Outsiders

• Title: Batman & the Outsiders #16
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Bryan Edward Hill
• Artist: Dexter Soy

The story 16 issues in the making finally arrives as the Outsiders face Ra’s al Ghul who plans to unleash his new weapon on the world. In “The Demon’s Fire, Finale,” Batman leads the Outsiders into battle but it’s two of the team’s members who steal the show. First, Orphan mops the floor with the League of Assassins and Black Lightning flexes his enhanced powers against the Demon’s Head who offers Jefferson the opportunity to be a hero to a greater world.

I don’t know that any payoff would be worth such a wait, but Batman & the Outsiders #16 does deliver the conflict teased since the launch of the series. The real question, now that Ra’s has been beaten (for now), is what happens to the Outsiders?

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• Title: Batman & the Outsiders #14
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Bryan Edward Hill
• Artist: Dexter Soy

It’s taken a year, but Batman & the Outsiders #14 finally puts Batman in the field with the team (or at least some of them) as Batman takes the super-powered Black Lightning, Katana, and Sofia Ramos into the field for a sneak attack on one of Ra’s al Ghul‘s base in hopes of both blooding the nose of the Demon’s Head and finding a clue to the location of his doomsday weapon.

Not willing to wait for Batman to catch-up, Lady Shiva takes Orphan and Signal into the field to apply some pressure to see if her team can find the location of Ra’s and his weapon quicker.

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• Title: Batman & the Outsiders #13
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Bryan Edward Hill
• Artist: Gleb Melnikov

The fight against Ra’s al Ghul and the League of Assassins continues in Batman & the Outsiders #13 with a guest-appearance by the Martian Manhunter (helping explain the alien technology that Ra’s has under his control and how he plans to use it to bend the world to his will) and a new artist in Gleb Melnikov. Melnikov’s art is terrific here, particularly the scenes featuring the Dark Knight Detective who is going to need the Outsiders to up their game if they have any chance against the League.

The verbal fencing between Katana and Lady Shiva becomes actual fencing as Katana picks a fight with the world’s deadliest assassin in hopes of prying her away from Cassandra and Signal. As plans go, I’ve seen better.

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• Title: Batman & the Outsiders #11
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Bryan Edward Hill
• Artist: Dexter Soy

The Outsiders battle the minions of Ra’s al Ghul in Batman & the Outsiders #11 as the sudden arrival of Katana, Signal and Orphan helps Black Lightning and Lady Shiva even the odds against Ra’s soldiers. There’s a fair bit of action here involving several members of the team battling various villains including Kaliber and Karma but there are also some nice smaller moments between mother and daughter as Shiva’s plan to get closer to her daughter appears to be working.

The comic also features some scenes between Batman and Sofia Ramos who the Dark Knight Detective helps make some decisions concerning the face she wants to show to the world and the symbol she wishes to become. Batman also offers a few words of wisdom about who Ra’s al Ghul is and about the similarities between himself and the Demon’s Head.

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