I started reading comics in the early 2000s, and one of the titles that stood out to me the most was Judd Winick’s run on Outsiders. It didn’t read like any other team book at the time; they weren’t paragons of virtue like the Justice League or dealing with adolescent hang-ups like the Teen Titans. These guys were just as likely to butt heads with each other as they were with the villains, not to mention that they were heroes who choose to seek out threats rather than waiting for them to happen.
In fact, the Outsiders may be the superhero team that’s evolved the most over the years. Whether it’s the short-lived Peter J. Tomasi run that saw them as globetrotting vigilantes or Bryan Hill’s recent Batman and the Outsiders series pitting the team against Ra’s al Gul, each incarnation of the Outsiders has its own distinct identity. Now, in Outsiders #1 by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly, Robert Carey, Valentina Taddeo, and Tom Napolitano, the axis has shifted once again.
Picking up after the Gotham War, Outsiders #1 has Luke Fox seek out Kate Kane aka Batwoman to join his new team of Outsiders. This isn’t your usual superhero team, however. It’s “self-funded, self-directed, and answering only to history”. That history? None other than the mysteries left behind after the various Crisis events that shaped the DC Universe. Their first mission: uncovering the missing members of an expedition that discovered something not of this world.
Lanzing and Kelly have been delivering some interesting takes on established comic properties throughout their writing career. They’ve propelled Terry McGinnis into a new era with Batman Beyond: Neo-Year, reforged Guardians of the Galaxy into a cosmic western and assembled an all-star crew in the new Star Trek series. With Outsiders, they pay homage to one of the more underrated corners of the DC Universe while also staying true to the core elements of the Outsiders: connections to Batman (mainly through Luke and Kate) as well as a mission statement that falls outside traditional superheroics. Not to mention the dynamic between Luke and Kate is engaging as hell. He’s the brains, she’s the brawn, and they’re both ready to leave Batman behind.
Keeping in line with the series’ sci-fi roots, Carey delivers a very sleek and futuristic art style. While Batwoman still sports her signature red and black costume, Luke is often shown in a slick white three piece suit. Other pages showcase technology that’s far beyond human comprehension – so much so that there’s an entire two page spread dedicated to a massive reveal. (When I say “massive”, I mean a deep cut that will shock longtime DC fans.) Taddeo’s colors provide a great contrast throughout; the shining golden light of the sun cuts across Gotham’s perpetually dark skyline, while an action sequence early in the book is broken up by blurs of red as Kate takes on an A.R.G.U.S squad. It makes for a very beautiful, action-packed book.
Outsiders #1 once again reinvents the dark horse DC team, bringing in elements of hard sci-fi along with some gorgeous artwork. If you’re looking for something different from the Batman line, or your superhero comics, you wouldn’t go wrong with this book. The ending, especially, hints at greater things to come.
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