Secret Six #14 - A Review

The League of Assassins is determined to convert former Court of Owls Talon agent Strix into one of their own. But Strix has a family who are equally determined to get her back. The Secret Six shall be tested as never before as they ponder just what they've come to mean to each other in their battle with Lady Shiva.


I am seriously sorry to say goodbye to this book. Gail Simone recaptured the magic of one of my favorite pre-New 52 series and gave us a lot of laughs in the process. And if nothing else you have to praise her for bringing back Ralph and Sue Dibny in some capacity - they have been missed!


I hope Tom Derenick and Rex Lokus will be working on another project together in the future. Their work on this issue (along with Jason Wright) is wonderful and I greatly enjoyed their work together on Injustice: Gods Among Us as well.  The comic stands are a little less funny without Secret Six, but this final issue was a fitting end to a light that burned brightly, yet briefly.

Secret Six #13 - A Review

Strix has been recruited by The League of Assassins and her friends in The Secret Six aren't taking it lying down. They're just having a barbecue as they work out what to do next. Meanwhile, Strix is pit against a team of killers modeled upon The Six, told that if she cannot kill them all in under a minute, the corresponding team-mate will die!


I love this book. I was saddened when I learned that it wasn't coming back post-Rebirth. Still, Gail Simone seems determined to make sure this book ends with a bang. And I don't just mean Catman being asked to father Scandal Savage's child. *rimshot*


Tom Derenick's artwork is as fine as ever. Derenick is a gifted fight choreographer with a great eye for detail. And Jason Wright's color art proves perfectly applied.

Secret Six #12 - A Review

The League of Assassins is dying to recruit a Talon. Well, technically other people are dying so they can recruit a Talon but the organization is quite anxious to enlist one of the shock troops for The Court of Owls. And they've sent Lady Shiva to enlist Strix... one way or the other.


There's so much in this issue that I love. I love seeing Barbara Gordon written as a smart, competent crime-fighter. I love seeing Scandal and her two wives. But I think I love the final page of this issue most of all.

No, I'm not going to show you or tell you what it is. But I will say that there's no small amount of irony that one of DC Comics most dark and generally twisted comics should be responsible for the return of one of the DCU's most happy and cheerful heroes... though he could be pretty twisted in his own way. In any case, I commend Gail Simone for this issue.

Dale Eaglesham and Tom Derenick were two of my favorite artists before this series started. Their work on Secret Six has only increased my regard for their talents. Their styles are not exactly similar but unlike many series with multiple artists, there is no obvious visual discontinuity between their pages. The book's artwork is as great as its writing and I'll be sad to see it go post-Rebirth.

Secret Six #11 - A Review

Batgirl doesn't go into the Gotham suburbs often. But she has little choice when she learns that some bad people are looking for her former Birds of Prey teammate Strix. Now if only she can get past Strix's new friends.  Meanwhile, a phone call from a special someone is about to make Big Shot's jaw drop - an impressive sight given his powers.

This proved a bittersweet issue in several regards. I've missed Gail Simone writing Batgirl and seeing her subtly satirize the new Batgirl of Burnside (well, it's sort of subtle) is a real treat. And Big Shot's enthusiasm is infectious, leaving you really hoping that things are going to work out for Sue and Ralph after all this time.


The artwork is also up to its usual standard. Dale Eaglesham and Tom Derenick are both talented artists and while their styles are quite different, the differences are not so drastic as to be noticeable. Colorist Jason Wright may deserve some of the credit for this, insuring a uniform look to the issue.

Secret Six #10 - A Review

With Black Alice leaching away all the world's magic at an accelerated rate and the magical pillars holding back terrors beyond imagining close to destruction, Earth needs a hero. THE hero, in fact. But can even the might of Superman thwart the sheer moxie and insanity of The Secret Six? And will Black Alice save the day herself by making the ultimate sacrifice?


There is little I can say about this issue's story without giving away the game completely. So I will say only two things. Gail Simone does a grand job of both balancing several subplots and surprising even a jaded reader like me. And her introductory text, in which Zatanna watches Superman in action before approaching him for help, is one of the best bits of writing about Superman I've read anywhere.


