When I think of “Outsiders,” I think of a team put together by Batman to deal with threats outside of Gotham. But, that role is now taken by Batman, Inc., and beyond that generally having a “Bat” theme in the characters, the mission feels a bit similar. But, what about what’s unknown? The weird? That’s where this new Outsiders comes in, with Outsiders #1 planting a big flag and opening up worlds of possibilities.
Luke Fox is on a mission. His goal is to build a new organization to deal with the weird and dark corners of what’s out there. For that, he needs to build a team and the first recruit is Kate Kane… Batwoman. But, there’s actually another member already and their first mission is to deal with something buried under Antarctica. What’s buried there is a corner of DC… really Wildstorm’s… history.
Written by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly, Outsiders #1 is a lot of fun and an intriguing start. The trio of the team each bring a very solid aspect that makes this one to watch out for in the future and delivers a dynamic that feels a bit different than what else is out there. Overall, it kind of feels a bit X-Files but with superheroes, and that’s not a bad thing at all.
But, the biggest aspect is what’s teased throughout the issue and revealed at the end. The comic may be an re-introduction to some classic Wildstorm properties that have lingered in the DC vault. With the recent WildC.A.T.S. and Zealot’s inclusion in Birds of Prey, it’s clear DC is dusting off these characters and properties and figuring out how to integrate them properly in the DCU. But, that’s also a negative because if you don’t know what’s teased the impact isn’t quite as exciting. Still, it takes a fun debut issue and boosts it to the next level.
The art by Robert Carey is solid with color by Valentina Taddeo and lettering by Tom Napolitano. What’s key about Outsiders #1, beyond the action, is the scope of size of what’s discovered. The team really nails that down well giving us a feeling of just how tiny the characters are compared to where they are and in many ways it feels like a message that these characters are infinitesimal compared to the missions they’re about to undertake and world they’re about to dive in to. I’ll question why Kate’s snow gear has a cape, but beyond that, the designs and visuals are great taking us from varied locations and with varied characters, into a world that feels cohesive. The comic starts in a warzone but ends in an alien ship and it all feels like the same world.
Outsiders #1 is a fun start that delivers a dose of sci-fi superhero action. It teases a lot to come that may be a huge addition or shakeup to the DC Universe, but we’ll see how it all plays out. Until then, it’s a debut comic that’s a lot of fun and delivers a beginning that feels grand in its scope and ideas.
Story: Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly Art: Robert Carey
Color: Valentina Taddeo Letterer: Tom Napolitano
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy
DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: TFAW – Zeus Comics – Kindle
