Review: Suicide Squad Volume 2 - Basilisk Rising

Having apprehended Harley Quinn after her escape from Belle Reve, the Suicide Squad is in shambles. Harley’s betrayal plus the certainty of another traitor in their midst has increased tensions within the team. Yet, they must work as a cohesive unit in order to infiltrate and take down the villainous cult known as Basilisk. Can they get along long enough to defeat the nefarious Regulus?

Suicide Squad Volume 2: Basilisk Rising collects Suicide Squad #8-13 and 0 and Resurrection Man #9, written by Adam Glass and with additional writing by Andy Lanning and Dan Abnett.

This collection begins with a crossover with Resurrection Man, assisted by fan-favourite scribes Lanning and Abnett. The Squad are tasked with bringing in the aforementioned Resurrection Man, but are intercepted by another party who are charged with taking him down. This two-parter is largely unnecessary and comes across as filler, giving the impression that it was created if only to give Harley time to recover from her injuries sustained during “The Hunt for Harley Quinn.” Even still, there’s a suggestion that Waller’s motives in apprehending Resurrection Man have further implications down the line. Regardless, the crossover fell flat.

The bulk of Basilisk Rising deals with the Squad’s fight against Regulus and his organization Basilisk. This storyline takes the team abroad, where the traitor finally makes his move and thereby nearly destroying the Squad and Amanda Waller in the process. It’s very G.I. Joe-ish (Basilisk = Cobra), which creates a problem tonally. It’s evident that the Squad is meant to be something akin to Gail Simone’s Secret Six, but with a twist of militarism thrust in. Glass is still valiantly trying to make us care for these characters, but they continue to lack the depth necessary for keeping the readers’ interest during an otherwise unremarkable story arc. I want to like these characters, but find that I’m not given enough to really invest in them. Glass could have killed off Deadshot, El Diablo, King Shark and Black Spider, and I probably would have welcomed their replacements with general ambivalence. There are exceptions though – Amanda Waller and Harley Quinn.

Harley is the real star of Suicide Squad. She’s funny and unpredictable, which makes her far more interesting than her more dour teammates. After the events of the preceding trade, it’s also suggested that Harley has two distinct personalities – the villainous Harley Quinn and the more upstanding Dr. Harleen Quinzel. This allows the character to waffle between zany and sharply observant. Truth be told, the issues without her full presence are a bit torturous. Similarly, Amanda Waller carries a presence that’s exciting for readers. She’s a total badass and is not one to be trifled with. You never know what she’ll say or do next, so it makes her all the more fascinating. Of course, it also helps that Glass elaborates on her past as this allows the reader to understand her and sympathize with her more.

Taken at face value, Basilisk Rising is a run-of-the-mill book about a secret paramilitary force that goes on James Bond-esque missions for a shadowy organization. The story leaves a lot to be desired, as does the character development. The frustrating thing, however, is that there’s so much potential with this book. Glass does a great job with Harley and Amanda, while the concept of Basilisk was really cool. The real problem it seems is that Glass doesn’t do enough showing. He hints at events from the characters’ pasts, but doesn’t elaborate on them. After 13 issues, he needed to show us something. We can’t care for characters if they’re all forced into generic roles with bland dialogue. Harley stands out because she’s so amusing and because we got to see her origin play out in the last trade.

Rating: C+

Review: Daredevil Season One

As a result of being blinded as a child, defense attorney Matt Murdock gains superhuman abilities and becomes a masked vigilante to protect the streets he grew up on. He is tasked with the harrowing responsibility of ridding the city of its dirty cops, crooked politicians and powerful gangsters, all while keeping his double life a secret from those he cares the most about.

Daredevil is a Netflix Original Series, starring Charlie Cox, Deborah Ann Woll, Elden Henson and Vincent D’Onofrio. Its first season, which premiered April 10, 2015, consists of 13 episodes.

