Arrow S02E23 – Review

By: Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, Andrew Kreisberg (story)

The Story: Mercenaries versus assassins versus special ops versus superheroes. Go!

The Review: So I just took my last law school final ever yesterday! Aren’t you all proud of me? No? Get on with the review, already? Okay. The last season has seen Arrow fully embracing its comic book origins with pride, drawing in established characters from the DC canon from all levels, the great and the obscure alike, all in an impressively organic way. The finale is thus a culmination of the work and spirit of the season as a whole, which is what a season finale should be.

Not only does every cast member get a big part in the proceedings (except, perhaps, for Dinah), nearly every major character introduced in the last two seasons shows up, with appearances from Malcolm Merlyn, Deadshot, Amanda Waller, Nyssa Al Ghul, and even Lyla, flying in on a helicopter and firing a rocket launcher to ward off some of Slade’s army. The conflicts range from the epic (a city-wide war between an army of superhuman convicts against Team Arrow and a battalion of assassins, all with the threat of an A.R.G.U.S. drone strike looming overhead) to the personal (Ollie’s fight to the death with Slade, twice over). That’s what I call a season finale worthy of superheroes.

Arrow S02E16 – Review

By: Keto Shimizu & Bryan Q. Miller (story)

The Story: Diggle doesn’t dig his ex-wife’s new pals too much.

The Review: I’ve been getting kind of worried about Diggle for a while, now.  Though in my mind, the core Arrow team will always be him, Felicity, and Ollie, the recent membership of Roy and Sara threatens to significantly erode his presence.  What need does Ollie have for an ex-soldier when he’s got a powerhouse and a trained assassin?  Felicity will always provide the techie know-how; Diggle’s value needs to be similarly set in stone.

Hence a Diggle-centric episode .  In a rather clever use of the show’s usual structure, the flashbacks switch from the tropical trials on the island to the desert cliffs of Afghanistan, where we see Diggle in full army gear protecting a fleeing caravan of villagers with future ex-wife (then fellow soldier) Lyla.  Over the course of the episode, as we see Diggle save a wanted criminal and mourn over the death of a boy who shot at him, his value to Team Arrow becomes a little clearer: his moral rigidity.

Arrow S02E06 – Review

By: Ben Sokolowski & Beth Schwartz (story)

The Story: To Russia with love.

The Review: Almost every TV series, even the best ones, goes through the same pattern of growth, particularly during the early seasons.  The first season is all about setting tone: the characters’ core personalities, the general dynamics among them, the style, pace, and purpose of the show.  It’s usually the second season where things get exciting; with the basics out of the way, the writers can focus on having fun and expanding the bounds of the world they’ve created.

Arrow’s second season easily falls into this model as it steadily incorporates more and more elements from the comic book mythos which inspired the show.  In addition to passing references to particle accelerators and WWII-era genetic experiments, the show has officially opened the revolving door of DC character appearances, this time allowing Amanda Waller to step through and be her usual coercive self.*

Justice League of America #7.1: Deadshot – Review

Matt Kindt (Writer), Carmen Carnero, Bit, Sami Basri, Keith Champagne (Artists), Matt Milla, Jeromy Cox (Colorist)

The Story: While executing a contract, Deadshot tells his life story and how he perceive the world according to the many events in his life.

The Review: We all have some characters that we generally prefer over others, one that just resonate with either our values or has a concept that is used far too well for our personal tastes. Many could name dozens of characters right off the bat and I do incorporate myself in that general statement as I could name numerous heroes and villains that I love to follow. One of them is Deadshot, a character that had a generally nihilistic and possessed no regard for his own personal life. Popularized by John Ostrander in the original Suicide Squad and brought back with great effects by Gail Simone in Secret Six, the character had a voice that suggested deep psychological issues, yet the authors always found a way to balance the depths with humor. Prior to the New 52, that character was one I especially liked.

Cut out to the reboot of two years ago and we had a new Suicide Squad with a brand new characterization for this particular character. While the new take on the character was quite different, Matt Kindt uses villain’s month in order to tell a new version of his origin, combining some of the previous iterations with new material in order to play a bit with the character before he himself take the reins on Suicide Squad. Does he succeed in creating an origin that plays with the characters strength?

Suicide Squad #22 – Review

By: Ales Kot (story), Patrick Zircher (art), Jason Keith (colors)

The Story: Las Vegas won’t feel too “Viva” after the Suicide Squad’s through with it.

