Six Degrees of Supervillains

Secret Six #1

The dysfunctional anti-villains from “Villains United” are back — Catman, Deadshot, Ragdoll, and Scandal, with new member Bane joining them and another newbie showing up in another issue down the road. Some horrifyingly creepy crimelord named “Junior” has the team in his sights, Catman is considering giving up crime, Scandal is drunkenly mourning her lost love Knockout, and Ragdoll is still the funniest and most pervertedly bizarre freak on the planet. The whole team has to break a former superhero out of prison and take her on a cross-country journey, all with an impossibly large bounty on their heads that guarantees that everyone is going to be gunning for them.

Verdict: Thumbs up. Oh, mercy, what a thumbs up. I can’t believe I missed this series as much as I did. I love all these characters, but holy guacamole, how is it possible for any character to be as horribly funny and kinky and awkward as Ragdoll? And Junior seems like a really cool villain — scary, mysterious, sadistic in really awful ways. This one is going to be so much fun.

Green Lantern #34

The “Secret Origin” storyline continues. Hal and Sinestro save William Hand from Atrocitus. Sinestro gets to be an arrogant so-and-so, Hal is able to use his ring against something colored yellow, Hal makes his peace with Carol Ferris and her father, and both of the GLs get called on the carpet by the Guardians.

Verdict: Thumbs down. Bored now.