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Post by jakefury on Feb 28, 2011 22:19:13 GMT -5
 Villains United #1 "And Empires In Their Purpose" Writer: Gail Simone Artist: Dale Eaglesham Release Date: July 2005 Starring: Catman Deadshot Ragdoll Parademon Scandal Savage Cheshire Our story opens in Gotham City as we see the Society on a recruiting drive. Mr. Freeze, Cheetah, Black Manta, Knockout, Clayface & Prometheus are some of the more famous villains recruited as well as some of the B-Listers. We go to the Medikwe Game Preserve where Talia al Ghul and Doctor Psycho are offering Catman a spot in the group. To their shock and dismay he flatly refuses and when threatened he's sure his pride of lions would love to make them extinct. Talia tries to save some face by saying he's clearly a changed man and once again reiterates that if he refuses he'll suffer. He says he still doesn't care and the sun will rise and fall if he's alive or dead. She remarks to an infruiated Dr. Psycho that for a moment the changed Thomas Blake reminded her of a very great man for a moment. The duo returns to the society's HQ in Gotham where the Calculator can't believe they got turned down by Catman. Deathstroke laughs and a still furious Dr. Psycho is babbling about various ways to torture Catman to himself. Black Adam's idea is to kill him but Lex Luthor has other ideas. In the Amazon, Deadshot and Scandal Savage are in contact with Cheshire who's being attacked by HIVE agents. The Fiddler is having problems with some of them as Ragdoll and Parademon take out some of the other agents. (note: Parademon is very protecting of Ragdoll throughout the series, even calling him "Clown") As two of the agents escape a still concerned Fiddler says their helmets protected him from his song. The two agents fly off to attack Scandal and Deadshot and Lawton takes his sweet time in taking them down. He tells a concerned Scandal Savage that he simply needed to finish his smoke. As the team checks in wrist gauntlets flash red or green depending on the individual team member's mission success. Everyone flashes green except the Fiddler who once again says it wasn't his fault. Deadshot shoots him in the head and says he'll just have to keep wondering then. Scandal remarks that she's surprised their benefactor Mockingbird didn't have them all killed. Back on the Medikwe Game Preserve where Catman is approached by Scandal Savage & Deadshot. They offer him a place in their group to take on the Society. Blake agrees, saying after he turned down the Society earlier they sent Deathstroke 4 days later to kill his pride of lions. He says that he has no pride left and that he's in. As they prepare to depart he asks his friend Ndungu to mail a letter addressed to Oliver Queen in Star City. Catman arrives with his new teammates at the Secret 6's HQ which as an old house that looks like something from the Adams Family. They immediately have a meeting through a video conference with Mockingbird. As they sit down Parademon remarks that Cheshire appears to be "in season", a fever of the loins. As Catman & Cheshire explain "pleasantries" Parademon also remarks that Catman has the lion fever as well. As they are introduced to their mysterious benefactor they find out that the nameless person has big plans for them to defeat the Society. Cheshire refuses to jump through hoops for him until he reveals another part of his plan. He has a contingency plan to destroy something that means very much to each of them if they don't cooperate fully. If they succeed they'll each receive a continent to rule. End of Issue 1 It's been a while since I've read the series but it's still very good. I'll review issues 2-6 and Infinite Crisis: Villains United on a day to day basis. |
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Post by Power NeXus on Feb 28, 2011 22:46:11 GMT -5
That's an interesting sword DS has on the cover. Looks like a cross between a katana and a machete.
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Post by Strafe Prower on Feb 28, 2011 22:47:03 GMT -5
Good comic and review.
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Post by jakefury on Feb 28, 2011 22:48:24 GMT -5
Thanks BR.
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Post by Crom-Cruach on Feb 28, 2011 23:33:26 GMT -5
That's an interesting sword DS has on the cover. Looks like a cross between a katana and a machete. it's a tachi blade... |
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Post by Lord Barbatos on Mar 1, 2011 6:49:47 GMT -5
Anyone else wanna see a talia/deathstroke romance?
or is it just me.
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Post by Admin on Mar 1, 2011 9:56:58 GMT -5
Talia needs to stop sleeping around, lol.
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Post by Lord Barbatos on Mar 1, 2011 10:28:22 GMT -5
Talia needs to stop sleeping around, lol. Poor talia,i want to murder judd winick.  |
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Post by Zoom on Mar 1, 2011 11:21:32 GMT -5
If you give the whole series around an 8/10, I'll have to give a review of my dissenting opinion.  |
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Post by Crom-Cruach on Mar 1, 2011 14:03:58 GMT -5
What has been done to Talia by writers is just abhorrent.
