Thursday, February 3, 2011

The Secret Six , just another brick in The Wall


I picked up after work last Monday this trade paper back of the collected works of Secret Six #15 (Deadshot Origin issue), Secret Six #16, Suicide Squad #67 (Blackest Night), Secret Six #17 and Secret Six #18. I had already Secret Six #15 and Suicide Squad #67. But at the time I didn't know shit about the Secret Six and I was even more confused what Blackest Night was about then I am know so after having read that Squad issue I was like WTF? Oh well whatever.
But now that I've got the whole package I feel like sharing the story for all you kiddies out there. So basically at this time the Secret Six is a mercenary team that has a mysterious handler who only is known as Mockingbird. The Six's latest job is to bust out some high value drug lord from Belle Reeve prison. When they get there they're ambushed by The Suicide Squad who's primary objective is to capture Deadshot. Needless to say the two teams have a rumble and to make things more interesting a bunch of Black Lantern rings reanimate all these corpses in Belle Reeve's morgue consisting of fallen Squad members and enemies alike who start going after everybody with a pulse. At this point it is important to let you know that there is a back story with Waller somewhere in the recent past having sent Deadshot to the prison planet (Operation Salvation Run) and then having brought on another assassin /sharp shooter that just wasn't cutting it on the Squad. Using Green Lantern energy by exploding a salvaged Manhunter android along with some "light grenades" Waller manages to destroy the Black Lantern zombies. The two teams who had just had a temporary alliance due to the zombies threat now where poised to square off against each other again. They manage to avoid resuming hostilities but when Waller attempts to coerce Deadshot into rejoining the Squad he "declines" in favor of staying with The Six.
Shocking as this conclusion is we later find out that Waller is not dead but now has a bullet near her heart that can't be removed thanks to Deadshot's deadly precision. However, the surprises don't stop there as we find out that Mockingbird unknown to The Six is actually Waller herself. The "prison break" job was of course just a ruse to lure Deadshot to Belle Reeve and it would seem that Deadshot (as well as the rest of The Secret Six) in effect are already working for Waller again with out knowing it. Presumably Waller never the less would have preferred Deadshot to be working for her directly as a member of Task Force X again. Even with a bullet next to heart Amanda Waller shows us why she always has the upper hand on any situation or person she has ever dealt with. She's just too damn clever and shrewd for most anyone to out fox. I bet even Dick Chaney wouldn't fuck with her! All and all a pretty tight and entertaining story put together by Gail Simone and John Ostrander.

5 comments:

  1. Gosh I love that woman. But she scares me. She's like Batman without the cape.

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  2. Secret Six is awesome - the showdown between Catman and Bronze Tiger was wicked!

    Nice review Mr.

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  3. well that's why for the next presidential election i've pretty much made my mind up i'm going to be writing in Amanda Waller on the ballet.

    thanks Dan, i realize the review was probably not as detailed as it could have been but i like to keep my postings to a certain length. yeah that was a good fight that also had some some snappy banter. i gotta hand it to Catman for having some real stones to go toe to toe with Bronze Tiger. although i think maybe a new look for his costume might not be a bad move.

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  4. Amanda Waller in power would take the world by it's b@%##.
    I'm not sure if it would be a good or a bad thing, but i can't avoid admiring her.

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  5. I really enjoyed this story. I thought it was a particularly good demonstration of the depth of character within Deadshot and Waller. Simone is one of the few people that I think could write the Squad other than Ostrander. Great stuff.

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