James Gunn is working on the second DC Suicide Squad movie. While the first movie fit into the Zack Snyder DCEU world, Gunn said he took most of his inspiration from reading every Suicide Squad comic book he could get his hands on. That goes back to their origin in 1955 in The Brave and the Bold by Robert Kanigher and Ross Andru.
However, John Ostrander took the Suicide Squad and made them something special when he took over, and Gunn said that it was Ostrander's comics that he looked to when creating his new movie. Here is a look at some of the best Suicide Squad comics to read before watching Gunn's movie.
Suicide Squad: Trial By Fire
The one Suicide Squad storyline that all fans should check out before the James Gunn movie is "Trial by Fire." Created by John Ostrander and Luke McDonnell, this spans from Suicide Squad Vol. 2 #1-8. Amanda Waller is heading up Task Force X, and she sends them out on missions to knock time off their prison sentences, although many of these villains never make it home alive. This is where Gunn pulled many of his ideas for The Suicide Squad.
Superman Vol. 2 #4 - Bloodsport
Most of the Suicide Squad members will be brand-new in the 2021 movie. One of these has a big name behind the role, as Idris Elba will leave his role of Heimdall in the Marvel Cinematic Universe behind to take on the role of Bloodsport in The Suicide Squad. To learn more about this Suicide Squad member, check out Superman Vol. 2 #4 by John Byrne. In this issue, Bloodsport faces Superman as his tragic origin story is revealed in this issue.
Peacemaker #1-4 (1988)
Another major star in The Suicide Squad is John Cena. Not only is the former WWE world champion appearing in the movie as Peacemaker, but he is also going to star in his own spinoff series on HBO Max. To learn more about the man who will reportedly lead the Suicide Squad in the new movie, there is a 1988 Peacemaker four-issue miniseries by Paul Kupperberg and Tod Smith that will show you exactly what to expect from Peacemaker.
Suicide Squad: Apokolips Now!
The Suicide Squad storyline "Apokolips Now" did what the name indicates. It brought in Darkseid's minions, including Granny Goodness. This storyline took place in Suicide Squad #22-26 by John Ostrander and Kim Yale.
There were so many great things in this storyline, from Shade the Changing Man betraying his allies, Doctor Light trying to become a hero, and the Suicide Squad battling the gods of Apokolips and holding their own.
Suicide Squad: Up Against The Wall
In the post-credit scene from Suicide Squad, Amanda Waller stood face-to-face with Bruce Wayne and made her demands. She made it clear she knew he was Batman, and she didn't care, not letting his reputation get the better of her. In the comics, she did the same thing in the storyline "Up Against the Wall" in Suicide Squad #10 by John Ostrander and Luke McDonnell. By the end, Batman knew he couldn't bring down Waller's team unless he gave up his own secret identity.
Suicide Squad: The Janus Directive
"The Janus Directive" was a massive DC crossover storyline that was all about the Suicide Squad. Everyone believed that Amanda Waller and her Suicide Squad went rogue, and all the other government agencies ended up fighting, including Checkmate, Project Atom, and more.
The Suicide Squad issues include #27-30 by John Ostrander and Kim Yale. This was all a plan by Kobra, who had a doppelganger of Waller at work, and the original set out to beat her double and save the country.
New Suicide Squad: Kill Anything
For anyone who wants to see a new version of the Suicide Squad, the best storyline came in New Suicide Squad #17-22, titled "Kill Anything." In this series, Suicide Squad has gained their freedom, but now the team has to figure out what to do with it. However, the person who liberated them has evil plans for them, and it is up to Amanda Waller and Captain Boomerang to save them. The members of this team are very similar to the first movie's cast of characters.
Suicide Squad: The Phoenix Gambit
Suicide Squad #40-43 by John Ostrander and Kim Yale began to change how the team looked, and it brought them into the '90s. The villains no longer wore their costumes, and they worked mostly as the black ops team that they are, but in a more structured manner than most readers are used to. In "The Phoenix Gambit," This was a rebooting of the Suicide Squad and made it an edgier series with more espionage and intrigue.
Suicide Squad: In Control/Out of Control
In The Killing Joke, the Joker shot and paralyzed Barbara Gordon. It wasn't supposed to be canon, but DC chose to make it official, and it was in Suicide Squad #48-49 that John Ostrander and Kim Yale fixed what many considered to be a mistake with taking out one of DC's best female characters. This is where Oracle appeared, and she began to work with Amanda Waller and the Suicide Squad. This also eventually led to Oracle taking over as the leader in the future.
Suicide Squad: The Final Mission
John Ostrander and Kim Yale wrapped up their impressive run on Suicide Squad with #63-66. Titled "The Final Mission," the Squad learned there was an island nation where a supervillain group terrorized the people there and was going by the name the Suicide Squad. The team humorously wanted to clear their good name, so they went into battle with the imposters. When the dictator of this island nation has the powers to torment people with their innermost fears, the entire team, save one person, has to face their past.