Dream A Little Batty Dream: Reviewing ‘Outsiders’ #3

Do Batmen dream of Bat-sheep? Of course not, silly, they obviously dream about a multiversal sad boy convention of Batmen. That’s just, like, common knowledge.

Strap in to really take a trip outside as Outsiders #3 shows you what dreams of caped crusaders are made from. A wild, dark, dangerous, and fun story from Colin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing, Robert Carey, Valentina Taddeo, and Tom Napolitano.

My feelings about how overdone Batman is as a character — especially in the comics — are very well known. DC leans too hard on the character, to his and others’ detriment, churning out a billion titles a month that range from really amazing to fine with many lost in the churn. Much like a certain surly loner over at the other publisher, he’s also a guest star space hog who can take over other folk’s books too easily.

Yet, when creators find an inspired way to use the cowled one, I’m all on board. That’s what Kelly and Lanzing did here.

A multiversal space where all the dreaming Batmen meet up, brood, glower, and discuss their Batman business is just flipping awesome. Of course, Batman would have figured out a way to do something like that, finding a way to still do Batman stuff even while asleep. That dude is relentless with the mission.

There are plenty of little Easter eggs, but most of it is just solid, wild character beats. Each Batman feels distinct and fully formed, their voices just working. It sticks to the idea that this book is about exploring the unknown realms of the universe (and beyond) while poking at how much Batman is still intrinsically linked to these characters. No matter how much they think they are distancing themselves.

Much of the distinctiveness comes from the artwork, as Carey seems to be having the absolute pinnacle of fun. All the costumes are peak and no two Batmen are alike, even if they are close. There is an inherent roughness present in how Carey presents his work, which fits this dark, dangerous mind space and the book’s mission. Many of the framing choices enhance the moment and play into the unpredictable nature of dreams and the mind of someone like Batman.

It works great with Taddeo’s colors, which are almost watercolor-like in some spaces. Many of them are toned-down, almost neutral in levels, bringing their own rough sharpness into play. Bits and pieces, like those on costumes, are where the bits of vibrancy come into play. Being a space full of Batmen means lots of shadows and darkness. Never are they overbearing or overwhelming, just smoothly bringing that dark tone while working in tandem with the lighter elements.

Tons of Batmen means lots of voices, and room for Napolitano to get even more creative. Each voice has its unique bits, colors, fonts, or bubble choices. Allowing these voices to naturally grow and be played out distinctly within our minds.

Outsiders #3 is now available from DC Comics.