DCU Comic Book Reviews

SECRET SIX #6

Unhinged, Part Six: Compound Fracture

April 2009

Written by Gail Simone

Pencils by Nicola Scott and Javi Pina

Inks by Doug Hazelwood and Javi Pina

Cover by Nicola Scott

Synopsis

The Secret Six confront Ragdoll’s Sister, Junior, who is holding Bane prisoner in the hopes of securing the “Get Out Of Hell Free” card the Six have in their possession.  They convince Junior to allow them to take Bane.  The team then takes a car and drive to Gotham City to deliver the card o their client, whose identity is a mystery.  In Gotham, the Mad Hatter waits for the Secret Six and plots his revenge.  Later, the Six stop for a restroom break.  There, Deadshot shots Jeannette and Scandal, taking the card and leaving the team behind.

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

This was a really odd issue.  Don’t get me wrong, I still loved it, but it was weirdly constructed.  I am not sure if this was due to the loss of 4 pages because of the Origins & Omens back-up feature, forcing Simone to shuffle what she originally wanted to do or just simply the way Simone wrote the story.  First, the confrontation with Junior lacked any type of conflict.  Basically the Six walked up, took Bane, and left, and Junior let them.  With all of the build-up in the past 5 issues, and all of the build up to Junior being such a despicable, violent, sadistic villain, it is very anticlimactic that nothing happens.  Second, the next couple of pages fee like an ending, a wrap-up to the current storyline, which is fine, except that it isn’t.  Theses scenes are a mish mash of information, with the identity of the Six’s client revealed intermixed with Jeanette’s origin, and the gang relaxing as if the mission was complete.  The origin of Jeanette, feels shoehorned into the issue.  Her sudden need to tell everyone who and what she is doesn’t feel related (or necessary) to the story, but rather a conscious decision and Simone doesn’t quite fit it in smoothly.  It just doesn’t quite flow, especially when you realize that moments after Jeannette reveals her origin, Deadshot then shoots her in the stomach.  Don’t get me wrong, I still like this issue, it still has the dark humor, brutal violence, and shocking twists, especially at the end, that I have come to expect from this series.  The only problem is that it doesn’t quite gel the way it should and what we are left with is a bunch of disjointed pieces.  Wonderful pieces to be sure, but still pieces. 

Origins & Omens

Written by Gail Simone

Art by Pete Woods

COMMENTARY

The Mad Hatter tells the tale of the origin of the Secret Six.  Frankly, I didn’t reach much of it; I could not get past the syncopated, rhythmic manner in which the Mad Hatter speaks and since I know most of the history of the team, I decided not to try. 

 

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