Writer: Scott Kollins | Artist: Tim Seeley | Colorist: John Kalis

The breakout star of James Gunn’s 2021 standalone sequel The Suicide Squad takes center stage in this six-issue limited series.

Shark is on leave from the Squad along with super-villain—er, supervandal—the Defacer, to whom King Shark has taken a liking. King Shark’s father has called him home but before he can return he must overcome an obstacle in the form of Dr. Grace Balin, aka Orca the Whale Woman!

Like many characters that appear and become popular in media outside the comics, King Shark’s appearance matches that of his movie appearance, although he maintains his comic book intelligence. This book perfectly capitalizes on Shark’s cinematic debut.

The story is fresh and the art is spot on. Like James Gunn, Tim Seeley is masterfully getting us to root for characters that we would normally dismiss. This issue does a great job of acknowledging the decades of history that Shark has and his current stint in the Squad while giving him a chance to shine as his own character. If it’s done right, we could be looking at DC’s next big thing.

Defacer and King Shark are underdogs in every sense of the word. Whether it’s their mutual dismissal by those around them or by readers consuming their stories, neither character has ever been a “main eventer.”

If you’re not interested in cheering for the underdog then this book is definitely a pass for you. You don’t need to be an expert on DC mythology and history to understand the events of this book but it would be helpful to watch 2021’s The Suicide Squad before you do.