The world of Daredevil is grim and unyieldingly brutal. Despite the fact that it is set in Marvel’s Cinematic Universe, it is the antithesis of everything that has been done previously. The pithy banter between characters that culminates in punchline after punchline in the films is kept to a bare minimum, while the bright and saturated aesthetic of the films is eschewed in favour of a darker and more claustrophobic cinematic style. Furthermore, Daredevil’s characters seem organic and writers go out of their way to make them flawed and relatable. Tonally and thematically, it fits somewhere between Batman Begins and the CW’s Arrow. It’s a gritty, slow burning origin story that sees the lead protagonist evolving from an amateur vigilante to costumed hero. The irony here, of course, is that Daredevil is the epitome of everything that Marvel’s more rabid fans have negatively (and often unjustly) criticized DC Comics for.

The casting for the show is nothing short of perfection. Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock is played like a middle class Bruce Wayne or Oliver Queen. He’s a brooding man whose past is marred by the tragic loss of a parent and who has developed an obsessive desire to protect his city from the criminals that have seized control of it. Several jokes are also made about his apparent tendency to bed the most attractive women possible, something which is more told than shown in the first season. My only issue with the portrayal is how Matt seems capable of just about everything despite the fact that he is blind. His abilities are played up to the point where his abilities are less like radar and more like omniscience. This is especially deflating in scenes involving physical confrontation, where it seems the only real threat to his character is exhaustion.

Much has been made about Vincent D’Onofrio’s turn as the Kingpin. Indeed, he looks the part and acts his butt off with the writing he’s been given. He’s not a mustache-twirling villain with a maniacal laugh. Instead, he’s a highly flawed individual man that is deeply affected by events in his past. In essence, he’s the dark flipside to Cox’s Daredevil. That said, I do have a difficult time taking Kingpin seriously as a genuine threat. He does some really despicable things, but they seem to be done in such a way that they seem less calculated and more like the impulsive actions of an impetuous child who doesn’t get his way. His immature behavior seems to stem from a very serious lack of control, highlighting his desperate need for anger management. In this way, D’Onofrio’s is reminiscent of Faye Dunaway’s infamous role as Joan Crawford in Mommie Dearest, which makes me view his performance as more comical and campier than what was intended. I keep expecting him to bust out the “no wire hangers – ever!” line.

For me, the most likeable characters are Claire and Karen, played respectively by Rosario Dawson and Deborah Ann Woll. Claire becomes entangled in Matt’s world when she takes on the role of being his on-call nurse. Dawson plays the role with a kind of calmness and wisdom that contrasts her against the more impulsive and emotionally unstable characters in the cast. She’s compassionate and has a strong moral compass. Similarly, Karen is portrayed as a woman who is dedicated to the pursuit of truth and justice. Admittedly, she’s kind of like Lois Lane Lite. She’s an intrepid young woman whose investigations into the criminal underworld see her getting in over her head. Regardless, Woll’s performance is incredibly layered and she makes the character really loveable. She’s not as one-note as Matt or intended to be the comedic sidekick like Foggy is. Arguably, she’s the character who shows the most growth. She goes from hapless victim to leading lady.

There’s a lot to like about Daredevil. The casting, cinematography and choreography are on point. It feels very much like an HBO or FX-style take on the superhero genre, grounding its characters in a more familiar real world setting. We’re not seeing rainbow-hued heroes fight aliens or super spies duking it out against shadowy terrorist organizations. Daredevil is far more interested in exploring a narrative where seemingly normal people are trying to do the right thing as they face off against a very human oppressor. Even still, Daredevil is hardly innovative within the genre and should be enjoyed for what it is – yet another series of a costumed heterosexual white male fighting against another heterosexual white male. It meets the needs of Marvel fans who want to see the company produce something akin to Batman or Green Arrow, or something a little more mature than the typical family friendly fare of the MCU. As for me, my only real issue with the series is its pacing. It’s slow and each episode is about 10 minutes longer than it needs to be, which tries my patience and gets a little boring. There’s a lot of talking and plotlines are stretched out across the entire season when they could have easily been tightened up and resolved much sooner.

