Collecting Justice League Vs. Suicide Squad #1-6, Suicide Squad #8-10, Justice League #12-13.

A prelude to the story line begins in Suicide Squad #8, by Rob Williams, Giuseppe Camuncoli and Francesco Mattina. Rick Flag escorts new inmate Killer Frost through the Belle Reve Penitentiary. They take a tour of the other cells before meeting Amanda Waller, where she offers Killer Frost a place in Task Force X. I see that the writers are sticking with Rick Flag's characterisation from the Suicide Squad movie. He's basically there to give exposition and explain people's powers. I'm glad that DC ditched the idea of making Amanda Waller thin like they did in the New 52 version of Suicide Squad. This new version of Waller isn't quite as big as she once was, but at least she doesn't look like a generic hot woman any more.

The story line begins proper in Justice League Vs. Suicide Squad #1 is by Joshua Williamson and Jason Fabok. A mysterious man enters a top-secret prison and releases all of the prisoners. Meanwhile, the Suicide Squad is sent off on a mission to eliminate the leader of the Brimstone Brotherhood death cult. Unbeknown to the Suicide Squad, the Justice League are lying in wait for them.

Tony S. Daniel is on art duties for #2. The mysterious man who released the super-powered criminals in the previous issue is revealed to be Maxwell Lord and he has released the criminals to kill Amanda Waller. Meanwhile, the Justice League and the Suicide do battle with each other. Just when ti seems like victory will belong to the Justice League, Killer Frost is able to absorb Superman's energy and the heroes are defeated. Then Amanda Waller drafts them into the Suicide Squad.

Next is Justice League #12 by Tim Seeley and Christian Duce Fernandez. In a flashback, we get to see that Maxwell Lord has been captured by Amanda Waller. During interrogation Max uses his powers to trick Waller into revealing where he prisoners he wants are being held.

Jesús Merino is on art for Justice League Vs. Suicide Squad #3. Rich Flag and Katana investigate the secret prison from the first issue and find everybody dead. Meanwhile, Amanda Waller briefs the two teams on the threat they are up against. Maxwell Lord has gathered the villains together because they want vengeance on Amanda Waller for forcing them to become the first Suicide Squad. He will give them what they want if they help him find an artefact of great power. It was good to see that DC had given up on their idea of Lobo as a generic pretty boy. The Main Man is back, ya bastiches!

Suicide Squad #9 is by Simon Spurrier and Rob Williams with art by Riley Rossmo. This issue is another flashback, this time it is about a mission of the original Suicide Squad that goes horribly wrong. The country of Jangsun wasn't much of a threat until it becomes apparent that the country has developed their own metahumans, known as the Jangsun Gods. The Suicide Squad make short work of the Jangsun Gods, but hit a snag when thousands of civilians fall dead as one of the metahumans does. The Suicide Squad continues on slaughtering the remaining Gods and any civilians they come across.

Then it is Justice League Vs. Suicide Squad #4 by Williamson and Fernando Pasarin. Maxwell Lord and his team of villains attack Belle Reve and confront the unified Justice League and Suicide Squad. The two teams try their best but it isn't enough to stop Max from finding the Heart of Darkness, which will give him the power of Eclipso.

Robson Rocha is on art duties for #5. Maxwell Lord has become possessed by Eclipso and has taken control of the Justice League, using them to dominate the entire United States. Batman, Deadshot and Amanda Waller have to deal with an Eclipsed Superman while the rest of the Suicide Squad take on an Eclipsed Cyborg.

Justice League #13 is by Seeley and Scot Eaton. Steve Trevor is preparing for the arrival of his sister and her children at the Picket, the headquarters of A.R.G.U.S., when an alert goes out concerning the Eclipsed Justice League. Trevor locks down the facility and travels through Washington, D.C. to find his family, trying to evade the Eclipsed public.

Justice League Vs. Suicide Squad #6 is by Williamson and Howard Porter. Maxwell Lord has lost control of Eclipso and as a result Eclipso has possessed the entire planet. The only ones unaffected are Batman, the Suicide Squad and Lobo (Batman having previously snapped him out of Maxwell Lord's mind control by implanting one of Amanda Waller's brain bombs in his head and using to blow up his head). Now it is up to Batman and his makeshift Justice League to stop Eclipso and return the planet to normal.

The main story ended with Justice League Vs. Suicide Squad #6, but we get a wrap-up with Suicide Squad #10 by Williams and Giuseppe Cafaro. One of the loose ends at the end of the Eclipso affair is Rustam, one of te members of Amanda Waller's original Suicide Squad, who is still at large. Rustam attacks a military base with a message for Waller, a picture of her children.

I never read the New 52 version of the Suicide Squad and from what I have heard I managed to dodge a bullet with that one. I haven't heard much about the DC: Rebirth version of the team, so that must mean that the series doesn't suck as much as the New 52 version. The writers are obviously basing this version of the team more on the one from the movie. The Suicide Squad movie was a hot mess, but there were some things that I actually liked about it. I liked Deadshot, Harley Quinn and Captain Boomerang, but that was about it. Killer Croc too, I guess. I like this version of Harley Quinn much better than the one in her own comic book. The writers here use Harley for more than gratuitous fanservice.

The aftermath of this story line leads into the new Justice League of America series where Batman assembles a second Justice League with some of the members of the Justice League. That is another review for another time. I guess I will have to go back and read the other DC: Rebirth Suicide Squad issues. Ooh, there's also a story line involving General Zod? I'm in!

All-in-all I thought this was a pretty enjoyable collection. It started off with plenty of action and things took a more epic turn when Eclipso was unleashed. I just wish that there was a regular artist in the various issues instead of somebody different in every single one. It didn't spoil my enjoyment though. As I said above, I will definitely be checking out the rest of the DC: Rebirth Suicide Squad and Justice League of America trades. I am intrigued to see how Batman manages to control Lobo now that he's part of the Justice League.

My rating: 3.5 stars.