The creative team behind Outsiders hasn’t been shy about the influence that the original Wildstorm Universe, or to be more specific, Planetary has had on their work. From the structure of the team to the standalone nature of each issue, Planetary‘s shadow loomed large. With Outsiders #6, Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, Robert Carey, and Valentina Taddeo bring that influence into the life.
Twelve months ago, Lucius Fox had a life changing event that led him to forming the Outsiders and personally hiring the mysterious Drummer. After repairing the dimension-crossing Carrier, the Outsiders are thrown into a mysterious realm called “The Place Between Pages” where they encounter some familiar faces…and a few new ones. All the while, the Drummer’s secrets start coming to life.
Lanzing and Kelly are no strangers to the concept of metafiction. After all, Outsiders #3 featured a piece of reality dedicated to exploring the concept of Batman. With “The Place Between Pages” they take it further, imagining what happens to a hero’s story after it ends. Words like “Wednesday Warriors” and “Landmark Final Issue!” are delivered with immense gravity, which is intended to make the reader stop and think. That’s not even getting into the revelations surrounding the Drummer – they make sense and at the same time, open the floodgates to even more questions.
A tale that plays with the very nature of reality needs artists who are willing to play outside the box, and Carey delivers. One minute he draws the Carrier in all its massive glory, with Taddeo bathing the page in a eerie red light. The next, reality fades to white, literally overtaking the page before the Outsiders are greeted with the glow of a small suburban town. DC fans should keep their eyes out for some familiar faces, including a name from the Planetary days. Even Tom Napolitano gets in on the act with big bold letters that the characters actually react to.
Outsiders #6 once again breaks into the realm of metafiction, delivering some jaw-dropping revelations in the process. I might sound like a broken record at this point but it bears repeating: comics like these don’t come along that often and when they do, they’re worth a read.
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