DC is set to make a grand discovery in the pages of the publisher’s new “Outsiders” #1! This brand new series is looking to follow in the footsteps of legendary DC Comic books like “Planetary.” In fact, our new team of “Outsiders” are even sporting their own Drummer as introduced in the “Planetary” comic book. Will writers Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly be able to achieve the heights of Warren Ellis on the main series? Do artists Robert Carey and Valentina Taddeo hold a chance at crafting a comic book with the wonder of “Planetary” artist John Cassaday? Find out in our band new review for “Outsiders” #1 reintroducing a brand new status quo for Luke Fox and Kate Kane as Batwoman in the DC Universe!
Cover by Roger CruzWritten by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly
Illustrated by Robert Carey
Colored by Valentina Taddeo
Lettered by Tom NapolitanoEXPLORE THE FORGOTTEN CORNERS OF DC’S MULTIVERSE WITH BATWOMAN AND LUKE FOX! A universe of secrets is about to come to light. Batman protects Gotham City from evil. Batman Inc. protects the rest of the known world. But what of the unknown world? What of the ancient evils in hidden tombs and forgotten tragedies from a magic-and-mad-science fueled super-heroic century? Using his fortune, Luke Fox launches a new organization dedicated to shining light into the world’s darkest corners. His first recruit: Kate Kane, the Batwoman—who will re-embrace her military background to protect Luke’s dream and encounter every bit of strangeness the DCU has to offer. And just wait until you meet the Third Man…or learn what universe-shattering secret they’ve discovered buried under Antarctica. Outsiders is the return of comic book archaeology, digging into all the forgotten corners of DC’s history to preserve, record, and better understand the true nature of the DC Multiverse…and the forgotten stories that make up its fabric.
“Outsiders” opens with Kate Kane sifting through rubble, contemplating about the end of Catwoman and Batman’s vicious ‘Gotham War.’ Lanzing and Kelly introduce arresting text pieces on the page teasing Amanda Waller’s presence in the issue. The carefully framed first page of “Outsiders” teases the introduction of Luke Fox. Kate and Luke have tense, personal dialogue that allows them to craft a close relationship early in the narrative. Hearing Luke pitch the idea of the archeology-based “Outsiders” to Kate almost served as a way for Luke to speak directly with readers to show how this superhero team is different. Kate quickly establishes her role as the bad cop on the “Outsiders.” Kate makes her personality clear when she takes a crack at how she would have joined the team quicker if Lucius recruited her. Kate even tries to leave Luke hanging before she reluctantly joins the team. While I think Luke’s pitch to Kate was a great way to kick off the issue, I hope future chapters explore more of the rules and scope behind this fascinating “Outsiders” team in more depth.
Artist Robert Carey is perfect at crafting the tense emotion between Luke and Kate over in the first scene. Carey draws a tense Kate that juxtaposes nicely with the confident demeanor from Luke. The Drummer carries a dejected personality that is captured through the twisting and turning of the drum sticks and cold, disparate dialogue in the narrative. When Carey shows our team operating together late in the issue, the choice to emphasize Luke’s smile and The Drummer’s eyes tease out the fascinating dynamic in “Outsiders” #1 with a bold artistic vision. The blue and red colors introduced towards the sequence with The Bleedsafe Protocols from Valentina Taddeo also showed the incredible artistic scope on “Outsiders.” The last few pages show off the full scope of what Carey has to offer in terms of the architecture. There’s a vast panel featuring a garage opening up that obscures The Drummer’s face in this fascinating, post-modern aesthetic. When Carey switches locations later in the issue, there’s a great artistic shift, featuring Kate in a different costume. Carey is also surprisingly adept at drawing serene expressions when Luke and Kate get to know each other better towards the end of the chapter. The last page of “Outsiders” #1 is framed incredibly well as readers are teased with several disparate elements on the page before Carey reveals an object that serves as the cliffhanger. It’s refreshing to see “Outsiders” rely on visual elements instead of having the main cast speak the narrative to readers.
Continued belowThe mysterious second half of “Outsiders” #1 capitalized on plot details instead of continuing to emphasize characterization. The archeological aspects of “Outsiders” are captured in lots of detail here with massive objects introducing sprawling locations. The tense, political conversations between Luke and Lucius also flesh out an additional dimension for “Outsiders” that shows just how carefully the creative team has thought through the premise of the series. The final panel in “Outsiders” #1 expands the scope of the series in a way that should excite longtime DC Comic Book readers. Lanzing and Kelly already have an excuse to bring on more Batman-adjacent heroes that may already know Kate and Luke in future chapters of “Outsiders.” The second half of “Outsiders” is also slightly disjointed by all the different narrators and speakers in the scenes. Hopefully upcoming titles will make the science elements more clear to readers.
Getting a DC Comic book focused on Batman-adjacent cast members to carry the torch of “Planetary” was not on my bucket list. It is also nearly impossible to say that “Outsiders” can live up to “Planetary” from just one issue. However, the character interactions and science-fiction backdrop of this series is intoxicating. I’m in awe of how much restraint writers Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly wrote into this narrative. Robert Carey’s line is expressive and detailed, making sure to emphasize the strange situations this team finds themselves in throughout “Outsiders.” The odd pieces of dialogue from The Drummer helped “Outsiders” #1 exceed my high expectations.
Final Verdict: 8.3 – “Outsiders” #1 utilizes clever dialogue to launch an ambitious new series.
