By Gail Simone (writer), Jim Calafiore (artist), Jason Wright (colors), Travis Lanham (letters)
The Story: The teams of Sixes have a brief showdown in Skartaris before things come to (something) of a resolution. Deals are proposed, old scores are settled and the Secret Six end up with a—potentially—expanded roster by the time the dust has settled.
What’s Good: While this didn’t end up being the earth-shattering showdown I was prepared for given the epic Six vs. Six setup, I think that at this point the team of Simone/Calafiore are pretty much incapable of disappointing me. As always, Calafiore’s pencils perfectly capture Simone’s demented and hyper-violent script, but he also does a fantastic job of bringing the quieter moments to life: the opening flashback with Alice, the scene in Amanda’s office—all are given the same care and attention as the big monster-slaying panels. That speaks well of Calafiore’s discipline as well as his skill.
The continuity nerd in me is very glad to see some longstanding issues finally called back here (some spoilers ahead, so beware if that bothers you.) I’ve always wondered if Deadshot was being literal about that bullet he was saving for Lady Vic…and here’s the answer. The fact that that wasn’t forgotten, AND that it was revealed so well, really made my day. And speaking of highly satisfying revenge, I couldn’t help but wince a little at Dwarfstar’s fate. Lord knows he deserves it, but…I’m not sure I’d wish Giganta’s wrath on anyone like that!
What’s Not So Good: This is another very solid issue so these are mostly nits, but they’re worth mentioning. I really would have liked to see a longer battle between the two Six teams. I mean, that WAS the big buildup for the last three issues—a confrontation between them. And we get one, but it’s not nearly as long or involved as I’d have liked. The whole ‘getting out of Skartaris’ thing in general just feels rushed and overly convenient. Extending this storyline by an extra issue to allow some further fighting and exploration would have gone a long way towards making this truly great instead of just ‘very good.’ (Obviously that would be impossible because of the timing of the upcoming crossover, but I wish it was.)
Conclusion: Another very strong issue. Although it petered out a little at the end, I’m really looking forward to the Six’s Action Comics appearance, and trust it’ll get things firing on all cylinders again. The Six confronting Luthor is something I’ve been wanting to see for some time, and I’m glad the moment is finally here!
Grade: B
-SoldierHawk
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