RATING: B-

Review: Suicide Squad Volume 1 - Kicked in the Teeth

When a techno organic virus breaks out during a football game, the shadowy (and entirely expendable) Suicide Squad are sent in to contain the outbreak and retrieve the antidote. Things go awry after members of the Squad are killed and injured, prompting a messy clean-up and a change in plans. Then, Harley Quinn orchestrates a prison riot to mask her escape from Belle Reve in order to learn the truth about the Joker’s apparent demise.

Suicide Squad Volume 1: Kicked in the Teeth collects Suicide Squad #1-7, written by Adam Glass and illustrated by Federico Dallocchio and Clayton Henry.

When DC Comics launched their New 52 initiative in 2011, they had cancelled the beloved Secret Six – a quirky and dark Gail Simone-penned book about a ragtag team of former villains turned mercenaries – and seemingly hoped to fill its spot by reviving the Suicide Squad. With a roster boasting Secret Six mainstay Deadshot and Batman baddie Harley Quinn, this new team promised to be punchier and more colourful than it had ever been. Indeed, Glass’ relaunch of the Squad is showier and louder than the more procedural series that preceded it written by John Ostrander. The characters are darker, snarkier and there’s a distinctive lack of heroic figures to balance things out. This time around, it’s all about the villains.

There are quite a few characters to keep track of in these first seven issues – Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Black Spider, Captain Boomerang, El Diablo, and King Shark, to name a few. However, Glass places most of the emphasis on developing Deadshot, Harley and El Diablo to varying results. Deadshot fails to be as interesting as he was when Simone was writing him in Secret Six. He’s not quite as coarse or vulgar, which largely results in him seeming cold and detached. El Diablo fares better, particularly due to the morally conflicted nature of his character. This makes it easy to empathize with him and gives him a more humanistic appeal. The real star though is Harley Quinn. She steals every scene whenever she opens her mouth due to her integral role as the comedic relief. There’s also a dark side to her character and she’s the most unpredictable of the bunch. Her revised origin also makes it far easier to understand and sympathize with her. Unfortunately, the shallow portrayals of everyone else makes it hard to care for this cast and so the reader is less likely to have an emotional reaction when something bad happens to them.

The action this volume is relentless. It’s brutal, gory and non-stop. Glass never allows his characters any rest, which helps to amplify the drama and heighten the tension. The viciousness of the events of this collection are further emphasized by the vibrant and flashy artwork. This gives the book a darkly grotesque appeal that serves as a distinction from other mainstream titles that play it a little more safely. That said, action and art aren’t enough to make a great book. Narrative and character development are crucial to maintaining an interested audience for long periods of time. Sadly, Glass does not consistently do that here.

I thoroughly enjoyed Suicide Squad, but it lacked that “It” factor. Perhaps it was due to the constant revolving door of guest stars or the inconsistent development of its main cast. One thing is for certain though – the storylines weren’t unique or enthralling enough. The zombie outbreak at the onset felt a little too trendy, while a prison riot is really nothing new. The hook-up between Harley Quinn and Deadshot was another point of contention. It felt contrived and awkward, so it’s really no surprise that quite a few were unhappy with this interaction being jammed into the narrative. 

Even still, there was a turning point where the story became much more captivating and that was during the two-part “The Hunt for Harley Quinn.” In this story, the Squad is deployed to Gotham City where they are tasked with bringing Harley in dead or alive after she goes rogue. Interspersed with these scenes are flashback sequences detailing Harley's revised origin story for the New 52 continuity. Glass takes a darker and far more aggressive approach to the character's background, where she's significantly more autonomous and violent prior to even donning her iconic red and black duds. In essence, she's less of Joker's put-upon child-like sidekick and more like his equally as psychotic partner. That said, it would have been better had she had a more protective costume and if the book's artists weren't so fond of showing off her ivory figure at every possible chance they were given.

