DC Comics has begun to offer more and more of its classic comic book library via its DC Universe Infinite app. Formerly a comic book reading and show streaming app, the service is more devoted than ever to providing readers with an easy way to enjoy DC's best comics. While some of these comics require a subscription to the service to access, there are also several free comic books being offered through DC Universe Infinite.
DC Universe Infinite offers several seasonal comic books to readers for free, and the current comics in this stable make up the foundations of the Suicide Squad franchise. Here's a look at which comics readers can grab for free, why they're so great and what else the app now has to offer.
Free Suicide Squad Comics
Fittingly, the current crop of free comics now being offered on the DC Universe Infinite app are all about the Suicide Squad. Given that the team of villains just had a big blockbuster movie released, it only makes sense to use the opportunity to show off what are considered some of their best comics.
The free comics currently up for grabs are the first eight issues of the acclaimed Post-Crisis Suicide Squad book by John Ostrander and Luke McDonnell. Introducing the now iconic premise of the Suicide Squad, this run featured villains and anti-heroes from various heroes' rogues galleries. These included characters associated with Batman such as Bronze Tiger (who is actually a hero) and Deadshot, as well as the Flash rogue Captain Boomerang. Leading the Squad is the now well-known Colonel Rick Flag, the son of a World War II soldier of the same name who led the original incarnation of the team.
The book's first issues quickly establish the status quo of the Squad, namely that the team has no real status quo and that anyone could die at any moment. It also put a lot of focus on tough cookie Amanda Waller, the Squad's overseer who had previously been introduced by Ostrander, Len Wein and John Byrne in the Legends mini-series. The dark tone and less optimistic atmosphere of the book and of a DC Universe where superpowered individuals weren't inherently trusted firmly set the new DC continuity apart from its Pre-Crisis counterpart.
Other New DC Universe Infinite Comics
As mentioned, these books and the run as a whole are classics that show off the Squad at their best. Many of the stories are self-contained, but they have brief narrative snippets that continue into future stories as the series builds momentum. The sociopolitical aspects of the book are on display fairly often, with one issue dealing with race riots in an inner city while a branching storyline deals with tensions between America and the Soviet Union. This arguably dates the book, but most will find this historical nature both endearing and interesting.
Along with these free books, DC Universe Infinite has also recently added several other titles that can be read with a subscription. These include American Vampire 1976, a creator-owned horror comic book from Scott Snyder and Rafael Albuquerque that spins off from their previous American Vampire book. Other books include recent Future State titles and several classic Milestone Media comic books, making the service well worth the price of admission. The free books now available are even more of a boon, giving those who enjoyed the Suicide Squad movies to get a taste of the stories that started it all.