Review: Reign In Hell #6

With the holiday behind us, it's time to get back to work.

Reign in Hell #6 was released on Christmas Eve, a somewhat ironic shipping date. You may recall that the only reason I am buying this mini is because Linda Danvers plays a part in it. I have little interest and only slight knowledge of the mystical characters in the DCU.

You also may recall that Linda has not appeared since an awkward couple of pages in Reign in Hell #1. So I will be honest, I have read the issues prior to this one but probably not as closely as I should have. I think I have reached the point in this mini-series where I need to pull out all the issues and read them as a whole.

The truth is a lot seems to happen with each issue but it seems a little 'all over the map'. Plus it is difficult to tell who is who much of the time as the armies of Purgatory and Hell both look similar. And frankly, I don't know if I 100% understand the reasoning behind the individual hero's desires to join the fray. All that said, this issue gets a full review ... Linda finally shows up again, albeit in the Doctor Occult back-up story.

As for the main story ... well a lot happens again. Some of it is noteworthy.

First off, Dr. Fate battles Lady Blaze and absolutely fries her, leaving her little more than a skeleton with meager flesh.

Ummm ... since she is on the Purgatory side does that mean Dr. Fate is fighting for Hell? Or should I simply treat this war as a free-for-all? I mean I guess I wouldn't want to be fighting for Neron or Satanus.


In perhaps the most vicious sequence, Zatanna takes on Lobo hoping to avenge the death of Zatara. She pulls no punches having her magic 'flay the skins from his bones' and more succinctly 'bleed'. Lobo never is able to get a hand on her, so he goes after her friends. Lobo goads Zatanna throughout the fight knowing she won't ever use a death spell on him.

Realizing at best this is a stalemate since she won't kill him, Zatanna freezes Lobo and takes off with her friends. Lobo vows revenge saying he will hunt her forever if he needs to. Interesting new dynamic there.

In the mean time, Satanus reveals his grand plan. While he does not state what his true objective is, he does dismiss his initial concept of remaking Hell into a place of redemption as folly.

He knew his troops would be routed by the forces of Hell. But they were only fodder while he pumped the underworld air with a viral mutagen which can revert demon to man (the result of reverse engineering his DMN drug from way back in the Superman comic). Satanus tricks Neron into a one-on-one fight. And when Neron gets close enough, Satanus triggers the virus with the key word 'Shazam' (nice touch there). Satanus knows that Neron's strength is solely based on the powers of the demons under him. When those demons suddenly become powerless men, Neron loses their power as well and reverts to a Gollum looking creature. Satanus declares victory and beheads Neron. Hell is now his!

Like I said, a lot always happens here. Sort of interesting developments here.

But onto the back story.

In the back up feature, Dr. Occult continues his search in Hell for Rose, the female soul which has been bonded with his. His guide is old Superboy villain the Yellow Peri.

Occult finds Rose as a leader in the resistance in Hell. Rose refuses to leave the fight and go with him.

Later, the three of them come across a hooded figure. Peri immediately calls her 'Fallen Angel' because of the smells of sorrow and regret. She does say that the being is not corrupted ... yet.

Of course, Linda had been the receptacle of one of the three Earth Angels in Peter David's Supergirl series. She was the Angel of Justice. She was later stripped of those powers which were given to the being Twilight. And David started a series called Fallen Angel which was purported to be (actually believed to be by me) the continuation of Linda's story. So having Peri call this being Fallen Angel struck a chord a bit.

The figure drops the cloak.

There she is .... Linda Danvers .... fiery angel wings and all!

Dr. Occult immediately calls her Supergirl and Linda answers 'Yes, no .... it's a long story'.

Well this is a far far cry from Didio saying Linda/Matrix was out of continuity earlier in 2008. Someone actually recognizes ... verifies ... that Linda was Supergirl!

I have not hidden the fact that I love the PAD Linda Danvers character. This little exchange thrilled me. It simply meant that those stories now matter in the big scheme of things. (They have always mattered to me.)

Linda seems a bit confused however. While Rose continues to rebuff Occult's pleas to join him, Linda keeps telling them she can help them in their causes.

But why is Linda there anyways? Remember, she was taken to Hell in issue #1 when Lilith culled all her agents on Earth.

Linda tells them that she was brought to Hell by Lilith to fight. But Linda did not know how she could have been one of Lilith's agents and so she simply ran.

Sounds a bit too easy, don't you think? Why would Lilith just let her run unless she wanted her to.

The decision gets made that Occult, Peri, and Linda need to get out of the fray and the best place to hide right then is in Purgatory. Rose leads the way.

I am completely conflicted with how I feel right now.

I love the Linda character. She was tainted by evil in an all too human way but continued to strive to improve herself and help her fellow man. She always tried to do what was truly right even if the results were occasionally disastrous. But she persevered, trying to do what was best only to suffer for it. Even in 'Many Happy Returns' when she is denied her happy life to save the universe, she does it despite the anguish it will cause her. She self-sacrifices. She is a hero.

For a long time I bemoaned the fact that DC wanted to sweep her under the rug. As a character she deserved better than that. But I also had the great fear that if someone else wrote her story they would fail her. That they would cheapen her, or make her have a Punisher-like personality, or (worst of all) make her evil. So while I desperately wanted to read more Linda, I also did not want her to come back either. Better her story remain perfect in my mind than be sullied.

And so now she is back. And for the moment I am happy.

But I have read rumors she is going to become the Queen of Hell. And, for sure, there is potential to make her evil in a less grandiose way. Peri says she hasn't been corrupted 'yet'. And if that happens ... if they make her evil, as a fan, I will be discouraged. And disappointed. And irate.

So let the Linda fans be vocal that a blasphemous fate be spared from her. But for now at least let's be happy that she is back.

Overall grade: C+