Some people look down on the reading of comic books and graphic novels. I guess general society would associate the fact that it has imagery with it being a kids product. Those of us who can appreciate many forms of art and storytelling know that comics and graphic novels are accessible for people of all ages. In fact, many of them are created with adults in mind. One such comic is Suicide Squad.
I’ve gotten back into comics ever since I got my iPad Mini, all thanks to the DC, Marvel and Comixology apps. Then a good friend of mine bought me five volumes of DC’s Suicide Squad for my birthday, and I’ve been hooked since I started reading them.
DC has already announced that we’ll be getting a Suicide Squad movie next year (2016), so I’m glad that I’ve gotten into the series early on. I recommend reading Suicide Squad to anyone else who has an interest in DC Comics, and here’s five reasons why I love reading it.
The Concept
I’d heard the name Suicide Squad for months, and my friends even told me about an animated version of it that I should watch. However, It wasn’t until I learned about the concept of the story that I was slightly intrigued. The story follows a group of incarcerated villains who have been forced to carry out missions as a squad, by a secret government agency. To keep the villains in check the agency fits bombs inside their necks, which can be detonated anytime a villain becomes insubordinate.
It’s a simple concept but it leads to tons of excitement, especially with the cast of characters used in the story. Harley Quinn and Deadshot are the biggest draws in the series, but I’ve learned about many more DC villains that I hadn’t heard about before.
The Tone
Because this is a story that follows villains, the subject matter is unpredictable, and DC certainly aren’t afraid to push the envelope. Most superhero comics are told from the hero’s perspective, so you’ll know the story isn’t likely step out of the realm of sanity. Throw dozens of villains into a story where they’re forced to carry out tedious tasks for the government however, and you’re in for some wild story arch’s. Suicide Squad is dark, gritty and violent, and it covers many morally challenging themes.
Having Expendable Characters Keeps Things Refreshing
With villains in danger of being blown up for going rogue, you can bet that the squad changes quite a lot. This is also a huge positive as the dynamics are always changing, and it keeps things refreshing. There’s also so many stories to be had between new and existing characters. It’s also satisfying to see all these ego’s clash with each other, especially as each member interacts with the other differently.
You’ll see characters despise one another, poke fun, lust over each other and gain respect for one another. It’s always exciting when the writers introduce new villains to the mix, because you’re always wondering what part they’ll play in the squad.
Seeing Characters in a New Light
What’s interesting about Suicide Squad is that you’ll learn to like and identify with the villains, and despise the government agents controlling them. The boss woman Amanda Waller is easy to dislike, but you also get to delve into her mind and try to understand what makes her tick. She comes across as someone with her own agenda, but there’s times where she also looks out for and defends her squad of villains like children. Suicide Squad is a psychologically twisted story, and it makes exploring its themes even more satisfying.
It’s a Story That Can Last
With expendable characters, and multiple government agencies at hand, I don’t see Suicide Squad going away anytime soon. It’s something that DC can keep going for a long time, and keep it interesting by introducing cross-overs with their other properties. There’s already a cross-over with DC TV show Arrow, and I expect the Suicide Squad movie will tie in nicely with the Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League films coming in the future. I actually think that Suicide Squad would be better served as a TV show than a movie, because its ever changing dynamics would split nicely into seasons. But I guess you can’t go wrong with a well-casted big-budgeted movie.
In closing…
I could go on and on about how great Adam Glass’ writing is, and about the nice artwork from: Federico Dallocchio, Clayton Henry, Fernando Dagnino, Henrik Jonsson and Sandu Florea. But if you’ve read this article this far then the chances are you might be checking the series out for yourself. If you do, then be sure to come back and share your thoughts with me in the comments or on Twitter. Even if you despised Suicide Squad I’d love to hear your thoughts.