The Silencer #6 – Dan Abnett, Writer; Viktor Bogdanovic, Mike Spicer, Colorist
Ratings:
Ray – 7.5/10
Corrina: Still Appeals To Me
WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW
Ray: Easily the most enjoyable of Dan Abnett’s three ongoing series for DC at the moment, Silencer continues to try to balance a mix of high-octane spy action with a grounded, human story of a mother trying to protect her family. When the issue kicks off, Talia and Honor’s parlay in a diner is interrupted by an army of hired goons working to eliminate Honor and keep her from getting out of the life for good. With her son Ben encased in a protective shield and blissfully unaware of everything that’s going on around him, Honor and Talia are forced into an awkward alliance as they take out one horde after another while continuing to argue over Talia’s role in all of this. Abnett’s take on Talia is certainly more nuanced than Morrison’s – she’s not the cold-blooded child killer she was then, but she’s also a manipulative criminal mastermind who has no problem setting up a massive betrayal to get someone to make the choice that she’s convinced is best for them.
This series has had a bit of a Kick-Ass aesthetic since the opening issue, although that has a lot to do with John Romita Jr.’s influence. I think the action here is better and less senselessly violent than the current Kick-Ass run, which also features a mother trying to balance her family life with vigilante work. There’s a creepy subplot involving Ben finding a strange, disfigured young boy sharing his bubble. That turns out to be Cradle, the younger half of the mutated assassin duo Cradle and Grave. This is an eerie scene, although I’m wondering what exactly is up with Ben – he feels unnaturally oblivious sometimes. The ending of the issue has Honor and her family preparing to head out of the country to an island paradise on a “Vacation” that’s secretly a cover for Honor to finish the mission. It’s not perfect, as I think we spend a bit too much time watching her shoot things up and not enough time getting to know her, but a good central character goes a long way towards making a series readable.
Corrina: My enjoyment of Silencer lies in the premise, the art by Romita, and the cool power set she’s been given. It’s not every mom who can put her child into a literal bubble to keep them safe, though, that didn’t work this time with such a creepy visitor inside the bubble. Aside: he is the best-behaved kid EVER. Just sayin’.
Talia has also been used effectively this series. Usually, she’s the femme fatale or Daddy’s girl, but here we see the semi-ruthless assassin who is sometimes several steps ahead of the opposition.
There are problems with the series, however. One is that we’re six issues into the series and I don’t know why Honor wanted to be married and have a family. I’ve been given a reason as to why she wanted out of being an assassin–and that’s understandable–but it’s not a natural progression for someone like Honor to marry and want to be a mother. Give me a good reason why and an interesting character might turn into a fantastic character.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
Disclaimer: GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
