Outsiders, Vol. 2: Sum of All Evil

Outsiders (2003)

by Judd Winick

OUTSIDERS, a new super-hero team created by Green Arrow's former sidekick, Arsenal, is a proactive force against the villains of the world. This team of battle-tested veterans and inexperienced rookies includes Thunder, the density-controlling daughter of Balck Lighting; Shift, a shape-shifting elemental man; Grace, a super-strong female bouncer; Indigo, a futuristic cyborg girl; Jade, the powerfull girlfriend of Green Lantern; and Nightwing, the former Robin the Boy Wonder. SUM OF ALL EVIL finds the Outsiders facing a literal demon from Hell. Can even the extra help from Huntress, Captain Marvel Junior and Black Lighting be enough to stop this evil threat? And, if that weren't enough, the return of the Fearsome Five will wreak havoc on the team

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Dc Comics, Comic Book, Superheroes, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction

144 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2004

About the author

Judd Winick is an American cartoonist, comic book writer, screenwriter, and former reality television personality known for his diverse contributions to storytelling across multiple media. He first entered the public eye in 1994 as a cast member on The Real World: San Francisco, where he formed a close friendship with AIDS educator Pedro Zamora, an experience that deeply influenced his later work. Winick memorialized their bond in Pedro and Me, a critically acclaimed autobiographical graphic novel that earned several literary awards and became a staple in school curricula.

Winick's career in comics took off with The Adventures of Barry Ween, Boy Genius and continued with major runs at DC Comics, including Green Lantern, Green Arrow, and Batman. His stories often explored socially relevant themes, such as HIV, homophobia, and identity. He was recognized for introducing gay characters and tackling difficult subjects with empathy and clarity. His work on Batman notably included resurrecting the character Jason Todd as the Red Hood, a storyline later adapted into the animated film Batman: Under the Red Hood, for which Winick wrote the screenplay.

Beyond comics, he created The Life and Times of Juniper Lee for Cartoon Network and served as head writer for Hulu's The Awesomes. In 2015, he launched the Hilo series, an all-ages sci-fi adventure inspired by his own children. The bestselling series has been widely praised and is expected to reach its eleventh volume in 2025.

Winick lives in San Francisco with his wife, Pam Ling, also a Real World alum, and their two children. He continues to create heartfelt and imaginative stories for audiences of all ages.

Reviews

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Outsiders are starting to come together as a team, but is the leader lacking the emotion needed to run it safely?

So with the last mission going bad and nearly losing a team member, things aren't going exactly the way Nightwing wants. The first half of this deals with a Satan looking motherfucker fighting off against our heroes but we have a Shazam Jr. to the rescue. Yeah, it's a tad confusing. Next up we also have Roy returning to the fold but not doing as well as he hoped but his best buddy is there to remind him of who he is. Last but not least is a arc about 5 villains getting sprung from prison from a mastermind evil bastard, but of course they depart him and do their own thing and it's up to the Outsiders to stop them.

Good: The art and fights are really energetic and fun. The dialogue is fun and keeps it flowing well. I liked the demon from hell guy because he was both super strong and actually funny. Watching the heroes come together and fight is pretty cool too. I love the difference of everyone and how they all agree and disagree, and making it a compelling group of heroes.

Bad: The villains of the 2nd half aren't nearly as strong as the first demon looking dude and take up too much page time.

Overall, another fun and exciting volume of Outsiders. This series is a little offbeat at times but always enjoyable. A 4 out of 5.

[Chelsea 🏳️‍🌈 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't like this one as much as the last one, unfortunately.

Winick's writing of female characters is hit or miss for me. I absolutely abhorred the way Helena was written in this. She was just there to be desired and snarky towards Dick. There's even a point where she gets in Jefferson Pierce's face for no reason at all other than to be a dick. I hated that portion so much.

I like Grace but her sleeping with Roy because he just showed up at her place was confusing to me.

The AI, Jinx I think her name was, is just an annoying character. It appears that she has more abilities than anyone else yet she honestly seems the flightiest to me. Weird.

Anyway, I really enjoyed the relationship between Jefferson and Anissa. I loved everything to do with Roy, especially his relationship with Dick. The darker vibe of this series is much appreciated.

I came to hate the art, unfortunately. None of it was impressive to me and women were drawn so thin that there's no room for their internal organs.

