BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS NO. 3
Published by DC Comics. Plot and script by Chuck Dixon. Pencils by Julian Lopez. Inks by Bit.
The Deal: It’s the third issue of the new Batman and The Outsiders series. The original series of the same name ran in the 1980s and was pretty damn cheesy — but I loved it. I have a soft spot for lame characters and BATO was filled with nothing but the lamest of the lame: folks like Halo, Katana, Metamorpho and other lovable losers. Well, now the comic is back — picking up slightly where the recently cancelled book called just The Outsiders (minus Batman) left off — with some new characters and some classic members from back in the day.
The Good: I think I’ve mentioned before that I’m a fan of writer Chuck Dixon. His style is easy-going and fast-paced, and it’s a real asset to BATO. This comic was originally supposed to be written by Tony Bedard, but he left the book before the first issue hit stands. As a result, I think Dixon has used the first few issues of the series to clear the deck and get his ideal group of characters together. So far I like his choices. He’s made the team more of a street level strike force with no Superman-type heavy hitters on tap. That’s smart because there should be a difference between the big guns in the JLA and this squad. OK, enough about the writing, let’s talk about the art: I haven’t seen much by Julian Lopez, but I like his stuff. He employs a graceful, elegant line and shows a great mastery of anatomy, storytelling, facial expressions and cinema-style “camera” angles. And his design work is also strong; I mean, the guy made Metamorpho look cool. His work is not bombastic, but give him a few years, and I can see him becoming a hot talent in the industry.
The Bad: The JLA guest-starred in one of the more pointless appearances I’ve ever seen by the group.
The Verdict: Hey, sue me … I like Metamorpho.
NEW X-MEN NO. 45
Published by Marvel Comics. Plot and script by Craig Lyle and Chris Yost. Pencils by Humberto Ramos. Inks by Carlos Cuevas.
The Deal: This is the eighth chapter of the X-Men’s big Messiah Complex crossover. The storyline follows the saga of the first mutant child born after the Scarlet Witch wiped out most of the mutants in the House of M limited series. And everyone — including most of the X-Men’s enemies and a few of the group’s friends — wants to get their hands on the kid … by any means necessary.
The Good: So far The Messiah Complex is pretty engrossing. Throw away the hate that many folks harbor for the X books and just judge the crossover on sheer drama, and this storyline definitely holds your attention. The script features a ton of twists and turns, and ultimately keeps you wondering how all this will play out in the end.
The Bad: OK, let’s put aside any talk about the artistic merits of this book’s creators for a second and just talk about the X-Men as a team of heroes: They are a bunch of chumps. I mean, these characters are the most inept group of super folk in the Marvel Universe. For all the time they spend training in the Danger Room, they get spanked whenever they face real danger in the field. And have you ever noticed that at least one of them gets killed every few months? What a bunch of pussies. OK, fanboy rant over … I don’t like the art in this issue. Humberto Ramos’ cartoony style really clashes with the hyper-violent and serious tone of the book. Plus, his work is so stylized, sometimes it hard to tell what’s actually happening in the panels.
The Verdict: Yeah, we’re all tired of the X books, but this story is pretty engrossing. I’ll stick around to see how many mutants become corpses by the end of the arc.
Reviewed materials furnished by Heroes Aren’t Hard To Find: www.heroesonline.com.
This article appears in Dec 26, 2007 – Jan 1, 2008.
