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Secret Six (Collected Editions, vol. 3) #5
Secret Six, Vol. 5: The Reptile Brain
The Secret Six begin a bloody trail of vengeance in order to save Catman's kidnapped son. Catman's past crawls back to haunt him when three men kidnap his long-lost son. His Secret Six teammates come to his aid and together they chase the kidnappers to Africa, leaving a bloody trail of vengeance behind them. Will they be too late to save the only person Catman cares about?
Collects Secret Six vol. 3, #25-29, and Action Comics #896.
Collects Secret Six vol. 3, #25-29, and Action Comics #896.
144 pages, Paperback
First published May 10, 2011
About the author
Gail Simone
1,119 books1,253 followersGail Simone is a comic book writer well-known for her work on Birds of Prey (DC), Wonder Woman (DC), and Deadpool (Marvel), among others, and has also written humorous and critical commentary on comics and the comics industry such as the original "Women in Refrigerators" website and a regular column called "You'll All Be Sorry".
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
June 17, 2014
There's basically two storylines here. The first, which gives this collection its title, is set in Skartarsis. Basically DC's version of the Savage Land. Or, to be slightly more fair, DC's version of The Lost World. So you have dinosaurs and primitive tribes with great hair (by comic book standards) in wildly unsupportive clothing. And rather silly setting aside, it's actually a pretty decent story. Who'd have thought? The second story trades on the tension between Scandal Savage and her father, the apparently immortal and (judging from this story, at least) unstable Vandal Savage. This story was really missing some of the action and team interaction that makes a good Secret Six story, which is a shame.
Oddly, DC editorial chose to use the single worst cover from this run of issues for the cover of the trade. It's hideously ugly, and so poorly designed that I doubt most readers would realize without being told that the team is fighting Vandal Savage on the cover. It would be a bad enough cover if DC didn't, for some reason, pass over a cover image of Bane riding a dinosaur to use it. Why would you do that?
Oddly, DC editorial chose to use the single worst cover from this run of issues for the cover of the trade. It's hideously ugly, and so poorly designed that I doubt most readers would realize without being told that the team is fighting Vandal Savage on the cover. It would be a bad enough cover if DC didn't, for some reason, pass over a cover image of Bane riding a dinosaur to use it. Why would you do that?
March 17, 2021
I am once again asking superhero teams to have even half of the love for each other that this team of murderous idiots have.
April 22, 2018
One star for Bane with a battleaxe riding a dinosaur. Zero for everything else.
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April 12, 2021Secret Six has always felt like the Suicide Squad, and that’s basically what it’s turned into with the last volume and this. Amanda Waller is directly involved in their mission which is more political espionage than wacky hit job. Here, the team - along with King Shark and others - splits in two as they duke it out on Skartaris. There are some good moments here (especially with Bane) and lots of action, but the storytelling is slightly convoluted. Then we get a two-parter focusing on Scandal and her father, tangled in a plot spearheaded by Luthor. This one is too mired in Action Comics continuity to be fully satisfying.
June 23, 2016
(originally reviewed at
thelibraryladies.com
)
I hate it when teammates fight. This is one of the reasons that I was lukewarm on “Captain America: Civil War”, and had a hard time watching parts of “Batman Vs Superman”. I just want my favorite characters who are friends to remain friends and not hate each other. So when we got to this story arc of The Secret Six, I knew that I was going to a rough spot for me as a reader. Bane and Jeanette have their own team now, which would be fine if Scandal’s Six weren’t trying to kill them as ordered by Mockingbird. I knew that this was going to happen sooner or later, but that didn’t make it any less upsetting.
