"The Jagged End of the Chainsaw:" Originally formed as a villain team to counter the Secret Society of Supervillains during the Infinite Crisis, the Six's lineup has been ever-changing as members quit, are kicked off, and more often than not, killed. Currently, the team serve as guns-for-hire, and feature founding members Catman, Ragdoll, Scandal Savage, and Deadshot, as well as Bane, Jennette (a banshee), and interim member, King Shark.
Summary: Freshly returned from their trip into Hell, the Six, sans Ragdoll and King Shark have cornered the psychopath who is torturing Scandal's girlfriend for being unclean. After the revelation they found in Hell: They all are destined to end up in Hell when they die, much of the issue focuses on what is wrong, right, and what it means to be a "good" person. Challenging the psychopath that if he can get by them, he can go free. One by one, each member stops him, biting off his fingers, breaking his arm, shooting him in the knee, and stabbing him in the shoulder. Now unable to move much, Catman hands a knife over to Scandal's girlfriend and tells her that its her kill to make. She refuses to kill him and asks that Scandal promise not to kill him, just to leave him to the police. Scandal accepts and the girl is taken away by Jennette, quickly passing out. After seeing the girl fall out, Scandal shoves her hand blades through the man's head, killing him. She then cries into the arms of Bane and they all head to their home in the House of Secrets. Once there, Scandal approaches Ragdoll about his actions in Hell (He used Scandal's secret Get-Out-of-Hell-Free card to go get his friend Parademon from Hell, and betrayed the team by trying to kill them), and says she forgives him and that the Six are as close to friends and family as a group can be. Bane is then shown on a date at a carnival with a girl from a few issues back, where we see more of how the hardened Bane has trouble with everyday "fun" activities. The two ride a ferris wheel and Bane explains how he became the way that he is, and the girl discusses how she became a stripper. He is amazed at her hard life, and yet she is still a kind person. After winning his date a couple pandas from a game, the carnival barker sics some goons on the two of them, Bane beats them easily, and when one runs at the girl with a knife, Bane puts his hand in the way, sending the knife straight through his palm. This goon is promptly killed, and the couple walk home together, holding hands. Cue "mating."
High Points: The issue puts a fantastic cap on the Hell storyline and gives some great depth to characters like Bane and Scandal. The art is great in a few places as well. The writing here is top notch, and I'm anxious to see where things go from here.
Low Points: The art is ONLY good in a few places. Also, it wasn't until I reread the issue for the review that I saw that the girl rescued at the beginning might be the same girl that Bane goes on a date with. The girl has a completely different hairstyle from one scene to the next, and though we are given a time transition, it just says "Later..." A scene just feels like its missing.
Verdict: A. Secret Six is arguably the best series that DC is putting out right now. This issue is not a great jump-on point for readers, but I could not suggest a series more than I can suggest Secret Six. However, it has been announced that the book will not make the September reboot cut. How did you react to the news, James?
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