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  1. #1
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    Default Given Batman's Popularity, Why Aren't His Outsiders Known in the Mainstream?

    Because Batman is the only A-Lister?

  2. #2
    Black Belt in Bad Ideas Robanker's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SecretWarrior View Post
    Because Batman is the only A-Lister?
    Nobody cares who is in the E street band. They're there for Springsteen. Same with the Outsiders, sadly. It's a shame, I think some of them are really neat.

  3. #3
    Astonishing Member LordMikel's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SecretWarrior View Post
    Because Batman is the only A-Lister?
    Cause they are not used in the mainstream?

    Batman with Adam West, never used.
    Batman the Animated Series. Never used. Or maybe one episode.
    None of the movies used the Outsiders.

    Why would anyone in the Mainstream know who the Outsiders are?
    I think restorative nostalgia is the number one issue with comic book fans.
    A fine distinction between two types of Nostalgia:

    Reflective Nostalgia allows us to savor our memories but accepts that they are in the past
    Restorative Nostalgia pushes back against the here and now, keeping us stuck trying to relive our glory days.

  4. #4
    Astonishing Member 9th.'s Avatar
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    It's because they aren't really in anything and if they appear it's separate.
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  5. #5

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    It's because they don't have an identity for themselves and whatever identity they take up is usually something that's been done better by other teams. The Outsiders started off as being about a group of 'outsiders' and characters who didn't want to be in the JLA. But Doom Patrol already does the outcast thing better than any other DCU team. A Bat Family based spy team or group of elite agents who travels around the world? Birds of Prey (which debuted after Outsiders) did that and was far more successful. Give the team to Nightwing? It just turns into a discount Titans team and becomes redundant when Dick starts leading the actual Titans team. Give it to Tim Drake? He already has Young Justice. Even Jason has the Outlaws which suits his character far better than any other team short of Suicide Squad. Also, I know this is personal preference and all but it never felt right to me to have characters like Black Lightning and Katana answer to Dick/Tim Drake since the former are technically the latter's seniors even if they are B-listers. Give the team to Green Arrow? The last time it was done, it could have been called anything but the Outsiders and the story would have still worked. Also, not a fan of GA getting hand-me-downs from Batman. GA already has stuff like Seven Soldiers and if you want to do a Green Arrow team you could probably do something based on the Merry Men from Robin Hood from which GA is already heavily influenced by.

    Plus, you know, Batman already has a huge family and they keep adding more to it with Batman's association to them being the only thing that keeps them relevant.

    Someone in the BL thread suggested giving the team to BL and I'm very much in support of the idea. Have Batman be the financier but have Pierce be front and center and running the show.

  6. #6
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    Because Brave and the Bold and Beware the Batman where the only shows to use the Outsiders before YJ and neither were very popular cartoons.

  7. #7
    Uncanny Member Digifiend's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by LordMikel View Post
    Cause they are not used in the mainstream?

    Batman with Adam West, never used.
    That's because the Batman and the Outsiders comic didn't launch until the 80s!
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  8. #8
    Mighty Member jb681131's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SecretWarrior View Post
    Because Batman is the only A-Lister?
    First off, they are not "his outsiders". They are originaly Nightwing's. So they are like far in the list of important characters to make popular.

  9. #9
    Mighty Member Iconic's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jb681131 View Post
    First off, they are not "his outsiders". They are originaly Nightwing's. So they are like far in the list of important characters to make popular.
    Say what now?

    The Outsiders began in 1983 with Batman. Nightwing didn’t join until the 2000’s.

  10. #10
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    Unlike other Batman related titles such as Batman, Detective Comics, Legends and so on.

    Along with Nightwing, Tim Drake's Robin run, Babs Batgirl run and Catwoman.


    The 1983-86 Batman and the Outsiders did not see their first trade until 2017.

    Nightwing's version would have been the first version anybody saw in trade.


    Followed by the Batman version in 2007.

    The name has been used in outside media but only ONE time has it been the 1983 team.

  11. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by LordMikel View Post
    Cause they are not used in the mainstream?

    Batman with Adam West, never used.
    Batman the Animated Series. Never used. Or maybe one episode.
    None of the movies used the Outsiders.

    Why would anyone in the Mainstream know who the Outsiders are?
    Quote Originally Posted by Digifiend View Post
    That's because the Batman and the Outsiders comic didn't launch until the 80s!
    Great. Now I'm itching for a 60's themed 'Batman and the Outsiders'.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by jb681131 View Post
    First off, they are not "his outsiders". They are originaly Nightwing's. So they are like far in the list of important characters to make popular.
    That is not correct:
    Image.jpg

    To the OP: Because the Outsiders have been a off-and-on again element of Batman, and were created to be separate from him. DC used Batman to help launch a title intended to imiate the New Teen Titans (then DC's biggest seller) formula, and then dropped him from the title once it was thought they could make it on their own.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by John Venus View Post
    It's because they don't have an identity for themselves and whatever identity they take up is usually something that's been done better by other teams. The Outsiders started off as being about a group of 'outsiders' and characters who didn't want to be in the JLA.
    It was more about doing stuff that the JLA can't do. But the core problem with that is that imo that most of the characters are not really suited for that mission statement.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by SecretWarrior View Post
    Because Batman is the only A-Lister?
    Simple, because the roster has historically always been changing so it's hard to put an identifyible face to the team. (Ie the most notable original members, Black Lightning, Katana, have gone long stretches without being on the team)

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Outsiders_members

  15. #15
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    They're an aspect of Batman's history that is rarely used in cartoons, games, movies, or toys. The only thing I recall that was doing anything with them was Beware the Batman, which specifically focused on aspects of Batman's history that are rarely used in cartoons and such. And I don't think Beware the Batman ever got to the point where the Outsiders actually became a thing.

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