Justice League vs. Suicide Squad Writer Explains Why [SPOILER] Is Taking On Amanda Waller

12/22/2016 02:15 pm EST

While readers are distracted by two of DC's biggest super-teams pummelling one another, there seems to be a war going on for control of the DC Universe's intelligence apparatus.

And it's not the first time: In the final pages of Justice League vs. Suicide Squad #1, readers learned that longtime Justice League associate-turned-villain Maxwell Lord was back in play...and he is gunning for Amanda Waller, putting together his own high-powered Suicide Squad to square off with hers (and the Justice League, too).

"Before this, just a coincidence, I had a day off and thehouse to myself and I read Countdown to Infinite Crisis," series writer Joshua Williamson said. "I was like, 'man, this is so good,' and then immediately when it was done, I had to write The OMAC Project, which is the beginning of that Greg Rucka-Checkmate-Waller-Max stuff."

(By which, of course, he means the period of time when the two were sparring for control of Checkmate, after their long-time partnership dissolved when the extent of Lord's plan and the questionable methods he was using to accomplish it became known.)

"I ended up reading lots of these minis and then Infinite Crisis in one day –and then right after that I found out that I was doing this book," Williamson added. "It was already in my head, so when the day came around that we were like, 'Let's do this with Max,' it made sense for Max and I was already there. Max was already in my head. I feel like there's a lot of history there and we can definitely mine some of that stuff. I really like Max, so being able to explore those ideas of Max vs. Waller again was really exciting."

Of course, even with Rebirth opening up a lot of doors, most of the history of the DC Universe had been wiped out by The New 52 relaunch. Max wasn't revealed as evil in the aforementioned Countdown to Infinite Crisis until he killed Ted Kord...who is still walking around, hale and healthy, in Blue Beetle right now. So how much of that background between Waller and Lord...counts?

"I think there's clues to that in issue one," Williamson answered cryptically.

More Justice League vs. Suicide Squad: The very first Justice League/Suicide Squad meeting / Justice League vs. Suicide Squad sneak peek video / Yes, Captain Boomerang is still alive / It's Justice League vs. Suicide Squad in Rebirth's first crossover / Batman's Justice League gets shocking new members/ Could Justice League vs. Suicide Squad happen in the movies?

Justice League vs. Suicide Squad started today. You can get the first issue at your local comic shop or on ComiXology. The series will run weekly between now and January 25, with tie-ins in Justice League and Suicide Squad, before it ends, launching into a new Justice League of America title.

You can get a digital copy of #1 or preorder the other five issues of the miniseries here.

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