Secret Six #1 – Nicole Maines, Writer; Stephen Segovia, Artist; Rain Beredo, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: Secret Six has always been one of the messiest books in the DCU, featuring a band of characters who are neither hero nor villain and are usually involved in some pretty tangled relationships. That also makes it one of the most entertaining – a legacy it seems eager to uphold when it comes to this new edition, following up on the events of Absolute Power and picking up the story of Jon Kent. The younger heroes caught up in Waller’s plot may have recovered physically, but not mentally. Jon Kent is trying to suppress his trauma over being turned into a living weapon. Jay Nakamura is still filled with rage over the murder of his mother and the attack on Gammora. And Nia Nal is wracked with guilt and haunted by nightmares over being blackmailed into helping Waller as she approaches her gender confirmation surgery. And of course, Jay still hates her – which means he’s not happy when she shows up at their door.
It turns out that Amanda Waller has gone missing from her top-secret prison, which should be impossible. Not only that, but the guard seems to know more than he’s letting on – and the trio soon comes under attack as they enter the prison. The only person who might be able to help them is Black Alice, also locked up in Belle Reve, but she’s holding an intense grudge against Dreamer as well and starts to reveal her dirty little secrets. But with the attack intensifying, the group has no choice but to break her out and teleport away – where they find themselves in the company of an unamused Deadshot and a seriously wounded Catman, the anchors of the original Secret Six. Any book with this title is going to have a big legacy to live up to given how beloved the original Gail Simone book is, but I think this is off to a strong start with a very compelling group of characters.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
