Okay for anyone readi
ng Secret Six regularly and seeing that title you’re going to be laughing. For those that haven’t read it and at least know the reputation are going to be wondering what I mean with that title. Secret Six #34 follows up the storyline in which the Secret Six are coming back from their trip into Hell. They saved Scandal Savage’s dead girlfriend Knockout from Hell only to find out the situation her current girlfriend is in on Earth. What starts out from them leaving hell and dealing with this situation with Scandal’s girlfriend turns into something along the lines of an issue that has everything. It’s sweet, action packed, and absolutely heartbreaking.
Gail Simone is one of those writers for me that when she’s on her A-game she is on it and there is no turning back. This issue was her at her best. The way the first pages are handled with the Six outside of a certain man’s house and that moment when they’re all gathered right in front of him is handled perfectly by J. Calafiore. There’s one moment with Jeannette in the issue when she tells a poem that’s a striking contrast to the scene that’s happening with the other members of the Six. Just a beautiful piece of storytelling in the sweetness of the lullaby in contrast to the brutality that’s going on with the other members of the Six.
After they get back to their headquarters Scandal sets up the wonderful sequence of Bane going out on a date. In a weird way this issue places people in situations that are a different for the team. From Catman actually being in a good mood to Ragdoll suffering from the effects of the last storyline. Every character of the Six gets a moment to shine in this issue. For I have to mention the King Shark moments are priceless.
The date with Bane is probably the most amazing thing of the issue. It shows how far Bane has come along in this series as a character. For I never was really that much into Bane until the Secret Six. Gail Simone got me to absolutely love Bane and this date has taken the character full circle. This issue also sports the best artwork to date from J. Calafiore. This issue is probably my favorite of the series. I’m going to be curious what the next issues hold after this one.
The interesting thing about this issue is it feels like that things could be wrapping up potentially for the Secret Six. For in the midst of the announcement of the DC Relaunch no one really knows what’s going to happen to any of the books at this point. I don’t know for sure but this issue makes me hope that it will be around when the Relaunch hits. If not and these issues are the last ones for now then I can live with that. This series is one of the best ones DC has and Gail Simone with J. Calafiore deliver with this issue.
