Here is a thing about Secret Six, at least my version.

It was originally a mini-series to a major crossover event. I was asked to write the 'villain' book, and I was incredibly excited, because I thought, OH MAN, it'll be Catwoman, Luthor, the Flash Rogues, all the big guns. 1/

So I was excited and I wrote an outline and the list of villains I would need.

And every one got turned down. Every one. They were all being used in the main series and weren't available.

This was my first big crossover book, and I had limp pickles.
2/

No Luthor, no Joker, no Sinestro, just none of them were available.

Now, to me, it was weird that they wanted a six issue villain series, and I couldn't use any villains, but there you go.

Now, the average SMART writer says, okay, no a-listers. Let's go to the b-list!

3/

But not me, I thought, "Hey, let's go to the Z-LIST!"

It's this kind of brilliant strategy that keeps me from writing Batman. ;)

So we did. We scraped the barrel.

But on purpose.

4/

When I turned in the list of characters I wanted, my wonderful editor must have freaked out a bit.

"Wait. Ragdoll? Isn't he dead? A random no-name parademon? Vandal Savage's daughter?

WAIT. CATMAN?"

5/

But that gave us the freedom to go much more balls to the wall. I'm grateful, because if it HAD been another big bad guys team up thing, I'm not sure it would have been nearly as fun.

The book remains in demand, the trades are $$$ on the back issue market, but...

6/

...the thing I am most proud of (aside from working with artists like @daleeaglesham, @NicolaScottArt and Jim Calafiore), is that a bunch of these morts and rusty buckets really caught on, caught a wave of popularity that outlasted the series.

7/

When people think of Catman now, they don't automatically think 'loser,' they think the badass from S6. Our Bane arc, him being the substitute father for the daughter of an immortal warlord, was lifted entirely for the Dark Knight Rises. Our Ragdoll is on the Flash show. 8/

The Suicide Squad animated film featured Scandal and Knockout, AND used the plot from the first six issues of the ongoing S6 book.

Even Deadshot, as he's appeared many times since, seems tinged with our take on him.

9/

But one of the funnest things for me has been one of the weirdest, which is seeing our take on King Shark be the starting point for his appearances in virtually everything since. The fact that they use the ridiculous catchphrase I gave him makes me happy EVERY TIME.

10/

Again, he was created by two of my favorites, the great Karl Kesel and Tom Grummett (you don't have to read very many of my comics to see I am constantly using their characters and concepts LIKE THE THIEF I AM). But I think we added some extra fun and sass. 11/

It's the fun thing about a shared universe. Everyone gripes and there are legitimate problems.

But it's damn fun to be part of a shared universe full of characters you love, and it's thrilling when something sticks, when it takes hold.

12/

This was just a bit of jabber, no big payoff, sorry.

But I do always think it's fun that, barring Birds of Prey, the weird little spin-off book starring absolutely no one became genuinely influential, somehow.

I don't get it, but I love it. :)

13/

Again, huge thank you to Dale, Nicola, and Jim, and all the other artists, it wouldn't have been a tenth as good without those particular talents.

Dang. Been missing the Six lately.

Anyway. Thanks for listening. Off to work!

end/

Oh!

PS.

Did you have a favorite member of the Secret Six? If so, who?

Oh, and PPS, I was never actually upset about the big guns being used, it's just how crossovers work. I was VERY happy with how Villains United turned out and DC and my editors were lovely the whole time.