The Review: It’s a rare, beautiful thing when a new writer takes over a title and immediately it seems like the two are made for each other, feeling as close to an original creation as a mainstream book can get.  That’s how I felt—and I don’t believe I was alone on this—when Kot took over Suicide Squad in #20.  So it is with no little amazement and dismay that I discover he’ll be departing in just two more months, after #24.

Convinced as I am that this is a bad move for the series—no offense to upcoming writer Matt Kindt*—I won’t indulge in useless rants or baseless accusations.  However, I do think that given how ambivalent Kot sounds in his press release, despite his attempts to sound bravely upbeat, that this was an editorial, not a creative, decision.  If so, then it remains a baffling one, because with all the critical acclaim since Kot’s takeover, what could possibly have been so offensive that the powers-in-charge would choose to send the writer packing after only two issues?*

It can’t possibly be the violence, at least not in and of itself.  Once you’ve seen Superboy-Prime rip off someone’s arm in Infinite Crisis, or Damian Wayne getting riddled with bullets and arrows as a mechanized hulk beats him to a pulp, Unknown Soldier popping off a headshot seems quite merciful by comparison.  If sheer, bloody gruesomeness was the problem, wouldn’t Swamp Thing and Animal Man have been cancelled by now?

Suicide Squad #21 – Review

By: Ales Kot (story), Patrick Zircher (art), Jason Keith (colors)

The Story: It takes a crazy to know a crazy.

The Review: It’s a confusing time to be a DC fan right around now.  In the last few months, we’ve seen a multitude of creative changes to its line of titles.*  Some of them have caused me to slap my forehead wearily in the manner of a parent experiencing his child’s latest screw-up (e.g., Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps).  Others have left me disappointed by failing to live up to their potential (e.g., Justice League Dark and Green Arrow).

Only a few have so thoroughly impressed me that I’m willing to overlook the failings of the rest as the hazards of trying something new (as opposed to change for its own sake).  Charles Soule on Swamp Thing is one; Kot on Suicide Squad is another.  In a short time, both writers have clearly established their voices and visions for their respective titles, showing that their thought processes go far beyond a good pitch meeting.

Suicide Squad #20 – Review

By: Ales Kot (story), Patrick Zircher (art), Jason Keith (colors)

The Story: You will need to pay someone pretty well to head-shrink these folks.

The Review: It’s been ten issues since I Dropped this title, not so much from an egregious level of quality as for simply a lack of interest.  While Adam Glass had the right idea for the tone of this book, he seemed to lack a clear vision for the series and the characters never managed to take off under his pen.  For a cast criminals, each with their own psychoses, they were rather dull as a group.  Glass suffered more from a lack of inspiration than lack of talent.

So it’s pretty exciting to see what a new writer can do with the material, especially one who’s pretty new to the game.  Now, I’m sure Kot has his fans elsewhere, but as far as mainstream superhero goes, he’s definitely an unknown—so there’s always a chance you might get to witness firsthand what might be the start of a breakout run for the writer.  And from the get-go, things look very promising, as Kot displays an instinctive handle on the title’s unique qualities.

Arrow S01E16 – Review

By: Geoff Johns (story)

The Story: For once, it’d be nice to get decked out for a party and not get shot at.

The Review: While I can’t claim to be the kind of critic who can, just from writing style alone, tell who the writer is, I can usually notice when there’s been a change in the storytelling duties.  So though I couldn’t quite pin it while watching this episode, I knew something was very, very different.  Later, I went online to check for the writing credits, as per habit, and when I saw that it was Johns who wrote the screenplay, suddenly the whole thing made sense.

I’ve often observed (read: complained) that while the show has introduced a lot of interesting elements and characters, it’s never done a terrific job melding them all together into a cohesive whole.  Figures that it’d take Johns, the master of continuity massage, to do what nearly every previous writer could not figure out.  Instead of every plotline and its players keeping their distance from each other, they finally feel like they exist in a close, interactive world.

Arrow S01E03 – Review

By: Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, Andrew Kreisberg (story)

The Story: If arrows work so well against bullets, how do you explain the Spanish empire?

The Review: As a show grows, it usually does one of two things: keep on doing what it does best or constantly trying new things in an attempt to reinvent itself—or perish.  Following my usual pattern of analogizing things to NBC sitcoms, I give you two examples: 30 Rock and Parks and Recreation.  At some point, 30 Rock embraced its weirdness and never looked back, perhaps to its detriment.  Parks and Rec, meanwhile, continues to evolve week by week.

