The Demon’s Head Rises In Batman & The Outsiders #2
by Tony Thornley
The Outsiders have barely started their mission and they’ve already been drawn into the orbit of the Dark Knight’s greatest adversary. Can they survive Ra’s al Ghul and the League of Assassins?
Bryan Hill, Dexter Soy, Veronica Gandini, and Clayton Cowles throw the Outsiders into the fire in this issue.
Batman briefs Black Lightning on the mission ahead. The team finds themselves in a race against the League of Assassins to rescue the young metahuman Sofia. Can they keep her out of the hands of the League or will their inexperience be their own undoing?
Hill’s story moves quickly, racing through the plot efficiently, while giving the important beats the time they need. He also takes the time to create some interesting new characters, especially Sofia, who quickly moves from MacGuffin to an interesting person that we care about. He hits the big beats perfectly too, with the team’s arrival to save Sofia being a major highlight.
Soy and Gandini show off their action chops in this issue. Soy goes all out, with building tension thanks to his layouts, pacing the chase then fight perfectly. He uses panels of varying sizes and placement to draw you in, then move your eyes across the page, while choreographing the figures in exciting action. Gandini’s colors put us in the middle of it all, truly bringing the story to life.
This was an exciting kick off for the team’s mission, and I’m excited to see where it goes from here.
Batman & The Outsiders #2 is available now from DC Comics.
