After Bane is gravely injured, the Secret Six and their more-evil counterparts effectively have to switch sides in the civil war they're intervening in.
The Good
I don't know if this was obvious from the beginning and I just missed the clues, but I was pleasantly surprised by the connection to Mike Grell's classic Warlord that was revealed in this issue. Also, I continue to appreciate the moral ambiguity of the cast, how no party is the clear-cut "good guys" in this conflict and how those distinctions are even further dissolved after the hasty "truce" Silver Banshee brokers.
The Bad
It's kind of an intangible thing, but this kind-of felt like it didn't have as much of the great cynical toughness that I've so enjoyed about the title. Maybe I'm just a little crushed as a fanboy to see my main man Bane in such a vulnerable and humbled state, but I feel like this arc started as a mean inversion of the typical fantasy land storyline, but it's now actually following those tropes.
The Verdict - 4/5
My enthusiasm for this book isn't diminished at all. It still continues to be one of my favorite books coming out of DC. Perhaps I'm just frustrated to see these characters I'm rooting for get thwarted by jungle people and dinosaurs; and, if that's the case, it's probably actually a compliment that I'm so invested in the drama that I'm upset when the cast runs into difficulties.
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