Secret Six, #4

Well...like just about everyone else, I feel the need to gush over the latest issue of Gail Simone's "Secret Six". Nicola Scott does a fantastic job as usual, as does everyone else associated with this book. Exactly WHY do I like it so much?

For one thing, it is funny as hell. The artwork is gorgeous, and the dialoge is snappy. There is an actual plot. There is a horrific villain. There are flawed but human protagonists. And it has Deadshot in it.

So...they've discovered the "Get out of Hell, Free" card that was created by Neron. Tarantula of course, is sitting back and smirking, now that she's introduced this little apple of discord into the group. Catman is beginning to freak out. Scandal is disbelieving, yet torn. Bane, bless his heart, is totally pragmatic. Deadshot just doesn't give a shit, which is why I love Deadshot so. Ragdoll doesn't really seem to worry too much about it...yet, anyway. But there are definitely cracks in the wall of cameraderie in this misfit bunch.

Meanwhile, the vile Junior is on his way to waylay our whacky group in Las Vegas. The more that I see of Junior, the more discomfitting he becomes. This is a seriously demented villain, that Gail has created for our amusement. He REALLY wants that card, so that he can continue to kill, mutilate and torture to his heart's content...and yet he really believes in God, and the concepts of good and evil. He makes a pitstop at a Catholic Church, and demands absolution after confessing to the priest. The priest of course, cannot grant him absolution unless he actually repents his sins, which of course he does not. There is a tiny moment when you realize that the priest knows he is about to be killed and how he deals with his knowledge, that is quite poignant.

Bane continues to try and nurture Scandal in a fatherly sort of way. Scandal continues to be rather nonplussed by this behavior, but it is rather sweet when she finally realizes that as weird as it may be, he actually IS sincere. Blake continues to fall apart, and accidentally stabs Scandal while he's fighting with Bane, which was certainly reckless of him.

Finally, we are introduced to Jeanette, The Last Victim, and an old friend of Scandal's at the Las Vegas casino that she controls. She welcomes them with open arms, and then some. I have to admire Ragdoll's utter delight in...well, in everything. Too bad that things immediately hit the fan, when Bane is captured by Junior, and everyone else is attacked by the hordes of bad guys recruited by Junior.

Then our favorite poisoner shows up. How's THAT for a cliffhanger?

Is this going to be an ongoing series now? I originally thought that it was only a mini-series, but I'd be delighted beyond belief if this was to be an on-going. It would take some of the sting out of losing Blue Beetle.

In short, I give this twelve out of twelve butter brickle icecream cones!