The comic book community is all abuzz about the new Suicide Squad movie coming out late in 2016.
Many fans are excited because the popular DC Comics villains Harley Quinn, The Joker and Deadshot will appear in the film along with other DC villains.The Suicide Squad #1 issue from 1987 is now on everyone's 'must have' list: written by John Ostrander, drawn by Luke McDonnell and inked by Karl Kesel.
The new film owes much of its premise to the series.
The Suicide Squad appeared first during the Silver Age, albeit in slightly altered forms: first as a band of ordinary intervals battling super-villains and threats and then as paramilitary group fighting during WWII.
Neither series struck a cord with fans, had limited issues and were relegated to second-tier status in the DC Universe-until 1987.
Issue #1 of the Suicide Squad, as it appeared in 1987, consisted of a band of malcontents (Deadshot, Captain Boomerang and Bronze Tiger among them) who are given the opportunity to shorten or eliminate their jail time if they agree to work for a covert government agency, headed by Amanda Waller, fighting super-powered or conventional threats to the U.S. and the world.
There's one catch though: each Suicide Squad member wears a bracelet that will explode and either kill or severely injure them should they decide to try to escape.
Without going into specifics the Squad performs its first task, somewhat haphazardly, and reluctantly bands together to accomplish their assigned goal.
While super-villain team-ups have existed in the past they were never formed to help people and defuse volatile situations.
If the premise works in the upcoming movie then expect to see more SS adventures and other comic book based movies following a similar formula.