Fell in love with this as soon as I found it online. J. Calafiore is awesome! Not sure where I found this as the website seemed to have nothing on it except this image. But full credit goes to Mr. Calafiore! If they ever do a Watchmen prequel, I would love to have Calafiore do the artwork.
The artist of my favorite title, Secret Six, posted this new commission on Facebook this morning. I’m completely against DC making a new Watchmen series, but if it were to happen, I would be MORE than happy with Calafiore taking over the art.
Writer: Gail Simone
Artist: J. Calafiore
Colorist: John Kalisz
Letterer: Travis Lanham
Cover Art: Calafiore & Kalisz
This Is How it All Ends…
The Secret Six is on the cusp of fighting one of their toughest battles ever with Bane leading the charge!
Torn by the new discovery of his destiny in Hell, Bane decides to quench his hateful thirst for the Dark Knight in one final battle. But this last installment of the Secret Six is much more than a mere vendetta held by Bane, but rather of team coming to terms with themselves and each other. Decisions will be made, hearts will mend, and only one ending can meet the standards of this legendary, yet villainous, comic book team. But is it truly and ending?
The Most Suitable Ending…
Where do I start? Since issue #1, The Secret Six has been the title I anxiously wait for every month over all the rest. Even during Gail’s time on Wonder Woman, the Six has always had my attention the most. When I heard that my favorite title was one of the few that was not transitioning into the new 52, I wept on the inside and wondered if any comic could ever equal the standard of quality established in the Secret Six. A few come close, but ultimately the Six wins.
I’ve never truly been satisfied with the ending of most comic book titles’ runs; the only ones I can remember being truly satisfied with was The Batman Adventures and Justice League: Generation Lost. But I can now add the Secret Six to that list of perfect endings to outstanding titles.
#36 wraps up many of the amazing aspects that made the Secret Six DC’s best comic book title; allowing friendships to finally be realized, loving relationships to be explained, and providing a happy ending in the only way the Six are able to understand.
But, They’re Bad Guys! Shouldn’t I be Happy That They’re Gone?
The Secret Six is a team of bad guys, no question about it, but the amount of heart that each character developed as the series progressed over the last three years is so much more than any of DCs most iconic characters ever had. As we came along for the ride, we’ve seen the darker side of the Six more than we have the lighter side. However, as the darkness loomed over us, we found a hint of respectability and good within each member of the six…even King Shark.
Issue #36 shows how a team like the Six becomes a family defined by their own principles and not by how the world expects them to be. Even in the face of the most powerful heroes, the six decide the best way that they can end their time together is by taking on their foes head first, without allowing them to be the victorious despite being outnumbered. If you truly look and examine the final battle, the Six were in control of the fight despite how outnumbered they were.
But the Secret Six is no stranger to tragedy as every major story arc this title has had has ended in such. How often has Gail written a truly happy ending for the Six? Almost never! It was nice to see some goodness come into the lives of each character for a change; Bane receiving a type of love he never thought he would experience, Scandal uniting in a happy and wondrous trifecta of love, and Deadshot and Catman doing the manly thing and showing how much they actually do care for each other as friends…even if they never actually admit to that fact. These types of joyous occasions have never occurred in the Secret Six. I think Jeanette hit the nail on the head by saying, “A happy ending…I’d forgotten they existed.”
Oh so touching! Click To Enlarge!
But no one comes out of this final installment unscathed, even the superheroes realize this. This wasn’t a mere team of bad guys. The Injustice League had little purpose except to destroy their enemies, and the Legion of Super-Villains hated each other to the point of being…well…pointless. The Secret six, as Huntress pointed out, weren’t like the others. This was a family, and the superheroes knew it. The Six fought and protected each other…they loved each other. Which is why Huntress damned herself and the rest of her superheroes peers to Hell…they just killed a family. This is the most heartfelt and emotional ending to a comic book series I’ve ever experienced in my life!
