"Metamorpho and Remac dead. Darkseid trying to remake the whole damn world in his image. Justifiers. Anti-Life. Batman… dead…"
With the exception of this line above, the BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS Special is a success. Hell, I'm as surprised as you! After many months of the DiDio imposed identity crisis, BATO takes some positive steps towards re-affirming its individuality. Although artificially concerned with the absence of The Batman, this issue really goes some way to establishing the new line-up of The Outsiders as being a relevant and engaging group of B-Listers and misfits.
Centered around Alfred's attempts to reform the group at the behest of a recording of Batman, triggered in the event of his death, this one-shot manages to give a focus to the proceedings which we have not experienced for some time. The jump off point is certainly still "What Would Gotham Do Without Batman?" but the execution surpasses the workaday drudgery of that proposition with a series of intriguing introductions which place the spotlight where it should be: on The Outsiders and not on BATMAN, R.I.P. or FINAL CRISIS.
The re-arranged line-up for now looks attractive. Metamorpho returning was no big surprise but a welcome confirmation nonetheless. The Creeper and a well judged display of his manic energy leads into thoughts of filling the personality vacuum. His sincere, unapologetic tomfoolery is what rests at the heart of BATO, not the sour melodrama of coma-victims and their ensemble of paper thin characterizations. For the first time in many months I feel an outright sense of optimism for this title again.
The artwork and layout is beautiful throughout, imbuing every panel with detail and charm. What's more important there is a much needed feeling that something of worth is actually happening within the world of The Outsiders. To be frank, THE OUTSIDERS -- as a title -- doesn't need Batman. The potential of the characters, standing on their own two feet is very possibly more than it was when Batman was hanging around with a stubble face, and clasped wrist in hand action. It is certainly greater without having to worry itself with how it contradicts those elements of Batman which were driven by his mortality.
THE OUTSIDERS ironically, in the midst of the FINAL CRISIS fallout feels freer to pursue its own ends than it did when R.I.P. was calling the shots. This newfound purpose speaks well in spite of the shameful solipsism of FINAL CRISIS and not because of it. THE OUTSIDERS should not be beholden to any free-loading house guest who replaces the food in the fridge with High Concepts, ever again.
A sense of dread comes over me when I consider what Batman's mission for THE OUTSIDERS may involve but I know that if executed as well as this special issue, and if it utilizes the re-arranged Outsiders to the absolute of their potential then we could truly be witnessing a “New Beginning.”
One by one the guests arrive
The guests are coming through
The broken-hearted many
The open-hearted few
And no one knows where the night is going.... - Leonard Cohen, The Guests from Recent Songs (1979)
Paul Casey has been contributing to music sites for the past four years with considerable success.
His work has been featured on Jon Hunt and John Lane's legendary resource for The Beach Boys' lost album "Smile," The Smile Shop, which morphed into a broader Sunshine Pop/Rare Music Site following the release of Brian Wilson's "Smile" in 2004.
Although specialising in music, Paul Casey has a keen interest in the world of comic books.
"Paul Casey writes for FOURPERCENTPANTOMINE.COM.
He resides in his house.
BATMAN ON FILM, © 1998-present William E. Ramey. All rights reserved.
BATMAN AND ALL RELATED CHARACTERS AND ELEMENTS ARE TRADEMARKS OF AND © DC COMICS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
FROM DC COMICS: "Spinning out of 'Batman R.I.P.' and 'DC UNIVERSE: LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT,' this special features the birth of a new era for the Outsiders and is a perfect entry point for past and present readers alike. 'FINAL CRISIS' has changed the universe forever and though Batman may be gone, his legacy must endure. Forces are set in motion that give rise to a new team ready to combat the secret evil that the Outsiders were truly formed for all those years ago. Is Geo-Force the best leader? Or will Black Lightning prove to be a challenger? Plus, the introduction of a never-before-seen character important to the Batman mythos!"