[Lono · Rating 3 out of 5]

Judd Winick seems like he’s finally starting to get a little more comfortable with Outsiders: Sum of All Evil. The fact that I’m more familiar with the core characters probably helped to. Nightwing, Arsenal, Grace, Jade, Metamorpho (now calling himself “Shift”), Indigo, and Thunder all return to tie up some loose ends and start to gel as a team a little more in this volume. A couple of other heroes make appearances as well. Huntress fills in for a wounded regular and one character’s father stops by to lend a hand. There’s a third special guest I won’t spoil because it directly relates to one of the new villains the team goes up against. I thought the guest stars helped to get me into this collection a little more than the first. It also helped that, unlike Vol. 1 (Outsiders: Looking For Trouble), there were a couple of bad-guys I’ve actually heard of too.

The dialogue is a little less cheesy in Vol. 2 and there were even a couple of interactions that Judd did a pretty good job with. Not a huge improvement, but an improvement nonetheless. A friendship between two team members starts to evolve, Arsenal and Nightwing continue their bromance, and there’s some pretty cool balls-out action. Not sure what I think of Winick’s Nightwing yet. At times I think he nails him, and others I’m not so sure. Sometimes he seems to be a little to “Batman” and not enough “Nightwing”. Winick seems to be doing a better job at having me buy into the other lesser known characters . I am really liking Arsenal and Grace. Shift and Indigo are growing on me too. I also gotta admit I’m interested in the mysterious stranger plot thread.



I think the art was a little more consistent here that the previous volume as well. Tom Raney handled the lion’s share of the work with assists from Will Conrad and Tom Derenick. Not great, but certainly serviceable and even good on a couple of occasions.

This one is 3.5 stars out of 5. Judd, along with more consistent artwork, is slowly winning me over on his run of Outsiders. A growing interest in the team on the whole and a couple of new artists guarantee I will be picking up the next volume in the hopes of seeing how some of the ongoing storylines play out.

[Daniel Sevitt · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just decided to read this soon after Vol. 1, because if I didn't I might never get around to it because there cannot be too many books in my collection that are less essential than this.

None of the team members are terribly memorable and none of the baddies they take down are terrible memorable either, which is odd as previous versions of Psimon have always managed to give me at least a hint of the heebie jeebies, but I got very little out of this.

[Ben Truong · Rating 3 out of 5]

Outsiders: Sum of All Evil continues where the previous trade paperback left off collecting eight issues (Outsiders #8–15) of the 2003 on-going series and covers four stories: "Devil's Work", "Scream Without Raising Your Voice", "Out with the New, in with the Old", and "Five by Five".

"Devil's Work" is a three-issue storyline (Outsiders #8–10) that has Helena Bertinelli as Huntress replacing Roy Harper as Arsenal on the team, while he is convalescing. Together they battle Ishmael Gregor who became the new Sabbac – a person who is empowered by six demons. Supporting characters includes Jefferson Pierce as Black Lightning and Frederick Freeman as Captain Marvel, Jr.

"Five by Five" is a three-issue storyline special (Outsiders #13–15) that has the Outsiders taking on the Fearsome Five, who has plans to use Lex Luthor's stash of nuclear weapons and launch them on Canada. "Out with the New, in with the Old" (Outsiders #12) is the precursor of the three-issue storyline as it has the Outsiders investigating the rumor that parts of the Fearsome Five has been replaced by android duplicates.

"Scream Without Raising Your Voice" (Outsiders #11) has Roy Harper as Arsenal doing his rehab and trains to become fit to being back on the team – Lian Harper, his daughter has a cameo.

Judd Winick penned the entire trade paperback. For the most part, it is written moderately well. Winick handles the character aspects of Outsiders well, with the less desirable the portions generally dealing with sex and having a television-like drama smarm. However, Winick's dialogue has improved somewhat as it is witty at times and has been significantly toned down.

Tom Raney (Outsiders #8–10, 13–15), Will Conrad (Outsiders #11), and Tom Derenick (Outsiders #12) penciled the trade paperback. For the most part the pencilers have distinct penciling styles, which made the artistic flow somewhat rough. It is, however, mitigated that each penciler done one story with Raney doing the bulk of the work for the two three-issue storylines.

All in all, Outsiders: Sum of All Evil is a mediocre continuation to what would hopefully be a wonderful series.

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first half of this series was about a hell demon called Sabbac. The Outsiders had to deal with super strength, flight, fire breath and a REALLY bad smell! The next half of this series was about The Fearsome Five! They were in a couple of Teen Titan comics, which half the new Outsiders came from so that made me really happy to see old villains return and get their butts handed to them (again!). There is also a Captain Marvel Jr. appearance (the cover on that comic got me excited because I thought I was going to see the actual Captain Marvel but still CMJ kicked major butt!) as well as Huntress becoming a temporary member! Overall, a good story line with nice consistency and no shortage of quips, jokes and good old-fashioned beat downs!

