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Suicide Squad (1987) (Single Issues)
Suicide Squad (1987 - 1992) #1
Amanda Waller organizes the Suicide Squad for a mission to take down a Qurac terrorist group known as the Jihad before they can attack the U.S.
25 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 4, 1987
12 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
About the author
John Ostrander
2,086 books172 followersJohn Ostrander is an American writer of comic books. He is best known for his work on Suicide Squad, Grimjack and Star Wars: Legacy, series he helped create.
Originally an actor in a Chicago theatre company, Ostrander moved into writing comics in 1983. His first published works were stories about the character "Sargon, Mistress of War", who appeared the First Comics series Warp!, based on a series of plays by that same Chicago theatre company. He is co-creator of the character Grimjack with Timothy Truman, who originally appeared in a back up story in the First Comics title, Starslayer, before going on to appear in his own book, again published by First Comics in the mid 1980s. First Comics ceased publication in 1991, by which time Ostrander was already doing work for other comics companies (his first scripts for DC Comics were published in 1986).
Prior to his career in comic books, Ostrander studied theology with the intent of becoming a Catholic priest, but now describes himself as an agnostic. His in-depth explorations of morality were later used in his work writing The Spectre, a DC Comics series about the manifestation of the wrath of God. His focus on the character's human aspect, a dead police detective from the 1930s named Jim Corrigan, and his exploration of moral and theological themes brought new life to a character often thought of as impossible to write. He has also worked on Firestorm, Justice League, Martian Manhunter, Manhunter, Suicide Squad, and Wasteland for DC.
Originally an actor in a Chicago theatre company, Ostrander moved into writing comics in 1983. His first published works were stories about the character "Sargon, Mistress of War", who appeared the First Comics series Warp!, based on a series of plays by that same Chicago theatre company. He is co-creator of the character Grimjack with Timothy Truman, who originally appeared in a back up story in the First Comics title, Starslayer, before going on to appear in his own book, again published by First Comics in the mid 1980s. First Comics ceased publication in 1991, by which time Ostrander was already doing work for other comics companies (his first scripts for DC Comics were published in 1986).
Prior to his career in comic books, Ostrander studied theology with the intent of becoming a Catholic priest, but now describes himself as an agnostic. His in-depth explorations of morality were later used in his work writing The Spectre, a DC Comics series about the manifestation of the wrath of God. His focus on the character's human aspect, a dead police detective from the 1930s named Jim Corrigan, and his exploration of moral and theological themes brought new life to a character often thought of as impossible to write. He has also worked on Firestorm, Justice League, Martian Manhunter, Manhunter, Suicide Squad, and Wasteland for DC.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 1, 2022
The new Suicide Squad has their first mission!
To go up against a new group of super villain terrorists called Jihad, created by the President of Quaric.
Plastique and Mindboggler(?) have been added to the party and Boomerang takes an… interest in the explosive lady.
Mindboggler helps her fellow teammate (Bette, not Harkness).
Also, Flag is taken aback when he sees Karin, his old love, is joining this mission.
The team is headed to a place called Jotunheim in Qurac!
I’m excited to see more of these characters and how they get along… or don’t.
To go up against a new group of super villain terrorists called Jihad, created by the President of Quaric.
Plastique and Mindboggler(?) have been added to the party and Boomerang takes an… interest in the explosive lady.
Mindboggler helps her fellow teammate (Bette, not Harkness).
Also, Flag is taken aback when he sees Karin, his old love, is joining this mission.
The team is headed to a place called Jotunheim in Qurac!
I’m excited to see more of these characters and how they get along… or don’t.
August 4, 2016
Received in a Comixology bundle that came with my advanced ticket for Suicide Squad
As an origin story, this was pretty good. It introduced some of the original Suicide Squad members and Amanda Waller. It also explored (as much as you can in one issue) the "bruised personalities" of members including Rick Flagg.
As a first issue, it wasn't very promising. I don't think I will continue this series. This issue was antiquated/vintage but not in a good way.
Still glad I read this in preparation for the Suicide Squad movie tomorrow night.
Bundle included:
Suicide Squad (1987 - 1992) #1
Suicide Squad (2011 - 2014) #1
Harley Quinn (2013 - ) #1
August 4, 2016
All the Way back to 1987
Just read Suicide Squad #1 from 2001, so I figured I would check out a digital copy of #1 from 1987. I really liked it. This is very much like The Dirty Dozen classic movie. I will check into other digital issues or get a paperback collection. I have read several versions of the Suicide Squad and I like them all.
Just read Suicide Squad #1 from 2001, so I figured I would check out a digital copy of #1 from 1987. I really liked it. This is very much like The Dirty Dozen classic movie. I will check into other digital issues or get a paperback collection. I have read several versions of the Suicide Squad and I like them all.
June 30, 2024
I expected a more recent version, but that is on me. The artwork and the storytelling really feels dated.
February 21, 2025
What a fantastic first issue! It does such a good job at setting the groundwork for the team that I’ve seen in later adaptations, and the team dynamic is top notch awful…which is perfect! But this issue surprised me with how it started…with a superhuman terrorist attack on hub city’s airport! Not just any attack, one of the most efficient attacks I’ve ever seen. In and out in a little over a minute with estimated casualties in the 300-500 range. Lucky for us the attack was only a demonstration, but unfortunately for us it was a demonstration of Quarac’s newest exports: terrorist superhumans!!
