Since 2007 DC/Warner Bros have produced a series of animated films, largely based on celebrated graphic novels or storylines such as The Killing Joke, but since 2013 these original movies have been largely taking place in the same shared universe.
Starting with Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013), or the end of it at least, the DC Animated Movie Universe has primarily covered the adventures of Batman and the Justice League, Hell to Pay is the tenth film in the series and the first to not feature Bats or his sidekicks.
It’s not the first time they’ve produced a film based on the Suicide Squad comics, that honour goes to Batman: Assault on Arkham, but that took place within the timeline of the Arkham Asylum games, with no direct indication that the squad were involved until you were actually sat there watching it. Since the release of the of the live action movie, Suicide Squad is recognisable and bankable enough to earn it’s own animated movie all of their very own.
For those not in the know Suicide Squad is a rotating roster of villains who are forced into performing covert missions for the US government, missions they may not come back from, and which can be fully denied if they are caught. In return the team members receive time off their respective sentences.
The film starts off with a quick mission to get the audience into the swing of things, where marksmen Deadshot (voiced by none other than Christian Slater) and several other squaddies board a train carrying gangster Tobias Whale (the main villain from the Black Lighting TV series) who has stolen vital intel, including that of squad missions. For a lack of spoilers let’s just say it doesn’t end well for everyone involved.
Deadshot’s subsequent mission sees him teamed up with Harley Quinn and Captain Boomerang, who both appeared in Assault on Arkham and Suicide Squad, Killer Frost, who also appeared in AoA, and newcomers Copperhead and Bronze Tiger. The team are tasked with locating a mystical card that will allow whoever possesses it to go to heaven when they die, no matter how many unspeakable things they’ve done.
Obviously given the unsavoury types drafted into the squad plenty of double dealing occurs, not to mention the other unsavoury types after the card, namely the immortal caveman Vandal Savage and Flash nemesis Professor Zoom, who’s involvement ties nicely into Flashpoint.
It’s always nice to see a divergence from the usual Batman/Superman/Justice League movies that are staple of the animated output produced by DC/Warner Bros. It’s something that doesn’t happen enough, excluding last years Teen Titans: The Judas Contract, the last non-Bats/Sups/JL film they produced was 2011’s Green Lantern: Emerald Knights.
Of course, they counter act this breath of fresh air by making their next two movies about Superman, namely The Death of Superman, out later this year, and sequel The Reign of Superman out in 2019.
Have you seen Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay yet? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below.