By Cat Wyatt

You’ll probably remember that in issue #35 of Suicide Squad it was revealed that Hack was back (I didn’t mean to rhyme there, I swear), but not quite in the flesh. She remembers that she was murdered, but not knowing who did it she’s decided to take out her anger and frustration on all of Belle Reve, Waller, and the Task Force X; which leads us to issue #36, which picks up her witch hunt where it left off.

In the last issue Harley Quinn, Boomerang, Katana, and Deadshot were offsite when Hack began attacking the prison. So they don’t know what they’re in for when they come home (should I be calling the prison their home? It doesn’t sound right, even though they’re in it frequently enough).

So here’s the good news/bad news: good news, Harley figures out that there’s something wrong (because Waller would never greet them in such a friendly manner), the bad news is she doesn’t figure it out until they’re actually inside the prison. So you know; it’s just a little late. It’s at this point that Hack decides to show herself…well the digital version of herself (which is apparently capable of projection and shocking people – in the literal sense).

Meanwhile, Waller is still outside of the prison. Granted I’m pretty sure if she went in there right now all she’d accomplish is getting herself killed. And she’s not the type to sacrifice herself for others anyway. I imagine her biggest concern right now are the files Hack has access to, as opposed to the people inside the building. Which is probably why she caved and called Rick on his fancy new team (The Wall). It’s a shame we didn’t get the see the conversation between those two; I would have loved to see it.

Remember how Hack released all the prisoners last issue? Some of them are already dead (this is Belle Reve after all), but others, such as June. Despite the danger she’s still curled up in the fetal position; a fact that has Faraday very very concerned (which is actually kind of sweet – I wouldn’t have guessed he’d care so much). He knows just how vulnerable she is like this, especially with what is happening outside her cell. Thankfully Hack doesn’t want to bring harm to June or Faraday, making them the only two people safe from her attacks (unlike everyone else, she truly believes they weren’t involved in her death).

Which reminds me – you and I both know who killed Hack, but the poor girl has no clue. She clearly thinks it’s a member of the Suicide Squad (which is correct), but beyond ruling June out she seems pretty lost. I’ll admit I’m a bit surprised she didn’t rule out Harley as well, considering how obsessed she was with her. Maybe she assumes Harley is capable of that sort of betrayal, and since she’s already feeling hurt and betrayed it was a natural conclusion?

Like most Suicide Squad issues that occur within the prison – there’s a lot of gratuitous inmate death. I don’t think quite as much as the last issue, but I didn’t take the time to count then or now, so that’s just an assumption. I’m not really surprised by the conclusion; though I kind of wish Hack hadn’t been interrupted (I really want to know if Boomerang would have fessed up or not – though my gut says no).

I liked Hack back when they first introduced her, so I’m feeling pretty conflicted about this storyline. On the one hand I’m happy to see her back, on the other I hate how she’s turned on everything she once seemed to care about. Like a lot of the inmates in Belle Reve, she ended up leaving it a worse person (though in her case it was more dying than leaving). Which is such a shame. At least it shows that Suicide Squad is still sticking to its roots, in a way.

I do like the way Hack is being portrayed in this issue; mostly I’m referring to her more physical form, where she’s got glowing blue eyes and a blue light ring on her forehead. It’s an interesting implication and reminder that she’s more tech than human at this point. Katana, Boomerang, and Deadshot were all portrayed perfectly as well; they all look the way their characters should look. Meanwhile Harley’s design has been deviating more and more as of late, but it feels like especially so in this issue (though it isn’t as bad as the latest version of her in the standalone comics, so there’s that I guess).

Score: 3/5

Suicide Squad #36
DC Comics