Smiley Spot: Secret Six and Suicide Squad

Secret Six to Suicide Squad

Like many comic fans, when I heard about the New 52 from DC comics I was intrigued by the bold nature of the change, save for one cancelation. Gail Simone’s Secret Six was ending, taking with it the most pure and entertaining comic book being produced. Those unfortunate enough to have missed the title, Secret Six was a book featuring a group of super villains that were trying to live their lives, do their mission and appreciate one another. Simone brought an amazingly dark sense of humor to the book, making these villains despicable and lovable at the same time, so the reader never knew when to laugh or be appalled. A book with no real stars; save perhaps for Bane (soon to be featured in The Dark Knight Rises) it captured the imaginations of comic fans and became an instant cult classic. The book went for 34 issues and each were a pleasure to read.

When Simone graciously stepped down from the title, in a written response that was both heartwarming and supportive of the change, few thought that any book in the new 52 would fill the niche Secret Six left behind. News came of Suicide Squad, a book that has a group of villains as coerced government operatives and few and far between were excited about the announcement. On the cover featured Deadshot, one of the lead members of Secret Six, with Six alumni’s King Shark as a mutated Hammer Head Shark, and a rather skimpy Harley Quinn dead center on the cover. With many Secret Six fans, the book did not grab me. I had my moment with these characters and I felt that I could not replicate the experience. Still, for whatever reason I picked up Adam Glass’s Suicide Squad #1, and I was blown away by what I read.

The past four issues have only gotten better. Each is a stand-alone mission with the Squad members at odds with each other and the body count rising. There is always a twist and a shocking moment that is genuinely surprising in an age where spoilers can take the excitement out of the best mysteries. But the true litmus test for the book was how close Adam Glass would depart from his depiction of Deadshot, the coldest yet most charming hit man in the DC Universe. In the first issue, as he is being tortured with a gun to his back, Deadshot states, “You gotta aim it higher”, in the same tone Simone gave him back in the Six. It is an incredibly well done book that was good enough to honor what came before it, and is taking the best elements of these characters to tell a more compelling narrative moving forward.

With the next story arch featuring Harley Quinn going AWOL, I encourage this book for anyone who likes smart action stories where the heroes are villains. To any fan of Secret Six, its not the exact same flavor, but its nice to feel the familiar task where you laugh and scream on the same page.

Dov Smiley