DCU Comic Book Reviews

SECRET SIX #20

Cats In The Cradle, Part Two of Four:  Fear of World to Come

June 2010

Written by Gail Simone

Pencils by J. Calafiore

Inks by J. Calafiore

Cover by Daniel LuVisi

Synopsis

On the phone, someone tells Catman they have his son and they will kill him.  However, for each team member Catman kills, they will grant his son an extra year of life.  Catman answers they can do what they want with his son.  However, Catman will come and find them and kill them, no matter what.  Later, Catman visits the mother of his child, Chesire.  She provides the name of one of the kidnappers:  Claudio Rinetti.  At the House of Secrets, Scandal decides to go after Catman.  Deadshot, Ragdoll, and Black Alice decide to go as well.  In Italy, Catman tracks down Rinetti.  He then tortures him for information on the kidnappers, before leaving him to die.  

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

I loved this issue. I loved the way Catman set out to exact revenge for the death of his son.  It is a typical revenge type story, but it works.  The key, for me at least, is not so much Catman’s single-minded, blood-thirsty actions, but Deadshot’s assessment of Catman and who Blake is at the moment.  Unlike Deadshot, Catman has not completely walked down that dark path, someone who has not fully given in to depravity and violence.  It will be interesting to see how (or even if) Simone tempers Catman’s actions. 

While Catman’s decision was not entirely unexpected (there was a chance Simone could’ve done a Six vs. Catman fight and it would’ve been cool), I liked how Simone slowly played out the scene, stretching out the tension, holding it taut until the final release of Catman’s calm response and even calmer statement of what he was going to do.  Simone may not have needed six pages, but I think by waiting to get to that moment, it helps to really drive home the conflicted feelings that Blake may have been feeling.  Add in the Six’s obvious concern for Blake and uncertainty as to what was happening and the scene felt much longer than it really was.  In this case, this is a good thing. 

Hey, with Blake quitting the team, I guess that means we are down to a true Secret Six.  Although with the way the rest of the team leaves, does that make it a Secret Two with only Bane and Jeannette.  Will Simone actually go with a new Six?  Although I think there is a good story brewing with Catman and others returning to the House of Secrets to reclaim their spot on the team. 

On my copy of this issue, there is a black box on the bottom right hand of page 19, on the panel with Elena’s death and Caludio’s cry of her name.  I have no idea what it is.  It looks as if it is meant to hide something, but I can’t imagine what it might’ve been.  Not that it is important, just something odd that I noticed. 

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