Being the true guiding light to the Six’s artistic endeavors, J. Calafiore adds an even greater element with the visual perspective of #36, combining images of rage and love that has been intermingled in the series since day one. Likewise, John Kalisz enhances every panel with perfect coloring and shading, feeding into the emotional impact this final issue gives.
I can’t end this review any better than by simply thanking Creator, Gail Simone, and artist J. Calafiore for bringing the greatest superhero comic book series in history into the hands of readers like me. As much as I wish that the Secret Six was a part of the new 52, I think I can rest easy with this ending and let go. I’ve come to terms with the ending and needn’t any reboot nor revamping. They went out in the best way possible.
10 out of 10 stars.
+ 10 incentive points
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.
Written By: Gail Simone
Penciled & Inked By: J. Calafiore
Coloring By: John Kalisz
Lettering By: Travis Lanham
Edited By: Rachel Gluckstern
Cover By: Daniel LuVisi
The Plot
Like most of Simone’s Secret Six storylines, the twisted sense of family loyalty is brought up as the villain team is impossibly outnumbered by Ragdoll’s minions within the depths of Hell. The card is still his hands and Scandal Savage will stop at nothing to take for herself. But the Six will have to fight past their own personal Hells before doing what must be done.
My Awe Inspiring Opinion
As already stated, Gail Simone presents such a fascinating viewpoint to the concept of family love, loyalty, and forgiveness. Lady Blaze gives the team an ultimatum – serve in Hell as her minions, or suffer an eternity in Hell as the rest of damned souls. Faced against all odds, Scandal and the rest of the Six determine that they are, and have been ready to die for a long time and will fight Lady Blaze to the very end.
The best attribute the Six has is their unrelenting vigilance in staying true to themselves. They don’t care if it means living an entire afterlife succumbing to the torturous ways of hell, they all refuse to allow the bad guy to win.
#33 shows the Six as who and what they really are…a villain team. But even still, it’s hard for us to call them bad guys right? If we, as readers, only knew the exterior shell of the Six, no one would hesitate to call them bad guys an hate them for it. But in having 33 issues to truly get to know the team, Simone has shown us six (or seven) villains whose pasts almost justify each character’s defining attributes. With the exception of Killer Shark, there isn’t one member of the Secret Six who isn’t tainted by their horrid upbringing. It’s hard not to understand and feel bad for these villains whose human side comes out even more than your average super hero.
This issue is filled with the drama of losing loved ones and reliving painful memories, but Simone allows our hearts to breath with a few humorous moments. My favorite? King Shark’s own personal Hell is where all he has to munch on are vegetables. Gail, you have WAY too much fun writing this series don’t you?
Catman finds his way through the desert of Hell to the holding pit of his long dead father. You don’t read to many stories of a son going to Hell to simply double check that his father was being justly punished in Hell. But the icing on the cake is the identity of Blake’s father’s tormentor. No, I won’t give it away…but it’s a doozy and presents an interesting take on what Heaven could be like for some!
The Six is one big mesh of screwed up characters, sustaining this remarkable semblance of humanity but never swaying away from their horrible past and what it’s turned them into. Throughout all 33 issues, Simone has posed a very deep and thought provoking question, but that question is hoisted up into our brains even more with this specific arc…When is a person bad, and when is a person evil? It’s for you to decide that, but Simone makes it very clear in her thematic take on the Secret Six that the answer to that question is not always as clear as we may want it to be.
I’ll never complain about Calafiore’s art work…I just won’t. It’s so vibrant and gorgeous that I often times get trapped in a gaze of his amazing talents. Dan LuVisi has been tearing up the coolness with his series of Secret Six covers, #33 being one of his best. The colors and demonic look are nothing to look down at or criticize…and anyone who does should be shot in the face!
My only daunting moment was the ending. And this is by no means a negative critique, but it definitely made me wonder what happened. If this was part three of three, why doesn’t the story feel as if it’s done? That’s right, Gail has tricked us all! This story arc isn’t complete, it’s only beginning! I shake my fist at you Gail Simone, you have tantalized my need for more!
