10 Essential Suicide Squad Stories
The Suicide Squad stories that stand head and shoulder above the others.
With an all-star cast and a script based on John Ostrander's iconic run from the 1980s, 2021's The Suicide Squad looks set to take audiences by storm when it releases in August, redefining DC's team of villains for casual audiences after David Ayer's 2016 film.
Originally the Suicide Squad (also known as Task Force X) appeared in The Brave and the Bold and laid the groundwork for squad leader Rick Flag Jr. The squad as we know them was formed in 1987 under the guide of John Ostrander as part of the crossover event, Legends.
Ostrander reimagined the team from a group of scientists and soldiers fighting monsters to a black ops group of villains forced to work for the government in exchange for time off their criminal sentences.
The series boosted the standing of many of DC's villains, from Deadshot in the initial run to Harley Quinn during the New 52 relaunch.
With a rotating roster of villains, the Suicide Squad series has always managed to create tension within its pages, as any member could easily be killed on a mission or snuffed out by Amanda Waller. Here, though, are the essential stories every fan has to see...
10. Future State: Suicide Squad (2021)
Written by Robbie Thompson with art by Javi Fernandez, as part of the Future State line-wide DC event, this two-issue mini-series is vital for fans looking to jump onto the current Suicide Squad series by the same creative team.
The series follows Peacemaker and his team as they attempt to recover a rogue Amanda Waller. The twist being the squad has to travel to Earth 3, which Waller has conquered using her Justice Squad, a nightmare version of the Justice League consisting of villains.
The mini-series highlights the best elements of classic Suicide Squad stories, a black ops suicide mission with plenty of deaths and Amanda Waller puppeteering everything from start to finish. Like other Squad books it refuses to pull its punches, with every page filled with bloody kills and moral choices.
It brilliantly encapsulates the creative team's vision for the newest Suicide Squad series, and is a must-read for anyone wanting to pick up the latest comic.