Secret Six, Vol. 2: The Gauntlet

Secret Six Vol. 4 #2

by Gail Simone, Tom Derenick (Illustrator), Dale Eaglesham (Illustrator)

The magic is gone.

Something has sucked all arcane energies out of our world, leaving every practitioner of the occult arts in the dark and our entire dimension defenseless against an invasion by the Elder Gods beyond. And as far as the Earth’s greatest mages are concerned, the culprit is one teenage girl—Black Alice, the Secret Six’s most powerful member. Now it will take everything the team has to clear her name, restore the missing magic and protect our world from obliteration.

Meanwhile, another threat is lurking in the shadows. Strix was once the deadliest Talon in the Court of Owls’ arsenal of assassins, until she broke free of their cruel control and found true friends among the Secret Six. But when the Court comes calling to take back what was theirs, will the Six stand by her side?

The strangest superhero team in comics faces its final challenge in SECRET SIX VOL. 2: THE GAUNTLET, from the killer creative team of Gail Simone (BIRDS OF PREY, BATGIRL, WONDER WOMAN), Tom Derenick (INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US) and Dale Eaglesham (GREEN LANTERN)—featuring cameos by Batgirl, Swamp Thing, the Demon, Superman and more! Collects issues #7-14.

Genres: Comics, Dc Comics, Graphic Novels, Superheroes, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction, LGBT

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 3, 2017

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

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

This never quite came together the way Simone's previous Secret Six series did. However, the art by Dale Eaglesham and Tom Derenick is REALLY good.

There's two stories in this volume. First the team goes up against every magical DC character when Black Alice begins to absorb all their magic. Then Lady Shiva and the League of Assassins comes for Strix. Both stories were OK but felt rushed. Lady Shiva and the League of Assassins seemed completely out of character. The intimate moments between team members is where this book truly shined.

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I still love the way Simone writes these characters, but it's obvious to me that she knew the end was coming, and sooner than she'd have liked. I enjoyed both stories collected here, except that they both ended in a rush. The first, Black Alice focused story ended so abruptly that I wondered for a moment if I'd skipped a page. Nope, just a writer trying to squeeze as much plot as possible in a limited number of issues.

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

All right this series is growing on me. This is becoming my favorite group of comic book misfits, without all of the damn X-Men angst those misfits deliver.

For some of us it is more interesting, and in this case fun, seeing a group of people trying to adjust to living together in the suburbs. Add to that abusive cops, and well Thomas Blake (aka Catman) doesn't take kindly to a cop who beats his own dog. Stryx is happier living in a tree house, and cooking is an adventure.

Oh yes, there is some conflict. It turns out Black Alice is siphoning all of the magic of the world into herself (ok, partially plausible since that sort of is her power).

Watch for the house scene with the Phantom Stranger and see how many vague DC mystical characters you can identify.

And, the solution to the Black Alice problem? I did not see that coming.

Revision: I just found out this collected the final story arc which centers around Stryx and Shiva. This was likely my favorite portrayal of Shiva in some time. There remain unresolved plot threads, but the series was being canceled and Simone did a good jobs of completing what plot thread that she could in this arc.

But, damn don;t make Stryx angry, or threaten her friends..

[Cale · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are two storylines included here - I'll tackle them separately.

The first is Black Alice, who is draining the magic out of the entire world and all the other mystic heroes. It has its moments, and features a lot of mystical heroes in brief moments, but overall I was unimpressed. It felt like a crossover story, except it wasn't officially a crossover. Still, some of the characters included didn't really feel appropriate (including the big one), and the resolution of the storyline was really underwhelming. And the whole moment-to-moment aspects of Catman and co. doing obviously stupid things for unreliable people for unverifiable reasons rubbed me the wrong way.
The second story is about Strix being recruited by the League of Assassins, and it works a lot better. We get some impressive action, with all of the characters getting their own chances to shine. We get a lot more character development that does a good job of exploring why these characters connect (and feeling like they really DO connect), and the story is told very well through the action. Strix's backstory seems a little weak for someone who can almost fight Lady Shiva to a standstill, but that's the only real weakness. It's kind of sad that this is the end of the series as it was starting to gel a bit more here. It never rose to the level of Simone's best Secret Six series in the past, but it was starting to show the elements were there to approach it.

[Sally Kilpatrick]

I enjoyed the focus on Strix, Black Alice, and Porcelain. I did miss Vandal Savage and Ragdoll and some of the others.

All in all, it was a lot of fun especially with the Shawna/Ferdie subplot at the end.

[Ya Boi Be Reading · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5, it pains me to give this a 2/5 because I really enjoyed parts of this. But having two storylines that both just abruptly end? Oof. The first half builds up this giant found family that is Secret Six vs all of magic society vs not Elder Gods. But then it just resolves itself like nothing which is a real shame as it could've gone somewhere interesting but just ends. Honestly it could've been the whole trade as some long 7 issue story and I would've loved it. Dibny and Black Alice's dynamic is good and it brings the found family in the whole gang where otherwise they're a bit more at odds. Instead it just ends and it hints Black Alice is actually possessed or controlled by a demon right now which goes absolutely nowhere (sort of an odd thing to throw in there).
The final storyline involves Strix and is also good but similarly just absolutely falls apart with a final issue that ends in the last five pages. I get wanting to throw some things at the last minute and having to lose space for a conclusion but damn. It's like you're missing pages with how quickly it just suddenly ends.
The art continues to be hit or miss. It has that sort of “New 52 in-house look” where guys are super buff and women super sexy and it's clear some panels get more love and attention than others. I know this was an editor-heavy time so I'd like to believe part of this is an editorial mandate to highlight certain things or panels at the cost of others.

[Alana · Rating 4 out of 5]

New 52 sucked. It took books and storylines that were fine to great, made them do a soft reboot under the idea that the books would then become more accessible to new readers, then became accessible to no one while upping the violent content. However, now that its time is passed, I can go back and read what my favorite authors did, and while I have to say again UNNECESSARY, I am impressed with how Gail Simone wrote a whole new series for the team she wrote just a few years before where everyone feels just dissimilar enough to pull everything off, but the tone and dynamic are so different that if you'd told me the writer were someone else who was a Gail Simone fan, I would have believed you. So while I prefer the previous run, I'm not going to be another person who compares them to each other and finds the New 52 run lacking because of that. There is good here, mainly in the new characters, and real talent in the reimagining. That she manages to keep the found family theme and work it so strongly while it feeling like a completely different work is a feat in itself, and worthy of a high rating, even if I miss the old Ragdoll.

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gail Simone sends the Secret Six off with a bang! While this iteration is still not my favorite, Simone's dialogue is still top notch. This collection was two different arcs and the final arc was by far the best. Seeing the team combat Shiva to save Strix was great. The magical based story in the first arc was much less so. DC's magical heroes are all present and that's probably what brings it down plus two big cameos that were pretty lame. The art by Dale Eaglesham and Tom Derenick was fitting and at times, dynamic. Overall, a good read that still doesn't live up to its predecessors.

[Brent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally, thanks to my local comics shop and its bargain bin, I read this whole run, really enjoying it all. Art by Eaglesham and Derenick inking themselves works really well. Heads up, Sue Dibney fans, you get the New 52 version of her in this fine series. Characters Simone worked with in previous series or created are pretty great, here, too. The diversity of them, their misfit status shared, the charm of the superhero/villain mixups into grey areas, all make for a fine return to a fine series from fine creators. Bravo, Gail Simone.
Recommended.

[Jacob Shaffer · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you came to this series following Ralph Dibny after 52 like I did, it’s not really gonna pay off. It’s nice to see him and related Ralph Dibny accessories but unfortunately DC hit us with the cancel button

Again Gail Simone can write a team so so well and that’s the shining star here, or maybe The Demon Etrigan

[Jason Tanner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simone won me over on this new Secret Six after all. And, it was the Dibnys that did it. I was as surprised as anyone.

My only real complaint is that the elder gods storyline ended rather abruptly and as far as I know the plot is still open.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Our wacky extended family comes together to save the assassin from the Court of Owls that the League of Assassins really wants. The League of Assassins is a much better villain than The Riddler. Also, Black Alice is a great character I want to see more of. Ia!

[Aidan]

Fun reboot of the series with surprisingly great art, once again canceled too soon. This volume was some of Simone’s tightest and most fun writing, but once again suffered from rushed endings that seem like they were more due to editorial than Simone.

[Daniel Butcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5.

A fun little story about a weirdo family!

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Not as great as the OG team, but damn do I miss this series in any iteration.

[Nicholas Knudson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gail Simone is a master of her craft. One of her greatest skills is making you want to turn the page, and then the next, and then the next, until you realize you just read the entire book in one sitting

[Jade Newcastle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great series! Twisted humor, interesting characters, gray morality. Gail Simone is one of my favourite comic writers

[Alex Sarll]

Simone's second and second-best Secret Six run, leading (mild spoilers) to another happy ending predicated on the should-be-obvious truth that families can be whatever shape works for their members, and need not have anything to do with blood kinship. The stories that get us there aren't great when considered in terms of their A-plots: the first sees Black Alice unwittingly draining the world's magic, with results very similar to recent Doctor Strange plots, plus the added threat that if the magic goes away, the Lovecraftian elder gods will return. On the one hand, while the artists here aren't as high profile as Bachalo et al on Strange, the Escheresque House of Strangers here is at least as fabulous a visual as anything in that run; on the other, the threat level of the beasties seems to oscillate wildly according to the immediate demands of the plot. And then Lady Shiva arrives to forcibly recruit charmingly goofy former Talon and current garden gnome enthusiast Strix to the League of Assassins, and it's pretty much obvious from the off how that's going to go down. But you know what? It doesn't really matter. Nor does Catman's rubbish new mask. Because the interplay between these weirdoes and fuck-ups is so utterly charming and perverse that I had a big goofy smile on my face whenever they were on the page together, and that's not even counting the scenes with their gormless pets.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes! I actually yelled out “that’s my team” during that black Alice storyline and also it had literally the best line in all of SS w/ Aquaman+Catman LOL