I didn’t hear much about Suicide Squad: Get Joker aside from chatter from Ytubers who took issue with minor anti-hero “Wild Dog” participating in the January 6th riot. It’s mentioned in the comic that he took a shit on Nancy Pelosi's desk. I found this detail to be hilarious but I’m not as well versed with the character and I’m conservative so I may be off-base.

All jokes aside Get Joker is probably a definitive take on what seems to be the Modern Suicide Squad. Amanda Waller recruits a group of losers to take down a threat that is seemingly above their skillset or ability. Squad members are killed off while others find some semblance of redemption as the story progresses.

This iteration of the crew is led by Jason Todd (Red Hood) and features several other Z-list heroes like the aforementioned Wild Dog. On the surface, Joker doesn’t seem like a treat that the Suicide Squad would be called in to take on. However, Azzarello adds Red Hood and Harley Quinn into this mix and suddenly you have a potentially inspired series.

Joker doesn’t get much page time in the book but his presence looms large. When he does show up he takes control of the situation and presents the biggest plot twists I’ve seen in recent memory.

Alex Maleev delivers the goods on art and presents a comic that feels like a storyboard for the next film. The pacing and quality of this installment are top-notch and justify the oversized Black Label format. The setup of the issue is nearly identical to the films yet benefits from years of DC comics continuity. Changes are made that are surprising but none of the character revisions pulled me out of the story. My hope is oversized books like Black Label and the format used by IDW (The Last Ronin) take off because it offers real value per page and offers a prestige format that feels tangible. Get Joker is a beautiful comic and I’m stoked to see where the story goes. My only gripe is that I didn’t get to review this book sooner.

In Short: Bravo!

For More: https://ireviewcomics.substack.com/