In the end, Parks and Rec remains nearly as solid as it began, while 30 Rock has waxed and waned as it struggles to find new variables to fit into its comedic formula.  Arrow will do well to emulate the P&R strategy.  It simply cannot sustain itself with a weekly pattern of Ollie taking down yet another scummy CEO in an urbanized “Monster of the Week” format.  Thankfully, we see the show continuing to take steps to break up the rut before it digs itself too deep.

Suicide Squad #10 – Review

By: Adam Glass (story), Fernando Dagnino (art), Matt Yackey (colors)

The Story: Harley shows off the psycho in psychologist.

The Review: I don’t wish this on anybody, but in my experience, there are three ways for the magic to run out in a relationship.  Sometimes, you’re chugging along fine and then, like a bolt out of the blue, it happens and you’re left dazed afterwards.  Sometimes, it’s a gradual sapping away, with you helplessly but lethargically watching as it proceeds to its eventual doom.  And sometimes, you don’t realize it’s happened until it already has and it’s too late.

I feel that third situation pretty much sums up my feelings toward this title.  Maybe an issue or so ago I sensed not all was right, but only during this issue did I suddenly realize how tired and disinterested I was in reading it.  It all comes down to the fundamental truth about stories: you either have to love the tale being told, or you have to care about its characters.  In this case, I can’t honestly say either one of those things is working out for me.

Suicide Squad #9 – Review

By: Adam Glass (story), Fernando Dagnino (art), Matt Yackey (colors)

The Story: It’ll take more than loose teamwork to kill the man who can’t be killed.

The Review: Gosh, this week sure has been one for mini crossovers, hasn’t it?  By now, you’ll have grasped the qualities of a strong tie-in: a story which can stand on its own, without having to pick out plot points from a completely different series; the issue doesn’t feel like a jarring departure from the kind of reading you’ve come to expect from the title; and most importantly, it doesn’t feel like a waste of the series’ monthly dosage.

In nearly every respect, this issue offers the opposite of all that.  Last time, the Squad had only just received their marching orders to take down the irritatingly unkillable Resurrection Man.  This issue opens on the man who won’t die, lying on the dirt, done in by a headshot (accidental, as it turns out—Deadshot’s aim isn’t quite what it once was just yet).  Next to Mitch Shelley is a hysterical woman named Kim, apologizing to his cadaver for something.  Unless you read Resurrection Man #8 (which I did not, having given it up three issues before), you will have no idea what went down between the Squad’s last issue and this one.

Suicide Squad #8 – Review

By: Adam Glass (writer), Federico Dallocchio (artist), Matt Yackey (colorist)

The Story: And Amanda Waller wonders why she never gets called a people person.

The Review: Perhaps the reason why team books are so popular is because they have a built-in potential for variety.  Since each character presumably brings something different to the table, you don’t have to stick to any one kind of story or tone for too long.  Of course, this requires the writer to make sure each team member actually does have a unique voice and background.  If everyone acts and talks the same, what’s the point?

Suicide Squad runs pretty close to this kind of problem.  This issue sports a couple scenes where Waller interacts with Savant and Deadshot, and aside from slight variations in their choice of words, they tend to have the same acidic sarcasm (“I’m sick of being head cheerleader.”  “Do I look like your mamma, Lawton?”).  Unlike the colorful tapestry of characters you had in Gail Simone’s Secret Six, this series has a general sameness to its proceedings which it rarely varies.

To focus the lens a little closer, let’s look at Waller.  Throughout the issue, she spouts pretty much the same threatening demeanor she does all the time.  This would be easier to handle in brief doses, but Glass seems content to let her ramble on even when no one’s listening, like in her rant to the comatose Harley: “Thank God we had a warehouse full of patsies to pin the riot and your escape on!  For all anyone knows, you never left Belle Reve and went on a crazy killing spree looking for that psychotic excuse of a boyfriend of yours.”  Besides the pointless anger, it just seems like an excuse to cover some exposition without much effort.

Suicide Squad #7 – Review

By: Adam Glass (writer), Clayton Henry & Ig Guara (pencillers), Scott Hanna (inker), Val Staples (colorist)

The Story: Shacking up with the Joker?  Where’s a disapproving mother when you need one?

The Review: Part of what makes Joker so compelling as a character is the question of how much of his behavior is genuine madness and how much is simply a twisted sense of the world and one’s place in it.  Not surprisingly, the same questions apply to his protégé.  Harley, however, has a bit more complexity to her because she was drawn—seduced, shall we say—into her craziness, and she had a deep understanding of the human mind.

