Review: Suicide Squad Volume 1 - Trial by Fire

Recognizing the necessity for Task Force X, the tough-as-nails Amanda Waller resurrects the program and recruits a handful of dangerous criminals into this so-called Suicide Squad. Under the field leadership of Colonel Rick Flag, she sends them off in service of their country. Should they fail, these expendable agents will be disavowed – or worse.

Suicide Squad Volume 1: Trial by Fire collects Suicide Squad #1-8 and Secret Origins #14, written by John Ostrander and illustrated by Luke McDonnell.

The great thing about this book is that it doesn’t read like an average work of superhero fiction. Writer John Ostrander pulls inspiration from military and espionage thrillers, adding a tinge of bureaucracy with international intrigue to the narratives. The tone is gritty, with an emphasis placed on action and the intricate psychology behind the characters involved. There’s also an undercurrent of uncertainty as Ostrander has a penchant for ensuring that not all characters return alive (or sane) from their missions. This book is simmering in its pacing, mirroring Cold War era storytelling sensibilities. Needless to say, Ostrander’s initial eight issues of Suicide Squad aren’t crowd pleasers that amount to light reading. They can be dense, challenging and slow in pacing, but they’re also complex and exciting.

The stories presented in this trade are almost entirely episodic. The trade begins with Secret Origins #14, which acts as a prelude to the series and gives us the origins of both Amanda Waller and the historical precedents to the then-current Suicide Squad.  It’s almost entirely composed of flashbacks, which are admittedly quite dull. The only valuable information gleaned from this issue is regarding the fateful mission that soured Rick Flag’s relationship with his lover Karin Grace and the circumstances surrounding what transformed Waller into such a hardened badass. The series itself then kicks off with a two-parter that sees the Suicide Squad venturing to the fictional country of Qurac to undermine the terrorist efforts of the Jihad. These two issues were a fantastic way to begin the series as its espionage tinted storyline requires the characters to travel to a foreign country, infiltrate the base of operations of a terrorist group, and face off against a cadre of colourful villains. It’s very James Bond in its approach and thrills from panel to panel. This is followed by a one-and-done issue where Darkseid’s Female Furies attack Belle Reve in an attempt to secure the escape of Glorious Godfrey. It’s an action-heavy story that highlights the individual capabilities of the Suicide Squad, as well as the incredible skill the Female Furies have as Darkseid’s top assassins. Another one-off issue sees Deadshot impersonating a vigilante stoking the flames of white supremacy in an attempt to undermine his efforts and to alleviate racial tensions in America (it’s unnerving how little has changed since 1987 in that respect). It’s a little out of place overall and overly simplistic in how it approaches its themes. This trade draws to a close with a three-part story involving the Suicide Squad going on a rescue mission to extract a writer from Russia who has been unfairly incarcerated. The mission goes south rather quickly when they discover she does not want to be rescued and when the Enchantress goes rogue. It’s an admittedly dated adventure that has Cold War tropes all over it. The Russians are all written as one-dimensional archetypes, but the action and concentration on deeper themes regarding free speech and martyrdom help to counterbalance this. Much like the introductory two-parter, this multi-part narrative is influenced heavily by the spy thriller genre and is an engaging follow-up to the 007-esque opener. Its aftermath, an (almost) action-free character study provides a fascinating conclusion to this trade.

What really draws me into John Ostrander’s world for the Suicide Squad isn’t the stories themselves, as they’re certainly fairly generic, but rather the incredible character work that he does. I’m most fascinated by the female characters in this collection. It should go without saying that Amanda Waller is the standout. Her gruff persona and take-no-prisoners attitude is highly entertaining, but there’s also an undercurrent of loyalty beneath that tough surface and her tragic past makes it easy for readers to empathize with her. Similarly, June Moone’s unique predicament of being the host to the evil entity known as the Enchantress draws sympathy from readers. The June and Enchantress personas are at constant odds with one another and that creates tension within the narrative as we’re unsure just how much damage the Enchantress will cause when she’s in the driver’s seat. Though she’s written in more of a supporting role, I also found Nightshade to be a really engaging character. She’s initially introduced as the team’s contact point in Qurac, having been working undercover within the Jihad, and her role then evolves into being an invaluable member of the Squad as the team’s resident teleporter. Layers of complexity are added to her character as we see that she has feelings for team leader Rick Flag and that she’ll push herself past her limits for the team. Aside from these three, Deadshot and Rick Flag are also standouts. Deadshot is an absolutely fascinating character who is unapologetic in his approach to relationships (or lack thereof) and his extremely grey conscience. He’s contrasted against the by-the-book Flag who becomes very much invested in this team and who appears to value life much more.

For those looking for the hilarity and insanity of the Suicide Squad film, Trial by Fire may not be an ideal read. It’s grim and gritty, with a decidedly serious take on the team. The bureaucratic aspects are played up, with the narratives playing out more like an Ian Fleming James Bond novel than your average superhero popcorn flick. That’s not a bad thing either. There’s a real sense of intrigue to the stories Ostrander created here and the characters have a lot of depth to them, with many being quite sympathetic despite being criminals or having questionable morals. Luke McDonnell’s art further compliments these stories. His characters are expressive and dynamic, with scenes involving the Enchantress being especially thrilling. He manages to make her seem genuinely creepy despite the fact that she’s dressed in green and wearing a pointy witch’s hat. Ostrander and McDonnell make for a great team. Together they make this collection of stories truly entertaining.

RATING: B