The artists for this issue continue to perform at their usual level of high quality. Dale Eaglesham and Tom Derenick are two of my favorite artists and it's a relief  that I don't have to choose between them this month. And Jason Wright does a masterful job finishing things up with his coloring.

Secret Six #9 - A Review

The fate of all reality hangs in the balance as The Secret Six - aided by a cult of ancient Atlanteans - seek to destroy four magical columns in order to save Black Alice. The fact that this will also unleash a horde of otherworldly abominations on the universe doesn't really matter that much to them. Are they crazy?


Every time I think this book can't surprise me any more and that I have a handle on the characters, Gail Simone finds a way to shock me. For instance, until now I'd just assumed that Ferdie was a manifestation of the id of Shawna (aka The new Ventriloquist). I hadn't seriously considered that he was an independent entity. I still don't believe that yet his new-found ability to break the fourth wall is just one of the things about this book that keeps me second-guessing myself. The one constant is that this book is always darkly hilarious.


Tom Derenick delivers the same quality artwork that made Injustice: Gods Among Us so delightful. There are some great splash pages and the action is well choreographed.  The colors by Jason Wright show a varied and well-considered palette throughout.

Secret Six #8 - A Review

Black Alice's powers are out of control. And the only thing that may save her life (and the world) is the destruction of four magical columns. At least, that's what the ancient Atlanteans in the robes who just showed up claim. But can they be trusted? Or are the magical super-villains who were trying to kill Alice telling the truth when they say the pillars must be protected if the world is to survive? And can the rest of The Six really entrust Alice to the care of the assassins who were trying to kill them several weeks ago while they deal with sorting all this out?

The only real flaw to Gail Simone's script for this issue is that you have to have read the previous Secret Six series to get the most out of it. Granted, that's a minor concern as most of the people reading this series are probably devout Simonephiles. And a little confusion is a small price to pay for the return of Ragdoll, Jeanette the Banshee and Scandal Savage... though this runs the risk of making the book's title even more inaccurate. But that's all part of the fun.

The artwork proves equally fine.  Tom Derenick and Dale Eaglesham are at the height of their power here. And Jason Wright makes everything pop on the page with his color art.

Secret Six #7 - A Review

There is a kinship between magicians that goes beyond simple matters of Good and Evil. For there are things beyond imagination that seek entrance into our reality and it is the responsibility of all those who draw upon mystic powers to fight such beings and those who might aid them. To that end, an enclave was called to deal with a matter most pressing - a drain upon the force of magic itself that, if not dealt with, could lead to the destruction of all reality!

This drain, it turns out, is Lori Zechlin - a.k.a. the magical parasite known as Black Alice. And as most of her allies in The Secret Six work at Catman's attempt at a team-building exercise (i.e. basketball and mini-golf), a group of magical heroes and villains are converging on the hospital where Black Alice is near death. But The Six do not stand alone, for The Demon Etrigan seeks to aid them...though for what reasons no one can begin to guess!


There almost seem to be two comics in this issue and I love them both. The bits with Catman trying to get the team to bond are vintage Simone, with sufficient slapstick and ribaldry to satisfy most appetites. The other half of the book seems like something from a lost issue of Shadowpact. Yet there is some subtle humor here, with Klarion The Witch Boy and Cheetah attempting to sneak into a hospital unnoticed yet still bothering to bring a plant and a balloon to blend in. 


The artwork is as fine as ever. Both Dale Eaglesham and Tom Derenick do their usual stellar jobs on the pencils and inks in their respective sections. And the colors by Jason Wright leave the finished artwork jumping off the page.

Secret Six #6 - A Review

The secrets of six strangers forced together out of circumstance have been lain bare. The mysterious Mockingbird who tortured them for a year has been revealed as The Riddler. And "Big Shot" has been revealed as Ralph Dibny - a detective with a talent for stretching more than the truth.

Only two important riddles remain to be answered. Where is the diamond that one of The Six stole from The Riddler?  And can Big Shot's wife Sue, now a brainwashed pawn of The Riddler, be saved?



Gail Simone is to be commended for maintaining the mystery of this book for as long and as well as she did. I've been reluctant to reveal any of the secrets in my past reviews, which has made discussing them a bit of a challenge. Thankfully I think I can safely reveal a few things at this point and finally take the time to say this.

