Secret Six #7

Overall- Before I even open the cover and read this comic, allow me to state straightaway that #1, I HOPE this issue finally concludes the Junior/Get Out of Hell Free Card storyline, and #2, I hope that the Mad Hatter doesn't show up inside this book, but if he does, I hope someone kills him as gruesomely as possible. On that happy note, here is a review for Secret Six #7.

I'll start with the basic review and then I'll editorialize a bit. Last issue, Deadshot had stolen the Get Out of Hell Free Card and has left his former(?)teammates battered at a truckstop outside Las Vegas. After stealing the limo the Six were travelling in, Deadshot, along with Tarantula, who Deadshot released from her handcuffs and the dying Bane continue across country as they slowly make their way to Gotham City. Meanwhile, the Six regroup and steal a "disgusting hippie van" as Ragdoll so astutely puts it, and chase after Deadshot and the Card. It should be noted here that last issue it looked like Deadshot killed the Banshee woman and Scandal, but they both survived with only flesh wounds.

Deadshot arrives at a bridge just on the outskirts of Gotham City, and realizes something is drastically wrong, because the bridge is completely deserted. At this very moment, the Six members ram Deadshot's limo with the hippie van and knock Deadshot for a loop. Catman goes after Deadshot and Scandal prevents Tarantula from making an escape. Catman seems poised to kill Deadshot, but before he can, a small army of d-list villains arrive on the scene in order to collect the $20 million bounty on the heads of the Secret Six members.

So, basically, we have a battle royal on the bridge with the Six and Tarantula fighting for their survival against a good 20 some odd villains. In the distance, the Mad Hatter happily watches the carnage, hoping that the Six will meet their end for "betraying" him. Next, Junior(Ragdoll's crazy sister)arrives on the scene and implores the villains to kill the Six if they want to collect the bounty on their heads. On top of that, some stronger villains begin to arrive, and one of them, Komodo, begins to batter Scandal, which the nearly dead Bane can see from his position in Deadshot's limo. In order to save Scandal, who Bane considers to be his "adopted daughter", Bane does what he promised he would never again do and takes some venom. Now powered by the venom, Bane explodes from the limo and begins to walk around breaking villains left and right, since to him, they all look like the Batman.

At this point, Huntress arrives, along with Grace and Zinda, in an attempt to get Catman to abondon the fight and leave with her before even more villains arrive. Catman tells Huntress that no one on the bridge is without sin and that he refuses to leave the bridge without the Card. Huntress realises that Catman still hasn't repented his crimes and that until he does, she can't help him. At this point, Junior once again begins to demand the villains get her the Card. The Mad Hatter arrives to tell Junior that she can't have the Six, he still needs his revenge on them. Bane, still in a drug induced rage, attacks Junior and the rest of the team, including Deadshot, pile on, trying to restrain Junior.

Even with the entire team on her back, Junior still breaks free and tells the assembled villains to kill the Six and retrieve that damn Card! Tarantula jumps on Junior's back and announces that she has the Card, not Deadshot or the Six. While Tarantula and Junior struggle, the assembled group of villains let out a massive blast at Tarantula, which hits Junior as well and flings both of their incinerated bodies off the bridge. With Junior presumably dead, and the Card gone into the cold, murky waters below with Tarantula, Scandal tells the villains there is no reason to continue to fight, since no Junior means no $20 million bounty. The Mad Hatter steps forward and says that things aren't over yet, since he still wants revenge against the Six for their "betrayal". Ragdoll takes Hatter's hat and tosses it off the bridge, and Hatter, being a lunatic, jumps off the bridge after it, hopefully to his death.

The villains are somewhat dubious that Tarantula had the Card, but Deadshot says that during the battle someone swiped it from him and that since he was working with Tarantula, it had to be her. With that, the villains begin to disperse to where ever it is super-villains disperse to and the Six make their way into the beaten up hippie van. The issue ends with us seeing the Card sticking out of Scandal's top, until she tucks it safely away.

HA! So Scandal swiped the card off of Deadshot during the battle. Nice. Overall, this comic had a great fight scene, but also kept the story flowing throughout the big battle. After being somewhat let down by the past few issues of this series, I have to say Gail Simone(writer)redeemed herself in a big way with this issue. Storywise, everything fell into place nicely and Nicola Scott's pencils looked amazing. Considering most of the pages were filled with dozens of characters, Nicola's pencils looked great throughout this entire issue. I usually don't pay much attention to the artwork in a comic book, but Nicola deserves some major props for the amazing job she did here.

I have to say I was pleased with Tarantula's apparent death, since I've really detested her ever since the whole ludicrous rape angle with Nightwing. Good riddance Tarantula, may you stay dead. I was also glad to see the Mad Hatter jump off the bridge as well. Hopefully he'll drown and we won't have to see that idiotic, perverted dwarf anytime soon. I have to admit, coming into this comic I was expecting little, but Gail delivered big time. For a score, I'll give this comic a 8 1/2 out of 10. This issue concluded the Junior storyline in a very satisfying fashion. Great job Gail and Nicola!