I
enjoyed the original Outsiders, as presented by Mike W. Barr and Jim Aparo in
the early 1980s. There’s always been a bit of a consistency with the team’s
many iterations, and that continues here. But mostly what is offered here is
action, and plenty of it.
The
Outsiders have been tasked with protecting a young woman, and when the attack
comes, it requires all their collective skills and abilities to ensure her
safety. But is even that enough to safeguard her from one of the DCU’s more
powerful villains? He’s been off-stage for far too long, and it’s a joy to see him
here, ready to re-enter Batman’s life and turn it into a living hell.
The dialogue
is entertaining, as each character clearly has their own voice. That’s often a
challenge in the written word, and some writers have specific voices in their
heads when they write; Kevin Conroy or Mark Hamill, for example. But it’s a
greater challenge to create that voice and present it effectively, which Bryan Hill accomplishes here.
I’m curious
to see how Hill develops the individual Outsiders. He will likely have a
fully-formed template for his Batman to follow, but the other members of the team
are a bit more free-form, and open to broader interpretation. This could be an
opportunity for them to grow into higher-profile characters.
Rating:
8/10