Secret Six, Vol. 4: Cats in the Cradle

Secret Six (Collected Editions, vol. 3) #4

by Gail Simone, Jim Calafiore

Gail Simone's fan-favorite team of rogues and bad guys returns in an all-new collection that pits one team member against the whole group. This volume finds Thomas Blake - a.k.a. Catman - heading to Africa to find the three men who kidnapped his long lost son. Catman leaves a trail of destruction in his wake that threatens to destroy the Secret Six once and for all.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Dc Comics, Superheroes, Graphic Novels Comics, Comic Book, Fiction

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 25, 2011

About the author

Gail 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".

Reviews

[Sam Quixote · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m trying to educate myself about the Secret Six and figure out who they are and what they’re about but my library doesn’t have the whole sequence of books in order so I’m grabbing random selections as and when they appear. Cats in the Cradle seems like a good book to start with though as it’s the origin of Catman who I think is the Six’s leader.

The Six go on a mission to somewhere to rescue a girl called Alice who turns out to have superpowers. When they return to the rich guy for payment, Catman gets a call - his infant son has been kidnapped with an ultimatum: Catman must kill his teammates or sacrifice his boy.

One of the first things that struck me about this book is the team lineup which includes Deadshot, Bane and King Shark - isn’t this just Suicide Squad? I kept wondering throughout what exactly separates the two DC team books and the only difference I could see was that Suicide Squad are forced to go on missions for ARGUS to commute their jail sentences and they’re controlled by some infernal devices, and Secret Six go on missions for money. Somehow that makes the Six seem worse than the Squad and those dudes are scum!

Tonally too it’s as bleak and miserable as Suicide Squad. Infanticide, gore, domestic violence, patricide, attempted rape - yup, it’s a DC comic! And because it’s a DC team book there’s a scene where the Six fight amongst themselves for no reason and to no effect. There’s a dumb quota that’s gotta be met!

The characters themselves don’t interest me that much and are as relatively unknown as those in the Squad. Besides the Bat-villains Bane and Deadshot, and Catman who I’ll get to later, there’s Ragdoll, whose powers include contortion and wearing a mask, Jeannette, whose power is to wear revealing outfits, Black Alice, who’s a shapeshifter and at one point turns herself into Estrogan, a female version of Etrigan the Demon that doesn’t sound at all like a female hormone, Cheshire, whose bite is poison and is Catman’s lady because Cheshire… Cat? Aha...ha, and Scandal Savage, who fights real good like her pop, Vandal Savage.

Notice anything? Yup, there’s eight people on the team! And given the frequency of their mercenary missions, they don’t appear to be very secret either. So they’re not secret and they’re not six. But I guess Secret Six is catchier than the Well-Known Eight and Sometimes More (because four more characters, including King Shark, join the group later on!).

Catman’s origin is very unimaginative. Catman’s dad is a psycho game hunter who beats his wife, emotionally abuses his son, and makes him shoot a sedated lion and the cub who’s trying to nurse from his unconscious mother because Catman’s dad is a bastard. You can’t get a more one dimensional bad guy than this, Gail Simone!

As you’d expect given DC’s trademark “dark and gritty” tone throughout, things don’t end well for Catman’s folks but things end shortly after his pre-teens - we never see him grow up, change, decide to become a derivative superhero cross between Batman and Catwoman, or put on the costume. So not a great origin story at all.

The volume closes out with a couple of non-sequitur standalone issues that suck worse than the preceding four: the Six go to a tropical island to fight bored rich people because the “man is the deadliest prey” storyline isn’t played out at all, and a Western starring the Six because…

So I learned that I still don’t like the Secret Six, who’re pretty much interchangeable with the Suicide Squad, and that Catman’s origins are much less interesting than I’d expected. Cats in the Cradle is a pretty terrible book all around but there’s gotta be a reason why this series is rated so highly so maybe I just picked the wrong volume to kick off with?

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the purposes of the rating, I'm going to completely ignore the last issue in the collection. Because Cats in the Cradle, the title storyline, is actually quite good. It has everything that I've come to expect from Simone's Secret Six: great characters who are morally ambiguous on a good day, blood-soaked story, and actual emotion. Good stuff. If the collection had stopped there, it would have been great. An easy four stars.

