The cover makes it look like they're sharing the same cell, and Waller's had about enough of dress-up time.

Also, that Batman has wee little feet, but okay! From 1990, Suicide Squad #40, "The Phoenix Gambit, part one of four: Ashes" Written by John Ostrander and Kim Yale, art by Geof Isherwood.

This issue opens with a one-year time jump from the previous issue, and Amanda Waller on the other side of the prison bars. That may be about to change, though, as Sarge Steel approaches her with a deal: Amanda says he can come back later, and listen to her terms. Steel had been pretty sure that wasn't going to work, and plan B is put into place, as a shadowed figure behind a desk asks Deadshot if he's ready. The next night, in Gotham Commissioner Gordon and Batman examine a crime scene, a Vlatavan shipping magnate, apparently dropped from a fair height onto the top of a building. Or thrown there...further investigation finds a flattened slug, but no gun, and Batman runs through the clues looking for a bulletproof, super-strong individual, coming up with Russian super-soldier Stalnoivolk, or "Steel Wolf." And I had to double-check this, but sure enough: he first appeared in Firestorm #67! The Suicide Squad's greatest resource, once again: Firestorm villains.

Batman tracks Stalnoivolk down, but the old Russian is strong enough to not go down easy; and the fight is cut short by Sarge Steel, who initially tries to intimidate Bats but then asks him to join him, to talk to Waller. Although it had been dismantled, the Suicide Squad was needed again, since Vlatava (home of Count Vertigo) was currently being torn apart by forces using it as a catspaw, to try and leverage open conflict between the U.S. and Russia. The government wanted to intervene while maintaining a level of deniability, like it used to have with the Squad; which meant Waller was back in the driver's seat, and she makes her list of demands: a Presidential pardon, an assist from Batman, the same prisoner deal as before, and a million in cash. The first couple are solid demands, but a million in 1990 feels lowball. Still, a recruitment drive was next on the agenda...that I'm pretty sure picks up the usual suspects. Possibly because Waller really wanted to see Captain Boomerang die, maybe.

I know others have pointed this out, just how amazing this run is: this wasn't a Vertigo or Black Label title, this was just a plain newsprint comic for like five and a half years. (Just checking, this issue didn't have the Comics Code Authority stamp on the cover; at a glance flipping back, #34 did.) It always feels like a smarter book than most on the racks, even now.