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really love the Nightwing giving Arsenal the Bat-therapy for post-injury gun aversion. The relationship between the two former Titans and Shift's relationship with Indigo really underscore the fact that the rest of the team is just a job. These people aren't a family. They don't love one another, and as we learn from the villains, that way lies team dissolution.

[tony dillard jr · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are essentially 2 storylines in Outsiders, Vol. 2. Both involve a member of the Shazam family's Rogues Gallery. However, the first half was just full about some of the most diabolical occult acts I've seen in a non-mature rated comic. In other words: I didn't like it.

Act I sees an entire bus load of people set aflame in a satanic ritual as part of bonding the Captain Marvel villain SABBAC to a low level Russian mobster. Then one of the Outsiders is nearly fatally immolated by this new evil. Add some more grisly killings in his spare. Toss in a legendary Outsider to assist and an appearance by a member of the Shazam family of heroes (and no, it's not Tawky Tawny) in top of a legion of demons and you've got a salad that I wouldn't even touch.

Act II was much better. Dr. Silvana has reorganized the Fearsome Five. Although, isn't one of the members dead? Well, by the end of this story, one of them will definitely be dead, Canada, of all places, will survive a nuclear attack and I will be a new fan in the character of Psimon.

Since this really feels like 2 different books in one volume, I've got 2 different opinions. For the first half with all this talk about demons and references to the Book of Revelation, why is it that DC Comics will explore the underworld like it's as common as riding a bike in a city park but the concept of Heaven and angels is the stuff of lunatics. Any time a character comes back from the dead, they either have returned from Hell or everything was pitch black. Nobody ever returns from a stint in Paradise. And it's not just WASPs either. DC and Marvel have the same kind of policy with their Muslim, Hindu and characters of other faiths. Personally, it's irritating and not a fair and balanced portrayal of all of the readers of comics.

My take on Act II: I'm not entirely sure that Judd Winick or artist Tom Raney didn't get the characters of Shimmer and Jinx confused. On the two cartoon versions of Teen Titans Go!, Mammoth is the brother of Jinx. However, in this book, his sister is Shimmer, who looks a whole lot like Jinx on the show (minus the purple hair.) The Jinx in the book looks like an African version of Lt. Ilia from Star Trek The Motion Picture, complete with a magical jewel (only on her forehead instead of her throat.) Look, I know that DC didn't make such a glaring error. But when you encounter something that is totally different from what you are used to, it makes for some confusing reading. I really wish that characters on differing mediums would all be consistent. Unfortunately, creator ownership and other executive decisions prevent that for being standard.

Tom Raney provided the artwork for most of this book with a few guest artists for issues #11 and 12. The identity of the inker seems to be a real mystery. Whomever was inking the second half of this book was really something, I tell ya. The artwork of Act I was penciled in a very static 1980s style. I.E.- it was flat. The shading of the last 3 or 4 issues comprising this book was so flashed out. Characters and items were jumping off the page. Such depth. I am a fan!

Not my favorite book. However, with the exception of 3 issues, I have this entire series and I would like to see how it pans off. For now, I keep this book in my collection. Only time will tell whether I keep the 37 individual issues I have, plus annuals complete or will I be selling everything off as a mass bundle. If the rest of this series is as dark and evil as the first half of this book, someone in the Central North Carolina area might be getting there hands on a full run of Outsiders books pretty soon.

[Arianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is not terrible but this version of the Outsiders is one of the worst superhero teams ever. They have no chemistry, they're not close, their powers don't even mesh in particularly good ways. One of their leaders is stuck in the hospital for the entire book, the other doesn't like the team and is trying to keep as far away as he can from them.

True, both the writer and the characters themselves are aware of the Outsiders being a poor excuse for a team, but that doesn't help make their dynamic more pleasant. In fact, because it's addressed so matter-of-factly, this awkwardness can't even be used for a dramatic or comedic effect, and the reader just has to take it.

I'm the kind of person who finds spoilers exciting so I had to spoil myself who the mystery person giving Roy orders is, and I do admit he's a pretty compelling reason to encourage me to keep reading.

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this volume a lot. Huntress was a good addition while we had her. I love Grace kicking the ass of misogynist male villains.

