As the new film looms, the Suicide Squad has a new beginning under the pen of a promising screenwriter. With Suicide Squad Renegades released at the end of November by Urban comics, get ready for an explosive relaunch…
A new beginning for the Suicide Squad
With the arrival of talented screenwriter Tom Taylor, the team underwent a radical facelift. There are certainly characters in the Suicidal Squad like Harley Queen, the giant shark Shark and the sniper Deadshot (also present in the film) but they connect with the tradition of the original series by integrating into the team minor criminals like Zebraman.The big change is mostly above. Their tyrannical leader Amanda Waller gives way to Lok. Contrary to what some think, the latter is not more tender with them but he has different objectives. Less subtle, it forces these killers to work with a team of protesting superheroes. The change is also internal because Lok forces the Suicide Squad to team up with the Revolutionaries, a group of militiamen they have just decimated. This cohabitation is far from easy for the team but it brings dynamism to the story and an additional touch of humor. 
Criminals in the service of the United States
In the original concept, a secret U.S. agency decides to gather seasoned criminals to carry out covert actions so perilous that the regular army and the state refuse to intervene. If they survive, these men and women get a pardon. On the other hand, in case of rebellion, a bomb implanted in their brain explodes. This original pitch offered the 80s series great freedom because any character could disappear during a mission. Writers John Ostrander & Keith Giffen had taken this series to the top with a mix of fun, unpredictable action and political talk about American interventionism. Since the release of the film (link), the Suicide Squad has focused on action and the very popular character of Harley Queen. This tortured and often funny woman brought a different touch to the team but the series often went around in circles multiplying action scenes without making any changes to the team. Worse, we often forgot the origin of the team. Suicide Squad Renegades succeeds very well in reviving the political element by the Revolutionaries. While their leader is a supporter of Machiavellianism, this group of idealists seeks instead to support the people plagued by corrupt and violent leaders.
A quick start
Writer Tom Taylor is a rising star of comics but still too little known in France. Passed to Marvel, he left a deep imprint on the mini-series Injustice and then on DCeased that we had reviewed in this article (link). It has therefore taken its marks in this universe shared by minor series taking place in parallel universes before arriving by Suicidal Squad in the canon universe of DC comics. With Suicidal Squad Renegades, he works with the cartoonist Bruno Redondo whom he knows well, because they created episodes of Injustice together. 
Through well-constructed dialogues, Tom Taylor quickly succeeds in portraying these very different characters and makes credible the cohabitation between political mercenaries and super-villains seeking only to survive which is far from easy because the deaths are numerous. He is helped by Redondo who, through facial expressions and design, knows very well how to situate the different members of these teams. Urban comics has added an Annual Flash written by Joshua Williamson which allows to continue the discovery of this new team. Suicide Squad Renegades is a very good revival of an old title recently abused. If you wanted to start the Suicide Squad after seeing the old one or in anticipation of the new movie, this two-volume series is a must.
