Suicide Squad

A hero is defined by their villains, and the world of superhero comic books is filled with some of the scariest and silliest bad guys around. Rogues’ Gallery aims to settle the score and determine who is the true arch-nemesis for some of favorite superheroes, and we need your help to do it! But this week, we're doing something a little different. You voted to determine the best member of the mostly-villainous team the Suicide Squad, and we’ve tabulated the results and assembled a video counting down the definitive top 10. Did your favorite make this list? There’s only one way to find out!

What the heck went wrong with Suicide Squad? It’s a question that will be plaguing critics for a while.

Ever since WB released the first teaser for Suicide Squad, one thing has been abundantly clear: Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn is the star of David Ayer’s DC super-villain ensemble piece. But for those unfamiliar with The Joker’s occasional sidekick and love interest, the beautifully bonkers and charmingly crazy villain is a bit of a mystery. To help you out, we’ve created a brief primer for The Dark Knight’s most delightful baddie, revisiting some of the character’s most notable moments and tracing her history from breakout Batman villain to Suicide Squad.

If you liked the scene in Batman v Superman where Bruce Wayne watched YouTube videos about the future members of the Justice League, you'll love Suicide Squad. Instead of just one scene of plot-stopping fan service, Suicide Squad delivers an entire first act of soul-deadening exposition. The movie spends nearly 30 story-free minutes with a Machiavellian bureaucrat while she sits in a restaurant discussing a top secret personnel file. Here is Deadshot, the world’s greatest assassin; this is Harley Quinn, the Joker’s psychotic girlfriend. Oh, and have you heard about Captain Boomerang? And on and on and on.

The Golden Age of Marvel Comics kicked off in 1961 with Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s Fantastic Four #1. The company’s rivalry with DC Comics began almost immediately, as Marvel’s stable of new and refreshing characters like Spider-Man and the Hulk challenged DC’s long-held industry dominance and their roster of Superman, Batman, and the Justice League. Both companies now dominate not only comics publishing but Hollywood moviemaking as well. Although Marvel has an undeniable edge in their massive cinematic universe, DC, through parent company Warner Bros., has made a major push into movies with an extended universe all their own.

Odds are you’ve probably rolled your eyes more than a few times after hearing Jared Leto’s approach to playing the Joker in the upcoming Suicide Squad. We’ve talked here before about the actor’s refusal to break character and his uncomfortable gifts to his costars; what we should also remember is that Leto’s Joker seems to be the perfect version of that character for Zack Snyder and David Ayer's vision of the DC universe. If Leto’s take on the Joker proves the quiet optimists like me right, DC Films would do well to give audiences a chance to see Ben Affleck’s Batman and Jared Leto’s Joker in action.

Next week the world goes Suicide Squad crazy with the release of the much promoted feature film starring Will Smith, Margot Robbie and Jared Leto. DC Comics is capitalizing on the buzz by launching a number of new Suicide Squad titles to coincide with the film's release, including a brand new volume of the titular series, and we've got a preview of Suicide Squad Rebirth #1 by Rob Williams, Philip Tan and Jonathan Glapion.

If there’s one thing superhero movie fans know, it’s that you don’t leave your seat once the credits start rolling.

Suicide Squad is a film about DC super-villains tasked with defeating something more evil than their sinister forces combined, so we weren’t exactly expecting a bunch of those pesky superheroes to show up and spoil their fun. We already knew that Ben Affleck’s Batman has a small role in David Ayer’s movie, but apparently there’s another DC superhero making a surprise appearance. Spoilers ahead, obviously.

As this mediocre summer movie season nears an end, there’s a little bit of pressure on Suicide Squad to deliver the goods. The trailers are great, the cast looks fantastic, and we’re even excited about Jared Leto’s Joker — despite that jarring Hot Topic street thug aesthetic. David Ayer’s DC super-villain flick hits theaters next week, and just in case you need a couple of extra reasons to get out and see it, WB has released a new featurette that puts the focus on the film’s practical stunts.