Archive for the ‘Dan Luvisi’ Category

Secret Six #34 Review

Posted: June 3, 2011 in Bane, Batman, Comic Book Review, Dan Luvisi, Daniel LuVisi, DC Comics, Gail Simone, J. Calafiore, Secret Six
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Written By: Gail Simone

Art By: J. Calafiore

Coloring By: John Kalisz

Lettering By: Travis Lanham

Edited By: Rickey Purdin

Associate Editor: Rachel Gluckstern

Cover By: Daniel Luvisi

The Plot

Does anyone else smell a twisted sense of justice and satisfaction infecting this issue?  I certainly do.  #34 not only wraps up the hell bound story arc but also gives clairvoyance to much of the sentimentality existing within the Six since it began almost two years ago.

The Six…er, well, the five…find out where Liana has been held captive by her “Savior” and set her free.  After the rescue mission is complete, the Six go back to their normal lives…and I use the term loosely. This is more than just a violently sexy issue and is the pinnacle of the amount of depth comics have achieved in the modern age.

My Awe Inspiring Opinion

So did anyone take a peek at the letters section of this issue?  I must say I’m geeking out like crazy that a letter of mine actually made it into my favorite comic book title.  Thanks DC, and thank you Gail for grinning gleefully within that castle of yours!  I wish I owned a castle.

Ok, enough about me, let’s move on to bigger and better things…like the Secret Six!  I’m a sucker for these kinds of issues; the characters poor out their emotions and suck the readers in in the process.  Simone paints an interesting picture of a villain team who seems to have a strong sense of morals within their own world…Minus Deadshot, he really doesn’t care most of the time.

While it’s only a small aspect to #34, the opening sequence really drives a joyous rusty nail into my imagination.  It’s always interesting to see characters loose themselves in the moment of delivering justice to the ones that harm others.  Scandal Savage says very little after finding Liana’s kidnapper.  After a brutal scene with the bad guy getting his just deserts, Scandal delivers the coup de grace.  Just a hint, don’t piss off a women in love, you may just have you eyes gouged out…but not before you fingers are bitten off, your kneecap shot, and your body broken.

But it’s within this scene which truly defines the Six and how much they need each other. (Except for Deadshot, he STILL could care less right?)  The Six delves into an exceptionally emotional and touchy-feely montage of feelings and modes of expression.  Scandal, since the beginning, has always been the most expressive of the Six with Bane following up a close second.  But under Scandal’s influence, and through the events of recently visiting hell, the Six finally opens up to each other in ways most families can’t.

But the gleaming moment for me comes out in the final page where Scandal lays on her bed stroking her weapon of choice with Jeanette walking seductively into the room.  It’s not because these two women seem ready to partake in an act of lesbian awesomeness, (and believe me guys, that’s the first thing that will pop in your head) but rather it’s the powerfully moving, yet brief speech Jeanette gives to Scandal.  They’ve accepted their destiny in Hell, which means they are not constrained by the rules set by man.  Yet she states this in such a way that makes you believe in their goodness and forget about their evils.

As always, J. Calafiore can do no wrong.  He’s an excellent judge of how to make each character sexy even during those exceptionally violent moments.  The page where Scandal and Ragdoll embrace each other’s hand is a blue lite masterpiece which gave me chills.

My Majestically Climactic Conclusion

Once again, Simone and Calafiore produce a flawless installment of the Secret Six.  It’s one of the saddest moments for me in my comic book collecting career, however, to hear of its inevitable cancellation due to the DCU reboot.  I can’t say I’m happy about this decision as it pushes my favorite comic out the door to make way for…something else.  But, while I still have time, I’m going to enjoy the ending arc that I’m sure Gail has planned starting next month.  Gail, you are an amazing writer!

10 out of 10

+ 4 Incentive Points.

Secret Six #31 Review

Posted: March 3, 2011 in Dan Luvisi, DC Comics, Gail Simone, J. Calafiore, Secret Six, Travis Lanham
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Written By: Gail Simone

Artist: J. Calafiore

Colorist: John Kalisz

Cover Artist: Dan Luvisi

Letterer: Travis Lanham

Editor: Rachel Gluckstern

My Awe-Inspiring Opinion

Was it too nerdy of me to hope that the Rivers Mall, depicted as the gateway to Hell in this issue, was actually a place I might have set foot in?  Having lived in Iowa close to seven years, I wondered if this Mall was real.  Sadly, Google was unable could locate a mall in Iowa that was simply called “Rivers.”  Never-the-less, Iowa is without a doubt the appropriate place to helm the gateway to Hell.  I’m just glad Simone didn’t park the doorway at my favorite grocery store ever…Fareway!

Secret Six #31 takes a giant leap into the past when the said title first began.  Do you all remember that dreaded “get out of hell free” card?  I certainly do.  That first arc was what hooked me to the Secret Six and helped me develop my enormous crush on Gail Simone.  The catch is, of course, that only one person can use the card to return from Hell.  We all thought it was gone, but apparently Scandal kept it hidden…until Ragdoll found it.  Now he plans on using to bring his beloved pal back from the dead, which negates Scandal’s purpose of traveling to Hades to rescue her lover, Liana from a fiery pit of despair.

So this arc has been put in place to help resolve Scandal’s love life issues.  So the question is who Scandal will choose – Knockout or Liana?  The Superhero bombshell or the exotic dancer?  In my opinion, Knockout had her shot and screwed it up!  I certainly hope Liana doesn’t get the shaft.

But this certainly brings up an interesting fact huh?  With Black Alice also losing the love of her life to Satan’s throne room and Scandal believing that Liana is dead,  is anyone going to be happy in the end?  I’m sure all of us reading the Secret Six can do the math that 6 + 2 does not equal six.  Two members are going to have to drop out of the mix, and with Black Alice already stating she will never see the team again, we can assume that one more sixer remains to be booted off the team.  My hope is that one fishy fellow is left to burn, but I have a sneaking suspicion that someone else is going to be left behind.  (Darn you Tim LaHaye and Jeremy Jenkins!)

 

As always, Simone leaves room for further character development as Ragdoll is portrayed in an even darker tone from we’re used to.  He might be the funny man on campus, but he should never be underestimated as he can pack one hell of a manipulative punch to the face.  But Scandal is no push over and can certainly handle herself.  The battle between Scandal and Ragdoll over who gets the card is one of the better comic book fight scenes in history.

To make someone look as if they are ready to kill without giving it a second thought, that kind of talent lay only in the hands of few.  Calafiore certainly gives Scandal and Ragdoll that terrifying look of killer instinct and plasters it all over their faces.  But even more impressive is the look of pain and terror within our mysterious stranger before and after he drips the hot sauce right onto his eyeballs.  Calafiore may sketch out faces that look almost identical, but no one should doubt his ability to visually enhance the tension within a story.

My Majestically Climactic Conclusion

Yes, Doom Patrol is coming to an end, sadly.  But the Six is still around with no end in sight.  The bad guy books are done yet!  While Secret Six #31 requires some research if unfamiliar with a few aspect of the plot, it’s still a great place to start if you haven’t already.

9 out of 10 Stars