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Post by jakefury on Mar 1, 2011 19:47:12 GMT -5
If you give the whole series around an 8/10, I'll have to give a review of my dissenting opinion. LMAO I will offer this rebuttal. I know next to nothing of any DC characters pre-Crisis. So any character flaws that I miss are simply due to a lack of knowledge on my part. If Gail Simone writes a character with a huge personality flaw compared to a classic version of said character then I most likely won't catch it. My reviews are mostly based on personal enjoyment versus overall quality. |
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Post by Admin on Mar 1, 2011 19:54:55 GMT -5
Jake, I'm in that "DC ignorance" boat with ya! My DC knowledge is purely street level, so when these villains I've never seen before job, I assume they're being written poorly but I have no idea to what degree. But it's countered by how amusing and hilarious the title is at times ;D
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Post by jakefury on Mar 1, 2011 19:57:23 GMT -5
Jake, I'm in that "DC ignorance" boat with ya! My DC knowledge is purely street level, so when these villains I've never seen before job, I assume they're being written poorly but I have no idea to what degree. But it's countered by how amusing and hilarious the title is at times ;D Exactly! I really enjoyed this book the first time and almost as much when I read it again last night. It might be better that I don't know sometimes. LOL |
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Post by jakefury on Mar 1, 2011 20:31:51 GMT -5
 Villains United #2 "Who Are The Secret 6?" Writer: Gail Simone Artist: Dale Eaglesham Release Date: August 2006 issue 2 kicks off at the House of Secrets, the secret HQ of the Secret Six. Deadshot & Catman have a confrontation in the kitchen and both seem to be a little suspicious of each other. A confrontation ensues with Deadshot drawing his gun and Catman drawing his trusty blade. Catman says he can feel Lawton's heartbeat through his blade and it's a little fast. Lawton says he's wrong and tempers begin to cool off. Both men share their love of eggs which Catman was about to cook. Catman tells him if he wants any he'll have to point his gun away from him. Lawton disagrees until Catman tosses his knife into a nearby wall (disarming first) telling him if he wants to kill a man before breakfast its his business. They agree on omelets and Lawton wants his loaded with peppers. They discuss the indentity of Mockingbird with Lawton saying he was recruited by the lady with the nice caboose, Scandal Savage. He says he's never actually met Mockingbird and Blake says that all of his actions seem prerecorded. As this is going on Cheshire is eavesdropping on them with a huge smile on her face. In Scandal's bedroom she's sending an email to her "beloved" as the rest of the team sleeps. As Blake and Lawton argue Scandal comes in and tells them they have their next mission and its in Gotham. The team loads up and Parademon insists on Ragdoll sitting in front. Catman takes the seat in front anyway and Parademon says he may stay unless he minds him eating his larynx. Like a true gentleman Catman gives up his seat. Ragdoll apologizes saying that he's a bit attached. Deadshot wants to know why they're heading to Gotham saying he wanted a piece of Luthor not the Bat. Scandal informs him their mission is a cargo freighter owned by the Society that is loaded with Thanagarian weaponry. She says they need to take control of it in case they need to use it against the Society. We cut to the Society's HQ somewhere in Gotham and the big wheels Calculator, Deathstroke, Talia and Luthor are listening to the Six's conversation. Deathstroke compliments Calculator on his tactics and Talia offers to send a group of HIVE agents to deal with them. Luhtor says they need a grand gesture that will persuade others not to turn down their organization. Back at the Gotham docks and the Six have arrived at the freighter. Catman remarks about the weather and says it doesn't feel right. After some quick recon the team scouts the ship and realizes its completely empty. Cue the arrival of one Weather Wizard who says he's glad they could make it.He's also brought some friends that include Knockout, Captain Nazi, Doctor Polaris, Cheetah, Killer Frost and others. Scandal tells the team to run for it as Catman decides to take on the Society members head on. He takes out a few of them until he's overmatched and taken down. His teammates are faring about the same as Dr. Polaris & Weather Wizard easily take them down. Finally we go back to the Society's HQ and Catman is on what appears to be an operating table. He's under the care of the Crime Doctor who plans on slowly torturing him and his teammates until one of them spills the goods on Mockingbird. Not as strong as the first issue but the banter between Catman & Deadshot is great stuff. Catman is starting to show his ferocity and determination by taking on the Society by himself. Even if it was against hopeless odds it makes him an interesting character. |
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Post by jakefury on Mar 1, 2011 22:38:41 GMT -5