So as you read through this issue, you have to wonder how much of her particular brand of insanity is innate, and how much of it was foisted upon her by the man she loves.  If we’re meant to believe Harley was always a little nutty deep inside, even when she was Dr. Harleen Quinzel, Glass doesn’t do the best job in giving weight to that theory.  It just seems unconvincing that she jumps from sympathy and gratitude to the Joker to all-out, enraged violence over her colleague’s illicit use of her Joker notes to write a book.  What would make her breakdown more convincing is if we had seen how she was overworked, disrespected, and mocked, as she accuses.  But that’s not what Glass chooses to show us, and so her lashing out feels sudden and a bit groundless.

Anyway, it’s pretty hard to deny how much Joker’s influence played into her current state of mind, considering he basically pushes her, against the last vestiges of her will, into a vat of the same stuff that turned him clownish.  However she came into her madness, that’s pretty much her default mentality from here on in.  It doesn’t make her any less dangerous, obviously; here she proves that even lacking Savant’s martial finesse, she can make up for it with unpredictable cleverness—and the help of a well-placed pressure mine.

All this insanity culminates in the final scene between her and Deadshot, where she, in a rather unconventional use of a common psychological method, uses him to speak out her unresolved feelings for her lately defaced lover.  Actually, the macabre nature of the whole sequence would be horribly over the top had Glass not written Deadshot’s reactions so well in that scene, keeping his tension somewhere between freaked out, angry, and professional.

Suicide Squad #6 – Review

By: Adam Glass (writer), Clayton Henry (artist), Scott Hanna (inker), Vale Staples & Hi-Fi (colorists)

The Story: If any couple deserves the tag of “Crazy Love,” these two do.

The Review: As a rule, I have no hesitation in jumping into the middle of a series with little to no context whatsoever.  In fact, it’s often more useful to judge a series’ merits that way; right off the bat you can tell how consistently solid it is without the help of strong starts, big finishes, or hype to move it along.  That’s how I got hooked onto Cougar Town, strangely enough—once I saw Andy doing a Shawshank Redemption homage in a pool, I knew I’d be in for the long haul.

Actually, the Shawshank reference is quite apt in this case considering all the jailbreak elements we’re dealing with here.  But returning to my point, I jumped into Suicide Squad quite easily, and even in this issue, it’s not at all difficult to follow the general plotline.  What really threw me off were all the constant references to earlier issues or events from other titles, including Detective Comics, Green Arrow, and Stormwatch.  It just got a little distracting at certain points, and there were definitely moments where I felt like I was missing some necessary exposition.

Those minor wrinkles aside, the issue as a whole has a rhythm that’s very easy to fall into.  In contrast to the more sober tone the Squad has when Diablo and Black Spider hang around, the presence of Lime and Light (aptly nicknamed by Deadshot as “the Twitter Twins,” as they tend to talk in meaningless blurbs) and Savant bring some lightness to the proceedings.  I especially appreciate Savant’s attempt to cover up his mis-shot by falling back on, “…I know.  I like to play with my food before I kill it,” to which Deadshot merely replies, “Idiot.”

Naturally, since we have a Harley Quinn-centric story on our hands, most of the humor comes from her, albeit one of a very black hue.  Glass has the rather daunting task of showing us the origins of Harley’s romance with Joker, and not only that, but selling it to us as credible.  For the most part, he succeeds.

Suicide Squad #5 – Review

By: Adam Glass (writer), Federico Dallocchio (artist), Val Staples (colorist)

The Story: Looks like these guys aren’t interested in playing the chorus for “Jailhouse Rock.”

The Review: Although DC’s new 52 brought quite a lot of good things to the comics world, it also sent packing a few great things from the old guard.  Among the ones whose cancellation I viewed with most bitterness was Gail Simone’s Secret Six.  So perhaps it’s no surprise I had a certain animosity for Suicide Squad, clearly meant to fill the antihero team void Six left behind, and images of revamped Harley Quinn and Amanda Waller did nothing to change my mind.

But irrational prejudices always leave me feeling guilty, so I decided to do the right thing and at least give it a read-through.  And predictably enough, I felt a bit foolish after finishing this issue, because it actually it has a lot of merit.  The tone of the series is quite different from Six, of course; it has little of the wit and complexity Simone’s writing offered, and certainly it doesn’t tackle the hard questions of morality the Six encountered on a monthly basis.

What you get instead is more of a straight team book, populated with disturbed characters of varying degrees.  To give you an idea of the general dynamic of the group, I’d say the Squad falls somewhere between the classy depravity of the Secret Six and the earnest misfits of the Thunderbolts.  The feeling you get from Diablo, Black Spider, and Deadshot (the men in focus in this issue) is that while they project a pure ruggedness in action, they can also be honorable, sensitive, even affectionate, which certainly rounds their characters quite a bit.

Perhaps no one exemplifies this more than Deadshot, the one original member of the Six who managed to survive the relaunch.  In contrast to the near-total apathy of his former self, this version of Floyd Lawton is more willing to level with his teammates, and even has loved ones to long and care for.  All this makes him a little less entertaining (I’ll always remember the moment Wonder Woman threatened him with castration if he shot her, his pause, then remark that he’ll try anything once), but more accessible, so not all character changes, it seems, are bad.

Suicide Squad #2 – Review

Written by Adam Glass, Art by Federico Dallocchio and Andrei Bressan, Colors by Val Staples

The Story: Suicide Squad is dropped into…some stadium (they forgot to give us the name in this issue and I’m too lazy to go back to the last one to figure it out) and are instructed to kill everyone inside because they’ve all been turned into CRAZY TECHNO-ORGANIC ZOMBIES. Kid, meet Candy Shop. Candy Shop, meet Kid.

The Good: Man this was a good first issue. Oh wait…this was the second. Damn–would have made a much better first issue. In fact, after reading this, I’m really not sure what the point of issue one was. Everything a #1 issue should be, Suicide Squad #2 is. It gives us a story. It sets up the characters in a natural way, showing their characteristics unfold while the plot does. No shoehorning, no gimmicks. It’s…and this pains me to say after the first issue was handled so poorly…pretty well written. You actually get to feel for the characters this time. Deadshot is shown to be a capable leader of the team. Diablo’s pain is seen instead of shown. We don’t even have to know what he did to be so concerned with innocents (I didn’t care enough when I read it in the first issue and I still don’t) to feel his genuine need to redeem himself. Even Harley gets some nice character moments. But even while the other members are becoming more interesting, it’s still King Shark who’s the most fun. As Deadshot says, he’s the wild card. Predictably unpredictable. Willing to eat techo-zombie flesh.  The design of the character might not be great–and as someone pointed out last month, taken almost entirely from another series–but his character is great. I don’t even want to know his back-story. I’m perfectly happy with King Shark being King Shark (and I thought I’d hate this character the most). Glass leveled up since the last issue and is really bringing us some good material now. There are great surprises and the promise of an insane story. Let’s hope he can keep it up.

Secret Six #33 – Review

by Gail Simone (script), J. Calafiore (art), John Kalisz (colors), and Travis Lanham (letters)

The Story: The Six fight for their (after)lives against Prince Ragdoll and his legion of demons.

The Review: Secret Six has been on absolute fire lately, and the conclusion of this latest, and very strong, arc comes to a rousing conclusion without any letdowns whatsoever.  Quite honestly, this is one of those issues where there’s just so much to rave about.

Perhaps the first and most crucial thing to touch upon, however, is how Simone once again taps not just the awesome team dynamic of the seeks, but the emotional ties that bind them together.  Scandal’s decision between Knockout and her team as well as Ragdoll’s recognition of his having a new family are definite highlights that really hit home.  It never ceases to amaze just how emotionally powerful Secret Six can really be.

Each character also has their moment.  Catman, for instance, meets his mother again and it’s one of the best scenes of the series.  Confronted with a grotesque and bloodthirsty torturer for a parent, the resulting scene is both repulsive and touching.  It feels so, so wrong for this to be a feel-good moment for Catman and this comic, but that’s what it is, and the disturbing paradox is testament to Simone’s skill.

Or what about Deadshot?  Once again, badassery looms in his whole-hearted dedication to almost anarchic violence.  Simone again uses Deadshot’s complete ambivalence to matters of life and death as a means of showing that, at his heart, he does actually care about his team.  Much like with Catman, it’s another paradox that works so, so well.

Birds of Prey #11 – Review

By: Gail Simone (writer), Pere Perez (artist), Nei Ruffino (colorist)

The Story: When Catman threatens to throw a man off a building, don’t take it too seriously— it’s just foreplay.

The Review: Simone has pretty much made a career in comics crafting characters that always get personally invested in their vendettas.  Unlike the vast canon of DC heroes who do good because it’s the right thing to do, Simone’s characters do things exclusively because it feels right to do it.  She just loves to tread that sticky gray area of ethics.

Even so, she makes it clear there are still shades of gray, with her Secret Six definitely in the darker area and the Birds of Prey often (but not always) in the light.  Huntress and Catman are among the few characters that truly toe the line directly at the center, which perhaps explains their undeniable attraction to each other.  The former is counted as a hero and the latter a villain—technically—but their actions bring them to the opposite sides of the tracks frequently.

Lately Catman’s been moving steadily toward the darker end, and whether or not he’ll wind up staying gets brought up this issue.  The fact Simone can play with such a pivotal development for him in a title he’s not even featured in shows the luxury she has in writing these characters almost exclusively.  In a way, Catman can only be at his most vulnerable in this title, with the woman who understands his inner conflict the most (his teammates certainly don’t; Deadshot’s response to Catman’s soul-baring:  “Okay.  Let’s stop talking before we get into a weird area.”)

Aside from the more personal drama happening beneath the surface, Huntress and Catman’s chemistry is off the hook.  These are two highly volatile personalities being put into explosive situations in close proximity—you do the math.  And then you have to remember Simone can make the slightest interactions enjoyable.  Black Canary: “I brought chili.”  Oracle: “Wait.  Your chili?”  “Cleans your sinuses right out.”  “Dinah, your chili cleans everything out.”

Secret Six #31 – Review

by Gail Simone (writer), J. Calafiore (art), John Kalisz (colors), and  Travis Lanham (letters)

The Story: Scandal finally decides to use the Get Out of Hell Free card on Knockout, but discovers that to be easier said than done, while Liana finds herself in hot water.

The Review: The solicitations call this the most requested Secret Six storyline yet, and in my case at least, they don’t lie.  I’ve been dying for this strand to be picked up and honestly, just getting the Secret Six back in their own comic after a couple of crossovers is certainly appreciated.

There’s quite a bit to like here, mostly because this issue shows what makes Gail Simone’s so special, that being its blend of twisted humour with dark, dramatic, violent ugliness.  It’s the kind of issue that will, at different points, make both laugh and wince.  Best of all, that wincing isn’t due to gruesome imagery or gore.  Rather, it’s due to the emotional wringer that Simone puts her characters through.

Part of that wringer is the revival of Scandal’s guilt over Knockout’s being in hell.  I’ve always rather liked Scandal Savage, in all her inner turmoil and social awkwardness, and as such, this is a very good issue for the character.  She’s a sympathetic character, but whose flaws, both in herself and her claim to the card and its uses, are blatantly obvious.  Simone successfully writes Scandal’s emotions, making her position visceral and gut-wrenching.

There’s also a big betrayal on the team over the card, and it comes for a direction that was a complete and utter shock.  In pro wrestling terms, Simone has one of the team members make a “heel turn” that is a total surprise, but also completely fair.  The argument he/she makes over Scandal’s possession of the card is entirely valid, yet seeing the character’s dialogue become so suddenly monstrous is a shocking turn for the character.  It’s a big twist and I absolutely loved it.  Scandal’s subsequent fight with the character is incredibly well illustrated.  It’s a battle of blades and words that are equally cutting and it’s emotionally and physically brutal stuff.  Calafiore’s subtle shift in how he draws the now bad guy/girl’s face is also pretty damned scary.

Doom Patrol #19 – Review

By: Keith Giffen (writer), Matthew Clark & Ron Randall (pencillers), Art Thibert & Sean Parsons (inkers), Guy Major (colorist)

The Story: A mercenary group of ne’er-do-wells facing off a team of super-freaks on the beautiful shores of Oolong Island as a volcano explodes?  Can someone say reality show?

The Review: Given the outcast nature of the Doom Patrol, it’s no wonder team-ups are a rarity for them.  On one side, they’re pretty much outmatched in number and power by almost every other team in the DCU—even the Outsiders.  On the other side, their specific dynamic doesn’t mesh well with conventional superheroes.  The Patrol serves best when left to their own devices, and not mixed up with characters that call attention to the small scale of their doings.

The one exception may be the Secret Six, who are nearly as weird and antisocial as their Oolong opponents in this issue.  Besides creator of the Secret Six, Gail Simone, one of the few writers capable of delivering the special chemistry of the Six is probably Giffen.  He doesn’t have the subtlety of Simone, being broader and leaning more toward slapstick, but he gets in a pretty good joke here and there (upon being beset by the Science Squad, Scandal remarks, “I think we’re about to be attacked by the chess club.”).

Still, despite having few dull moments between the two teams’ battle royale, some noticeable flaws keep the story from achieving the quality it should have, given the promising premise.  Being a crossover plot, if you happen to not be a Secret Six reader (though, on that note, why wouldn’t you be—it’s only totally awesome), you’d be hard-pressed to get exactly what’s happening here.

And if you did read the first part of the story, you’ll notice how truncated that story seems in this issue.  After all, S.M.A.S.H., the Six’s current employers, basically come to annex Oolong Island as their own, then end up fleeing with their tails between their legs in the course of four pages.  It just feels like the story never gets to build up before it winds down.  There’s little hope the next issue of Secret Six will continue the story, as the Six aren’t likely to work again with people who abandon them to the mercy of their enemies.

Secret Six #24 – Review

by Gail Simone (writer), J. Calafiore (art), Jason Wright (colors), and Travis Lanham (letters)

The Story: Secret Six becomes a western as Sheriff Scandal and her crew fight to protect a small mining town.

What’s Good: This month, Simone decides to place the Six in the Wild West.  It’s totally out of continuity and most of them don’t know each other.  It’s a wacky idea that I can’t help but wonder how Simone arrived at, but it works if only for its nuttiness.  After all, the Six is a dysfunctional comic as is; why not make it more off-kilter by randomly switching its genre while retaining its characters?  The comic ends up feeling like a kooky dream sequence or fantasy; I myself kept imagining, that somewhere, Ragdoll was passed out, drooling, in front of a TV playing late-night Western movies, a tray of bad sushi in his lap.

Part of the joy of this comic comes from seeing where our characters end up, how they act, and what roles they occupy in this Wild West world.  Scandal as Sheriff is a great choice, Deadshot having a glowing “dead eye” was a nice touch, and Ragdoll as the town fool was simply wonderful.  I adored Ragdoll’s Punch and Judy puppet shows, which were brilliantly, and manically, written.

Secret Six #23 – Review

by John Ostrander (writer), RB Silva (pencils), Alexandre Palamaro (inks), Jason Wright (colors), and Travis Lanham (letters)

The Story: The Secret Six are lured to a game preserve where they are the prey.

What’s Good: Once you get past the fact that this issue is out of continuity, which in fairness, it’s pretty open about, this is a solid issue from returning guest writer John Ostrander, even if it’s a concept that’s been done many times before.  If anything, this questionable originality is in itself done with a wink and nod: the issue is titled “Predators,” perhaps a reference to the movie coming out this weekend, which looks to have a similar plot.  So really, this is Ostrander plugging the Six into a Predator movie, which is guaranteed fun on concept alone.

The hunters are written in amusing fashion as well; Ostrander seems intent on having them sound like gamers.  While it’s never over-bearing, there’s something in their tone and vernacular that reminds me strongly of the Mountain Dew drinking, profane crowd one often finds playing the newest shooter online.  That Ostrander applies video game lingo to a deadly game of murder is a nice touch of black humour.

I also must mention that while Ostrander does well with all of the characters, Ragdoll is absolute comedy gold.  Every single line he utters is genuinely funny.  It’s that perfect mixture of the bizarre, the depraved, and the innocence that defines the character.  Best of all, though, are when Ostrander inserts pop culture references into Radoll’s raving, which makes it all the funnier.  I never thought I’d hear Ragdoll make a Lost joke.

Overall, this issue is a celebration of the Secret Six.  It’s not a complex plot, but it’s wholly dedicated to making the Secret Six look like absolutely unstoppable badasses, which is refreshing given their low name value and relatively low power level.  It’s clear quite quickly that the hunters are in over their heads and when the Six decide to get even, things get very, very brutal.  As in, Bane ripping off limbs and beating people to death.

Though a mixed bag at some point, Silva’s art generally does the job.  The island looks good and the characters, when in costume, are vibrant and “characterful.”  Ragdoll’s face is also really, really well-done and it’s clear that Silva had the most fun with him.

Suicide Squad #67 – Review

by Gail Simone & John Ostrander (writers), J. Calafiore (art), Jason Wright (colors), and Swands (letters)

The Story: It’s Suicide Squad vs. Secret Six as Amanda Waller decides she wants Deadshot back and won’t take no for an answer.

What’s Good: As an issue of Secret Six, this really is a lot of fun.  There’s a scene that brings the bizarre Bane/Scandal relationship to new heights, as Bane interrogates Scandal’s date and essentially acts like the girlfriend father from hell.  Meanwhile, Ragdoll of all people finds himself in the hilariously awkward position of being the voice of reason.  The entire scene is absolute gold, largely because of how deadpan Bane is through it all.

This month also marks the first time we see Black Alice in action as a full member of the team, and sure enough, she fits quite nicely, bringing a brash, utterly unsubtle element to the team.  Simone and Ostrander also bring back her diary narration, which is just as fun as last month.  Her perceptions of her new teammates are all really enjoyable, particularly her summary of Jeanette.