Thank you for bringing Ralph and Sue back, Gail. I've missed them. And I can't wait to see how their story plays out from here.


I've greatly enjoyed Tom Derenick's work on Injustice and am glad to see him getting a shot on this title for a full issue. Derenick draws very expressive faces so it is ironic that he should do so well with a title where most of the cast - and the ones most active in this issue - have masks that cover most of their faces. The action scenes are well played, however, and the only quibble I have with any aspect of the art is that I wish a darker green had been used for The Riddler's suit.  It's a little too sub-lime for my tastes. ;)

And with that bad pun, I encourage you to pick up Secret Six if you aren't already doing so.

Secret Six #4 - A Review

This fourth issue of Secret Six takes us back a few days before the events of Issue 3. Here we see our six reluctant allies trying to gather their personal effects before retreating to the safety of Big Shot's suburban home. Unfortunately, the mysterious Mockingbird is already on their trail and has sent a trio of familiar figures after the escaped captives...


Fans of Gail Simone's original Secret Six will be overjoyed to see a few familiar faces in this issue, despite it being primarily focused on further developing the new cast. For instance, we discover that Porcelain is gender-fluid and dresses as a man or a woman as preferred. And lest anyone worry about Big Shot being a bigot, don't worry - his "This ain't right" comment above is in regard to a sharp-dressed man like Porcelain going around without a hat.


This issue sees the return of Ken Lashley, who illustrates the first half of the issue. Tom Denerick (most recently seen by this critic on Injustice) handles the other half.  Both artists are well-suited to their respective sections, with Lashely's moodier style perfectly depicting the urban hell from which The Six escape and Denerick capturing the lighter, more silly escapades in the suburbs.

Secret Six #3 - A Review

Freed from Mockingbird's clutches, The Secret Six need to lay low.  Luckily, Big Shot has a place out in the suburbs. Unluckily, with the exception of Black Alice, none of the rest of the group have the first idea how to blend into The 'Burbs!

Worse yet, there's a traitor in their midst. And someone had weird sex on the couch.


Much as I enjoyed Ken Lashley and Drew Geraci's work on the first two issues of this book, I'm glad to see Dale Eaglesham teamed up with Gail Simone again. The two were partners on the Villains United mini-series that started Simone's original Secret Six and the two creators play off of one another quite well. Dalesham's style is flexible enough that it can portray the more typically proportioned comic book characters as well as the more cartoonishly distorted members of The Secret Six. The whole book looks freakishly perfect... or is that perfectly freakish?


It should come as no surprise that Gail Simone packs this issue with loads of inappropriate humor, wacky fun and oddly touching character moments. The final page, however, came as a total surprise. I shan't spoil the implications of what that page might mean but a second reading of the issue and some fancy detective work might give you some clues.

Convergence: Batgirl #1 - A Review

A year has passed since the dome came down over Gotham City and Stephanie Brown has found a new peace. She's abandoned her super suit for surgical scrubs and gone to work as a nurse's aide. After all, with Black Bat and Red Robin around it's not like the city needs Batgirl.

Except the city DOES need Batgirl. For when the dome lifted and The Powers That Be insist on a fight to the death to decide which of two cities lives or dies, it was Stephanie Brown who was chosen to stand for Gotham City. And with Steph out of action for so long, it's doubtful she'll have a chance against the Catman of another world who is her chosen opponent.


I'm somewhat conflicted about the story of this issue. After everything Stephanie has done to prove herself as a hero - as Spoiler, as Robin and as Batgirl - it seems a bit odd that she'd give that up as readily as she seems to in this issue, even if she did find another way to help people. Ignore the base concept, however, and the dialogue in this issue is spot on, with the friendship between Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown being perfectly captured.


The artwork is similarly unpolished. The pencils are average, at best, with the characters looking misshapen and half-finished in some panels. And  the inking and coloring are some of the sloppiest I've ever seen on a professional book.

Sorry Steph and Cass. I'd hoped to see you return. But not like this.

