Since their debut in 1959's The Brave and the Bold #25 by Robert Kanigher, Ross Andru, and Mike Esposito, the Suicide Squad has entertained audiences with a wide range of unhinged antics. The upcoming release of James Gunn's film is already throwing the anti-hero team back into the spotlight, but it isn't this week's only new Suicide Squad story. Writer Brian Azzarello and artist Alex Maleev have teamed up for the first time to release Suicide Squad: Get Joker #1, the first of a three-part miniseries for DC Black Label. The upcoming series will follow a version of the Suicide Squad lead by Jason Todd on a mission to kill the Joker.

In anticipation of Suicide Squad: Get Joker #1's release on Aug. 3, CBR attended a roundtable discussion with both Azzarello (Batman: Damned) and Maleev (Checkmate). The DC Black Label series' debut issue centers on Jason Todd and Harley Quinn working alongside a cast of lesser-known DC Characters, including Wild Dog, Plastique, Firefly, Silver Banshee, and even a completely new character called Meow Meow. Task Force X leader Amanda Waller assigns the motley crew to take down Gotham's clown prince of crime and, of course, madness ensues.

Related: Suicide Squad: Wild Dog Creator Slams DC's Portrayal  of the Character as an Insurrectionist 

The first questions asked to Azzarello revolved around the Suicide Squad's unconventional cast and whether or not the upcoming movie influenced his writing process. He explained, "Nobody's done anything with [these characters] for years." He wanted to avoid using characters that will feature prominently in Gunn's film. "I wanted to use characters that hadn't been around in a while that I could actually do something with," he added, noting that lesser-known DC characters would give him more creative freedom. The veteran writer went on to say that the series will be tonally similar to the movie in one sense. "This book is rated R," he said, then added that his top priority was telling a unique, original story.

When asked why he chose to center the story around Jason Todd, Azzarello was quick to point out that despite Todd's time as Robin, his vigilante Red Hood days make him as much of a criminal as anyone else in the Suicide Squad. He wanted to incorporate all of Todd's complicated and tragic history into a nuanced narrator. Azzarello's Jason Todd is angry without being "silly angry."

Related: The Joker#5 Unnervingly Depicts Jim Gordon's First Meeting of the DC Villain

Jason Todd in Jail in Suicide Squad: Get Joker #1

The conversation eventually moved towards Azzarello's experience working for DC Black Label and its prestige format. Azzarello replied, "I can see myself doing more of this." The writer expressed how much he appreciated being able to work on stand-alone stories, adding, "I think continuity really gets in the way of storytelling."  Azzarello, who also wrote Batman: Damned and Joker for DC Black Label -- in addition to a slew of creator-owned series -- is no stranger to this type of work, and expressed a fondness for maintaining creative autonomy.

When Alex Maleev was asked about his process working o Joker's character design, he mentioned that he used himself as a reference for the villain's facial expressions and poses. However, he stated that his top priority for the Joker was to convey a degree of lunacy, stating, "[Joker's] unpredictable nature is what makes him scary... And that craziness is what I go for when I draw him."

Related: The Suicide Squad Guide: News, Easter Eggs, Reviews, Theories & Rumors

Harley Quinn sneaks up on Joker in Suicide Squad: Get Joker #1

As the conversation began to wind down, the creators were asked what they were most proud of about the series. Azzarello said, "You're going to like the characters, and you're not going to want to see them die" -- an idea he returned to frequently throughout the discussion. At one point, he even went as far as to say, "The point of this book is that they could die." Maleev expressed pride over how well he and Azzarello collaborated together and added, "You throw us together and we'll come up with something, just like a good, oiled jazz band."

Co-created by Brian Azzarello and Alex Maleev, Suicide Squad: Get Joker #1 goes on sale Aug. 3 from DC Black Label.

Keep Reading: David Ayer Slams Warner Bros, Declares Suicide Squad 'Is Not My Movie'