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
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