The Fearsome Five looked like they would be a great set of villains for the team to go against but I was over it pretty quick. The villain from the first half was a good one. The stakes felt raised. There was a real danger to the team.

Thunder and her interactions with her dad are so different on Black Lightning. It's cool to see some of the comic sources for that. I still am a big fan of Thunder in the comics. She's a new hero. Inexperienced. She is eager and ready to really be a hero. Even though she's seeing things she wasn't prepared for.

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Outsiders continues to try to figure itself out. While everyone stresses its a proactive team and not a loving family they do everything to prove the opposite. The group is still an odd collection especially with Roy and Dick being written so similar. Winick's dialogue is still very juvenile at times. The new version of Sabbac was really good but I wished the storyline lasted longer. The art was all over the place. Overall, a decent read with a good foundation but lacking follow-through.

[***Dave Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

This very dark Outsiders run continues to lurch on its dysfunctional path. The art's not as good as Book 1, and drama-by-people-making-bad-decisions only goes so far. But it's still a read and I'm still willing to leave space on the shelf for it for further re-reads.

[Mel Almazan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great pacing, storyline... Must have.

[Kurt Lorenz]

8-10, Devil’s Work, ☆☆
11, Scream Without Raising Your Voice, ☆☆☆
12, Out With the New, In With the Old, ☆☆☆

[Matthieu Savignac · Rating 4 out of 5]

Du très bon ! Tout simplement.

L'écriture est propre et très agréable et se permet de nous narrer quelques elements en plus du classique comics d'action, quelques reflexion plus profonde en ajoutant de la profondeur à certains personnages.
L'emphase sur certains vilains un peu obscur pour les remettre au goût du jour est très bien amené, et voir des personnages tel que Sabbac ou Sivana offrir un potentiel aussi elevé donne envie de continuer à suivre la série.

Un petit bémol concernant l'illustration qui est plus faible que le premier volume à mon avis.

[Richard Schaefer · Rating 5 out of 5]

He big bad guys here aren’t as big as volume one; mainly a mobster turned into a demon after a gnarly ritualistic sacrifice and the never-quite-able-to-transcend-being-a-punchline Fearsome Five. But that’s okay, because the character work, the melodrama and team dynamics, are what makes the Outsiders work. It’s a great series in part because side they are often operating on the fringe, which necessarily leads to villains like those mentioned above; while volume one’s Luthor/Joker moments were great, whenever those characters appear it’s only a matter of time before you wonder where Superman/Batman are. So this is another strong volume in a great series.

[Em · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as good as the first book, which is always a worry when it comes to series. All the characters are back, along with some good villains; you can't have a good story without a decent villain or three.

I was especially pleased to note that the humor of the first book was still evident in this one. Winick provides an excellent balance between the humor and the action that proves quite effective on the reader.

So, to summarize: superheros are still as fun as always, and ditto Judd Winick.

[Nicholas Palmieri · Rating 4 out of 5]

More of what I liked so much about the first volume: Fast-paced, "edgy," action- and plot-oriented stories with just enough character moments to tie it all together. Popcorn reading in its purest form. If you're interested in the series, start at Outsiders, Vol. 1: Looking for Trouble, then continue onto this book!

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second volume of this quirky and somewhat edgy super-team series is a lot of fun and a bit more even-handed than the first. The banter is still witty, the action lively and the villains still bizarre. There are also a few nice character moments sprinkled amongst the insanity.

[Angie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Judd Winick has apparently never read about Dick Grayson or Helena Bertinelli before. Or at the very least that's what his characterization of them in this volume lead me to believe.

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Better than the first volume in all aspects. I loved the Fearsome Five!

[Koen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now this was fun! :)
It was funny, packed with action, cool villians.. What else do you need?!
Really like Shift and Indigo.. They make a cute couple :D

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit better

[Erik · Rating 5 out of 5]

All of the evil ish .....

[Batastrophe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really love this team--I love that it's female dominated and diverse (note the only white men are also the only classic comics characters in the ensemble), I love seeing this more serious, grimmer Nightwing that's such a contrast to how he often is, and I especially love watching this team grow and bounce off each other. The best moment of course was the heart-to-heart between Roy and Dick, which is my favorite moment of the series so far:



I really do love that while this series is introducing a lot of new characters, it also really builds upon the DC universe's history and builds on past relationships. Dick isn't behaving differently just because he's being written by a different writer--there are specific in-universe reasons and it's fascinating to watch.

On the downside, the villains in this one weren't really terribly memorable to me, and those plot lines didn't seem to go very far. But overall I enjoyed it.