Comparatively speaking, Suicide Squad fails to fill the shoes of its spiritual predecessor Secret Six. It’s brash and exciting, but lacks the heart and quirkiness that made the latter so addictive. Overall, Kicked in the Teeth is hit-and-miss in terms of quality. It’s a fun read, but it’s far from being worthy of any critical acclaim. There are definitely some great things about this book and there are some not-so-great things about this book. About half the cast is interesting and have the capability to really grab the readers’ attention, while the other half is just kind of there. The narrative is jam-packed with pulse-pounding action, but is also indistinct and lacks originality. The glimmering beacon at the end of this is the incredible potential present in this book – particularly when it comes to the portrayal Harley Quinn, El Diablo’s origins and the mysterious Basilisk organization. Thankfully, the positive shift in quality happens towards the end. This suggests growth within the title, implying that the best is yet to come. For anyone looking for a primer to this summer’s big screen adaptation of Suicide Squad, this trade is probably the best place to start.

RATING: B-

Review: Sailor Moon Season One

14-year-old Usagi Tsukino is just an average schoolgirl until she discovers that she is Sailor Moon, a superhero who fights for love and justice. With her talking cat Luna by her side, Sailor Moon must battle the insidious Dark Kingdom while also searching for her fellow Sailor Guardians in order to protect the mysterious Silver Crystal from falling into enemy hands.

The Viz DVD and Blu-ray releases for the first season of Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, collects the first 46 episodes of the iconic 1992 anime series.

I have been a fan of Sailor Moon for as long as I can remember. I was first exposed to the series in 1995 when it was aired in Canada, dubbed by the now-defunct DiC. I stuck with it through the Cloverway dub, but my obsession and affection for the series wouldn’t fully kick in until I watched (and re-watched) the original series in Japanese with subtitles. Now over 20 years later, I’m getting to re-visit the series thanks to the home releases from Viz Media. This couldn’t possibly be more exciting because this is the first time that the anime has been officially released to English speaking audiences in their native language uncensored and uncut. Not only do the characters get to keep their original names, but the storylines and dialogue appears to be untouched from its earliest state.

Though it initially took me some time to adjust to the new English voice cast, Viz did an excellent job matching the new cast to the original Japanese one. Kate Higgins captures the same sweetness as her predecessor Aya Hisakawa did while portraying Sailor Mercury, Amanda Miller nails the nonchalant tomboyish attitude of Sailor Jupiter just like Emi Shinohara, and Cherami Leigh’s slight husky tone compares favourably with Rika Fukami’s. I also have much praise for Stephanie Sheh, who plays the titular heroine. Unlike her predecessors, Sheh is not shrill or excessively loud. She brings tenderness and femininity to the role that was previously downplayed in favour of a more comedic tone. She’s cute and has moments of hilarity, but never veers into being obnoxious like Kotono Mitsuishi, Terri Hawkes or Linda Ballantyne often did. The actress that really slays it though is Christina Vee as Sailor Mars. She balances the attitude of the character in a way that places her right on par with Michie Tomizawa and Katie Griffin. Of course, I could be biased due to my unwavering affection for Sailor Mars.

For the most part, the anime follows the plot of its source text – the manga written and illustrated by Naoko Takeuchi. Sailor Moon and her allies fight the forces of the Dark Kingdom while simultaneously searching for the Silver Crystal and the Moon Princess. Since the series aired while the manga was still being published, it means that the writers and producers of the series had to come up with new and creative subplots to fill the gap while Takeuchi came up with more material. As such, the series can be broken down into four distinct arcs.

