By Gail Simone (writer), J. Calafiore (art), John Kalisz (colors), Travis Lanham (letters)
The Story: Recently returned from Hell, the Six get their hero on as they rescue Liana from the twisted psychopath (and you know you’re crazy when even the Secret Six think you’re nuts) who has been trying to “save” her in the most cringe-worthy sense of the term. He gets his just desserts in an extremely satisfying sequence, and the Six return home for a little reflection and relaxation.
What’s Good: Sigh. Gail Simone can do no wrong on this book. Really, she can’t. The voice she gives each of these characters is so strong, and the stories she crafts with them are so much fun. It kills me that this issue feels almost like a goodbye. All of the story threads are pulled tight, most of the characters are at least working towards resolving their arcs and relationships. I fear this doesn’t bode well for the series’ chances of surviving the upcoming reboot. (Though honestly, why DC would let its most outstanding marriage of property and creative team end, I have NO idea. If there’s no room for them in the new DCU, MAKE SOME.)
Meta-concerns aside though, this issue is still very, very strong. Seeing Liana rescued and her captor dealt with is beyond satisfying, and the character interactions and dialog in the second half are outstanding even by Gail Simone standards. (Scandal’s reunion with Liana is particularly touching.) One he of the things I love most about this book is how Simone utterly embraces her cast of misfits and outcasts; she celebrates them, and in so doing, celebrates the different, unique and strange in us all. It might seem odd to draw that parallel given how brutal the team can be, but it really is true. It’s what makes moments like Liana’s quiet, but emphatic, “I never let him make me say it,” so powerful–it sums up the (twistedly delivered) moral that underlies the series: let no one make you ashamed of who or what you are.
What’s Not So Good: No complaints about the book itself, except the fact that it feels like its coming to an unnecessarily premature end. I would like to use this space to announce that if I find my reading interrupted by one more of those bloody “Super 8” mini-comic ads, I’m going to get really, really angry. They’re worse than those obnoxious Colgate inserts from a year or so ago. Grrrrr.
Conclusion Another fantastic, satisfying–and surprisingly touching–issue. Simone continues o deliver the goods with her outstanding story and dialog, while Calafiore backs her up extremely well with his excellent (though less flashy than in he recent Hellbound story arc) artwork.
Grade: B+
-SoldierHawk
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Conclusion