Secret Six # 12 - Depths, Part Three: Inferno

     I’ve been loving Secret Six since Gail Simone wrote Villains United. The series has been both consistently hilarious and action packed since it debuted some four years ago. It actually reminds me a lot of the Deadpool books but what makes this stand out a bit more is the team dynamic and the fact that you get a few more unique personalities to deal with. Now, I will say that I didn’t particularly like the last issue. It was a bit muddled and lacked a lot of the humor found in most of the series but this one was a return to form. 

    Gail Simone has been doing a fantastic job the last few years with these characters and this issue is a shining example of her work. What makes this series worth reading is the personalities on display and the interactions between the team members. This book has all of that. The action is alright, the plot ultimately forgettable, but the dialogue is top notch. I don’t laugh out loud at many comics but with the Secret Six, and this issue specifically, I've done that several times. Simone also does something I don’t think we see enough of and that’s introduce completely new characters. It seems the industry is too busy recycling old heroes and villains to worry about new ones but Simone has given us at least one with this arc in Banshee (and possibly another with the character revealed at the end?). That gives her free reign to construct whatever she wants and we see that here with the culmination of the battle between Banshee and Wonder Woman. Like I said before, however, the weakest part is the plot and this book reveals a little more with the true purpose and structure of the prison which is a bit silly but forgivable. 

    Before I go into Nicola Scott’s art I want to say that the cover is a piece of art. Its got wonderful composition, color, figure, everything. It is immediately striking and demands attention like a good cover should. The artist’s name is Dan LuVisi and if you haven’t checked him out you definitely should. Moving on, Nicola Scott continues to dominate with the pencils. I think what struck me most in this issue are the facial expressions. From Deadshot’s smug mug to Catman’s futile glare to Scandal’s utter despondency. They’re all convincing and powerful. The action and figures are all great as is usual with Scott but where it falls flat is the layouts. There is simply nothing interesting or dynamic about them. Almost every page is a grid with almost no overlap or breaking of the borders. I think if she spent a little more time with her layouts she could be truly great, but for now she’ll have to stay in the “good” category.

    So Secret Six is funny and action packed. Who would have known? As long as it stays that way the weak plot and poor layouts can be forgiven. And hey, this issue left off on a cliffhanger so who knows, maybe the next one will be some huge revelation that makes me see the whole story in a new light and then I’ll have almost nothing to complain about. I guess we can only hope.