Review: Secret Six Volume 1 - Villains United

When Earth’s villains band together to form a coalition against superheroes, six rebels are recruited by the mysterious Mockingbird to bring down this Secret Society. With their families and everything they care about on the line, this ragtag group of anti-heroes will do whatever it takes to get the job done. One thing is clear though – all six won’t be making it to the finish line.

Secret Six Volume 1: Villains United collects Villains United #1-6, Villains United: Infinite Crisis Special #1 and the Secret Six mini-series, written by Gail Simone and with art by Dale Eaglesham and Bradley Walker.

When I’d reviewed the Villains United mini-series back in 2013, I found it to be an enjoyable read that excelled at character interaction and development. The cast was spectacular, despite being comprised with D-listers and new creations. Writer Gail Simone’s reinvention of Catman was nothing short of brilliant and her portrayal of Cheshire was consistently conniving throughout. Additionally, the art was quite beautiful as well and can be appreciated for some of its drool-worthy beefcake moments. After another read, my opinions still stand regarding this mini.

On top of Villains United, this trade notably collects the mini-series that preceded Gail Simone’s critically-acclaimed ongoing series Secret Six. In this six-part story, Catman and his allies are left dealing with the fallout of their crusade against the Secret Society. The devious Doctor Psycho continues to plot Catman’s downfall, Ragdoll mourns the loss of his friend Parademon in unusual ways, and Scandal must deal with her tyrannical father inching his way back into her life. This mini is a far more engaging read that focuses more on its characters than Villains United, which is helped largely due to its smaller cast of characters and the elaboration on the relationships between the main “protagonists.”

The cast itself is distinct and loveable in every conceivable way. Each character comes across as fully-formed and fills a role needed within the group. Scandal is the stoic leader, Deadshot is the chain-smoking merc, Ragdoll is the quirky lunatic, Knockout is the aggressive tank and Catman, of all people, is the steadfast backbone of the Six. The dark humour Simone employs with Ragdoll is notable and makes him one of the standouts. Similarly, the mix of Knockout’s tenderness towards Scandal and her love of carnage elevates her above the others in terms of memorability.

If there is one chink in the armour of the Secret Six mini-series, it is that Simone walks on familiar territory with Scandal Savage’s character. The narrative of her father seeking an heir and manipulating his daughter in order to find her a mate feels like a rehash of the relationship dynamic between Ra’s al Ghul and his daughter Talia. For this reason, the series feels like it’s meant to be a story about Talia without ever actually including her (beyond a rear shot in one panel). While Simone acknowledged Scandal and Talia’s similarities when they faced off during Villains United, she does very little to actually define Scandal past being “the lesbian Talia.” Her personality, physical appearance, heritage and overall skillset are simply far too analogous. Sadly, her relationship with Knockout seems to be the one defining trait that seems to separate them. (Don’t get me wrong, I love the relationship, but characters can’t and should not be defined by their significant others – gay or straight)

Secret Six Volume 1: Villains United is a delicious sampling of the stories that ultimately led to the ongoing series that followed the adventures of Gail Simone’s fan-favourite Secret Six. While much of this collection functions as a tie-in to the events surrounding the event series Infinite Crisis, it stands on its own as an example of fantastic storytelling and impeccable character work. As always, Simone mixes dramatic action with clever humour. While there are areas that could have been improved upon, it’s a satisfying read from start to finish.

RATING: B

Review: Harley Quinn Volume 1 - Hot in the City

Having inherited a building on Coney Island from a fellow Arkham Asylum inmate, Harley Quinn and her pet beaver soon discover that life isn’t so easy out in the real world. With taxes and bills to pay, Harley attempts to stay on the straight and narrow by taking on two jobs to keep herself afloat. All appears to be going well for her until assassins start showing up at her doorstep after a pricy hit is placed on her red and blue head. With the help of her girlfriend Poison Ivy and her new tenants, Harley hopes to uncover the identity of her anonymous foe.

Harley Quinn Volume 1: Hot in the City collects Harley Quinn #0-8, written by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti with art by Chad Hardin and Stephane Roux.

Harley Quinn is one of the funniest, quirkiest, cutest and most creative books to come out in a long time. Its goofy tone and its overall absurdity makes it an incredibly fun read. After seeing a darker and more earnest take on the character in Suicide Squad, Conner and Palmiotti take the character back to her roots by injected some much-needed tongue-in-cheek humour into Harley’s life. They take a similar approach as they had done alongside writer Justin Gray when they launched the beloved Power Girl book way back in 2009. Both titular heroines took a stab at leading a normal life, nabbing a 9-to-5 job, only to find that no hero (or villain in this case) can ever escape their past. Where Power Girl explored a brighter side of the DC Universe with its comedy, Harley Quinn takes a decidedly zanier and more macabre approach to its humour. And it works – extremely well.

Part of what makes Harley Quinn such an enjoyable read is that its creative team understands the lead character and her audience. Absolutely nothing is ever taken seriously and the narrative is consistently pushed to as silly a place as it can be without seeming too ridiculous. From Harley’s “talking” pet stuffed beaver to the heavy-handed homoerotic innuendo between Harley and Ivy, the humour that Conner and Palmiotti exert is nothing short of brilliant. It’s clever and witty, but also immature when it needs to be. Just like Harley. This is further amplified by the beautifully animated art by Hardin and Roux. Hardin, who pencils the majority of the issues collected here, plays up the often outlandish situations Harley finds herself in (and the outrageous things she does) by utilizing over-the-top expressions and compositions. Of course, it certainly helps that the colours are so punchy and the characters themselves look so gorgeous.

