OUTSIDERS by Collin Kelly & Jackson Lanzing in November

[Mantis-Ray]

I'm pretty sure Captain Atom Armageddon is a better read than this, and that book was basically Atom schooling the entire Wildstorm universe on what it means to be a real hero.

All things considered its most likely just a thing with Lanzing and Kelly specifically. From what I recall this book is essentially their baby, something they really wanted to do so a lot of the flaws here is squarely on their ability as writers.

[M@Bowers2014]

I just read #2-4 over the weekend and I've got to say I'm enjoying this book. I don't think it will last too much longer but I plan on enjoying while I can.

[Bat-Meal]

I just read #2-4 over the weekend and I've got to say I'm enjoying this book. I don't think it will last too much longer but I plan on enjoying while I can.

The series is almost at the halfway point - it's a 12 issue limited. Yeah, I'm entertained enough to keep going with it, but it's not exactly a quality take on the characters.

Anyway, I'm posting the preview for #5 here:

[Bat-Meal]

So, I hope all these villains don't now know that Kate and Luke are Batwoman and Batwing. But this series seems unconcerned with secret identities, so I guess it would have no lasting effect.

[Bat-Meal]

First review is in: https://aiptcomics.com/2024/03/12/outsiders-5-review/

[Mantis-Ray]

There is a huge irony that for how critical this series is of superheroes, the actual stars here are completely ineffectual and reduced to just yelling out threats while a bunch of monsters engage in the sadistic mass murder of innocents without any form of consequence.

Luke especially is pretty much a joke here, manipulated for the protection of his life cause otherwise he would have died on his own.

[Frontier]

I feel like Kelly and Lanzing want you to think they're writing a smarter, more creative, more intellecual book than they actually are.

[The Cool Thatguy]

There is a huge irony that for how critical this series is of superheroes, the actual stars here are completely ineffectual and reduced to just yelling out threats while a bunch of monsters engage in the sadistic mass murder of innocents without any form of consequence.

Luke especially is pretty much a joke here, manipulated for the protection of his life cause otherwise he would have died on his own.

To be fair, they did state that all the monster encounters were willing/consensual but yeah, still kinda dumb

[Bat-Meal]

Okay, so this whole party invitation was because spoilers:

Nocturna wanted to show off her baby to Kate and ask her to help raise him - I'm guessing her reasoning is because being a single parent is hard and Kate is a hero-type so maybe she'll change diapers and stuff. And unsurprisingly Kate isn't interested in helping her abuser raise a kid and play happy family.

end of spoilers.

I found it kinda funny actually.

Meanwhile Luke spoilers:

inadvertently gets rescued by a monster whom he thought was a child that he was rescuing. Because he hasn't been made to look incompetent enough in this series yet I guess, so it had to be done again. But what a friendly monster to save him, so some of them are nice.

end of spoilers

And as for Drummer, oh I can't be bothered thinking about that one too much right now. On the plus side it looks like Kate has gone back to Gotham temporarily, story-wise at least.

[Oberon]

So, I hope all these villains don't now know that Kate and Luke are Batwoman and Batwing. But this series seems unconcerned with secret identities, so I guess it would have no lasting effect.

I'm having these collected for me at my comic shop that my aging (68) body won't drive to every week ('bout 13 miles in another town)

I love this art I'm seeing. I kinda dropped out of Batwoman way back during the first Nocturna storyline. Just seemed not to be my thing.

And I actually love vampires.

Anyway, my only regret is of course.

Kate doesn't consider Bette a friend?
I know, different writers, plotters, etc.

At least I don't have the baggage re: Planetary, which I've never read and know little of.

I just have Bette Baggage.

[Bat-Meal]

Kate doesn't consider Bette a friend?
I know, different writers, plotters, etc.

Bette
Jean-Paul
Renee
Maggie
Bruce
Dick
Babs
Tim
Cass
etc

I mean, according to past comics even that stupid Wolf-Spider guy is supposed to be Kate's friend. Also according to this series - Kate's drinking problem is back and she sulked in the corner during Luke's last birthday party.

So I wouldn't worry about Bette being excluded here - it's meaningless in the grander scheme.

[Oberon]

Bette
Jean-Paul
Renee
Maggie
Bruce
Dick
Babs
Tim
Cass
etc

I mean, according to past comics even that stupid Wolf-Spider guy is supposed to be Kate's friend. Also according to this series - Kate's drinking problem is back and she sulked in the corner during Luke's last birthday party.

So I wouldn't worry about Bette being excluded here - it's meaningless in the grander scheme.

No, thanks for that. I realize I seem to carry a torch for Flamebird, pun intended, that won't be put out.

Since I don't have a big profile of reading with the overall Bat-verse I just take it as it is. But I guess I'd chalk it up to figure of speech, heat of the moment thing.

Even without my true flamey love, Flamebird, shouldn't the Outsiders have more members. What do they have 3?

[tabo61]

Kate vs Nocturna round three.

[Bat-Meal]

Kate vs Nocturna round three.

It wasn't really so much a versus as a conversation and a flat-out rejection. For some reason a number of different writers seem to like the idea of Nocturna being obsessed with Kate. She's becoming more than a little stalker-ish, without actually doing the stalking part.

[Bat-Meal]

Even without my true flamey love, Flamebird, shouldn't the Outsiders have more members. What do they have 3?

The writing team stated early on that it'll just be the 3. But the team is misnamed anyway - apparently Editorial didn't want them to use the Outsiders name because it is literally a different team that has nothing to do with this one, but the writers insisted so they let them have their way.