Secret Six #9
Will he go from Cat to Bat?
Ragdoll: “To My Bat-Pole!”
Catman: “That sounds a bit unsavory when you say it. Of course, everything sounds unsavory when you say it.”
Ragdoll: “… Cheese-stuffed manicotti. EWWW! It does! I never realized! Creamed corn! Donut holes! Silverback gorillas! Heaven help us all, gold-plated bedknobs!”
Half of the Six have dropped in on Gotham City during a tumultuous time. With the local criminals thinking Batman is dead, they’ve stepped up their game. Out of respect for the fallen Bat, or maybe because they each secretly believe they’re worthy to carry his mantle, Catman & Bane run around town opposing kidnappers. Of course, this wouldn’t be Secret Six without some level of lunacy, and that’s provided by a Ragdoll eager to become the next Boy Wonder. The Sixers methods are a bit more brutal then Gotham’s usual protectors, and a confrontation with Nightwing just might be enough to dissuade them.
Once again, Gail Simone, Nicola Scott & Doug Hazlewood have crafted a near perfect issue. Everything here, from both Catman and Bane’s repeated denial of wanting to be Batman, to Ragdoll’s antics, to Nightwings stoicism rings true. It ties in a little to the current Battle For The Cowl crossover (and will hopefully give the book’s sales a nice bump), but can be read separately without the reader getting lost. My only complaint, and it’s a minor one, is the lack of Deadshot. With his origins as a Bat-villain, his presence and personality would’ve been a welcome one. Because of that, I can’t give this issue the fully monty, but it still merits an easy 4.5 out of 5 severed heads.
I cracked with all those batman\robin remarks…
great issue!