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Peacemaker Tries Hard #1: A first look inside the new DC Black Label series by Kyle Starks, Steve Pugh, and Jordie Bellaire

Peacemaker Tries Hard! comes from the creative team of Kyle Starks, Steve Pugh, and Jordie Bellaire

Published on Tue Apr 18 2023

Newly free from the Suicide Squad and looking to make a difference in the world, Christopher Smith has big dreams but, let’s be honest, little ability to make those dreams come true. How can the fan-favorite morally dubious anti-hero make it happen? One thing’s for sure: in the upcoming DC Black Label series, Peacemaker Tries Hard!

Yes, that’s the name of the comic: 'Peacemaker Tries Hard!' With the exclamation point. That’s how you know it’s the good stuff.

Actually, there’s another reason to know this is the good stuff: the creative team, which is note perfect for this kind of material. This six-issue series comes from Kyle Starks (Skybound’s I Hate This Place, Assassin Nation), Steve Pugh (Flintstones, Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass), and Jordie Bellaire, with covers for the first issue by Kris Anka, Björn Barends, Eric Battle, Dan Hippo, and Simone di Meo. You can see a gallery of covers to the first issue below.

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DC’s official advance description of the first issue runs a little something like this:

“Having earned his release from the Suicide Squad, Peacemaker wants to try and do normal superhero stuff for a change. Unfortunately everyone, including the bad guys, thinks he sucks at superhero stuff. But when busting up a terrorist ring introduces Christopher Smith to the cutest thing to ever walk (awkwardly) on four legs, he finds the unconditional love he's been denied his whole life. That is, until the dog is kidnapped right out from under him by a super-villain who has some very un-super-heroic plans for Peacemaker's brand of ultraviolence. Will he help an infamously unstable super-powered criminal steal the world's most valuable and dangerous DNA? Honestly, Christopher's pretty lonely, so it probably just depends on how nicely they ask..”

Peacemaker Tries Hard! #1 (of 6) — a DC Black Label title, which means it’s out of regular continuity, and also intended just for mature readers — will be released May 2.

Want more? Okay, sure: here are some unlettered interior pages, by Pugh and Bellaire.

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Since The Suicide Squad, Peacemaker is forever identified with John Cena - and that's a good thing. We delved into why John Cena's WWE past made Peacemaker a perfect match.

Peacemaker Tries Hard! #1 (of 6) goes on sale on May 2.

Peacemaker Tries Hard! isn’t an official continuation of the HBO Max series, but that’s coming in the shape of the Waller spin-off from DC Studios.

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Graeme McMillan: Popverse Editor Graeme McMillan (he/him) has been writing about comics, culture, and comics culture on the internet for close to two decades at this point, which is terrifying to admit. He completely understands if you have problems understanding his accent.