The first arc deals with Usagi’s solo adventures as Sailor Moon, which segues into the introductions of Sailor Mercury and Sailor Mars. These early episodes are formulaic and are pretty basic in terms of storytelling. The next arc sees the trio of Moon, Mercury and Mars facing off against the villainous Nephrite as he gathers energy from innocents. This is when the first season finally hits its stride, particularly when it comes to character development. The dynamic between the three protagonists is fantastic, with the feisty Rei constantly sniping at the unreliable Usagi while the diplomatic Ami is stuck in between. This arc is also notable for the development of a tragic love story between Nephrite and Usagi’s best friend Naru. Though it’s intended to be romantic, as an adult I realize that the plotline was actually really forced and that there are parallels to abusive relationships in the dynamic between the two. Admittedly, this arc goes on a little too long. From the time Sailor Mercury is introduced to the time Sailor Jupiter shows up, there are nearly 20 episodes of filler content. As such, the pacing drags a bit and only picks up when the love story between Naru and Nephrite reaches its conclusion.

The fourth arc in the first season features Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Mask and the Dark Kingdom vying for possession of seven mystical Rainbow Crystals. The devious Zoisite takes over as the lead villain, while Sailor Jupiter joins the cast of protagonists. This section of the season is brisk and fast-paced, while also featuring ample opportunity for character development. We get episodes that focus on Ami, Rei, the new girl Makoto and even Luna. For the most part, these episodes actually deal with introducing potential love interests for our heroines – with varying results. Urawa, Ami’s love interest, is the only one who I felt seemed like a viable option for one of our heroines.

Finally, the series concludes once Sailor Venus joins the cast and the Dark Kingdom scrambles to retrieve the Silver Crystal in order to awaken the evil Metallia. This collection of episodes varies in quality, particularly because it is bookended by important multi-part narratives that push the first season to its finale. There are four episodes where the Dark Kingdom attempt to draw out the Moon Princess, while another four seem to be given randomly generated filler plotlines that do nothing to move the story forward. This makes the final three episodes all the more jarring. Even still, these last three episodes are among the best that the series has to offer. In episode 44, Usagi and the others travel to the Moon to learn about their past. It’s beautifully animated and helps to underline what our heroines are fighting to prevent. The two-part finale, however, serves as a poignant and bittersweet conclusion to the first season. Fan-favourite animation director Ikuko Itō handles the art for episode 45. Her work is nothing short of brilliant. It’s gorgeous, dynamic, comedic and breathtaking.

While on the subject of animation, the caliber varies greatly throughout the first season. Ikuko Itō is the standard with which everyone else is compared. Her style is incredibly expressive and detailed. In addition to episode 45, she also handles the direction for the emotional episode 24 and the hilarious episode 31. Another talented animation director for the first season was Hisashi Kagawa. He was responsible for the introduction of Sailor Jupiter in episode 25 and the Silver Millennium flashback-heavy episode 44. On the other end of the spectrum, there’s Masahiro Andō. His style is far more comedic and simplified, often to the point where characters all look like caricatures and hands look like formless blobs.

For fans of Sailor Moon, Viz Media’s physical releases of the first season are bittersweet. For the first time in years, the series is readily available for purchase on the English-speaking market and allows fans to rekindle their love for the sailor suited guardian of love and justice. Furthermore, Viz did an excellent job re-dubbing the first season in English. The new cast is stellar and the script closely matches the original Japanese version. Unfortunately, these releases are lacking in other areas. The video quality could be better, particularly since diehard fans know that Japanese audiences have been given crisper home releases. The extras and packaging are also bare bones. My biggest qualm, however, is the division of the seasons into multi-part volumes and the ridiculous price tag attached to the Blu-ray releases. The DVDs are far more affordable, but the fact that fans have to pay such exorbitant amounts for an incomplete release is questionable. All 46 of the episodes from the first season should be in one volume and that volume should be the same price as what is currently on the market. Regardless, I’m just happy to be seeing the series be given a more respectful and faithful treatment than DiC and Cloverway did previously.

