5 Comics You Must Read Before Seeing Suicide Squad
At heart, everything you need to know about Suicide Squad is right there in the trailers: These are the bad guys who end up working for the greater good, even though they don't really want to. The Joker also shows up. But the movie's story originated in a comic book series from the 1980s that went to places—social, superheroic, and political—that few other comics at the time went, and influenced a whole lot of books that followed. Do you want to know the whole Suicide Squad backstory before seeing the movie? We have a reading assignment for that.
Suicide Squad Vol. 1 #1-30 (1986-1990)
The motherlode of Suicide Squad comic mythology comes in this early-'80s run, written by John Ostrander with art by a collection of creators including Luke McDonnell, Karl Kesel, and Grant Miehm. It is, essentially, a political drama that just happens to star supervillains and other monsters, and the unmistakable star of the show is Amanda Waller, who quickly proves herself to be one of the most powerful people in DC's comic book universe. Batman doesn't like her, but that's only because he knows he could never beat her if it came down to it. Thirty years later, and these are still some incredible comics.
How to read it: Available digitally and in print collections as Suicide Squad Vol. 1: Trial By Fire, Suicide Squad Vol. 2: The Nightshade Odyssey, Suicide Squad Vol. 3: Rogues and Suicide Squad Vol. 4: The Janus Directive.DC ComicsNew Suicide Squad #9-12, Annual #1 (2015)
After that first 1980s series, Squad was resurrected on a number of occasions but rarely lived up to what Ostrander had managed to achieve. This storyline from last year is a rare occasion where it did, as the Squad is sent to infiltrate a terrorist organization, only for one of the team to join the other side and everything to go to hell as a result. They're not called a suicide squad for nothing...
How to read it: Available digitally and in the New Suicide Squad Vol. 2: Monsters print collection.DC Comics
Deadshot #1-4 (1988)
Of the many leads in the movie, Will Smith's Deadshot is one of the most charismatic. The comic book incarnation of the character isn't exactly the same as Smith's Floyd Lawton, but this mini-series spin-off from the 1980s fleshes out what's behind the assassin that never misses, even if he'd rather be dead himself. Spoilers: this comes from the 1980s, so there might be some sentimental children in the offing. Be warned.
How to read it: Available digitally and in the Deadshot: Beginnings print collection.DC ComicsHarley Quinn Vol. 2 #24-25 (2016)
There's no other way to say this: The relationship between Harley Quinn and the Joker is the very definition of problematic. Thank heaven, then, for writers Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti, as well as artist Chad Hardin, who get to finally let Harley confront the demon in her past once and for all in this storyline from earlier this year. A fan-favorite comic for its sense of humor and laid-back attitude, Conner and Palmiotti's Harley allows the character to get past the trauma of her origin and become someone who actually has some agency for once.
How to read it: Available digitally and in the upcoming Harley Quinn Vol. 5: The Joker's Last Laugh print collection.DC Comics
Suicide Squad: Rebirth #1 (2016)
Launching this week, Rebirth is the intro issue for the new Suicide Squad series, in which Judge Dredd and Unfollow writer Rob Williams (along with artists Jim Lee and Philip Tan) bring the politics, interpersonal drama, and sense of scale back to DC's most dangerous super-team. According to Williams, this is intended to become the book fans will have to read to find out what's going on in the DC Universe—an ambition that even Amanda Waller would applaud.
How to read it: Available digitally and in print.DC Comics