The pros of this story are that it gave Black Alice a lot more to do this time around outside of angsting. I also liked seeing King Shark make his Secret Six full debut, as he is so damn funny and obnoxious. It was also really neat that Simone decided to address some deeper themes in this arc, specifically that of annexation and colonialism. Black Alice has a lovely monologue about how using the people of Skartaris for their own agendas is wrong, and how they should be left to live their own lives and not ‘civilized’. It treaded towards a bit clunky in it’s execution, but it never quite got there because Black Alice is an earnest teenage girl and it works for her. Had it come from anyone else it might not have worked as well. There was also the watershed moment between Bane and Scandal, who have been at odds and butting heads for quite awhile now. They needed that moment, and I love their very loving, father-daughter relationship.
Speaking of father-daughter relationships, Vandal Savage comes back in this collection, and that was far less interesting to me. I didn’t really need a re-hash of Scandal going against her father’s wishes because she’s a lesbian. Make no mistake, I like that Simone was addressing the complications of this relationship because of who Scandal is (and why her father can’t or won’t accept it), and I really love that Scandal is uncompromising in her sexuality. Given the recent pattern in TV where lesbians have been dropping like flies, I like that in 2011 Scandal was here, being herself, standing up for herself, and not backing down or being thrown aside (though I should note that Scandal’s life isn’t totally immune to the bury your gays trope, as her lover Knockout died heroically and tragically). It just solidified what a creep Vandal is when it comes to his child, even though he does seem to deeply care for her. Complicated? Sure. Interesting? Not as much as it was the first time we addressed this wedge between them. The only benefit is that it gave Scandal more to do, and I am always for that.
We also got a great moment where Deadshot called Jeanette “Sweetie-Pie Cookie Puss”. Those two are just the best.
“The Reptile Brain” was a step down from “Cat’s in the Cradle”, but it was still a good volume. And soon I will be at the end of my “Secret Six” run, as the next volume, “The Darkest House”, is the end of the line.
I hate it when teammates fight. This is one of the reasons that I was lukewarm on “Captain America: Civil War”, and had a hard time watching parts of “Batman Vs Superman”. I just want my favorite characters who are friends to remain friends and not hate each other. So when we got to this story arc of The Secret Six, I knew that I was going to a rough spot for me as a reader. Bane and Jeanette have their own team now, which would be fine if Scandal’s Six weren’t trying to kill them as ordered by Mockingbird. I knew that this was going to happen sooner or later, but that didn’t make it any less upsetting.
The pros of this story are that it gave Black Alice a lot more to do this time around outside of angsting. I also liked seeing King Shark make his Secret Six full debut, as he is so damn funny and obnoxious. It was also really neat that Simone decided to address some deeper themes in this arc, specifically that of annexation and colonialism. Black Alice has a lovely monologue about how using the people of Skartaris for their own agendas is wrong, and how they should be left to live their own lives and not ‘civilized’. It treaded towards a bit clunky in it’s execution, but it never quite got there because Black Alice is an earnest teenage girl and it works for her. Had it come from anyone else it might not have worked as well. There was also the watershed moment between Bane and Scandal, who have been at odds and butting heads for quite awhile now. They needed that moment, and I love their very loving, father-daughter relationship.
Speaking of father-daughter relationships, Vandal Savage comes back in this collection, and that was far less interesting to me. I didn’t really need a re-hash of Scandal going against her father’s wishes because she’s a lesbian. Make no mistake, I like that Simone was addressing the complications of this relationship because of who Scandal is (and why her father can’t or won’t accept it), and I really love that Scandal is uncompromising in her sexuality. Given the recent pattern in TV where lesbians have been dropping like flies, I like that in 2011 Scandal was here, being herself, standing up for herself, and not backing down or being thrown aside (though I should note that Scandal’s life isn’t totally immune to the bury your gays trope, as her lover Knockout died heroically and tragically). It just solidified what a creep Vandal is when it comes to his child, even though he does seem to deeply care for her. Complicated? Sure. Interesting? Not as much as it was the first time we addressed this wedge between them. The only benefit is that it gave Scandal more to do, and I am always for that.
