Batman and the Outsiders #1: Critical Analysis

Over the next few days, I'm gonna be posting a page-by-page analysis of Batman and the Outsiders #1 (and by analysis, I mean snarky jokes, of course) because I figure I can justify my purchase of the Showcase Presents collection if I post about it enough. Now it wouldn't be true to say that Outsiders is the worst team book ever. Just the presence of Jim Aparo on pencils and inks takes away THAT title, but there's plenty to dislike.

And note that I'm going through the stories in the same order as the Showcase, so while the Outsiders first appeared in one of those preview book inserts (in Brave and the Bold #200), that story actually occurs fourth from the characters' point of view.

So ok, let's start with that cover. It's a classic split-down-the-middle cover à la Flash of Two Worlds, and that always works for me, but we're off on the wrong foot if you want us to like these guys. Don't raise yourself up by bringing the other guys down, man!Of course considering that this is the Gerry Conway JLA, Batman may just be in the right to say the team sucks. Elongated Man was always more or less a joke. Superman and Wonder Woman were heading for a major reboot in about 4 years, the Flash was going to wind up dead, and Firestorm was... well, Firestorm. But "two-bit"? That's pretty harsh.

But what's interesting is the equivalence between the two teams. Who is Batman replacing with who here? Is Metamorpho a proxy for Elongated Man or Firestorm? Katana must be Wonder Woman (ethnically-derived woman warrior), Black Lightning must be the Flash (same symbol), and Geo-Force must be Superman (laughably, but they're the jeunes premiers with all the muscles). That leaves Halo, who is obviously closer to Firestorm (multiple identities and blaster powers), which yeah, equates the coolest character there with the lamest on the other side.

The New DC... There's no stopping us now. So don't even think about it.