My Majestically Climactic Conclusion
So, all in all, this is a great issue and I commend Simone for writing such innovative material for such an innovative series. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again…Please Gail, don’t leave this title! If you do, I might die!
10 out of 10
Written By: Gail Simone
Artist: J. Calafiore
Colorist: John Kalisz
Cover Artist: Dan LuVisi
Letterer: Travis Lanham
Editor: Rachael Gluckstern
My Awe-Inspiring Opinion
Issue #32 brings us part two of the “Darkest House” story arc, putting the Six (or the five in this case) right smack dab in the middle of Hell with Ragdoll leading his new army of six hundred and sixty-six (nice tough Simone) Demon powered army. Ragdoll has seemed to take control of his life in a profound new way…he just had to go to Hell to do so. Now the rest of the six are on the verge of crossing that line which Ragdoll carved into the red hot Hell-dirt. But in doing so, the team might discover some things about themselves that could change the course of the Secret Six forever.
How appropriate is it that? Out of all the places in the world, the Six fall apart in the most dreaded place of people’s imagination…Hell! The central thematic push comes with this question…What are the prerequisites for being dammed to Hell? Bane certainly felt perplexed and taken aback at the revelation that his “righteousness” will not get him his one-way ticket to the Heavenly Kingdom. In fact, the whole team (except for Deadshot) seemed utterly shocked by the news of their eventually and eternal damnation.
This is the first time I’ve seen uncertainty within the Six as a whole. They seem ready to give it up because, as Bane said, if they are dammed, what they do on Earth makes little difference right? It’s only then within Scandal’s powerfully moving, and very human statement where the Six remember what makes them human…
“We choose the life we lead. We choose the people we are. Not for God. For OURSELVES!”
This brief, yet powerful statement brings to mind that the only reason to BE moral is to achieve a placement within Heaven. But once you’re your fate is decided, why be moral? Of course Simone shows that being who you are should never be solely for the purpose to gain favor with any higher, all powerful deity, but for yourself. This is a concept you’d find in one of the graphic novels by the illustrious writers, Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman. This issue officially marks Gail Simone as one of the best writers in the comic book genre; she always knows how to hit the nail right on the head with everything she does, and #31 brings to life everything that she is as a writer.
This whole trip to Hell began, as I’m sure you all know, with a “Get out of Hell Free” card which Ragdoll stole from Scandal. Simone did one Hell of a job at bringing this detail from the very first Secret Six story arc back to the title, but she doesn’t stop there. It seems Catman had a secret agenda in accompanying Scandal and company to the pits of Hell. Are we surprised to find His father lying on the ground, naked and chained to a tree? I wonder how this will play out for Catman?
But let’s not forget about the most perplexing of plot twists…Ragdoll’s fear of becoming sane. How backwards is that, when insanity is such a normal part of your life that the very thought of becoming sane frightens you enough to sentence yourself to an eternity in Hell? But even more interesting is that his friends (or former friends, I can’t figure it out yet) sympathize with him. Scandal and Jeanette even tear up! So the bigger question in my mind is will Ragdoll be leaving the title forever or will this chaotic event be a team building exercise for the Six. Personally, I hope he sticks around and Simone kicks our fishy friend off to rot in Hell for all eternity.
I can never say anything negative about Calafiore. Why? Because he rocks, that’s why! I’ve never see Ragdoll doll so demented looking and full of a humorous rage that reminds me of the Joker. And LuVisi once again brings us an amazingly vibrant and colorful cover. Though I’m not sure why a bat demon hovers over Ragdoll when he went back for parademon. Oh well, no complaints, just a question.
My Majestically Climactic Conclusion
Yes, I’ll say it…this is the best issue of 2011 so far. And this arc isn’t even done yet! The last chapter in this arc is coming next month and I don’t know how I’m going to contain myself! Maybe I’ll eat chocolate.
10 out of 10 Stars
+ 2 Incentive Points
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