Review: Batman Eternal Volume 1

After cornering a criminal in the train tunnels beneath Gotham City, Commissioner Gordon appears to shoot the unarmed man. Now stripped of his rank and facing a criminal trial, Gordon is sent to Blackgate. It’s up to the Dark Knight and the newly transferred Police Lieutenant Jason Bard to prove Gordon’s innocence. Meanwhile, a turf war is brewing between Penguin and the mobster Carmine Falcone.

Batman Eternal Volume 1 collects Batman: Eternal #1-21, written by Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, Ray Fawkes, Tim Seeley and John Layman.

Batman: Eternal is an expansive series with an impressively large cast, which makes it feel like a modern update on the classic Batman Family series from the 1970s mixed with Gotham Central. It’s a title that is complex and focuses on the interwoven narratives of the most iconic Gotham City-based characters. From Spoiler to Red Hood, just about every fan-favourite Gothamite shows up and contributes a little something to the story. This is both a pro and a con. It’s great because you’re getting to see a wide range of diverse characters in one place, but is disappointing because some feel misused or fail to contribute anything substantial to the narrative. An example of this would be Catwoman. She shows up early on and is featured rather prominently in the first quarter of the story, but disappears for the rest. Something similar can be said for Spoiler. Eternal was hotly anticipated for re-introducing her to the DC Universe, but her origins are shoehorned into the book and a lot of time passes between the scenes featuring the character.

The narrative quality of Batman: Eternal is varied. There’s a lot to love, but just as much to dislike. My biggest issue was the overabundance of subplots, which also ties into the massive cast. The main plot seems to be that of Commissioner Gordon’s unjust imprisonment and the investigation to prove his innocence. This includes Batman’s alliance with Jason Bard, as well as Batgirl going rogue and being intercepted by Batwoman and Red Hood while following a lead in South America. These are the two most noteworthy and character building plots. In fact, the scenes with Batgirl and her allies are perhaps my favourite. Red Hood’s explanation of Batgirl’s motives shows tremendous depth for both characters, as do the exchanges he has with her after she turns against him. 

Then there’s Falcone and Penguin’s turf war, Red Robin’s trip to Japan, the origins of fan-favourite Spoiler, Alfred tending to his injured daughter Julia, and Batwing’s team-up with Jim Corrigan to investigate the underground. Some of these subplots are better than others, but for the most part they all feel unnecessary. While it’s evident that each one is hinting at something bigger to come, there’s zero pay off due to a lackluster cliffhanger. If you don’t give your readers some sense of closure or direction after having them read 21 issues of a series, then why should they keep reading?

Batman: Eternal is at its core a companion series to Scott Snyder’s run on Batman. There are many moments of brilliance, but these are often dimmed by a meandering narrative that goes nowhere for over 20 issues. Overall, the quality of the dialogue is above average and the potpourri of art styles functions quite well for this type of vignette-style storytelling. This book is a mixed bag. For fans of Stephanie Brown, it serves as her much awaited return to comics. Sadly, you have to drudge through a bunch of other stories to even get to it. The same can be said for just about every character or plot. I really want to like Batman: Eternal because it features a lot of characters I love and many of the storylines have potential. Unfortunately, the execution is messy and by the end of the first volume I had to wrack my brain to even remember every subplot. If you’re intending to pick this one up, be ready to take notes so you can keep track of everything.

RATING: C+

Review: Captain Marvel Vol 2 - Stay Fly

Having discovered that her cat Chewie is the last of an alien race, Captain Marvel must fight to protect her pet from certain annihilation at the hands of intergalactic mercenaries. Then, Lila Cheney drops in for some help wiggling out of a nuptial arrangement she made with the royal family of Aladna.

Captain Marvel Volume 2: Stay Fly collects issues 7-12 of Captain Marvel, written by Kelly Sue DeConnick and illustrated by Marcio Takara and David Lopez.

Picking up immediately after the events of the preceding volume, Stay Fly sees Captain Marvel begrudgingly accepting Tic as her partner as they fend off mercenaries hellbent on killing Chewie. Fan-favourite Rocket Raccoon guest stars in this arc, which ultimately means that DeConnick gets to write plenty of humorous dialogue. There’s this funny buddy cop vibe between our titular heroine and Rocket, which is created through a slightly antagonistic dynamic in their interactions with one another. The narrative itself is kind of strange. It’s a very random storyline that’s clearly intended to be lighthearted, but it reads and feels like filler.

DeConnick rushes through the proceeding issues, never allowing the characters to really breathe or the narrative to unfold organically. We have intergalactic rockstar (and Chris Claremont pet project) Lila Cheney teleporting onto Carol’s ship and asking for some help getting out of a sticky situation. After some uncharacteristic fangirling over Lila, we get some exposition and then our heroine is off to Aladna to find a way to free Lila from a nuptial agreement made with the Prince of Aladna. There are some really cool things about this arc – particularly the way in which everyone on Aladna speaks in rhymes and the reversal of gender norms. However, DeConnick spends all of one measly issue on this story. It’s unfortunate because the people Captain Marvel encounters here are pretty interesting and it would have been fun to get to see the events unfold a little more elaborately.

Stay Fly concludes with a two-part story wherein the villainous Grace Valentine escapes from jail and unleashes mind controlled rats on New York City in the hopes of getting Captain Marvel’s attention. Once more, we have DeConnick jamming what could easily be a four or five issue arc into two. She does the most with this limited space, particularly showcasing the really fabulous supporting cast she’s built around our titular heroine. Issue #10 did a spectacular job of highlighting the individual personalities of Spider-Woman and of Iron Patriot, which was done through an epistolary format. Sadly, the hasty pacing of issue #11 makes for a disappointing read. The final confrontation with Grace and her partner Toxie Doxie happens without proper build-up, which offers no suspense or tension. The silver lining though was in the little moments that reflected upon Carol and her relationship with Tracy Burke.

While DeConnick’s writing is inconsistent throughout and way too rushed, the art is on point. In fact, it may be this collection’s saving grace. Lopez’s art continues to improve, showing more dynamism and character with each successive issue. The work done by Takara is hands-down the highlight though. It’s absolutely stunning. It’s colourful, vibrant and full of life. I’ve been a fan of Marcio Takara for years on DeviantArt and so I’m naturally very happy to see him drawing these characters here.

Stay Fly is best described as filler. Nothing terribly important happens and it all feels very uninspired, which is largely due to none of the stories ever being given the room to grow beyond a couple of issues. I’ve been a fan of DeConnick’s take on Captain Marvel, as I think she’s a skilled dialogue writer and knows how to inject a lot of personality into the characters she writes. Sadly, I’ve been more ambivalent towards her Captain Marvel work post-The Enemy Within. It lacks the same gravitas that I’d gotten used to, so her work feels more like an Archie comic with superpowers. That’s not to say Stay Fly isn’t a fun ride, because it totally is. It’s punchy, colourful and funny, with moments of genuine emotion. But if you're looking for groundbreaking, epic adventures, you may want to look elsewhere.

RATING: B-

Review: Secret Six Volume 2 - Money For Murder

When the Secret Six are tasked with breaking out a prisoner from Alcatraz, they soon discover that a hefty bounty has been placed on their heads. The card they are to retrieve from the prisoner is coveted by every criminal in the underworld and one psychopath in particular is willing to do whatever it takes to get it. Then, the Six must decide whether to side with or against slavers who have legally imprisoned Amazons.

Secret Six Volume 2: Money for Murder collects Secret Six #1-14, written by Gail Simone and illustrated by Nicola Scott.

This volume picks up after the events of Birds of Prey #109. Scandal Savage’s girlfriend Knockout has been murdered, leaving her in mourning and the Six another member short. Hoping to snap Scandal out of her haze, the Six hastily recruit former Batman villain Bane into their ranks and accept a new job. For those who hadn’t followed Simone’s Secret Six’s adventures from the preceding mini-series or even from the pages of Birds of Prey, the first couple of issues in this collection are bound to be a bit jarring. There isn’t a lot of exposition, so readers must adjust to a series that feels almost as if it is in medias res. Thankfully, the characters are so vividly written and drawn that it’s quite easy to not only adjust to them but care about them within a rather short period of time.

