Comic Info
Comic Name: Squadron Sinister
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writer: Marc Guggenheim/Roy Thomas
Artist: Carlos Pacheco/Sal Buscema
# of Issues: 6
Release Date: 2015
Squadron Sinister #1 Variant
Reprints Squadron Sinister #1-5 and Avengers (1) #69-70 (October 1969-January 2016). Hyperion and the Squadron Sinister rule Utopolis with an iron fist. As they begin to exert their powers over surrounding provinces, problems begins to arise. Hyperion might have a traitor among his group and keeping control of the Squadron Sinister could be more difficult than ruling their empire…and the murder of a Thor in Utopolis could bring the eye of Doom on the entire Squadron Sinister.
Written by Marc Guggenheim, Warzones!: Squadron Sinister is a Marvel Comics limited series that ties in with to the event series Secret Wars. The comic features art by Carlos Pacheco and also includes the first appearance of the Squadron Sinister in Avengers (1) #69-70 (October 1969-November 1969) by Roy Thomas and Sal Buscema.
I love the Squadron Supreme series. The Squadron Supreme represented the “best” of the world and how even the best intentions can lead to war, death, and strife. Here, we see the flipside…the Squadron Sinister is evil, but the results are almost the same.
Bad guys being bad is always fun if it is done right. Squadron Supreme was a great series in part because it was given a nice, long twelve issue run (which is now often longer than most continuing series in a time of frequent cancellations). This book has all the set-ups of something like Squadron Supreme, but it also has one third of the time to tell the story.
Squadron Sinister #4
As a result, the story in the comic book feels a bit rushed. We can see Nighthawk’s plans rather quickly and we can also see how he manipulates the other members of the team into his trap. It comes off as a bit too easy. The other members of the Squadron are played as fools, and they can’t all be fools…but we never get to see them develop to the level that the characters of Squadron Supreme did.
It also has a slight suffering by being tied to the Secret Wars story. Despite a crossover within the series, Squadron Supreme was locked in their own world. Here, the world of New Universe and other worlds like World War II fighters are all tied together (along with a fun little nod to the idea that the Squadron killed the JLA…since they were based on the JLA originally). It also has the Doom tie at the end which is almost like a deus ex machina that just ends the story arbitrarily without as much gusto as you’d hope.
Overall, Warzones!: Squadron Sinister is a fun little ride and worth seeking out if you liked Squadron Supreme, but just don’t expect it to rival Squadron Supreme. It is underdeveloped and plays out too quickly, but the ideas and heart is there. I always root for the Squadron (good or bad) and it is always nice to see them show up…even for four issues.
Related Links:
