Comic Book Review: Secret Six #23

Book Information
Written by John Ostrander
Penciled by RB Silva
Colored by Jason Wright
Inked by Alexandre Palamaro
Lettered by Travis Lanham
Cover by Daniel Luvisi

My Awe-Inspiring Opinion
I can’t count on my two hands and feet how many times the premise of this issue has been rehashed in TV, radio, and film; rich hunters have become bored with the same old game in their spoiled lives and wish for something new to hunt to rejuvenate their killer instincts. What better way then to use real humans right? But how dumb can these people be to take on a band of intelligent, yet ruthless killers? This overdone story premise is fun and exciting, thanks to John Ostrander, but I can’t help but wonder if this was purely more of a throw away issue then anything else.

Now maybe it’s just me, but I’ve always felt that the Secret Six to be a completely different entity from anything else in the comic book genre. This is a gang of criminals and murderers that I hold a certain level of respect for, the same type of respect I have for Hannibal Lectors character; they are paid to do awful things, and have very little regard for humanity in general…yet you like them. While in this issue we still get that same twisted feeling from each character, the story itself seems to stray away from what appealed to me since this title began.

Each character is given their own personal moment of victory in killing their hunter. Bane explains that snapping the spine of one man would show little respect for the Dark Knight, and instead beats the man to death with his own arm. This is very in line with Bane’s character and is quite humorous at that. However, each character seemed to be given an advantage by the organizer of this whole ordeal that felt a little too convenient. Scandal Savage is at her best when pissed off, The acrobatic environment made it an easy kill for Catman, Bane is almost impervious to…well anything, Deadshot is given one bullet which can do wonders with, and I’m not sure they organizer understands that Ragdoll truly has no fear. I’m sure we all enjoyed reading this as it fits into the cultural context of the series, but I wasn’t as impressed with Ostrander’s “Hey! Look what the Secret Six can do” type of story.

Silva is new to me. I’ve seen his art many times but never had a consistent diet of it. It’s very nice and fits in well with the six, but I felt at times that the inking and coloring were not as complimentary as they should have been. But that’s only a minor gripe, not enough to detract from the talent coming from the artistic team.

My Profoundly Climactic Conclusion
The premise has been done way too many times, but it’s still fun to read. Ostrander did a nice job at presenting some possible new mysteries too! Did Ragdoll actually kill his mom? Why does Jeanette despise getting wet? Some potential may come out of this Secret Six installment yet.

Ratings
Writing: 8
Themes: 5
Art: 7
Overall: 6.67 out of 10

Comic Book Review: Secret Six #18

Book Information

Written by Gail Simone & John Ostrander

Art by Jim Calafiore

Plot

The Simone/Ostrander writing duo finishes their Blackest Night excursion with this issue.  The Six and the Squad have teamed up, much to their dismay, to escape to deadly clutches of the Black Lantern onslaught.  With little hope of success, Amanda Waller brings in a special surprise with explosive results.

My Thoughts

Writing team-ups are always my least favorite for any title.  I prefer having one writer take on a story as it allows for more focus and concentration on the plot.  Having more than one writer on a story can often cause conflict and confusion in my opinion.  This is the reason why I prefer Neil Gaiman’s solo novels to his collaborative books, there’s more focus on the plot and better writing.  However, Simone and Ostrander seem to have a handle on team writing as this issue is in control of the story and doesn’t go off to far over the deep end.

Amanda Waller takes over as the star of this issue with a few great surprises.  But as Simon and Ostrander have shown multiple times, they are more than capable writers and give some shining moments to our other stars.  The issue starts of as one big fight and progresses with no victory for either villainous team in sight.  Then, as one would expect, the twist in the story reveals itself as the hero dissecting laboratory is shown with Waller at the helm.  I really enjoyed this revelation as it shows the core of this comic and why it is one of the better titles being sold in comic book stores everywhere; The team is filled with bad guy with questionable moral codes, the government teams contain those same aspects, and it’s leaders (such as Amanda Waller) also have questionable motives as well.  No one in this title is completely trustworthy, all are conflicted and have misguided ways, and all have troubled pasts which have led them to be this way.  This title is so dark and twisted that is makes for the best stories, and this issue specifically makes you question the loyalties of each individual.

Calafiore, while still a very talented artist, doesn’t seem to fit well with Simone’s writing on Secret Six.  I have nothing to complain about with his art in and of itself, I think Nicola Scott just set a high benchmark in the way the title has been progressing.  There was something classy about Scott’s artistry that meshed so well with this title.  Calafiore isn’t doing it for me though.  Maybe I’m biased and just want Scott to return, but I honestly feel something is lacking in the Secret Six now with Nicola Scott gone.

I was very happy to see Deadshot put a hole through Amanda Waller’s chest.  She is such a good character and has made so many comic book story arcs what they are, but I still hate her!  I don’t want her to die though, I want her to stick around and create more angst driven stories.  But man!  She needed someone putting her in her place, and Deadshot is the perfect man for the job!

Overall

A lot of fun and filled with insults and profanities that makes this book great.  The art brings it down for me, but does detract from the story as much as I imply. 

Rating: 8.5 out of 10 stars

Next Issue Comic March 10, 2010

Catman's past crawls back to haunt him as Cheshire returns! Could the secret she's carrying spell the end of the Secret Six?

Comic Book Review: Suicide Squad #67

Book Information

Written by Gail Simone & John Ostrander

Art by J. Calafiore

Plot

DC Comics has resurrected many of the popular classic titles from back in the day.  The month of January brings us the best selling title, The Suicide Squad.  With the Amanda Waller at the fore front of the Squad, their mission is to seek out their old comrade, Deadshot, and bring him back into their ranks.  In addition, the Fiddler has risen from the dead and seeks revenge on Deadshot for murdering him all those years ago.  It’s a jam packed issue filled with familiar faces and moving dialogue.

My Thoughts

As much as I love Simone and Ostrander, I’m rather disappointed with this issue.  It contains a lot of fun and adventurous moments, but lacks a certain substance that has defined the Simone Ostrander team for so long.  One thing is for sure, this issue isn’t a shining moment for DC comics and the two writers.

Simone and Ostrander write their typical quality storyline involving great humor, angst driven plot devices, and wonderful character development.  Bane acting the scary, over-protective father figure towards Scandal couldn’t be funnier.  Asking Liana about her sex life before meeting Scandal was ridiculously funny, along with Ragdoll’s inappropriate and ill-timed side comments.  The moments leading up to the fight between the Six and the Squad were very moving and “Secret Sixish,” filled with wisecracks and character appropriate dialogue.

However, one thing that threw me was the shifting from narrator or narrator.  The issue starts off with the Fiddler’s inner monologue and switches to Yasmine’s.  Maybe it’s just me and I’m weird, but typically I prefer to have just one narrator so the story has more focus and drive to a comprehensible conclusion.  Like every Blackest Night tie-in, Suicide Squad #67 starts off with a reminiscent scene by a central character important to the story.  As already stated, the Fiddler tells his story at the beginning, which causes me to believe the stories foundation is centered around the him.  But then midway, Yasmine’s inner Monologue is seen which shifts the focus from the Fiddler to Yasmine.  It then reverts back to the Fiddler towards the end, and by the time I’ve finished the book, I have no idea who the central character was for this story.

In addition, having the two titles on one book is rather deceiving.  The Suicide Squad appears for less than 40% of their own book, and any appearance made by Black Lanterns is less than 10%.  After finishing this book, I came to the conclusion that DC had no real purpose in resurrecting the Suicide Squad except for the mere sake of Slapping the name on a book in addition to the story arc title “Blackest Night” to boost theirs sales.  The plot development from the perspective of the Squad doesn’t exist in this book, and their appearance and confrontation with the Six is rather abrupt and strangely transitioned.

Overall

I’m rather disappointed in this issue, Simone and Ostrander are two of my favorite writers in comics and this issue makes me think they are no more talented than the over rated Grant Morrison.  Granted, this is the first issue I’ve ever read by Simone or Ostrander that I felt was very bad, but it’s still a blow to the crotch.

Rating: 4 out of 10 stars

Top Ten DC Comic Books Of 2009

10. Supergirl #43

Supergirl has always been a title I refused to pick up on purpose.  It wasn't until Sterling Gates came on board when I found Supergirl to have potential at being one of the better comic titles being sold on DC's repertoire.  This particular issue focuses on Kara with coming to terms with her mother whom has only been reacquainted with for a short time.  With the small mystery and new realizations that Kara discovers about herself and her mother, this issue took Supergirl to a whole new level.

9. Supergirl Annual #1

This issue takes two comics and staples them together to form a fantastic epic.  Two separate stories, yet they still act as one.  One story gives a fantastic commentary on the prejudice of people and shows how one person's good intentions can lead to another person's torment and despair.  The second story goes back in time to explain the origin of Superwoman, also know as Lucy Lane, sister to Lois Lane.  This issue was a emotionally packed story and very intelligently written with art that kept you turning the page wanting more.

8. Wonder Woman #38

While the common person would allow the fact that the world was coming to an end to tear away at our soul and weaken them, Wonder Woman stands firm and fights back.  Gail Simone shows over and over again that Wonder Woman is not your average comic book anymore.  This issue gives an image of wonder woman as the most powerful force on planet earth as she defies all odds and takes on the evil placed before her.

7. Action Comics Annual #12

The reason why I'm a nut case for DC Comics is due to their mythological approach to most storylines and origins.  This book puts in place the origin of the old/new mythological heroes of Krypton, Nightwing and Flamebird.  But what makes this book different from the rest is how the two origin stories start out as completely separate entities, but become one towards the end.  Greg Rucka shows that the religious significance of the two will have a huge impact on the DC Universe sooner or later.  Flamebird and Nightwing and slowly taking charge of Action Comics and I hope it stays that way.

6. Batman: Cacophony #3

When this min-series began, I was unimpressed.  The first two issues were slow and unengaging.  But this third and final issue was a nice surprise to an unsatisfying mini-series.  In the same degree that Alan Moore took the Joker with his story "The Killing Joke," Kevin Smith humanizes the Joker in a way no one has done before.  It's funny to think that a person can hate you, respect you, and sympathize with you all at the same time.  The Joker's apology to Batman was such a powerful piece of oratory that I almost put this book in the top five.  Kevin Smith, while not the best story arc writer, truly knows how to get at the heart of a character.

5. Blackest Night: Wonder Woman #1

I wasn't sure if any of the Blackest Night tie-ins were ever going to meet the standards that Geoff Johns has set.  The Superman and Batman tie-ins were pretty worthless and uninspiring.  But leave it to Greg Rucka to make anything worth reading.  Diana's approach in dealing with the risen Maxwell Lord was equally terrifying as it was amazing.  The torment Diana was obviously going through in having to face the man she brutally murdered was very interesting and emotional.  With her stoic and wooden body while fighting Lord and his army was a work of genius, this issue is definitely worthy of a placing in the top five for the year.

4. Batman #686

When I heard Neil Gaiman was enlisted to write two issue of Batman, my joy was indescribable.  I've never read anything by Neil Gaiman that I didn't absolutely love, and Gaiman certainly doesn't disappoint.  Inspired by Alan Moore's story arc "What Ever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow," Gaiman takes the title and replaces "Man of Tomorrow" with "Caped Crusader."  However, this is nothing like Moore's masterpiece.  Gaiman uses his master science fiction story telling approach and completely reconstructs the world Batman we thought we knew into something strange, yet satisfying.  And as Gaiman always does, he leaves us wanting more.

3. Secret Six #15

Having John Ostrander back writing for Deadshot was a smart move on DC's part.  Having been the mastermind behind the Suicide Squad for so long, it only made sense to give Simone a break and let someone as equally qualified to write a chilling psychological profile on one of DC's most notoriously lovable villains.  The conclusions the story comes to is this, he’s a lunatic who has a sense of humanity to him, but has no love for people in general, is conflicted with his traumatic family past, couldn't give a rats ass if he lives or dies, but hopes to God that he does die.  Confused?  Well when you read it like that, yeah.  But Ostrander makes this confusing story make so much sense (in a twisted way) that you put the book down, but pick it back up and read it again.

2. Wonder Woman #33

I wanted so badly to put this issue in the top #1 spot, that's how good this issue is.  Fighting against all odds, shunning your people, lashing out against those whom have given you their love all your life, and turning your back on your religious upbringing is all right here in this issue.  Nothing bad can be said about this final chapter in Simone's "Rise of an Olympian" story arc both in the writing and the art; this issue shows just how good comic books can be.  The story and art are so equally powerful that I can't see how anyone could disagree that Wonder Woman #33 does not rightfully deserve a second place finish in the best comics of 2009 contest.  Gail Simone, you are my hero.

1. Detective Comics #853

Well of course I'm going to give this issue the top spot, it was written by Neil Gaiman.  Call me biased but the only comic book writer who can come close to beating out Gaiman would be the esteemed Alan Moore.  No thanks to Grant Morrison, Neil Gaiman justly explains the Dark Knight's death in his typical, outlandish way filled with science fiction, horror, love and humanity.  I would have never even considered using his mother as a guiding light for Bruce Wayne, but it's one of the more logical and creative ideas I've ever seen.  It's true for all of us right?  Our mothers are typically the ones the children go to when needing that nurturing and loving care we all crave many times in our lives.  This is not only something we, as readers can relate too very easily, but it helps to humanize a character that has been viewed as a God in the DC Universe.

But as Neil Gaiman always does, he puts an unsettling taste in my mouth, leaving me with the knowledge that Bruce Wayne will always be cursed with the Cape and Cowl.  The story showed the different flashback scenes as being different and unique from the other, like each one was a part of a different world and time.  Gaiman was trying to show that Bruce Wayne is reborn over and over again as Batman.  But this also means that Bruce constantly has to relive that horrifying day when his parents are shot in that alley way right in front of him.  This defies the typical comic book storyline where the hero saves the day and everyone is happy.  Bruce Wayne dies in this issue, but is he really dead?  No, he has to live with the fact that he will rise again to become Batman and all the pain and torment that comes with it.  

It was this fact of the story which gives me full confidence that I chose the right book as the best comic of 2009.

Comic Book Review: Secret Six #17

Book Information

Written by Gail Simone & John Ostrander

Art by J. Calafiore

Plot

The Suicide Squad takes on the Secret Six in a fight to the death.  The Squad’s main target is The Six’s trigger happy ally, Deadshot.  While the Squad fights the Six in an attempt to reclaim Deadshot and bring him back into their ranks, the Lanterns of death make a unwelcome surprise and begin to trash and rip the hearts out of the inmates of the Belle Reve Jail.  Now, the two super villain teams must worked together to escape the clutches of the blood thirsty Black Lantern Corps.

My Thoughts

Like all the Blackest Night tie-ins, Secret Six #17 begins with a flash back by a character who has a distinct, yet distant connection to the book, Yasemin, who was killed by Deadshot earlier in this story.  She has risen from the dead and seeks vengeance against our bullet crazy fiend.  Having not read Suicide Squad #67, I was a little confused by what was going on.  This only means I’ll need to go to the comic book store tomorrow and pick up my own copy and play catch up.  It was an interesting inner recapping monologue however, in the sense that her death only happened last issue, yet she’s acting like this vengeance has been a long time coming.  It makes for an angst driven an intense introduction to this issue, but it seemed a bit contrived and strange to me.

Aside from that minor defect in the story, Simone and Ostrander deliver an exceptional issue that goes beyond what the typical comic book story does.  We have three super villain teams going at each other tooth and nail, The Secret Six, The Suicide Squad, and the Black Lantern Corps.  This approach to a story shouldn’t work, yet these two heavy hitting writers take it on as if it were the most natural thing in the world.  What’s satisfying about these match ups are how Simone makes the odd fights work very well in the literature.  While Catman and Bronze Tiger seem the most obvious brawl, Bane punching it up with Nightshade and Vertigo seems like a very unlikely fight, yet it’s written so smoothly and effortlessly; shows the unending versatility and intelligence that Simone and Ostrander have as writers.

Calafiore, while still a great artist, doesn’t hold a candle to Nicola Scott.  At first I thought Calafiore was going to transition into this title quite well, but he instead displays a lack of artistry that has been visualized so perfectly by Mrs. Scott.  The close up shots were intense and had crispness to them; the distant panels, like the fight scenes between Bane, Nightshade and Vertigo for example, were very stone like and frozen and it became a distracting feature of the book.  Many of the panels where someone landed a punch, the illusion of forward motion, and images where the fist makes contact are almost non-existent.  The art was a real disappointment for me as I know I’ve seen better coming from Calafiore.

As far as the tie-in to Blackest Night is concerned, I don’t think it did the job well.  It was a tie-in, yes, but it didn’t really do anything to progress the story.  Everything that happened in this issue has already occurred with every other tie-in.  It’s as if DC just wanted an excuse for including Blackest Night into one of its more popular selling titles and didn’t care if it helped boost the story in the least.  DC just wanted to slap Blackest Night at the top of the cover and call it good.  That’s quite the cop out if you ask me.

Overall

Had some flaws, but mainly consisted with the art and the less than satisfactory Blackest Night tie-in.  Still, it’s a fun read; all attributed to the writing team of Simone and Ostrander.

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars

Next Issue Coming February 10^th, 2010

It's the exciting conclusion of John Ostrander and Gail Simone's epic team-up! The Black Lanterns have both the Suicide Squad and the Secret Six up against the wall. But Amanda Waller always has a plan. That plan: Manhunter! Plus, Deadshot is forced to make the decision of his life!

Top Ten Comics For November

10. Batman #693
I'm so glad to have Judd Winick off this title, it made such a difference.  He does very well on some things, but Batman is not his forte.  It had some flaws, but this issue certainly made some leaps in establishing Dick as a confident Batman.

9. Green Lantern #48
This issue was amazing.  I can see why Spike TV named it the best comic book series of 2009.  When I put out my "Best of 2009" list, I wont have Green Lantern up so high, but it will definitely be up there.

8. Justice Society of America: 80 Paged Giant
This was such a better issue then the crappy Justice League 80 pager.  It kept continuity in check and gave us a good teaser as to what may come.

7. Batman and Robin #6
Grant Morrison continues to dazzle me with great storylines.  I'm continually keep my fingers crossed that he will not go his normal route of building up great stuff, and then falling flat on his face later.

6. Justice League #39
This issue certainly took me by surprise as to how well it was written.  Robinson hasn't been doing a good job as of late what with "Cry for Justice" and the earlier issues of JLA.  But this was a pleasant surprise and worthy of top ten status.  Which is good, JLA is MY book and it makes me sad to see the title have poor stories.

5. Supergirl #47
It's those emotionally packed issues that truly make me get so invested into the story.  Supergirl is such a good title with Sterling Gates at the wheel.

4. Superman: Secret Origin #3
Itr's funny to think of Metropolis as Superman-less.  Geoff Johns truly is a master at putting a new twist on the Superman "stereotype."

3. Blackest Night #5
Wow, I certainly wasn't seeing that ending coming.  Way to go Johns!

2. Wonder Woman #38
Gail Simone, if I wasn't married I'd propose to her right now!  She has done something with Wonder Woman that I didn't think possible, given her more heart and humanity than any other hero in comics today.  You'll be seeing Simone on my "best writers" list in a few months.

1. Secret Six #15
There's nothing more emtionally vigorating than witnessing a person come to terms with him or herself.  Ostrander brings Deadshot down to a human level, while at the same time maintaining that evil, sadistic side that fans all know and love.

Just when I thought nothing could beat out my top five comics for 2009 that I currently have, this issue comes around and knocks my socks off.  If you haven't read this issue, please do!  It is worth reading for any comic book fan.



















My list for "The Best of 2009" will be coming out shortly after the second week in January.  If you have suggestions for what you think is the best, please write it down in a comment.  Here are the categories...

1. Best Comic Book
2. Best Title
3. Best Mini-Series (must end in december of 2009 to qualify)
4. Best Writer
5. Best Artist
6. Best Hero
7. Best Villain
8. Best Story-Arc (must end in 2009 to qualify)