Enter Belle Reve federal prison, and its warden: John Economos. We see as he just wrapped up giving a tour to reporter Vikki Vale, showing off their state of the art superhuman containment facilities. He specifically showed her the containment unit for parasite, where they are able to deploy a rat everyday to his cell. Just enough energy for him to drain to keep him alive, but not to wake him up. As she leaves it’s very obvious her story will not be pleasing for the prison, but what do they care they are deep within the government. Speaking of deep, deep below the surface of the prison lies another secret that they wouldn’t want Vale seeing. The HQ of the one and only Task Force X, aka the suicide squad! Since their first appearance in the legends crossover they have gained two new members and two pretty explosive wrist straps to boot. Plastique and Mindboggler. Of course the returning team members include mission commander Rick Flag, second in Command Bronze Tiger, Deadshot, Enchantress, and Captain Boomerang. And of course the one behind it all: Amanda Waller. What I love about this issue is how extensive they go into their psyche profiles such a short amount of time. Waller has setup an interesting dynamic between her and the doctors, they care so she doesn’t have to and she can fall back on their professional opinions. But even if they are against deploying these suicidal maniacs to being with, she doesn’t have to listen.
So why are we all here? The squads mission is simple, they received information on the terrorist superhuman demonstration and they are going to be sent in to kill them all before they can pull a real attack in the states. The team itself is pretty extensively covered in this issue, but hopefully most of them will wind up dead so I don’t particularly want to cover them. But there are a few interesting notes. One of their members can call upon a sword of flame from an unknown location. Another member doesn’t do a lot of combat, but is key to their mobility as the only female member can create portals. They have two heavy hitters with a speed boost and explosive javelins and one that they just pump up with drugs and let loose like an animal. They are held up in a secret base leftover from WW2 called Jotunheim. A large layered building, built into the side of a mountain, with only one way in or out that requires a hydraulic bridge to connect them to. They apparently have an operative that got them the photos of the base that will help them get in.
But as the team heads off to their carrier plane to head towards the mission, there was one new member of the team that Waller left out telling Flag about. Her reasoning is if he can’t roll with the punches and new info, then he has no place being here. As Flag approached the plane he found her sitting in the front seat, his old team member and lover: Karin! She is here acting as the team’s head of emergency and combat medical operations. And she is a little more than pissed that he never visited her in the hospital.
As we reach the end of this issue we get another one of those great team dynamic moments. Boomer has been trying to hit on plastique the entire issue, after one two many brick walls he starts loosing it and insulting her on how easily she has been beat by firestorm and captain atom. In a way to show off her own abilities, mindboggler hits boomer with a taste of his own fears. A group of heroes just laughing endlessly at him. This enrages boomer and once he snaps out of it he almost lobs mindboggler’s head off with a boomerang…that is if bronze tiger didn’t catch it. Flag promised that if he tried any stunt like that again he would blow his arm off…it can only get worse from here!
Enter Belle Reve federal prison, and its warden: John Economos. We see as he just wrapped up giving a tour to reporter Vikki Vale, showing off their state of the art superhuman containment facilities. He specifically showed her the containment unit for parasite, where they are able to deploy a rat everyday to his cell. Just enough energy for him to drain to keep him alive, but not to wake him up. As she leaves it’s very obvious her story will not be pleasing for the prison, but what do they care they are deep within the government. Speaking of deep, deep below the surface of the prison lies another secret that they wouldn’t want Vale seeing. The HQ of the one and only Task Force X, aka the suicide squad! Since their first appearance in the legends crossover they have gained two new members and two pretty explosive wrist straps to boot. Plastique and Mindboggler. Of course the returning team members include mission commander Rick Flag, second in Command Bronze Tiger, Deadshot, Enchantress, and Captain Boomerang. And of course the one behind it all: Amanda Waller. What I love about this issue is how extensive they go into their psyche profiles such a short amount of time. Waller has setup an interesting dynamic between her and the doctors, they care so she doesn’t have to and she can fall back on their professional opinions. But even if they are against deploying these suicidal maniacs to being with, she doesn’t have to listen.
So why are we all here? The squads mission is simple, they received information on the terrorist superhuman demonstration and they are going to be sent in to kill them all before they can pull a real attack in the states. The team itself is pretty extensively covered in this issue, but hopefully most of them will wind up dead so I don’t particularly want to cover them. But there are a few interesting notes. One of their members can call upon a sword of flame from an unknown location. Another member doesn’t do a lot of combat, but is key to their mobility as the only female member can create portals. They have two heavy hitters with a speed boost and explosive javelins and one that they just pump up with drugs and let loose like an animal. They are held up in a secret base leftover from WW2 called Jotunheim. A large layered building, built into the side of a mountain, with only one way in or out that requires a hydraulic bridge to connect them to. They apparently have an operative that got them the photos of the base that will help them get in.
But as the team heads off to their carrier plane to head towards the mission, there was one new member of the team that Waller left out telling Flag about. Her reasoning is if he can’t roll with the punches and new info, then he has no place being here. As Flag approached the plane he found her sitting in the front seat, his old team member and lover: Karin! She is here acting as the team’s head of emergency and combat medical operations. And she is a little more than pissed that he never visited her in the hospital.
As we reach the end of this issue we get another one of those great team dynamic moments. Boomer has been trying to hit on plastique the entire issue, after one two many brick walls he starts loosing it and insulting her on how easily she has been beat by firestorm and captain atom. In a way to show off her own abilities, mindboggler hits boomer with a taste of his own fears. A group of heroes just laughing endlessly at him. This enrages boomer and once he snaps out of it he almost lobs mindboggler’s head off with a boomerang…that is if bronze tiger didn’t catch it. Flag promised that if he tried any stunt like that again he would blow his arm off…it can only get worse from here!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 19, 2024
Basically just introduces you to the team members.
August 10, 2025
Niesamowicie piękne. Szalone (w dobry sposób), że respektuje original source mimo tak kompletnie różnej od niego fabuły.
March 14, 2018
It was okay...
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews