuffle and eventually fade away into obscurity. But Dreamer lives! Thanks to Nicole Maines’ writing and guidance of the character, Dreamer has become a major player in the DC Universe, with an interesting power set and a determination and fierceness that rivals Batman.
The issue opens with a splash page of Dreamer totally at the Squad’s mercy. Chained to the floor and ceiling and hanging agonizingly in mid-air, it’s a stunning image and it’s pretty terrifying, especially with the Hannibal Lecter-like Clock King and the misguided powerhouse Bizarro malevolently watching over her. Beaten, nearly unconscious and with her powers sapped by Black Alice, it looks like Dreamer’s down for the count. Dreamer’s goal is to stop Amanda’s plan to use Gamorra as a prison facility for the Earth’s super-powered individuals. Amanda thinks she’s saving the world, but Dreamer has foreseen Amanda destroying it and Dreamer’s determined to stop her.
That’s what makes this finale issue so exciting and memorable, as Dreamer battles against insurmountable odds to stop Waller. This miniseries, especially this issue, puts Dreamer through hell. There’s action from the first page to the last, with Dreamer battling through the Suicide Squad in a flurry of fight scenes and action set pieces that would fill a dozen Summer blockbuster films. If you love action, you get it here and it’s all incredibly thrilling. Artists Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira and Adriano Lucas have a kinetic style that drops you right in the middle of the action and never lets go.
DC Comics
Through it all, you really root for Dreamer and want her to succeed in stopping Amanda. Nicole Maines writes a particularly malevolent and vile Amanda Waller, who’s malignantly narcissistic and who’s so laser-focused on her plans that she’s willing to destroy everyone around her (including friends and family) to accomplish her goals. Like every great villain, she firmly believes she’s doing the right thing.
The climax of the book has a great plot twist that leads directly into the Absolute Power event coming this Summer. I’m generally not a fan of these big event crossovers, but I’ve become so invested in Dreamer and Amanda Waller’s conflict that I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next.
I hope this version of the Suicide Squad stays around a while. This has been my favorite version of the team since way back at the beginning when John Ostrander wrote them. The mix of personalities and powers meshes perfectly. I love that Harley’s in the team but never overpowers the book. Every character gets moments to shine, even Clock King, who I felt in the past was one of the most boring villains ever, but in this miniseries has been turned into a fascinating, chilling, and coldly logical killer.
If you’ve been getting the mini-series, you’re going to love this final issue. If you haven’t been getting it, what are you waiting for? Grab up the back issues and this issue and get ready for a fantastic ride!
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!
You must be logged in to post a comment.