Money for Murder collects two story arcs bridged by a single issue tying into the “Battle of the Cowl” storyline. The first arc deals with the Six breaking the vigilante Tarantula out of jail in order to retrieve a special card, which draws the attention of a third party interested in said card. The second sees the Six venturing to an island where a white-clad James Bond-esque villain has imprisoned and enslaved people to build his version of Utopia. Both storylines are funny, dramatic, action-packed and totally twisted all at the same time. There’s this perfect balance between humour and bloody violence that gives this book a dark yet quirky edge. There’s also a heart to it, which is largely due to the incredible character work that writer Simone and artist Scott contribute to this title.

The Secret Six are among some of the most flawed characters from the Pre-Flashpoint DC Universe. They’re horrible people who make bad decisions. Yet, they seem to find themselves doing the right thing more often than not. This makes for some riveting reading. Ragdoll continues to be the comedic relief, providing some of the most offbeat and darkly humourous dialogue throughout. It’s not hard to see why he became a favourite amongst readers. Similarly, Deadshot’s devil may care attitude and greedy tendencies often lead to moments of humour. On the other end of the spectrum, we have the more serious Bane and Scandal Savage. Simone smartly allows Scandal to mourn the death of her lover in a way that is gut-wrenching and wholly organic. To this end, we see Bane becoming a surrogate father for Scandal and it is through his affection for her that we see her begin to heal. This helps to make Bane one of the most remarkably layered and interesting characters in this collection, especially with the added dimension of his recovery from his venom addiction.

Of the Six, my favourite characters remain Catman and the then-new addition Jeannette. While there isn’t a lot of development for Catman in this particular collection, he has a presence on the page that is strangely charismatic and magnetic. This is no doubt helped by Nicola Scott’s incredible artwork (more on that later!). Jeannette is a Banshee who dresses vaguely as a vampiric Marie Antoinette. The mysteriousness of her past and her relationships with the other characters make her quite compelling as a character.

Nicola Scott’s art in Money for Murder is perfection. There’s absolutely nothing I have to complain about or criticize. It’s dynamic, colourful and expressive. Each character looks unique and distinctive, which is something not many comic book artists are able to achieve. Her Wonder Woman, who shows up in the second arc, is nothing less than stunning. She gives Wonder Woman a presence on the page that befits a character like her. Naturally the women are all gorgeous, but it is the men that hog the entire spotlight due to Scott’s glorious beefcake panels. Comics have long been denounced for its objectification of women, so it’s nice to see Scott (and Simone) subverting that by providing some good ol’ beefcake for gals and gays to ogle. No one draws a shirtless, muscular, hairy guy quite like Nicola Scott, that’s for sure. Once we put our tongues back in our mouths and eyes back in our sockets, it’s also quite easy to notice that the characters look just as great when they’re fully clothed too. I have a lot of respect for Scott as a penciller because she puts a lot of effort into drawing the clothing the characters wear. Not only does she match what they wear to their personality, but she ensures that readers can see the detail and construction on everything. Bodysuits have seams, boots have soles, and metals actually look three-dimensional. While I may have been introduced to Scott’s artwork through Birds of Prey, it was her art in Secret Six that made me a fan.

For fans of the antihero archetype, you’ll find no cooler or more captivating antiheroes than the Secret Six. Simone and Scott work synergistically in this collection to deliver some impossibly action-packed and darkly humorous stories. It’s slick, it’s stylish and it’s incredibly fun to read. This is a must-read for any comic book fan (particularly if you’re part of the LGBTQ community – Secret Six was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award in 2010 and 2012).

RATING: A