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