Secret Six #16 – Review

by Gail Simone (writer), Peter Nguyen (pencils), Doug Hazlewood & Mark McKenna (inks),  Jason Wright (colors), and Travis Lanham (letters)

The Story: Floyd and Thomas aid a grieving father while Black Alice petitions for a spot on the team.

What’s Good: While I did find the last big Secret Six arc to drag a little at times, it’s clear that the series is back in form.  Simone’s one-shots and shorter arcs have often been strongest, and so it’s only fitting that we get a few of these to recalibrate the series.  It’s watching these demented characters operate on a day-to-day level that has always proved fascinating, especially insofar as how they approach an average day on the job or how they interact with each other under “normal” circumstances.

And make no mistake, Simone shows once again that she knows her way around “demented.”  The serial killer introduced at the start of the comic is a prime example.  That Simone is able to breathe so much life into a new, background character  is really remarkable.  In just a few pages, she manages to give this guy such a distinct voice, one that’s all kinds of creepy and twisted and will have you once again wondering how Simone gets away with what she does given Secret Six’s place in the DCU proper.

New additions to a team are always rightfully to be viewed with scrutiny, and Simone effectively proves this issue that Black Alice is not only a character who fits the Secret Six absolutely perfectly in tone and character, but she also convinces me that I’d want to see Alice on a monthly basis.  She’s esoteric, nutty, and odd coherent.  She fits so well and brings such vitality, that I’m surprised we’ve not seen her sooner in Secret Six.  It’s clear that she belongs here, and she already shows this month that she carries very interesting, and mostly hilarious, dynamics with every person on the team.  Her comments to Ragdoll and Jeanette are highlights.

In the end, Secret Six this month is everything the series should be: twisted from cover to cover, yet bringing the laughs throughout.  It’s the perfect balance of dark badassery and black humour, it adds a wonderful new character, and we even get a Deadshot/Catman team-up, a dynamic that has always proved fruitful for Simone.

Secret Six #15 – Review

by John Ostrander (writer), J. Calafiore (artist), Jason Wright (colorist), Sean Ryan (editor)

The Story: Deadshot is having some problems. He’s having control issues with his homicidal tendencies. So he calls in an old confidante and has a chat. The story follows themes back and forth in time, to his formative years and to his first meeting with Batman. The only question is: Does he get his control back? Given the history of Deadshot and of the Secret Six, we really shouldn’t be sure about anything.

What’s Good: This story compels from beginning to end. Ostrander obviously knows what Deadshot is about and what his demons are. We get to look over his shoulder through this whole issue. DC has been doing a number of these stand-alone, single-character examinations lately and has been doing a good job. I liked the confidante character, who is someone we probably need to take us through Deadshot’s tortured past and see it with normal eyes. I also like the parallels he found in everything that Deadshot brought to the table.

On the art side, J. Calafiore really makes me love this book and I’m really happy that he’ll be back for issue 17 as well. Calafiore also has a good sense of how Deadshot needs to be shown on the page and the right camera angles to show bullets, blood, close ups, blood, sinister expressions, and blood. He’s not perfect, but I never got comfortable with Nicola Scott and Doug Hazlewood, so Calafiore is an improvement in my opinion. The sort of plastic feel that Scott and Hazlewood established has softened into something much warmer and more human here. The postures are more natural and the layouts tell a lot of story on their own.

What’s Not So Good: Some of Calafiore’s art is still a bit rough. The expressions he uses to show emotions are sometimes stiff. Considering how many people get shot in the head in this book, I also would have responded better to an artist able to show nerveless bodies responding to gravity. The falling corpses here shared the same stiffness I saw in the expressions.

As a stand-alone interlude, this book works, but it felt a bit detached from the series. Deadshot refers to story elements that happened almost a year ago, but he and the Secret Six are just coming off of a pretty traumatic experience with the slavers that nearly split them apart only an issue ago. This and the blunt ending, leading into nothing, make me believe that although this story is fun for the SS and Deadshot fans, the casual readers have an excuse to not get it, because it won’t have any effect on the continuity. I hope this is a minor point, but considering that Secret Six is hovering around 25,000 in circulation through Diamond (direct sales, doesn’t include subscriptions), DC maybe shouldn’t be taking too many reflective moments and should jump back into the action and the multi-book arcs.

Conclusion: This is a good, bloody character study for Deadshot fans and Secret Six Lovers, but it didn’t make itself a “must-buy”.

Grade: C

-DS Arsenault