Secret Six, Book 1: Villains United

Secret Six (Collected Editions, vol. 3) #Prequel & 0

by Gail Simone, Dale Eaglesham (Illustrations), Brad Walker (Illustrations)

Collecting the series that led into INFINITE CRISIS! Six of Justice's deadliest enemies band together to start a revolution. Together, they want to take a stand to stop the super-heroic community from tampering with their minds and to prove how deadly they can be! But not everyone agrees to this agenda. Six rogues are recruited by the enigmatic Mockingbird, charged with opposing the Society and given assignments to thwart their rivals and even help their enemies. Who is Mockingbird? Could it be one of the six?

Collects VILLIANS UNITED #1-6, SECRET SIX #1-6, VILLIANS UNITED: INFINITE CRISIS SPECIAL #1.

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

328 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

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

[Sud666 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy crap! I really enjoyed this comic. It has a great story, funny dialogue, great characters and the artwork is rock solid throughout. The "Secret Six" comes during Villains United story-arc.

Lex Luthor is building a Society. The Secret Society of Super-Villains. He's recruiting the worst of the worst. Every villain loves the idea except for six utterly random villains. Parademon (umm a Parademon from Apokolips), Catman (he's not a joke, quite badass in fact), Deadshot (needs no introduction, I hope), Ragdoll (technically Ragdoll II, since his Father is Ragdoll), Lady Savage (Vandal Savage's daughter) and Chesire ( random Talia-Al-Ghul wanna-be) refuse. Luthor doesn't like refusals. That's all I'm spoiling.

The motley crew that is the Secret Six actually works. The make a great group and Ragdoll is an awesome character, his lines always make me smile. In fact, I enjoyed the entire chemistry behind this team. Gail Simone's writing style is pretty damn good. She injects humor without it seeming out of place or cheesy. Don't get me wrong, this comic is about these six weirdos duking it out with other weirdos (a typical comic trope) but I enjoyed it.

If you like a fun action story with dry humor, great characters and a pretty decent story then you will like this. As for me..I see that there is more to the Secret Six series. Count me in. I'll be looking for Volume 2.

[Gavin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gail Simone, why aren't you more famous? Secret Six is Deadshot and 5 d-listers brought together by their unwillingness to sign on to Lex Luthor's Society in the wake of the JL mind wiping Dr. Light after his rape of Sue Dibny (Elongated Man's wife). This society consists of powers like Luthor, Talia Al Ghul, Black Adam, Dr. Psycho, Deathstroke, and so on.

So it ends up with a Dirty Half-Dozen feel to it, neither good, nor bad, right in Deadshot's wheelhouse. I particularly enjoyed the characterization of Catman, who felt like a cross between Kazar and someone else. The trust built between the 2 is interesting, as is the constant distrust amongst the team. The crosses and double crosses aren't stupid and random to start with, but it starts to lose steam near the end.

I had no clue what to expect, and I ended up pleasantly surprised. I can't quite give it 4 stars, but it should be accurately 3.5

There's also a reveal of the Mastermind who set up the Six, and how he relates to the larger picture, it's actually quite clever, and leads into Infinite Crisis.

[Danielle The Book Huntress · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really, really dig this series. It's like Suicide Squad for more nefarious grownups. What I mean by that is things are more cohesive, less frenetic, more attention to the actual storytelling and the action used more surgically. Plus, the lead characters are thoughtfully villainous, their motivations don't really change. They just decide to do the right thing from the context that it suits their current goals. The artwork is beautiful. It's clear and vivid.

Gail Simone's writing is stellar. While this is a graphic novel, she tells the story holistically and in a way that the visuals just give the reader something to look at as they read. I was interested in this because I am a big fan of Deadshot, but surprisingly, all the characters are equally complex. Scandal Savage is the daughter of Vandal Savage, and she has his incredible mind for plotting and planning, a streak of ruthlessness, but also some humanity to her nature that her father lacks. Cheshire is and remains a character one shouldn't trust as far as they can throw her. Catman is fascinating. He's kind of like a hero, but with a dark side. He's a Batman antagonist, apparently, but even when he's a bad guy, he reads more like a dark hero to me.

The villains are creepy and sick and add to the fun. As I said at the beginning of the review, I still adore the Suicide Squad, but man did this series win me over. I love it! Get a copy of this if you can.

[Lost Planet Airman · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's villain upon villain for two matches of six-ish rounds apiece of tretchery, violence, and mayhem.

I actually got this by mistake, thinking I was starting the New 52 reworking of the same title. But this is back around the time of Infinite Crisis, I believe. Boss-level villains Lex Lutor, Talia al Ghul, Vandal Savage, Dr. Psycho and others have seen what happened when the Justice League did a little mind-altering on Doctor Light. The top villains have now recruited EVERY OTHER villain into a mutual protection society, e3xcept some ragtag rebels who band to gether to oppose them.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sexy, crazy, and cool. The Simone/Eaglesham partnership, in particular, really helps bring these D-listers to life.
I guess my only quibble is that I don't have all the pre-New 52 DC lore, perhaps, to truly appreciate everything going on and everyone in it.
Is there a second volume? I'd read that for sure!

[Chelsea 🏳️‍🌈 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. It's batshit insane and I definitely want to read the next one!

Gail Simone is one of my idols! I love the character work she puts into her books, I love her dedication to not shying away from complex situations and this book serves as a great preview of just how dark her stories can get in case you thought Clean Room came out of nowhere. I love so much what this book chose to be and I was pleasantly surprised by how many concepts felt giftwrapped for me. Honestly, I don't really have any complaints. The art was a bit too horny at times and I could've done without the T&A and upskirt shots, but the rest of the book is still worth a solid 5 stars.

This book starts with Lex Luthor sending Dr. Psycho and Talia al Ghul to recruit villains for the "Society". They're trying to sell the concept using the fear that the Justice League will just lobotomize anyone after what they did to Doctor Light a while back in Identity Crisis. Now, I personally don't get all this upset over what was done to a rapist- mostly the villains all joining to honor him - but whatever, villains join.

As a response, a clone of Lex Luthor (?) calling himself Mockingbird creates a team through blackmail and deceit to take the Society down. (At least, I think that was his goal?) Catman/Thomas Blake, Cheshire/Jade Nguyen, Scandal Savage, Parademon, Ragdoll and Deadshot/Floyd Lawton. Of the cast in this book, the only one I'd read at least a bit on previously was Catman, and he wasn't pleasant.

This book builds a team that works mostly because they can find common goals, even using very different methods. Catman becomes the leader and makes a ton of mistakes along the way. I liked seeing the strange but compelling bond between Parademon and Ragdoll. I liked the strange familial relationship between Scandal and Deadshot. Honestly, the dynamics work a lot better than you'd expect.

Some things I loved:
- the plots felt reasonably big. Luthor's big plan is to stage simultaneously break outs from meta human prisons around the world and Oracle works with Martian Manhunter to summon every single hero they can to fight. Literally you see the Outsiders working with Young Justice and former Titans and retired heroes and who's left of the League. It's amazing! It felt like such a large scale battle and it was drawn beautifully!
- the relationship between Knockout and Scandal was wonderful to see! Not only were they very clearly defined as a couple, it wasn't sexualized, there was real love there and they were actually allowed to kiss (which is something comics sometimes forbid for some reason). Knockout literally yeeting her girlfriend to protect her was amazing!
- also, I got a kinda scary amount of joy watching Scandal torture Pistolera for hurting Knockout. Like I was a little too into it.
- I loved Deadshot killing Pistolera because he knew the guilt would hurt Scandal if she did it herself. I like that kind of villain/grey area morality.
- I love that each villain had a CODE! It's something that often gets thrown out when writers want to generate conflict. I love when we give villains backstories and their own moral codes. They don't exactly align with a hero's moral compass, but they don't just commit crimes indiscriminately. That's my favorite type of writing.
- Catman had 4 different outfits. What a drama queen!
- The Mad Hatter was bloody terrifying here. It really worked for me - especially with the art. Honestly, Gail managed everyone's different vibes so well. Ragdoll was creepy (and honestly my second favorite), Scandal and Knockout were gorgeous, fierce warriors, Catman was Mr. Code/straight man (compared to everyone else), Deadshot was the wise cracking assassin and (when he was there) Parademon was the fish out of water. Together, it all just worked.

So, it's totally a recommend from me. Honestly, I'm sad I only have volume 1 with me right now. I'll have to buy the next volumes when I go to my local comic book store again.

[Eli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gail Simone is probably the only person who could make a group of D-list villains/anti-heroes come out okay. Although the writing at times felt like it jumped around a lot, it was still pretty good. But maybe I didn't have enough background information. As good as it could be with a team of Catman, Deadshot, Scandal, Ragdoll, Parademon, Cheshire, Knockout, and Mad Hatter.

Probably not going to continue this series.

[John Wiswell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A rare book that's better than my nostalgia for it. Here are six low-end supervillains who refuse to join Lex Luthor's underworld of criminals. They're people too antisocial and violent to play along, like Deadshot, Catman, and Cheshire, or simply too mad, like Ragdoll and a Parademon so deranged from his life on another world that being tortured is the only thing that makes him laugh.

They form a found-family of freaks thanks to the wits of Scandal Savage, daughter of the world's first immortal and cannibal (Scandal is a little better with table manners). What ensues are the six living on the run, trying to strike back at the society of villains, and occasionally mocking Catman for gimmick infringement.

The roster changes over the stories as characters die off, run off, or... well, I can't spoil the ending, but it's evilly funny. Loss brings the survivors closer together, appreciating having people in their lives more reliable than their spouses or previous friends. It gets twisted fast, using the best of villain mentality, especially when members get the necessary kick in the ass that they know better than to live a life of crime.

I'll stay light on the plot because this volume has three discreet stories, and each wave changes the status quo in a way that could spoil it for newcomers. Know that the first story takes place during a much bigger crossover that features Lex Luthors from parallel universes, psychics kidnapped as magical batteries, and a plot to lobotomize all of earth's heroes. Because the book only covers the Secret Six, the context is utterly lost, but it's not imperative. You quickly grasp how many villains have teamed up, and how screwed the Six are. This is their story, one of six small fries trying to stay alive in a supernatural war.

Unsurprising for a Gail Simone book, the highest points are character relationships. After Catman proves he's turned his life around and saves the team, Cheshire tries to worm a baby out of him (and her secret motive is amazing). Ragdoll is eccentric and dressed garishly, but lacks any sense of humor, yet Parademon worships him as "The Clown" and finds his grizzliest remarks endlessly hilarious. Much of this underlies how a bunch of loners have to adjust to one another, trying to project personal meaning onto other people. Because it's Simone, this is often funny and sometimes touching or jaw-droppingly screwed up.

[Ronald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh, there is to much Gail Bear hype around this series. The stories are fine but do not reach the hype levels I was lead to expect. Sometimes the story does not match between issues in the same story arc. At least we know that Doctor Psycho is the same in the Gailverse and Harley Quinn cartoon (yikes!). It was an interesting take on Hatter.

[The Sapphic Nerd · Rating 2 out of 5]

I gave this a try because I love Gail Simone and... I wish I liked it. Some parts are fun but there are also a lot of seriously uncomfortable parts and all the women are repeatedly objectified and oversexualized - especially the queer women. It makes me cringe and I can't get over it.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always like Gail Simone's writing, especially in this series where she gives a nice revamp to Catman's character, who was previously only a third-rate joke of a bad guy; love his new look-- sort of Batman-y with his costume and somewhat-brooding presence (as Talia Al Ghul herself points out early on in the story), but still different enough to make him distinct and interesting on his own merits (although I've noticed that they revamped his costume yet again in much more recent volumes of "Secret Six" that I haven't gotten around to actually reading yet, but I'm not crazy at all about his newest look-- doesn't look anything like the costume he has in this volume, and it doesn't even feel like the same character anymore by that point); I also found the premise more interesting then the done-to-death-at-this-point "Suicide Squad" series (which, let's face it, really isn't MUCH of a "Suicide" squad if hardly anyone on that team actually ever dies, is it?) with the also much-too-overused Harley Quinn (who isn't even a real supervillain anymore so much as she is a vacuous babe who merely exists to constantly be drawn in a series of pin-up girl poses). I like that this team just didn't want to fall into line and join the big supervillain's Society like all the others-- I also like Scandal Savage's character as well, also not wanting to automatically follow in her father's footsteps to do his bidding, either. I also really liked Dale Eaglesham's artwork in the first half of the volume, but not so much Brad Walker's art towards the end of the book-- a little too grotesque in both the anatomy and the faces for my tastes. But I've noticed that seems to be the trend with a lot of comic book series these days-- start off a new series with a really great artist who will grab the reader's attention and draw them with gorgeous, impressive artwork that looks as though it's really had the time and effort put into it to do it right, and then after about six to twelve issues or so, switch to a greatly inferior artist who draws as if they're just sloppily and crudely cranking it out as quickly as possible (which no doubt they are, since the comic publishers probably just want someone who'll just draw as fast as possible to make the tight deadlines and not worry so much about the quality once they've sucked the readers in after the first few issues). I haven't picked up the next couple of volumes of this series yet, but I'm hoping that maybe the quiality of the art will improve, depending on if they had enough sense to switch artists yet again, since I would like to follow the continuing arc of this team to see where they go with it (at least it doesn't look like they change Catman's costume to that new awful look just yet in volumes 2 and 3, judging by the covers! Thank goodness for some small mercies, anyway! :D). Oh, and I just remembered, that when I saw the most recent issue of this title at the comic book store the other day, they had not only changed Catman's look, but also added Bane to the team's line-up, and since I have NEVER been a fan of his at ALL, I don't think I'll be picking up any of the latest issues either, which is too bad since they also added the ex-Talon and ex-Birds of Prey team member "Stryx", whom I always thought was a potentially interesting character, but I think she would've been better off staying with the Birds since she was befriended by Barbara Gordon in the first place. Ah well, but that's DC (and Marvel as well) for you, always revamping and reshuffling their teams, and never just letting a good thing build for very long before they change it yet again! At least THIS volume of the Secret Six team is worth a read, even if the later ones wind up dropping in quality by the time they get to the most recent stories!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The underdogs of the criminal world get their chance to shine in this fun side series. The Secret Six band together because they want no part of the Society, the villain equivalent of the Justice League, but little else connects them at first. As a team, they are rough around the edges, but it is this tension, the strife caused by their individual quirks, that makes everything so fascinating. Morally, they are a slightly darker shade of grey, which makes them perfect for taking on tasks that neither the heroes or villains would pick. They become guns for hire. The Secret Six is a who's who of the unknown villains of the DC universe, but the highlight is definitely Ragdoll. His polite speech and mannerisms are such an unusual compliment to his twisted heart, and abilities. He is a contortionist to the extreme, and yet the artist somehow makes his disjointed acrobatics look beautiful rather than disturbing. There are a lot of bodies in some panels, but the art is never cluttered, and the action is easy to follow. Secret Six is the villain-based series that you may not of heard of, but it is by far superior to some of the more well-known counterparts like Forever Evil.

[Highland G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Im surprised this isn’t a Vertigo title, its brutal and very adult. I really enjoyed this no holes barred story, in some cases literally.
Only major downside would be the Luthor stuff, still a bit confused as to what all went down there.
Anyway, onto book 2.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

It all started back in Identity Crisis when it was revealed that those assholes in the Justice League mind-wiped a prisoner. In the miniseries that opens this book, leading up to Infinite Crisis, Lex Luthor forms a coalition of supervillains in response. But some bad guys didn’t care to join Luthor’s organization. And this is their story.



Just like how the JSA series puts a spotlight on the C-list DC heroes, this series does the same for a ragtag group of C-list villains, like a revamped Catman, the multi-jointed son of a shitty Flash villain, a Parademon from Apokolips that’s been stranded on Earth, and of course Deadshot.

I didn’t have high hopes for this one, thinking that it would just be a Suicide Squad ripoff. But I really enjoyed the Villains United miniseries that I read as part of the Infinite Crisis omnibus so I gave this a go. This was so much better than any Suicide Squad book I've read (which isn't many admittedly).

I’ve never read anything by Gail Simone and I must say, I need to seek out everything else she’s done because this was a surprising delight! Not only does she have a real talent for efficiently building character and relationships but this book is also consistently funny! Simone’s pitch-perfect humor is a breath of fresh air and never corny. She makes you quickly care for all the characters and even puts some respeck on the Mad Hatter’s name! And I never knew I needed to see a fight between the Mad Hatter and Dr. Psycho, but that shows you how visionary Gail Simone is.

[Sean O · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a fun little story, but it’s pretty inaccessible if you’re not already deep in the DC comic lore.

If you are, it’s a fun little story of group of bad guys. I can’t really figure what they’re up to, but plot isn’t a strong point. Kooky characters fighting each other and various bad guys.

Ps: Beast Boy could have turned into a sparrow and escaped from Rita Farr’s clutches. I don’t know much about Doom Patrol, but I do know that.

[Eugenio · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great series, taking some B list and relative unknowns and making them their own A list series. What I remember of the first slew of book was that it was a must read.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! This was so much fun. A good team book is hard to do and making it original is even harder. Gail Simone does an amazing job. She created fantastic versions of characters like Catman, Ragdoll, Mad Hatter, and even introduced us to Scandal. Her dialogue is funny and emotional. The plot is full of twists but not for shock value (Despite Knockout's rampant nudity). The art by Eaglesham, Semeiks, and Walker was fantastic, especially Eaglesham's. Just great artwork! I do wish there was more exposition based on the bigger DC Universe event and more-so involving the multitude of lesser known characters. Overall, an extremely entertaining book by one of the best comic writers in the industry.

[Joshua Adam Bain · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this after falling in love with the characters in the Infinite Crisis build up story Villains United, which is also collected here...damn it!

I freaking love that story, hell it made me love Catman...fucking Catman people!! I was looking forward to reading the adventures after those events.

Sadly it wasn't as good as I thought it was going to be. Catman seemed to lose his edge, and overall it just didn't seem to have that same spark as it previously did. Hoping this is just growing pains and things will get better. Saving my final judgement till I read the next volume!

First story arc: 4.5 stars
Second arc: 3.5 stars

[Leni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Het is eerder 3,5/5 sterren, want ik kijk wel uit om de volgende volumes te kunnen lezen. Ik denk dat met meer achtergrond kennis van het DC universum dit boek nog genietbaarder zou zijn.

[Tshepiso · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I enjoyed Secret Six more than I thought I would. I rarely read team books and when I do I don't gravitate to villain teams. But Gail Simone really made this one work for me. It's a fast-paced action-centric story with fun banter from everyone around which made it incredibly digestible. While I did find our main pov Thomas Blake aka Catman a little bit of a cliche macho man anti-hero it didn't take much away from the story

Another surprise was how much I liked the art style. It's always a toss-up with mid-2000s comics especially when artist teams change but Eaglesham, Semeiks and Walker did a solid job and the art was consistent throughout. Sure there was a little too much fan service towards the end there but overall I loved their bold clean line work and clear panelling.

I'll definitely be continuing on with the series. If not immediately definitely in the near future.

[Shane Perry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn’t sure about this at first. I trusted Gail Simone as a writer, but Deadshot and Catman were the only characters I was familiar with going in. While this first collection makes references to larger DC Events I’m not familiar with, I found this a pretty accessible read for people like me. Gail Simone has an interesting concept here for a team of super villains that straddle the line between good and evil. This could have easily been a Suicide Squad clone, but it does a few things to differentiate itself...mostly in the fact that they are disliked by both heroes and villains. I loved the characters in this and Simone really has a talent for writing characters you find yourself caring for. Overall a good start, though I find myself wondering why this team sticks together after the original premise is done away with.

[Raul Reyes · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
The actual secret six miniseries was pretty decent, although at the beginning I had no idea when this was supposed to take place since for some reason the parademon is alive even tho he had died in the previous series. I still don’t understand how that’s possible, but I had fun. I think you really get to see that they’re friends, and their interactions are really fun. The villains united stuff was okay, although I’m still very confused about what exactly happened with Lex Luthor, and you just don’t get to see the final battle. It’s definitely not as strong as the secret six miniseries, and the mystery of who the person pulling the strings did not work for me at all since I knew it wasn’t going to be someone we knew, and I was kind of right in that front.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had heard this series is what can be done to effectively pull off what Suicide Squad doesn’t. I’d say the feel of the thing is about right. Lots of terrible people doing terrible things to each other. The second of the two storylines in this book was a lot meatier, as the creators seemed to have a better handle on how they wanted to steer this.

Secret Six was also apparently rebooted for the New 52, and did not survive long. From what I’ve read, if you only pick one of the runs to consume, this is the one.

[Jay Rox · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of new characters I'm not familiar with but so far just reading the villains United #1-6 not the secret six 1-6 stuff ..
we are beeing introduced to all the characters & they are forming a team ..
They are a bunch of misfits trying to play hero , they all have there own personality & are still trying to learn to work together as they don't really trust each other at this point that will come after a few battles & having to count on each other..
Tought the book was fun & gave us a good idea of who these characters are & what the team dynamics are . 4 out of 5

[Michael Dunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The main purpose of this book may have been to lead into a big comic book event story, but honestly think it’s a case where the characters and overarching premise help it stand on its own as a unique and fun team up book. Purposefully choosing smaller threat villains (at least smaller compared to the heavyweights) like Catman, Deadshot and Ragdoll was a great move, as we gradually learn about exactly what makes them do what they do.

Really good stuff.

[B · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know why the reviews are so high. The author skipped the thing where we care about any of these characters.

In the abstract, it's a good move to skip one of those tired "So let's meet the team and read dossiers" scenes. But it seemed like this was really a book about Thomas Blake and some jerks.

Maybe big DC fans know why we care. But I sure don't.

[Anirban · Rating 4 out of 5]

More of a 4.5 Pure, comic book goodness. Granted, Simone is still working on the dynamic and characters, so some of them are a bit different from what they end up being in volume 2 (looking at you, Ragdoll), but the book is still funny, irreverent, shocking, and above all, so entertaining.

[J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sort of like a boring Suicide Squad, I guess? But more tied up in an event that I don't know anything about? There are a few cool things here, but it seems like it doesn't execute its key premise well enough to be worthwhile.

[Jeffrey E · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a beautiful, eccentric cast of characters! After being disappointed but another book written by Gail Simone, I am glad this one impressed me. If you are looking for something funny and entertaining, this one is for you.

[Yongyoon · Rating 1 out of 5]

More isn't better, especially for Gail Simone. It feels like a shitty MvC2, except it's all DC characters.