What do you think?
Rate this book
Detective Comics (2016)
Batman: Detective Comics, Vol. 8: On the Outside
The greatest superhero team in Gotham City history is gone...this time, for good. How will the Dark Knight pick up the pieces knowing that his squad of vigilantes is gone? Find out in BATMAN: DETECTIVE COMICS VOL. 8!
In the aftermath of the last stand of the Gotham Knights, Batman, Batwoman, Red Robin, Orphan, Azrael, Batwing and company took down a monster they helped create. How will they deal with the physical and psychological ramifications of this epic battle? And who will hang up their capes?
Duke Thomas. Cassandra Cain. They and other young heroes don't intend to stand down, no matter what Batman thinks is best. Who can Batman trust to guide them? They need a teacher...and Black Lightning fits the bill!
The epilogue chapter to writer James Tynion IV's acclaimed run on the series is here in BATMAN: DETECTIVE COMICS VOL. 8! Collects issues #982-986.
In the aftermath of the last stand of the Gotham Knights, Batman, Batwoman, Red Robin, Orphan, Azrael, Batwing and company took down a monster they helped create. How will they deal with the physical and psychological ramifications of this epic battle? And who will hang up their capes?
Duke Thomas. Cassandra Cain. They and other young heroes don't intend to stand down, no matter what Batman thinks is best. Who can Batman trust to guide them? They need a teacher...and Black Lightning fits the bill!
The epilogue chapter to writer James Tynion IV's acclaimed run on the series is here in BATMAN: DETECTIVE COMICS VOL. 8! Collects issues #982-986.
144 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 5, 2018
30 people are currently reading
321 people want to read
About the author
Bryan Edward Hill
379 books76 followersBryan Hill is a screenwriter, photographer, tv writer, and director. He is known for his work on the DC show TITANS and for his work in comics, most notably his outings on DETECTIVE COMICS, POSTAL, AMERICAN CARNAGE, KILLMONGER and ANGEL.
His writing is infused with esoteric principles, which can also be found in his photography and music.
He lives and works in Los Angeles.
His writing is infused with esoteric principles, which can also be found in his photography and music.
He lives and works in Los Angeles.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
February 9, 2019
A new villain, Karma, comes to town to take out Batman's sidekicks because they make him weak. Karma's motivations and the character itself is pretty weak and uninteresting. Much more interesting are the new team dynamics. The Gotham Knights have broken up at the end of James Tynion's run. Batman recruits Black Lightning and Katana to train up Orphan, Signal, and Batgirl. Hill's approach to Black Lightning is pretty interesting as a teacher and mentor to the team. This is clearly leading to a new Outsiders series. Hopefully, a few more of the original Outsiders will return. It's always been one of my favorite team books. The art by Miguel Mendonca and Phillip Briones maintains the Detective "house" style set by Eddy Barrows. Also, included is a Deacon Blackfire one issue story by Michael Moreci that is just a quick rehash of Batman: The Cult. Just go read that instead. It's much more interesting than this dud.
August 28, 2018
This seemingly ends during the arc, which is a little strange.
This had a rough start. That first two part arc did nothing for me. Honestly, I'm not sure why Tynion's name is on this at all.
The last arc by Bryan Edward Hill was just wonderful! I follow him on Twitter and he just really seems to get what these characters are. Especially how they compelte Bruce. There are some people that think Batman's family makes him weaker and I'm not sure if Hill was speaking to them or he just happened to make an arc about this concept but I really enjoyed it.
While, it highlighted just how much I hate Cass' current name (Orphan is just awful), I liked that it showed how much Bruce values his team. I liked that he called on Jefferson for help. I was surprisngly very intrigued by Jefferson's methods and his chemistry with Bruce. I look forward to seeing how that progresses in the future.
I love Duke and Cass and it was interesting seeing them deal with taking orders from someone who wasn't Bruce. I also liked that Hill showed Jefferson learning more about Bruce through Alfred's lens.
So, this was a little uneven but Hill's writing was so strong that I came out enjoying it a lot more than I expected.
This had a rough start. That first two part arc did nothing for me. Honestly, I'm not sure why Tynion's name is on this at all.
The last arc by Bryan Edward Hill was just wonderful! I follow him on Twitter and he just really seems to get what these characters are. Especially how they compelte Bruce. There are some people that think Batman's family makes him weaker and I'm not sure if Hill was speaking to them or he just happened to make an arc about this concept but I really enjoyed it.
While, it highlighted just how much I hate Cass' current name (Orphan is just awful), I liked that it showed how much Bruce values his team. I liked that he called on Jefferson for help. I was surprisngly very intrigued by Jefferson's methods and his chemistry with Bruce. I look forward to seeing how that progresses in the future.