Secret Six #2 - A Review

Six special souls, trapped together thanks to something called Project: Mockingbird. With one minute to choose one of their own to die, they make a bold choice.  They decide to fight and escape!


It's all but impossible to describe the action of Secret Six #2 without giving away the whole game, so I won't.  Suffice it to say that Gail Simone has surpassed our expectations and surprised us once again.  The story here has little resemblance to the previous Secret Six title. There is less overt comedy and little in the way of costumed action. This book is decidedly more creepy, being closer in execution to a modern horror comic than a superhero title and that is to its benefit.


The artwork itself is born of this same horrific aesthetic.  The visuals here are dark and gritty, masterfully drawn by Ken Lashley with assistance on the inks by Drew Geraci. The color palette chosen by Jason Wright is chosen well, leaving everything looking muted and mysterious.

All-Con 2013: Day Two - Part Three

The early evening allowed me a chance to meet up with some more old friends before my final panel of the day - Start of Darkness: The Bronze Age of Comics.  I had a decent enough turnout considering I was competing with the costume contest.  After that, my evening was spent taking a few more pictures while I waited for the annual All-Con Burlesque Show before Amber Does Dallas presented the annual Repo The Genetic Opera performance.

This is my friend Yvonna - proprietor of the Charisma +2 modeling firm and editor of Charisma + 2 Magazine.  She's cosplaying Black Cat and was a good sport when my sleep-deprived brain committed the faux pas of addressing her as Catwoman.  

This is Perky - one of Charisma +2's newest models.  She's cosplaying the Vocaloid Hatsune Miku.

Here's another familiar face - CAJ Cosplay (who you might remember as both The Dark Phoenix and Madelyne Pryor from Dallas Sci-Fi Expo 2013) as The Scarlet Witch.

The Riddler & Stephanie Brown Batgirl.

Catman from Secret Six.

The Shredder from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Amy Pond from Doctor Who.

I think this couple was on the way to the All-Con formal prom.  

Well, I suppose Ms. Frost's outfit is formal by the standards of the Hellfire Club.  

The sleep deprivation was really taking it's toll at this point in the evening, as I was waiting in line for the Burlesque show.  I completely failed to recognize this fine lady - The Time Lady Romanadvoratrelundar.  Or is that Fred?  No, it's definitely Romana.  Not Romana Flowers.  Or Ramona Quimby.  Just Romana.

This was my first time attending All-Con's Burlesque Show, organized this year by La Divina Burlesque.  In previous years it either sold out before I could get tickets or it was scheduled at the same time as another event I was involved in.  But this year, I made it a point to attend because a friend of was performing - the lovely Amber DeVille.  Sadly, it was at this point in the evening.  I discovered that the Night Photography mode on my camera was not reliable without a flash.  So I only have this one rather blurry picture of Amber's routine, dressed as Babydoll from Suckerpunch and nothing of her Catwoman routine. 

This is Bazuka Joe - the sole Boylesque performer of the evening.  You have to admire anyone who has the courage to perform in this kind of production but as a comedian I have to tip my hat to this guy for his obvious sense of comedy as a performer.  It takes a certain kind of humor to dress like Lion-O from Thundercats and strip down to the Stray Cat Strut.  To say nothing of his final routine of the night, where he performed as Speed Racer to Greased Lighting from the musical Grease.

Diamond Jim himself snapped this picture of me with performer Ruby Joule, who performed a spectacular routine as Jessica Rabbit.  She usually performs down in Austin with her troupe, The Jigglewatts.  Methinks I'll have to make a field trip to Austin one of these weekends to see them.

Secret Six #10 & #11

Six people. Too twisted to be called Heroes. Too ethical to be called Villains. Working together out of the House of Secrets, they are a mercenary army loyal only to their employers and themselves... most of the time. United by necessity and forged in the heat of battle, they are The Secret Six.

The current roster is...

Scandal: Team Leader of The Secret Six, Sandal Savage is the only known daughter of the immortal villain Vandal Savage. She shares her father's skill as a warrior and his amazing healing factor but none of his attitudes or philosophy. Openly gay, she is still mourning the loss of her girlfriend, the villain Knockout.

