Secret Six #32 Review
The Secret Six confront Ragdoll in hell itself in the hopes of still being able to revive Knockout and go back to the land of the living. Ragdoll though has a few other ideas especially when it comes to the "Get Out of Hell Free" card!
The Good
This depiction of hell is an interesting one and to see everyone’s reaction when Ragdoll reveals they will all end up there gives minor character development to all characters in a matter of a couple of pages. The most telling with this is Bane who nearly breaks down when he argues that he still has an honor code and Ragdoll tells him that men who do what he’s done but have honor codes are used as landfill for the compost heaps in hell.
The humor of the comic is still also evident even though the setting has shifted to the most abominable of places as Ragdoll, Deadshot, and even King Shark have some nice one-liners and banter as the comic progresses and we learn just what happened to Ragdoll when he wished himself to hell.
Couple this with a surprise ending that reveals what has happened to Knockout and if you’ve been reading the Secret Six, now is not the time to stop.
The Bad
Not a lot of action and when it does erupt the pages just seem convoluted with the various foes the Secret Six find themselves up against.
And although the banter is enjoyable at times, the entire comic is really just one long argument between Ragdoll and Scandel as to who should hold the “Get Out of Hell” free card and what has become of Knockout since she came to hell. I would have loved a lot more input from Deadshot and Bane especially after his near breakdown when he learns he is not destined for the pearly gates, but to cross the River Styx instead.
This is also a bad time to jump into the comic since it is the middle part of a three-part arc not to mention there has clearly been a lot of build up to this between Ragdoll, Scandel, and the others.
The Verdict
For the middle part of a three-part arc, I was expecting a bit more action, but the plot was forwarded considerably so hopefully the time for talking is done come part three. I also hope this leads to some issues with Bane down the road and explores his difficulty in accepting his fate.
If you’ve been reading the Secret Six, this is no time to stop now as I’m sure this arc will end explosively next issue and still maintain that spark of humor even in hell, but this is also definitely not the time to be jumping into this comic if you’re looking to add something to your weekly pull list.
