The Suicide Squad have been appearing in comics since the late 80’s, but they’ve never really managed to be fan-favourites until relatively recently. It’s a neat concept, with a fluid roster of expendable members, comprising of incarcerated Super Villains who carry out highly dangerous off-the-books missions for the US Government. The villains are motivated by the reward of a shortened prison sentence if they choose to comply, and a micro-bomb injected in their necks if they do not. Think of it as Mission: Impossible meets Escape From New York.
The profile of the Suicide Squad in comics took a serious step up during the New 52 relaunch that DC held in 2011 (see also Justice League Origin), when rising pop-culture icon Harley Quinn was first inserted as the figurehead of the team. This led to the blockbuster movie in 2016, and in the same year, a further relaunch as part of the line-wide Rebirth initiative. DC were betting big on this launch; featuring a membership that matched the movie to maximize synergy, and brought to life by possibly the most popular super-hero artist of the last 30 years, Jim Lee. The bet paid off, and the first 2 arcs (#1-#8) make for a fast paced and energetic crowd-pleaser of a read.
Writer Rob Williams makes sure to keep things light hearted, so the plot never gets too bogged down by the nihilism of the characters or the desperation of their situation. If anything, his scripting is more irreverent than witty, but younger readers (or older readers with their brains switched off) will be too swept along with the break-neck pace and inventive set-pieces to mind. Each issue was supplemented by back-up strips that fill in the (generally tragic) back stories of each member; an editorial move which was initially intended to take some of the deadline pressure off of Lee, but which actually contributed some much needed characterisation that the main A-plot was thin on. I’d recommend starting with the Harley Quinn/ Suicide Squad April Fool’s Special, as this lays important groundwork for Quinn, who goes on to be a focal point throughout these arcs.
The good news is that things got even better from this point on, starting with #9 where Williams and co-writer Si Spurrier revealed the secret tale of an ill-fated previous line-up of the Suicide Squad, before seamlessly handing over to writer Joshua Williamson for the 6-issue crossover miniseries Justice League Vs Suicide Squad. The plot is exactly as the title suggests, following a fairly well-worn template of superhero confrontation/ team-ups. You would think that the power-houses of the Justice League would easily wipe the floor with the Suicide Squad, but Williamson plots out a credible rumble between the two. The real plot kicks in when the previous Squad break out of imprisonment, and they’ve got a bone to pick with their old bosses.
The addition of new characters, Killer Frost and Lobo, really mix things up and they get many of the best moments in a series which is packed with surprising twists and reveals. The art is provided by a rotating team of DC’s top-tier talent (in particular Jason Fabok, Tony Daniel and Howard Porter), which keeps the visuals fresh and impressively rendered throughout. I don’t know if I imagined it, but the visual design of Batman (probably the main character of the book) seems to have been aligned to the stubbled, stockier Ben Affleck movie version, which is apt, as this event really does feel like a spectacular summer blockbuster.
About as accessible, and purely enjoyable, as a mainstream super-hero comic can be expected these days, especially for new fans with visibility of the popular DC movies or tv shows, these recent Squad arcs get a high recommendation from me.
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