He Warned You About the Poetry
My enjoyment of Secret Seven is closely tied to my love of Peter Milligan's run on Shade the Changing Man, a fact that the second issue of this mini-series made impossible to ignore. Some gaps in storytelling are inevitable when you have seven characters with major personal issues embroiled in a murder mystery, a possible love triangle, and the wider events of Flashpoint. However, I have to admit I'm having a good time trying to imagine how Milligan would have filled them in given the time and space to do so.
While the first issue of Secret Seven focused largely on the relationship between Shade and Enchantress, this one lets us get to know the rest of the Secret Seven...just in time to start killing them off one by one. In between the introductions and deaths, we're treated to a few scenes of Shade romancing Enchantress's alter-ego, June Moone. These are the best part of the book, with Milligan poking fun at his previous portrayal of Shade as a lovesick super-poet. There's honestly too much going on at once, but all the threads intertwine for a final page that leaves Shade with a lot of explaining to do.
The major downside of Secret Seven's first issue was George Perez's art, which just wasn't right for the weirdness of the subject matter. Fernando Blanco handles the penciling duties this time around, and the results are much better. His layouts feel more modern, and the build up to the big reveal at the end is handled nicely. I still think the book deserves someone with a more unique style, but barring that, I hope to see Blanco back for the final issue next month.
As part of the Flashpoint crossover, Secret Seven is pretty inessential, with the overarching plot being almost completely ignored in favor of its characters' personal stories. But taken on its own merits, it's worth checking out, especially if you've ever appreciated Milligan's characteristic mix of sex and surrealism.