I love Duke and Cass and it was interesting seeing them deal with taking orders from someone who wasn't Bruce. I also liked that Hill showed Jefferson learning more about Bruce through Alfred's lens.
So, this was a little uneven but Hill's writing was so strong that I came out enjoying it a lot more than I expected.
March 2, 2022
This was a fun read!
Its pretty much Batman forming the Outsiders again and we see how Black Lightning is involved and all and then the coming of a new villain in Karma who targets Cass and Duke as he thinks they are making Bruce weaker and we see the villains origin and motives and Hill does it so well and natureally within a few panels which is brilliant and the big fight and he gives an epic moment for Batman to take down this villain and the coming of the team and their next mission in relation to Markovia particularly!
Its an awesome volume and has loads of action and plenty of character moments and dramatic ones at that for Bruce and the writer also does well to highlight his relation with the bat family like how he needs them and all and the relation between Jeff and Bruce was so good, the art was great and it makes for a decent read. The last story with Blackfire was a filler but good moment for Bruce in the end. I would recommend this volume for sure!
Its pretty much Batman forming the Outsiders again and we see how Black Lightning is involved and all and then the coming of a new villain in Karma who targets Cass and Duke as he thinks they are making Bruce weaker and we see the villains origin and motives and Hill does it so well and natureally within a few panels which is brilliant and the big fight and he gives an epic moment for Batman to take down this villain and the coming of the team and their next mission in relation to Markovia particularly!
Its an awesome volume and has loads of action and plenty of character moments and dramatic ones at that for Bruce and the writer also does well to highlight his relation with the bat family like how he needs them and all and the relation between Jeff and Bruce was so good, the art was great and it makes for a decent read. The last story with Blackfire was a filler but good moment for Bruce in the end. I would recommend this volume for sure!
September 27, 2018
2.5. The dialog was painful.
World: The art is alright, it’s keep the current quality level in this series. The world building here since Tynion left is an interesting choice. I loved the Outsiders in the 2000s and they were a fun group to read doing special ops for Batman and bringing this idea back is kinda cool. I am also iffy about it cause there are already so many team running around the DCU that one more team is gonna be overkill. That being said using the Detective Comics characters and adding Black Lightning is a fun little look and a nice little pieces of world building.
Story: First I wanna say that the dialog for this arc (mainly the Hill issues) is so over the top that it made me giggle in not a good way. It’s like a Batman fanboy put on a Batman mask and made Batman noises while looking at a bathroom mirror and then wrote them down in this book, it’s over the top, it’s trying to hard to be edgy that it’s hilarious. Then we have the story which is ho hum same old same old with a done that villain who wants to come back and teach Batman a lesson. It’s a pointless and boring villain that is more powerful than is logical and adding a backstory to him didn’t really make him that much memorable. I’ve already forgotten the story. The only little through tread in the grand scheme of things is Markovia which I hope will end up being better than this boring story. It’s not written poorly, it’s just inconsequential and boring.
Characters: Batman sounds like a fanboy and his voice is just off but it is somewhat hilarious. The rest of the Bat kids are fine and they are what they are but leaving out some of the Detective Comics characters is questionable (where are they?). Then there’s the villain which has a backstory but it’s boring and pointless and this type of villain has been done so many times. His motivations is vague and doesn’t really make sense if you think about it.
It was aight but it was nothing new at all.
Onward to the next book!
*read individual issues*
World: The art is alright, it’s keep the current quality level in this series. The world building here since Tynion left is an interesting choice. I loved the Outsiders in the 2000s and they were a fun group to read doing special ops for Batman and bringing this idea back is kinda cool. I am also iffy about it cause there are already so many team running around the DCU that one more team is gonna be overkill. That being said using the Detective Comics characters and adding Black Lightning is a fun little look and a nice little pieces of world building.
Story: First I wanna say that the dialog for this arc (mainly the Hill issues) is so over the top that it made me giggle in not a good way. It’s like a Batman fanboy put on a Batman mask and made Batman noises while looking at a bathroom mirror and then wrote them down in this book, it’s over the top, it’s trying to hard to be edgy that it’s hilarious. Then we have the story which is ho hum same old same old with a done that villain who wants to come back and teach Batman a lesson. It’s a pointless and boring villain that is more powerful than is logical and adding a backstory to him didn’t really make him that much memorable. I’ve already forgotten the story. The only little through tread in the grand scheme of things is Markovia which I hope will end up being better than this boring story. It’s not written poorly, it’s just inconsequential and boring.
Characters: Batman sounds like a fanboy and his voice is just off but it is somewhat hilarious. The rest of the Bat kids are fine and they are what they are but leaving out some of the Detective Comics characters is questionable (where are they?). Then there’s the villain which has a backstory but it’s boring and pointless and this type of villain has been done so many times. His motivations is vague and doesn’t really make sense if you think about it.
