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James Gunn loves to draw inspiration from classic comics for his superhero films, and this year’s The Suicide Squad is no exception. Not to be confused with 2016’s Suicide Squad by David Ayer (and a room of panicked Warner Bros. executives), the James Gunn film released this year has loving nods, easter eggs, and major plot points pulled straight from the team’s 60-year history.
With such a storied legacy, it can be tough to penetrate the hundreds of issues to prepare for the film, but there are some highlights and must-reads for any eager fan.
9 The Brave And The Bold #25 (1959)
The Brave and the Bold was the first appearance of the Suicide Squad, although not one that was expected. Created by Robert Kanigher and Ross Andru for the anthology series, The Brave And The Bold featured the original team as a secret special ops directive led by Rick Flagg Jr. – the same man who went on to lead the modern Task Force X. While their antiquated stories may not reflect the current rendition of the Squad, the original tales are still an integral part of its history and provide plenty of backstory for Rick Flagg fans.
8 The Brave And The Bold #28 (1960)
Created by comic legend Gardner Fox, the original Justice League origin tale sees the Suicide Squad face the mighty alien Starro The Conqueror. Comprised of Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern (the Hal Jordan flavor), Aquaman, and the Martian Manhunter, the team’s first appearance is a far cry from the endless roster fans know today. Starro is of course defeated by the League, with the team going on to herald a history of epic antics, but that may not be the last fans see of this odd and otherworldly menace.
7 Legends (1986)
The first major event in the new world of Post-Crisis DC, Legends by John Ostrander, Len Wein, and with art by John Byrne, is an all-star event pairing the world’s greatest heroes against the machinations of Darkseid. While that might seem like a situation too big for Task Force X to handle, this story is actually the first appearance of Amanda Waller, played spot-on by Viola Davis in both films, and is a modern concept for the Suicide Squad. The “taking supervillains and implanting bombs inside them so they’re forced to operate for the United States government” trope comes from this otherwise fairly saccharine and sanitary story.
6 Superman #4 (1987)
During the release of Legends, John Byrne introduced Bloodsport, an assassin who famously incapacitates the Man of Steel with a Kryptonite gun. This occurs in issue #4 of his ongoing Superman run, which along with his Man Of Steel mini-series, reintroduced Big Blue to the world following the events of Crisis On Infinite Earths. This is the specific incarnation played by Idris Elba in the film (Robert DuBois), unlike his later counterpart (Alexander Trent) who’s introduced 6 years later as a racist white supremacist. Unsurprisingly, it wouldn’t be long before the two came to blows.
5 Suicide Squad (1987)
Out of all the comics in the long history of the team, the legendary run by John Ostrander and Luke McDonnell made the greatest impact on James Gunn’s film. Coming straight from the horse’s mouth, the film is an explicit love letter to the classic late 80’s team.
Much of the movie’s plot and themes are pulled directly from this series, with several moments and concepts adapted directly from page to screen. If there’s a comic to read before the film, it’s this one.
4 Peacemaker (1988)
Despite the greatness of Ostrander’s Suicide Squad, there are several other stories the film also pulls from worth checking out. Peacemaker, the 1988 four-issue mini-series by Paul Kupperberg, Tod Smith, and Pablo Marcos is a reinvention of the 1960’s Charlton Comics character that DC purchased and is now incorporating into its universe. Peacemaker, played by John Cena, is a standout part of the film, and his deadly persona is most clearly influenced by this run.
Reinterpreted as a maniac who is haunted by the ghost of his dead Nazi father, this version was a bit of a departure from the classic square-jawed good guy of the Silver Age. Soured by a poorly aged Asian stereotype for its primary villain, the real meat of the story deals with Peacemaker slowly losing his grip on reality.
3 Superboy #0 (1994)
Why or how an issue #0 exists well into the run of a character dating as far back as the Golden Age is a very complicated answer. It’s best summed up as being the fault of Zero Hour, which was an attempt to reinvigorate sales and bring in new blood to the comic reading fanbase. Many of these issues are largely forgettable with exceptions like Superboy.
Sylvester Stallone’s lovable King Shark originates in this time capsule of 90’s DC, with a bizarre origin that’s referenced multiple times in the 2021 movie. Clearly, James Gunn remembered.
2 Batman: Harley Quin (1999)
Despite first appearing in Batman: The Animated Series episode “Joker’s Favor” in 1992, it wouldn’t be until 1999’s Batman: Harley Quinn that the character was fully immersed into the DC universe proper.
Written by DCAU alum Paul Dini with art by Neil Googe and an utterly iconic cover by legendary talent Alex Ross, Harley Quinn retains many concepts first introduced in her BTAS tie-in comic and later in The New Batman Adventures episode, “Mad Love”. The story is important for making sense of how the lovable and largely non-lethal Harley Quinn could fall for the Joker who, unlike his animated counterpart, would leave bodies wherever he went.
1 Suicide Squad (2011)
It was roughly 20 years after Harley Quinn’s introduction to the DC universe that she finally appeared as a member of the Suicide Squad. The New 52 incarnation of the team heavily inspired the designs, roster, and overall tone of David Ayer’s 2016 film. While it suffers from some tonal inconsistency and a great deal of sexualization of Quinn herself (much like the first movie), it does give a basis for what most modern stories of the Squad are built upon. King Shark as a member of the team is pulled from this story, despite a minor involvement in the aforementioned Superboy series. And although the team would be restructured during DC Rebirth and again in the Post-Dark Nights: Death Metal era, Harley’s involvement has remained a staple ever since.
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