In DC’s new back-to-school anthology comic, The Suicide Squad’s version of King Shark builds upon his classic catchphrase from the James Gunn-directed film starring Task Force X. Voiced by Sylvester Stallone, Nanaue is an adorable shark/humanoid hybrid of few words, minimal intelligence, and a bloodthirsty appetite. However, a short story from DC’s Saved by the Belle Reve gives the beloved anti-hero the last role fans would ever expect.
As seen in the new DC’s Saved by the Belle Reve #1, a short story from Tim Seeley and Scott Kolins sees the Suicide Squad going undercover at a school to protect the son of a Corto Maltesean general. Going beyond the same setting of Corto Maltese, this version of the Suicide Squad particularly resembles their counterparts in the recent DCEU film (especially King Shark and the always disgusting Weasel). However, things soon spiral out of control when every member of the team goes undercover, taking positions at the school as various staff members to stay close to their target.
Reporting to Amanda Waller in the aftermath, it’s revealed that Peacemaker ordered every member of the team to take a job on campus (even those who would clearly stick out). However, neither the Squad nor any of the students saw anything wrong with what was happening, and the students quickly fell in love with their new teacher Professor Nanaue. As bizarre as it sounds, King Shark teaches English in this short story, providing a hilarious evolution of his own speech by perfecting his classic catchphrase from The Suicide Squad.
Not only is King Shark’s English greatly improved (he knows the past tense of “nom” after all), he also starts leading the school’s Carpe Diem club (essentially serving as the apex predator version of Robin Williams from The Dead Poets Society). However, it’s ultimately revealed that the entire campus and Squad had been put under a spell of complacency by none other than their own target they were meant to protect, revealed to be a demon along with his father. While this explains why nothing seemed out of the ordinary as the Squad not-so-subtly infiltrated the school, Weasel ended up saving the day as he didn’t really have much of a mind to manipulate in the first place, catching the demon child by surprise and eating him.
With the spell broken, things essentially go back to normal for the school and the Suicide Squad under the direction of Amanda Waller (who’s incredibly baffled and still shocked by the decision to have King Shark teach English and Weasel put in charge of the school’s food as its newest lunch lady). While it’s unlikely that this story is meant to be canon with the DCEU film, seeing the same version of the Suicide Squad on the page is lots of fun all the same. DC’s Saved By The Belle #1 is on sale now.