Harley gets up to a lot of hijinks in these eight initial issues. In one story, she and Ivy team up to rescue shelter animals before they can be euthanized. In another, she kidnaps a suburban family with the purpose of lecturing them on never going to see their (grand)mother in the retirement facility she’s working in. Harley naturally goes to extremes to accomplish her goals, but what is so fascinating is that there’s nobility in a lot of what she does. She’s a highly reactionary individual, but is typically set off by an injustice of some kind. We see that there’s a heart beneath her wacky exterior. She cares for the people in her life and she has a sincere love for animals. This adds layering to a character who is alternately depicted as eye candy or comic relief.

Some of the best moments in this collection occur when Harley and Ivy are teamed up together. Conner and Palmiotti nail the dynamic between them, with the chemistry and dialogue being consistently on point. The affection both characters have for one another is touching and the mutual understanding of who they are gives them a bond that is incomparable in the realm of comic book villainy. The lesbian jokes are plenty, but are done playfully and only serve to emphasize the surprisingly healthy relationship that exists between these two strong females. My only issue is that Ivy isn’t in every issue!

For anyone who grew up watching Batman: The Animated Series, Harley Quinn is the book for you. It matches the tone of the character as she was originally conceived, but is adjusted to reflect the age the series’ original audience is today. It’s fresh, modern and thoroughly amusing. The art is consistently stunning and is incredibly expressive, which matches the extremely high quality of the writing by Conner and Palmiotti. This collection really illustrates why it’s no surprise as to why Harley Quinn has been such a hit for DC Comics thus far. 

Rating: A

Review: X-Men Volume 4 - Exogenous

When the villainous Deathbird appears unconscious outside the satellite headquarters of S.W.O.R.D., Special Agent Abigail Brand calls on the X-Men to investigate the incident. After telepathic and medical examinations, they discover a mysterious symbol in the recesses of her mind and a growing child in her womb. Meanwhile, Rachel must cope with new revelations regarding those who were responsible for the massacre of her family several years back.

X-Men Volume 4: Exogenous collects X-Men #18-21, written by Marc Guggenheim with art by Harvey Tolibao and Dexter Soy.

After a shaky start, X-Men hits its stride under Guggenheim’s direction. The Arrow writer smartly pulls the team away from its Earth setting, strips away much of its larger cast and relies far less on recent events to propel his story forward. One of the issues that plagued Brian Wood’s tenure on X-Men was its inaccessibility due to its reliance on past storylines. While it could be argued that Guggenheim does the same, here he’s illustrating his depth of knowledge of these characters and their lives. For instance, much of the emotional core of Exogenous is built around the gut-wrenching massacre of the Grey family which occurred in Uncanny X-Men #466-468. He provides further references to past events involving Deathbird and Cyclops’ brother Vulcan. Guggenheim effectively builds on the past and does so in a way that really pays tribute to the X-Men’s vast history.

The narrative itself is great. It’s a straightforward mystery in space that snowballs into the reveal of a rather creepy villainous organization. While the plot itself may be simple, the stakes are high nonetheless. Whether considered spoilers or not, at one point two X-Men are near death and Rachel must decide the fate of the individual responsible for her family’s murder.

The area where Guggenheim excels most is with dialogue and character development. For the most part, each of the characters feel distinct. Monet in particular stands out due to her sass and attitude, which contrasts against her more dour teammates. Guggenheim also plays with the rivalry that existed between Jubilee and Monet way back when both were part of Generation X, which is a nice nod to fans of that book. Similarly, Abigail Brand’s dialogue is punchy and Storm is as fierce as ever. The biggest surprise, however, may be in just how badass Cecilia Reyes was. As arguably one of the most obscure X-Men, Guggenheim utilizes her flawlessly here and depicts her as a relentlessly heroic doctor who will do whatever it takes to ensure the survival of her patience. The usage of her powers in this storyline is creative and shows off how criminally underrated she is, with some action panels highlighting how powerful she truly is. Above all else, Guggenheim is to be praised for his work on Rachel Grey. As the most irritating character of the past three storylines, we see a much more different side to her. She’s smart, assertive and is shown to be the powerhouse that she truly is. More importantly, we see a more emotional side to her. Her mourning for the family she never got to know is both tragic and poignant, helping to define her past being a stand-in for Jean Grey. Also, major props for using Deathbird.

It’s truly a shame that Guggenheim only got to spend four issues writing the lovely ladies of the X-Men. He has a firmer grasp on the characters than his predecessor did and provided the kind of story that these women deserved right out of the gate. Exogenous has everything a good X-Men story needs – drama, clever dialogue (most of it delivered by Monet), intense action, a sense of family between the X-Men, and an emotional center that keeps the reader invested. While the art is inconsistent, especially since art chores are shared by Tolibao and Soy, but the writing more than makes up for it. It’s debatable, but Exogenous is possibly one of the most enjoyable X-Men trades that has been released during the Marvel NOW! era.

Rating: B+