We also got a great moment where Deadshot called Jeanette “Sweetie-Pie Cookie Puss”. Those two are just the best.
“The Reptile Brain” was a step down from “Cat’s in the Cradle”, but it was still a good volume. And soon I will be at the end of my “Secret Six” run, as the next volume, “The Darkest House”, is the end of the line.
July 5, 2011
It appears publisher DC is already making the move towards their trade collections resembling short story collections. That is not necessarily a bad thing. The stronger story here is the first, and longer, one where our favorite anti-heroes are sent by opposing U.S. intelligence agencies to an alternate dimension. One group is to conquer it for the government, and the other is to stop them. Gail Simone's characterization and pacing is dead on during this tale. This story also serves as reminder as to why Amanda Waller is a superior character to Marvel's current interpretation (both movies, Ultimate and standard line) Nick Fury. Waller was always smarter, and when necessary more ruthless, than her peers in the intelligence community. While Mark MIllar and other have tried to write Fury this way they just don't pull it off as well and Simone and John Ostrander. The second tale is a standard contract job for the Six which excluding some witty patter is quite forgettable.
May 7, 2013
Secret Six is at its best when it's allowed to stand on its own. Unfortunately, this collection includes several crossovers. The main story focuses on a completely random battle between the team's factions in Skartaris. While allowing for the addition of some interesting extra characters, the fantastical setting is hardly used, other than being a stage for a random demon, all the while counterpointed with espionage games between Amanda Waller and Atom Smasher. None of which adds much to the characters.
There's also a two parter that was part of a year-long Luthor series, which at least lets the characters shine in a showdown between Luthor and Vandal Savage. It's okay, and the characters are used fairly well, but they're still being shoehorned into someone else's plot.
Simone's writing still shines through, and the characters are as darkly fun as always, but the scenario just doesn't live up the players.
There's also a two parter that was part of a year-long Luthor series, which at least lets the characters shine in a showdown between Luthor and Vandal Savage. It's okay, and the characters are used fairly well, but they're still being shoehorned into someone else's plot.
Simone's writing still shines through, and the characters are as darkly fun as always, but the scenario just doesn't live up the players.
May 3, 2016
While I was worried about the Secret Six being broken up in this edition, I'm happy to say that 1) they aren't totally horrible to each other, and 2) things get resolved one way or another pretty quickly. Catman is still reeling from losing his son, so he is kind of out of it, but everyone else is fairly put together and with it. I thought that the big war they found themselves in was kind of silly, but at the same time I'm happy that it addressed the ideas of colonialism and imperialism, of all things. Nothing really funny to be had in this collection, which was a serious shame. Seeing Scandal and Bane's relationship evolve a bit was very lovely, they are so father-daughter now that it's hard to see them on the opposite sides of disputes.
Also, lots of King Shark.
Not as strong as Volume 4, but still a good volume. Especially since we find out that Deadshot likes to call Jeanette 'Sweetie Pie Cookie Puss'. I ship them so hard.
Also, lots of King Shark.
Not as strong as Volume 4, but still a good volume. Especially since we find out that Deadshot likes to call Jeanette 'Sweetie Pie Cookie Puss'. I ship them so hard.
November 14, 2011
Again, something of a mixed bag. The 4-issue "Reptile Brain" story is pretty good, with one version of the Six facing off against another. But that's marred somewhat by the 2 issues devoted to a Lex Luthor vs. Vandal Savage storyline that comes out of nowhere and doesn't really connect with what happened before. It's kind of unfortunate, as there's a lot of promise in the Secret Six, but that promise is continually undercut by the changes in artist and the strange, non-linear approach to storytelling that is evidenced in these collections. Maybe that's why the series was canceled?
July 30, 2011
The Secret Six finds itself at war - amidst itself and in the hidden world of Skartaris. As the team works to not only uncover the reason behind the mission, they must also come to a consensus on their Six-man roster. Once done, the Six go for a little payback against Lex Luthor and Vandal Savage, in order to settle old scores.