And then there's the Wild West issue. Which is... I don't know, a Wild West themed AU? I honestly have no idea what's going on here. It's told straight from beginning to end, which is somehow more confusing than if the last panel had been one of them waking up and saying, "What a dream!" It's the last issue in the collection, so I have no idea if the next issue will explain it, if there was some kind of weird DC crossover or mini-crossover that I can't think of... Just plain weird. It isn't terribly good anyways, which makes it worse.

[Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series just gets darker and darker and I'm loving it

[Wayland Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this when it came out as solo issues, and it might be the best of the Secret Six series, which was one of my favorites. For those who think Catman is a joke (easy to do from before Gail got hold of him) this should change your mind.

Catman/Thomas Blake's son is kidnapped. What will he do to get him back? How far will he go. For those unfamiliar with the character, his big things are: world's best tracker, top tier knife fighter in the world, and has fought Batman in the past and managed to hold his own. Really think about that combination, think about him being backed by a team of crazed, violent killers who consider him one of their few friends, and ask yourself: is pissing him off a good idea?

Find out here.

[Kyra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume was almost 5 stars until the terrible filler issue tacked on to the end.

I truly love these assholes. This series really shines when these absolutely horrid people are shown caring for one another, in little ways. The dialogue is hilarious without being too cringey and I love the running jokes, especially between Deadshot and Ragdoll. But again, what really stands out is that this is a team that actually cares about each other. If the MCU had established this kind of dynamic for The Avengers, Civil War would have been a hell of a lot more emotional. And these Always Sunny in The Secret House assholes have that emotion.

[Richard Schaefer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun volume, a bloody revenge story that examines how close to the edge of darkness Catman can go without falling in completely. Not as exhilarating as the stories contained in the first Secret Six omnibus, but nonetheless a worthy continuation of a great series.

[Nate]

“Cats in the Cradle” is one of the better Secret Six stories. Cheshire is beaten up while her and Catman’s son is kidnapped, leaving Catman to track down the perpetrators. It’s an intense, violent, and mostly serious four issues that I read in one sitting. I like how Simone basically makes no apologies for the Secret Six being horrible people, even as Catman thinks he might try to do better. This type of darkly humorous writing is not for everyone but it appeals to me.

The other two issues are forgettable standalones. Ostrander writes about the Six being lured to an island for some life-and-death tournament. And Simone’s Elseworlds-style Western is an odd experiment. However, Seeing Ragdoll perform a Punch and Judy show was delightful.

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Confusingly, the first half of this volume repeats the issues from the previous volume - the Secret Six vs. Suicide Squad story that gets interrupted by the events of Darkest Night.
Most of the rest of the book is a story where Catman's son gets kidnapped. A decent story that should have been fleshed out and lasted longer.
Lastly, there are two issues that are stand-alone stories - in the first, the Secret Six are hired by someone who (secretly) wants to use them to be hunted for sport, and the final issue is an Elseworlds story that takes place in the Old West. Again, it might have been better if it had been fleshed out and had lasted more than one issue.

[Pádraic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly worth it for issue #23, a version of The Most Dangerous Game, with the Six as the prey. Which goes about as well for the hunters as you'd think. Kind of hilariously so, actually. And, in the main arc, Catman's reaction to that phone call is... damn. Well, if you (somehow) didn't know what sort of comic you were reading before, you sure know now.

[The Library Ladies · Rating 4 out of 5]

(originally reviewed at thelibraryladies.com )

As I am sure it was clear in my previous review of the series “Secret Six”, I was worried that the story was starting to become stagnant and repetitive. I knew that I still liked it enough to keep going, but I was starting to fret that things weren’t going keep my interest. But when I picked up “Cat’s in the Cradle”, I was immediately pulled back into the story, because the focus was, very clearly, going to be on Catman.

The thing about Catman is that of the entire group, he is the one who is the most morally ambiguous. He has been labeled a villain, and tries to wear that label with pride, but there is something in him that makes him tread towards goodness at times. We finally got some more insight into his past, and why he is the way he is. Spoilers: it’s absolutely heartbreaking. Along with being a story about underdogs and misfits, “Cats in the Cradle” explores the story of fathers and sons. The title alone, clearly taken from Harry Chapin’s song about a father and son relationship that is beyond broken, let’s you know what is in store. Catman finds out that his son with Cheshire has been kidnapped, and while he goes looking for the baby, he thinks about his own relationship with his father, who was abusive and violent.