 Villains United #3 "Privileged To Spill Her Blood" Writer: Gail Simone Artist: Dale Eaglesham Release Date: Sept 2005 After last issue's endings the Secret Six are in the hands of the Society. The Crime Doctor is torturing each of them for an hour before moving on to the next member. He then repeats the rotation attempting to force them to crack and give up Mockingbird's identity. The only one that seems to be enjoying the torture is Parademon who keeps screaming "THANK YOU GRANNY, MAY I HAVE ANOTHER?" in reference to his upbringing on Apokolips. As the Six are being tortured some of the Society's members actually show remorse and Knockout asks why they couldn't soundproof the lab. Killer Frost says she finds it soothing as Weather Wizard remarks about Catman putting four of their members in the hospital from last issue's events. The Six begin to show signs of breaking as Deadshot asks Catman if he has broken yet. Catman says everyone is making a deal and that question won't be asked again. In the Society's HQ Black Adam tells Luthor that torture is a coward's tool and needs to stop immediately. Dr. Psycho agrees but only because he thought Adam implied the torture wasn't brutal enough. Luthor seeks an audience with Adam as Black Adam grabs Dr, Psycho by the throat and wonders if he's trying to use his mental powers on him. Luthor intercedes and shows Black Adam some explosive devices that he insists Mockingbird is responsible for. Luthor says one was found 7 miles from kahndaq and basically could turn it into the world's largest tomb. Talia implores Black Adam that she doesn't agree with the torture but its for the world's own good. Back in Crime Doctor's lab and the Six are still being tortured. The Six again appear to be starting to crack as Scandal takes another trip to the torture chair. At this point, Deadshot reveals his reasons for joining the group. He tells them that Mockingbird threatened to level the neighborhood where his wife and child live. Ragdoll admits his reason for joining saying he needs a special chemical or his bones will tear through his skin. At this moment, Scandal's screams stop and this makes the group guess whats going on. Deadshot says she better be dead. Catman begs Chesire to come up with a plan to counterract the poisons in their control collars. Captain Nazi brings Scandal back in and Deadshot threatens her, saying she better not have sold them out. Catman tells him to wait and says its a ruse to splinter the team. Catman then asks to take Deadshot's spot in the torture rotation. As the Crime Doctor starts to begin the next round of torture procedures Catman shifts enough in his chair to cause him to hit his collar with his electrical probe. This shorts out his collar allowing him to escape. The nurse makes a run for it but he easily stabs her through the shoulder with a scalpel. He then kills Crime Doctor with his own metal tray that he's kept his instruments on. Catman then confronts Captain Nazi saying that Hitler was a pants wetting freak with one testicle that killed himself. Captain Nazi tries to attack but Catman stabs him in the eyes with several syringes form the lab. He frees his teammates and Cheshire plants a huge kiss on him to show her thanks. Scandal speaks with Mockingbird who asks them to return home immediately. Deadshot says they need to finish a few things before they leave. (At this point Parademon wakes up from a nap wanting to know if he missed anything) The other Society members on guard duty are still playing cards and starting to get hammered drunk. Catman rips the eyes of Sledge and Weather Wizard is about to fry him. He's set to get a shot at Blake when Talia grabs his arm and causes him to hit Killer Frost. She then breaks his elbow at the joint as Parademon takes out Knockout. Ragdoll chokes out Count Vertigo and Scandal bites off Fatality's ear. Scandal says she didn't betray them. Ragdoll says she makes a compelling statement with that ear thing. Deadshot wants to kill all of them but Catman says they don't need to do that. Lawton agrees and says they only need to kill one of them. He sends a bullet through Hyena's brain and tells them to send a message to the rest of the Society. "You're already dead, you just haven't fallen down yet". |
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Post by Lord Barbatos on Mar 1, 2011 23:54:46 GMT -5
The greatest consolation with simone is that for some reason the jobbing is'nt as blatant as loeb .
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Post by jakefury on Mar 2, 2011 19:41:36 GMT -5
The greatest consolation with simone is that for some reason the jobbing is'nt as blatant as loeb . LMAO She at least comes up with creative ways for it. At least in this series so far. |
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Post by Morpheus on Mar 2, 2011 19:43:50 GMT -5
Jake, your avatar wins.
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Post by Admin on Mar 2, 2011 19:46:29 GMT -5
Classic Spider-Man & Friends was hilarious.
Nice reviews so far, Jake.
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Post by Zoom on Mar 2, 2011 20:11:42 GMT -5
I know next to nothing of any DC characters pre-Crisis. So any character flaws that I miss are simply due to a lack of knowledge on my part. If Gail Simone writes a character with a huge personality flaw compared to a classic version of said character then I most likely won't catch it. It's more like Gail will reference an event in a previous book (like Warp and Mallah killing Catman) and then write a story that contradicts it (where Catman is alive). She also has no idea what the power level of any villains are. She puts street level characters like Scandal, Deadshot and Catman against characters who fight Green Lanterns (Fatality), the Titans (Deathstroke), the Flash(Weather Wizard), Firestorm (Hyena) and Captain Marvel (Captain Nazi). Somehow, the street level characters beat up class 100, tornado making, physically enhanced monsters. She also mischaracterizes the heck out of some of her characters, stating that Cheshire doesn't care if her daughter dies. |
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