September 30, 2012
“The Reptile Brain” itself is a great, thanks to terrific continuity in Skartaris and great characters in not one but two teams [8/10]. The Luthor crossover that follows isn’t as good, primarily because it’s so mired in Action Comics continuity as to be only semi-comprehensible. Still, unlike Ostrander, Cornell knows how to write the Secret Six right. [6.5/10].
February 23, 2013
Though I failed to see the purpose of the whole Conan thing, this book had superb character interaction. Plus, there was that whole thing with Dwarfstar and Giganta.
And I finally, finally, understand the purpose of Amanda Waller, as well as deeply love her character. I leave you with this: "Don't EVER *% with the Wall." *chills*
And I finally, finally, understand the purpose of Amanda Waller, as well as deeply love her character. I leave you with this: "Don't EVER *% with the Wall." *chills*
October 25, 2014
Two Secret Six teams clash in Skartaris, which sound zany, but who cares because the tales of these psychotics and villains are interesting regardless of the setting. Plus, y'know, grand violence. Throw in further on some Lex Luthor and Vandal Savage, it's all even better.
A truly fun (and more-than-occasionally creepy) set of tales.
A truly fun (and more-than-occasionally creepy) set of tales.
May 17, 2016
There are seven members of the Secret Six and this point and I'm not even mad. I love these characters.
The DC version of the Lost World is here. It's a fun read and there's a cover of Bane riding a dinosaur. As one other reviewer here pointed out: why in the world is that not the cover of the trade?!
Then the Six get hired by Luthor to fight Vandal Savage. Yay family issues!
The DC version of the Lost World is here. It's a fun read and there's a cover of Bane riding a dinosaur. As one other reviewer here pointed out: why in the world is that not the cover of the trade?!
Then the Six get hired by Luthor to fight Vandal Savage. Yay family issues!
July 10, 2011
I never want Gail Simone to leave this title. It would be nice to have Jim Calafiore illustrating it forever too. *sigh* A must-buy series with humor, drama, action and well-written characters. Who knew you could come to love a bunch of seriously twisted murderers?
August 18, 2012
King Shark and Ragdoll! So good that I missed the Embarcadero station and didn't realize it until Balboa Park. And if that means anything, this hadn't happened since missing Rockridge reading about Feigenbaum constants in Doom Patrol, but that reverie cast a spell only as long as Orinda.
January 25, 2016
This is a funny read where they fight in a lost world type area and i would say that some of the best lines in comics come from this series. The other part you really see in this vol is the Savage family love going on and how it affects everything.
October 16, 2014
A little confusing and not too cohesive. The two story lines feel out of the blue and one of them is apparently a crossover. This group is always entertaining though and that continues. Also I'm a fan of Scandal Savage and this book gives her a bunch of story time.
December 3, 2014
Much like the previous volume of Secret six this one is a step back from the first two. It just feels more forced. It's still better than a majority of superhero comics because it's a fun cast of characters, but it lacks the excitement of the first volumes.
June 10, 2012
Only Gail Simone can take a story as dark and depressing as this one, and still make it great to read.
January 28, 2012
Hilarious and depraved super villain fun.
March 15, 2012
I love vengeance stories. That is the main reason this collections gets 3 stars. The other stories were not as interesting.
March 12, 2013
Some short stories. The Secret Six team are divided and have to fight each other. There's some nice moments but a lot more action than normal for this series. A good read but slightly disappointing.
January 6, 2014
Bain rides a dinosaur. Giganta fights a giant lizard. Scandal Savage has daddy issues. It was hilarious.
December 31, 2014
I love Secret Six, but I wish it had been allowed to stand on its own more. So many crossovers in this one that it makes my head spin.
March 28, 2015
Terrible. How this gets such a high rating by most readers is beyond me. Cool characters but Gail Simone seems incapable of doing anything interesting with them.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews