SUICIDE SQUAD (1ST SERIES)

Hot title now owing to the movie...even though it was rubbish....

Regular monthly series that ran for 66 issues under writer John Ostrander and ended in 1992 but the series was resurrected in 2010 for a single issue (#67) as a tie-in for Blackest Night.

#23 has become an issue iof interest as the 1st (brief) apperance of Oracle. #48 as well for the Joker cover and story.

Writer John Ostrander gave the new Suicide Squad its own ongoing series, having brought the team together in 1986's "Legends" mini series. In "Legends" Ostrander paired his concept with a familiar name from DC's history. With the team's own title, Ostrander was helped by artist Luke McDonnell. The squad was a team of criminals led by government volunteers into impossible situations and missions. The choice was simple: rot away in a jail cell for the rest of their lives or perform black ops missions for the government as part of its clandestine Task Force X. They might not make it back alive. But to the hardened criminals serving time in Belle Reve Federal Prison, it was the chance of a lifetime.

Starring regular cast members Rick Flag Jr, Nightshade, Captain Boomerang, Deadshot, Bronze tiger, the Enchantress and Plastique, "Suicide Squad" also featured guest villains, many of whom did not survive their adventure. The team's government liason was Amanda Waller and its field leader was generally Rick Flagg, Jr. Flagg's father, Rick Flagg, Sr., had been a part of the original Suicide Squad, which never attained its own title This series also featured the debut of Barbara Gordon as Oracle (#23) after her paralysis in The Killing Joke.

All issues were distributed in the U.K. at the time so available as pence as well as cents copies.

The series is collected in the following Trade paperbacks:

Suicide Squad (1st Series): Trial by Fire (#1-8, Secret Origins (3rd Series) #14)

Suicide Squad (1st Series): The Nightshade Odyssey (#9-16, Doom Patrol and Suicide Squad Special Special #1 and Justice League International #13)

Suicide Squad (1st Series): Rogues (#17-25, Annual #1)

Suicide Squad (1st Series): The Janus Directive (#26-30, Checkmate #15-18, Captain Atom (1st Series) #30, Manhunter #4, Firestorm (2nd Series) #86)

Suicide Squad (1st Series): Apokolips Now (#31-39)

Suicide Squad (1st Series): The Phoenix Gambit (#40-49)

Suicide Squad (1st Series): The Dragon's Hoard (#50-58)