Despite being featured in numerous films together, the Suicide Squad and Joker have rarely battled in the comics. That all changes with Suicide Squad: Get Joker! #1 from writer Brian Azzarello, artist Alex Maleev, colorist Matt Hollingsworth, and letterer Jared Fletcher. The latest series from DC's Black Label imprint, Suicide Squad: Get Joker centers on Task Force X's determination to defeat the Joker and is filled with harsh language and strong action. Further, it offers a fresh perspective on the Suicide Squad, bringing back underused DC characters and debuting new ones, making it a comic debut that fans cannot miss.
Suicide Squad: Get Joker! #1 opens with Jason Todd narrating an abridged version of his origin story. After years as a vigilante, he's been arrested and is serving a sentence at Belle Reve Maximum Security Penitentiary. While there, Amanda Waller recruits Jason to lead Task Force X as they set out to kill the Joker. Jason is joined by Firefly, Wild Dog, and Harley Quinn, as well as an eclectic mix of obscure villains who are determined to earn their freedom. As the team leaves Belle Reve in search of the Joker, they quickly find themselves drawn into a conflict with Russian cyborgs, but the deadliest threat they'll face come from themselves.
Writer Brian Azzarello feels like a natural fit for Suicide Squad: Get Joker! #1. Azzarello has already made major contributions to the Clown Prince of Crime through his work on Joker and Batman: Damned, and he quickly slips into his comfort zone with this story. Despite being featured in the title of the book, the Joker only plays a small part in the series' debut issue. Rather, the Joker is treated as a mysterious threat whose eventual appearance signals a major plot twist with deadly consequences for the Suicide Squad. This works well thanks to the narration from Jason Todd, whose cynical perspective is captured with sharp dialogue that makes his voice feel real. His presence and perspective are crucial to the book's success, especially when he's placed in scenes with colorful characters like Harley Quinn and Toyman.
Joining Azzarello is artist Alex Maleev, who brings his penchant for grounded world-building to the Suicide Squad for the first time. Maleev is a veteran storyteller who excels at creating atmosphere through his detailed linework and expressive characters. As he has shown recently in the spy-thriller Checkmate, Maleev is a master at giving his characters distinct visual identities that help them stand out in an ensemble. This is particularly true when the Joker does eventually show up, as his horrible appearance immediately feels nightmarish. His arrival is further enhanced by colorist Matt Hollingsworth, whose long partnership with Maleev has made the two names synonymous with one another.
Since this series is being published as part of DC's Black Label, it is able to push certain boundaries that the regular DC books could never do. While some Black Label books feel like they don't take full advantage of this opportunity, the Suicide Squad concept feels tailor-made for this imprint. Azzarello and Maleev are willing to push the limits of what is acceptable in mainstream superhero comics by littering in profanities and gruesome fights, as well as some controversial modern politics that inform the Squad members themselves. This helps give the story an edge that other incarnations of the Suicide Squad may not have.
Overall, Suicide Squad: Get Joker! #1 is a strong offering that is sure to excite fans of the Suicide Squad -- whether they be comic buffs or new readers intrigued by James Gunn's The Suicide Squad. While DC could have simply sold this story on the premise of the Suicide Squad hunting down Joker, Azzarello's stellar script and the art by Maleev and Hollingsworth create a gripping narrative that demands attention. The Suicide Squad may be determined to get Joker, but readers need to get this book to see how Task Force X is creating a new legacy.
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