Catman: A renowned big-game hunter, Thomas Blake turned to super-villainy out of boredom. Eventually, apathy won out and an out-of-shape Blake was nearly killed by his fellow villains. Inspired to clean up his act, Blake returned to the wild, retrained his skills and was adopted by a pack of lions until their untimely death. He joined The Secret Six to get revenge on the villains who killed his new family. He stays because it gives him a purpose...

Deadshot: One of the greatest marksmen on the planet, Floyd Lawton has been a hired killer for most of his life. He joined the Secret Six out of necessity but has stuck around because he's found it easier - and safer - to run in a pack. He has also come to view the rest of his teammates as the closest thing someone like him can consider friends.

Ragdoll: Son of the original Golden Age Ragdoll, Peter Merkel Jr. was born without the metahuman gene that made his father and brother naturally triple-jointed. Twelve years of special surgery have made this Merkel into a virtural human constrictor snake, capable of twisting his limbs in any direction. His teammates are unsure what is more twisted - Ragdoll's body or his sense of humor, which makes even the hardened killers and assassins around him feel uncomfortable.

Jeanette: A long-lived friend of Scandal's, Jeanette is a beautiful woman with an obsession with death as well as a talent for dealing it out. She claims to be a banshee and does seem to have some supernatural power to sense human suffering and the approach of death and danger. She has a fondness for Deadshot, which is semi-reciprocated. Floyd may find her creepy but she IS willing to sleep with him.

Bane: The infamous criminal mastermind who once "broke the Bat", Bane has seen better days. Still fighting his Venom addiction, he is as strong as ever but he seems content to follow Scandal's orders rather than forging his own criminal empire. He looks upon Scandal as a sort of foster daughter and his feelings for her might be called paternal, if you were trying to find a word other than "creepy".

The current storyline, starting in Issue #10, centers upon the team taking a job to escort a package to a place they find out is called Devil's Island. Their employer, a Mr. Smyth, has some rather quaint ideas on human rights and how the reinstitutionalization of slavery on a global scale will become necessary in order to save the world economy. Exactly what his plans for The Six are is unknown, but the final test of their loyalty involves them quelling a prison riot which turns out to have been orchestrated.

To say that some members of the team are somewhat uneasy about working for slavers is an understatement. But even those who say it is too late for any of them to start drawing lines in the sand are made uncomfortable when they see that Mr. Smyth's personal pet project - the one prisoner in his camp who refuses to break no matter what - is a familiar figure; Amazon warrior and former Wonder Woman Artemis!

Artemis' presence here is probably the greatest mystery in this whole sordid story. The last time I remember seeing ol' Artie was in Amazons Attack and I just assumed that she had been transplanted into a normal life along with the rest of the Amazons who were cursed to live as normal women for their hubris. And yet, here she is... strong as ever, willful as ever and wearing her old costume from her days as Queen of Hell/Requiem.

In the end, it doesn't really matter how she is here so much as the fact that she is here. And what is an even greater mystery is that Artemis appears to have some past relationship with the mysterious banshee Jeanette.

Jeanette feels compelled - for reasons having more to do with her own past than any love of the Amazons - to help Artemis and the other Amazons she finds are being held prisoner on Devil's Island. A fight breaks out between the various factions within The Secret Six who feel that working with slavers is beneath them versus those who don't care or feel they need to honor the contract. Of course all these ethical questions are put aside when a bigger problem presents itself...

This title is easily one of my five favorite books every month and is fast on its' way to becoming my favorite. Gail Simone effortlessly balances the action, drama and comedy in every situation the characters find themselves in. Obviously, the humor on this book is very dark but it's gleefully perverse if you're into that sort of thing. The exchange between Artemis and Jeanette above is fairly typical of the playful yet very very adult tone of the series.

The art by Nicola Scott and Doug Hazlewood is a perfect complement to the diverse and varied writing. These two paired up once before with Gail Simone on the final arcs of Simone's Birds of Prey and you can tell that the three have become used to working like a well-oiled machine.

I'd suggest picking up the Villains United or Secret Six mini-series TPs first before delving into this storyline, just to get a feeling for the history between these characters and the interplay between them. But if you want a good first issue to jump into the main series with, #10 would be a fine one.