It was aight but it was nothing new at all.
Onward to the next book!
*read individual issues*
December 15, 2018
James Tynion has left Detective comics. Before Peter (The writer of Batman and Robin New52 and Rebirth superman) takes over they decided to give a arc to Bryan Hill, the main man behind the later volumes of Postal (I love this that series). So does Bryan bring something fresh to Detective comics? Well...
The story is about a new villain around town. His name is Karma, and well...he's not happy with Batman. He blames him for some horrible events that have happened to him. He declares that Batman's family have spoiled him. Have made him weak. He demands the death or retirement of Orphan, Signal, and whoever else was sticking with Bruce after the breakup of the Batmen. Will Karma succeed or will this be the end for the Batfamily?
Good: I think the art is pretty solid, though some action scenes seem a bit odd. Like almost goofy and don't think on purpose but for most part looks solid. I liked Black Lightning here a lot and he comes across as a solid leader for the Outsiders (The new group formed here). I thought everyone had a moment to shine, especially Orphan, and it was overall a fast placed plot.
Bad: Batman came across as just okay here. Kind of boring to be honest, which I think has always been the problem in this detective line. The side cast is good-great, and Batman is just okay. Neither James or Bryan write a Batman I like. Also, Karma's "defeat" is too quick and he came across as meh in the end.
Overall, solid fun volume of detective comics. IN line with the good volumes in this entire run. While I don't think it was good as some of the high points of James's run it still stands tall against the good volumes. A 3 out of 5.
The story is about a new villain around town. His name is Karma, and well...he's not happy with Batman. He blames him for some horrible events that have happened to him. He declares that Batman's family have spoiled him. Have made him weak. He demands the death or retirement of Orphan, Signal, and whoever else was sticking with Bruce after the breakup of the Batmen. Will Karma succeed or will this be the end for the Batfamily?
Good: I think the art is pretty solid, though some action scenes seem a bit odd. Like almost goofy and don't think on purpose but for most part looks solid. I liked Black Lightning here a lot and he comes across as a solid leader for the Outsiders (The new group formed here). I thought everyone had a moment to shine, especially Orphan, and it was overall a fast placed plot.
Bad: Batman came across as just okay here. Kind of boring to be honest, which I think has always been the problem in this detective line. The side cast is good-great, and Batman is just okay. Neither James or Bryan write a Batman I like. Also, Karma's "defeat" is too quick and he came across as meh in the end.
Overall, solid fun volume of detective comics. IN line with the good volumes in this entire run. While I don't think it was good as some of the high points of James's run it still stands tall against the good volumes. A 3 out of 5.
November 13, 2021
I skimmed through most of the story and doesn't feel like I missed anything, it's just another outing for Batman and the other bats, e.g. Cass, Duke, Black Lighting etc; I guess this volume is making way for Batman and the Outsiders?
March 13, 2023
In the first volume after Tynion's awesome run, we get a story that actually uses the team aspect of Batman against him.
Bryan Edward Hill has a tough act to follow, as Tynion's run is pretty great. So in order to not retread some of that old ground, Hill goes the other way and says, hey what if the team is making Batman softer? Has he grown too reliant on his team rather than himself? Has he lost his edge? Well, Hill gives us a villain, Karma, who asks those questions in the most dangerous ways possible. And the book toys with the idea of the team standing down, and whether or not they help Batman or not - especially in this case.
I thought the story was slow to pick up, but once it did, it was pretty entertaining. And the questions it brought up were valid, and Batman struggles with the possible answers. Hill's ability to bring some doubt into a character who is usually portrayed as infallible, was a breath of fresh air. His Batman seems more human and grounded, not the BatGod that is prevalent nowadays.
So far, we are off to a good start. Looking forward to where we go from here.
Bryan Edward Hill has a tough act to follow, as Tynion's run is pretty great. So in order to not retread some of that old ground, Hill goes the other way and says, hey what if the team is making Batman softer? Has he grown too reliant on his team rather than himself? Has he lost his edge? Well, Hill gives us a villain, Karma, who asks those questions in the most dangerous ways possible. And the book toys with the idea of the team standing down, and whether or not they help Batman or not - especially in this case.
I thought the story was slow to pick up, but once it did, it was pretty entertaining. And the questions it brought up were valid, and Batman struggles with the possible answers. Hill's ability to bring some doubt into a character who is usually portrayed as infallible, was a breath of fresh air. His Batman seems more human and grounded, not the BatGod that is prevalent nowadays.
So far, we are off to a good start. Looking forward to where we go from here.
October 24, 2018
[Read as single issues]
The ghost of Deacon Blackfire haunts the Caped Crusader, and only a trip into Gotham’s sewers is in order to stop him. Then, a bad judgment call from Batman’s past returns and targets anyone who has ever worked with the Bat. With his young sidekicks in danger, Batman calls in Black Lightning and Katana for assistance – but Orphan, the Signal, and Batgirl aren’t about to just sit on the sidelines when Karma comes calling.