I liked that Catman didn’t all of a sudden become a no fault hero in his son’s time of need. In fact, he was actually willing to sacrifice his son for his team, and then take bloody awful revenge later (perhaps it’s more fair to say he gambled with the baby’s life, as he was almost totally convinced that the kidnappers would balk). It was nice to see that in a moment where betrayal seemed inevitable, Simone made Catman find another way. I also liked seeing his past, and seeing just why it is that he’s so afraid of being a Dad, and knows that he can’t really be one because of the choices he’s made. I got very misty-eyed at the end. Okay fine, I cried.

It was also nice to see that while the team split up because of Catman’s decision (with Bane and Jeanette leaving the group), there weren’t any hard feelings between anyone. I was thinking that when the team split there would be a whole lot of drama, and yet they seem to be perfectly amicable and understanding. It was a nice choice, and not the obvious one.

And this volume marked the return of the funny and unique side stories! The first one involved the Six as prey in a ‘most dangerous game’-like situation, where a compound of wealthy men with Presidential aliases think that they can hunt the Six and live to tell about it….. I’m sure you can guess how well that goes. The other story was an alternate universe story of the Six, which took place in the Old West. It had some steamy scenes with Jeanette and Deadshot (yes please!) and some cute and fun moments with Ragdoll as a puppeteer. But then…. Well, it ended very dark. And I’m very worried that the ending is a hint as to what is to come in the last two volumes. It served as a reminder that these guys aren’t heroes, they’re villains. And villains aren’t known for winning in stories like this…

I am very pleased that the Six are going strong. I can’t wait to dig into Volume 5, “The Reptile Brain”. If they can keep up the momentum, I feel like this series is going to stick the landing. We can only hope.

[Finn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I adore Secret Six. I've been reading it since the Villains United days. Gail Simone knows how to write a team book, and she's obviously got an emotional investment in these characters. The series has always been a wild ride of humor, drama, and action. Gush, gush, gush.

I find it hard to gush about this volume, though. For one thing, it's got an overly grimdark tone that feels out of place in a Six book. There's a bit of the sublime to balance out the ugly, but it feels forced and awkward. For another, it gets away from team storytelling in favor of focusing primarily on one character. These two factors combine to make the whole book seem slightly off-kilter.

Calafiore's art still suits the book well. The fill-in issue from John Ostrander is fluffy and forgettable - a nice break after four issues' worth of DOOM. And the last story in the book is one of those love-or-hate alternate-setting things. I did not love it.

Here's hoping that Volume 5 re-establishes the balance that makes this series so fantastic.

[Cale · Rating 4 out of 5]

The main story is another difficult one - when Catman's son with Cheshire is kidnapped and threatened, he turns up his intensity, striking out on his own to deal vengeance, whether his child is dead or not. He goes darker than ever before, a fact that worries his team mates as they follow behind.
There are two backup one-shots - the first is a retelling of 'The Most Dangerous Game' with the Secret Six as the game. It goes about as well for the hunters as can be expected, and plays the convection for a lot of dark laughs.
The final story is basically an Elseworlds tale of the Secret Six in the Wild West. Because it's an Elseworlds story, they can do whatever they want, and do. It's not the strongest story, although the ending is bittersweet.

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The shorts that were added to pad out this volume's page count were only average otherwise it would received a high review. The four part Cat in the Cradle story following Thomas Blake, aka Catman is quite good. Blake remains the best developed of the series' characters, but that doesn't mean writer Gail Simone is ignoring the remainder of the cast. Cat is a Blake centric story that includes flashbacks to his childhood, and we see how physically and emotionally violent Blake can get when his infant son is kidnapped.

[***Dave Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gail Simone and John Ostrander here both do amazing jobs taking villains (mostly less-famous, obscure, even laughed-at ones) and making them both menacing and sympathetic, with dialog that sparkles and storyline that both tug at the drama and chill the blood. This installment focuses on Catman, who went under Simone's writing from a joke character in the DCU to a figure of nobility and savagery. But all the players here are done extremely well, abetted on art by J Calafiore and RB Silva. I could read this series all day, except its New 52-inspired demise makes me sad.

[ElphaReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Secret Six are back on track and I couldn't be happier!!! I love that this volume focused so much on Catman, one of the most interesting characters on the team. We got to see his dark history, which shed some light as to why he is the way he is. I also was relieved that while the team has split, they did so fairly amicably. I also loved the two side stories, which were very funny. Though the last one ended on a very sad note, and I'm worried that it's foreshadowing for how this is all going to end....

[Miranda Bahr · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll just pretend volume 3 didn't exist and go on with that thought in mind.
Cats in the Cadle was a good one, funny and I feel like I know the characters more deeply after reading vl. 4, as well as the connexion between them.

But, still, I'll repeat what I said in the previous review: "I really like Bane and Scandal Savage's friendship, but I think sometimes it's TOO exaggerated and tiring. I mean, I know Bane wants to protect Scandal, but it gets really annoying when he bosses her in a fatherly tone"

[Jace · Rating 2 out of 5]

I still love the Secret Six, but in my opinion this was the weakest collection so far. The characters and dialog are still interesting--that's Gail Simone's strength in this title--but the plot wasn't very engaging. Also, it didn't seem to mesh well with Catman's background, at least as we've seen him before. That said, it's still a decent read, especially for fans of the series. And the crazy Elseworld's-esque tale that ends the book is worth the price of admission itself.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 5 out of 5]

The “Cats in the Cradle” storyline is superb. It’s got great action and adventure, but it’s the backstory and character development for Thomas that knocks it out of the park [9/10]. Ostrander’s story is unfortunately almost entirely pointless, though he gets a better grip on the Six’s storytelling style this time [4/10]. Simone’s western that finishes things off is … weird. It’s an interesting story but like Ostrander’s, it totally kills momentum coming out of Cats in the Cradle [7/10].

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I freaking enjoyed the hell out of this book. Now, I have never read any part of the Secret Six before, so I am jumping out of the loop here. I always stayed away because I simply viewed this as DC's version of The Thunderbolts. This volume was so much fun. It is violent, visceral, and a bit of Sophie's Choice. Even though I read this out of order, can't wait to start at the beginning. As someone who often feels DC is a bit to timid, this book was quite aggressive and violent. I liked it.

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Catman has been straddling the hero/villain line for awhile since leading the Secret Six. Yet when their latest client kidnaps Catman's infant son, the inner lion is unleashed; the Six must now stretch in two directions.One faction of classic faces chases down Catman, while Bane and Jeanette recruit a few unreputible characters to continue the mercenary business.

[Kaleigh Norkum-Mathieu · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a little depressing but I loved it. My only experience with the Secret Six is the newest comics out now so it is nice to read something from the pre-New 52 era. I really enjoyed Ragdoll as a character and getting to see a side of Bane I wasn't familiar with. Catman is pretty much always intense no matter what I read with him in it.

[Sonic · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had a lot of the same magic that was in the first 3 volumes, but it also lacked focus, and also included some weaker material.
(Ostrander does a fairly serviceable job filling in for Simone, but it is just not the same.)
The last story, from an alternaverse? was awesome!

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cat man goes on the rampage, a dark story that shows who he could be. There's some nice team dynamics going on, especially with ragdoll and black Alice. Its well written and will change the way you view cat man. A good read.

[Pogue · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first of the Secret Six that I have read, and I will be picking up the others. I want to know more about the characters, what happens, and how they became who the are. I like the idea of the anti-hero, the story from the point of view of the bad guys.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this this volume you see why you dont fuck with catman anymore. I think that in general this shows how the series just keeps going better and better. Its a interesting book worth a read for anyone that wants a good time.

[Marcus Ferrell · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book that really feels like just an in-between chapter, even in the four-part arc. It's good, but isn't as rich as other volumes.

[Brian Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

**star only review**

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

The four Catman issues are really the draw here. The other 2 stories are just minor fluff that really doesn't add much to the volume.

[Lynda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not the best of the series.

[Ari]

I don't know why but I've been looking forward to this volume for quite a bit.