Review – Secret Six #3: Betrayal in Checkmate
Ray: I love it when comics manage to combine concepts that should never work together. Nicole Maines' Secret Six is a follow-up from the Gail Simone run and Tom Taylor's Suicide Squad in a lot of ways, but it's also a fascinating look at the dysfunctional dynamics in DC's teen heroes right now – which makes it the best successor to the Teen Titans franchise DC has had in a long time. The core trio of Jon Kent, Jay Nakamura, and Nia Nal have enough issues with each other to fill a magazine rack at this point, and Black Alice is mainly there to stir some shit and enjoy the chaos. And now they have to infiltrate a Checkmate gathering, one where Amanda Waller's fate is being determined as powerful players try to get her power and positions back – and the two factions of the team have completely different intentions for what comes next. And it's all about to come to the fore in the messiest way possible. Cloak and dagger. Via DC Comics.
Of course, there are some other characters here too – Catman and Deadshot – and they have some issues to work out too. There are some fascinating reveals about exactly what happened to Deadshot when he was dead (when he wasn't a zombie over in Task Force Z), that calls into harsh relief the stakes they're playing with here. This issue also has a great edge to it, as the characters were all wronged by Amanda Waller's regime in one way or another and all have their own idea of what justice looks like. As things fall apart between Jon and Nia as he realizes just how far she's willing to go, we start to even see some common ground between her and the vengeful Jay. There isn't all that much plot advancement in this issue, but there's some great character work and a twist ending that hints at the return of a major player from the Gail Simone run – which is more than enough to make me excited for the next issue.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes. Liked it? Take a second to support GeekDad and GeekMom on Patreon!
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