What is better Secret Six or Suicide Squad?

[John Venus]

Hard to pick since each one serves a different purpose and need.

Suicide Squad are super villains chosen by the government for dangerous missions in exchange for reduced sentences and if they step out of line they get their head blown off.

Secret Six is a logical spin off of Suicide Squad; a group of villains who broke off from the Squad and do hired gigs on their own terms while only having each other to rely on.

One of them like being under contract and the other is like being a freelancer.

[John Venus]

Random thought: Harley might work better on the Secret Six character than with the Suicide Squad.

[The Cool Thatguy]

Hard to pick since each one serves a different purpose and need.

Suicide Squad are super villains chosen by the government for dangerous missions in exchange for reduced sentences and if they step out of line they get their head blown off.

Secret Six is a logical spin off of Suicide Squad; a group of villains who broke off from the Squad and do hired gigs on their own terms while only having each other to rely on.

One of them like being under contract and the other is like being a freelancer.

In fairness, the Six didn't break off from the squad, but other villains.

Man, I miss The Society...

[John Venus]

I should have clarified; they are a spin off of the concept of the Suicide Squad. Like how Harley is a spin off of the Jester concept.

[DrNewGod]

I really can't pick between the two. There is some irony in both are retoolings of earlier, less successful non-super team concepts.

[The Cool Thatguy]

I should have clarified; they are a spin off of the concept of the Suicide Squad. Like how Harley is a spin off of the Jester concept.

I still have to disgree. DC's a little better when it comes to giving their villains their own book. The Secret Society of Supervillains had a book for a while, as did Joker.

The Secret Six really are what should be a natural concept in comics, supervillain mercs.

Gail Simone is an excellent writer most times, but I feel that her plots kept coming back to the usual 'teammate turns traitor' or 'employer betrays them'.

And yes, I'm aware that betrayal comes with the turf, just not every damn time.

[MajorHoy]

NOTE: This thread was originally started back in April 2016.

---------------------------------------

With 64 people having voted,

* Secret Six = 39 votes
* Suicide Squad = 25 votes

[Nyssane]

Secret Six had Catman, so...

[Rincewind]

1. Suicide Squad by John Ostrander
2. Secret Six
3. Suicide Squad by anyone other than Ostrander

[SJNeal]

It's really a testament to... something (I have no idea what) that the Suicide Squad has been in constant publication for so many years now, despite most runs being mediocre to crap.

[MajorHoy]

NOTE: This thread was originally started back in April 2016.

---------------------------------------

With 75 people having voted,

* Secret Six = 46 votes
* Suicide Squad = 29 votes

[Kaijudo]

I picked Suicide Squad because the concept it ultimately stronger (I thought Secret Six was best with the characters being on the run from someone pursuing them), but in the end it boils down to line-up and creative team for me. I think the Ostrander run of Suicide Squad is all-but untouchable, but following that Secret Six usually has the advantage over subsequent Squad line-ups/creatives. At least until the New 52 Secret Six, where (as with most things New 52) the bending over backwards to make it feel "new" and "fresh" did itself a disservice, with a line-up that paled in comparison to what came before. Then the "better/worse" ratio between the two gets muddy.

[EmeraldGladiator]

as a premise i think the Suicide Squad is one of the best in comics. but Gail's first Secret Six run was amazing and there have been many poorly written Suicide Squad series over the years. but i'd say overall The Suicide Squad is superior since the current Secret Six hasn't been able to capture the magic of the first run.

This Gail's first run on Secret Six was magic and it is easier to ignore the other worse versions of the Secret Six thani it is to ignore the many crappy versions of Suicide Squad.

[Factor]

It's really a testament to... something (I have no idea what) that the Suicide Squad has been in constant publication for so many years now, despite most runs being mediocre to crap.

It’s a testament to the fact that they have movies about them and they’re a vehicle for more Harley content lol.
The team was sadly in limbo for a LONG time before they relaunched the book with Harley as a member to create synergy.
Prior to Flashpoint, Secret Six had an ongoing while the Squad only got a Blackest Night revival for one issue.

The irony is that they took the Squad out of limbo only to completely miss what made Ostrander’s run so good.
Secret Six at least maintained more consistency because both series were written by Gail Simone (even though the first one was still better).

[The Cool Thatguy]

This Gail's first run on Secret Six was magic and it is easier to ignore the other worse versions of the Secret Six thani it is to ignore the many crappy versions of Suicide Squad.

Agreed.

Honestly, the first run of the Squad was excellent, and I'm hard pressed to think of a decent one since.

Probably because John O understood pulling back on the grim and gritty.