Danielle The Book Huntress 's Reviews > Secret Six, Book 1: Villains United

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.