We open this first post-Tynion volume of Detective Comics with a one-shot fill-in issue by Michael Moreci, who seems to be cutting his teeth across the DC Universe with fill-in stints on Superman, Nightwing, and Titans. This issue’s pretty well done, and throws Batman at a supernatural threat which isn’t something he often deals with (or at least not alone, anyway). The moody art from Sebastian Fiumara and the detective elements of the story shine, which makes this a welcome diversion rather than an unwanted detour.
The meat of the volume however is On The Outside, a five part story that basically works as a launchpad for a new Batman & The Outsiders series, which isn’t to say it isn’t good in its own right. The idea of one of Batman’s mistakes coming back to haunt him isn’t new, but writer Bryan Hill executes it in a different way than usual, with Bruce’s protective side flaring up as anger as he realises that he’s putting the people that trust him at risk.
Karma’s origin is pretty dark actually, but it’s well done, and the use of Black Lightning comes across organically rather than just to cash in on his TV appearance and the fact that he’s a previous Outsiders character. In fact, Hill does a lot of groundwork very quickly to set up this team, especially in the wake of the last Detective Comics team falling apart, so it should mean his new series can hit the ground running.
The art for On The Outside is split between Miguel Mendonca and Phillip Briones, both artists who have made the rounds at DC but haven’t really managed to find a consistent gig. Both of them are respectable artists who always turn out some great work, and this is no different – they fit into the strong figures and powerful action sequences that Alvaro Martinez and Eddy Barrows defined Detective Comics on previously, so the tone of the book has remained the same artistically.
On The Outside could have easily been a set-up story that was just being used to set-up something else, but instead it’s its own beast that has a clear beginning, middle, and end while giving us a lot to springboard off of in the future. The character choices work well, the art is great throughout, and even the one-shot at the beginning of the volume is impressive; I thought Detective Comics might flounder after Tynion IV’s departure, but instead it’s just as strong as ever.
The ghost of Deacon Blackfire haunts the Caped Crusader, and only a trip into Gotham’s sewers is in order to stop him. Then, a bad judgment call from Batman’s past returns and targets anyone who has ever worked with the Bat. With his young sidekicks in danger, Batman calls in Black Lightning and Katana for assistance – but Orphan, the Signal, and Batgirl aren’t about to just sit on the sidelines when Karma comes calling.
We open this first post-Tynion volume of Detective Comics with a one-shot fill-in issue by Michael Moreci, who seems to be cutting his teeth across the DC Universe with fill-in stints on Superman, Nightwing, and Titans. This issue’s pretty well done, and throws Batman at a supernatural threat which isn’t something he often deals with (or at least not alone, anyway). The moody art from Sebastian Fiumara and the detective elements of the story shine, which makes this a welcome diversion rather than an unwanted detour.
The meat of the volume however is On The Outside, a five part story that basically works as a launchpad for a new Batman & The Outsiders series, which isn’t to say it isn’t good in its own right. The idea of one of Batman’s mistakes coming back to haunt him isn’t new, but writer Bryan Hill executes it in a different way than usual, with Bruce’s protective side flaring up as anger as he realises that he’s putting the people that trust him at risk.
Karma’s origin is pretty dark actually, but it’s well done, and the use of Black Lightning comes across organically rather than just to cash in on his TV appearance and the fact that he’s a previous Outsiders character. In fact, Hill does a lot of groundwork very quickly to set up this team, especially in the wake of the last Detective Comics team falling apart, so it should mean his new series can hit the ground running.
The art for On The Outside is split between Miguel Mendonca and Phillip Briones, both artists who have made the rounds at DC but haven’t really managed to find a consistent gig. Both of them are respectable artists who always turn out some great work, and this is no different – they fit into the strong figures and powerful action sequences that Alvaro Martinez and Eddy Barrows defined Detective Comics on previously, so the tone of the book has remained the same artistically.
On The Outside could have easily been a set-up story that was just being used to set-up something else, but instead it’s its own beast that has a clear beginning, middle, and end while giving us a lot to springboard off of in the future. The character choices work well, the art is great throughout, and even the one-shot at the beginning of the volume is impressive; I thought Detective Comics might flounder after Tynion IV’s departure, but instead it’s just as strong as ever.
March 29, 2020
This book is a device to showcase the new team that was about to have its own book Batman and the Outsiders written by Bryan Edward Hill. Umm...I wanted this book to do a lot more and be a bit sharper than it ended up being. Given the team being featured here, this should be a very exciting and well-written book, but it feels safe to mediocre at best. I know folks aren't that happy over the writing being done in Hill's B&TO and I can see what they are complaining about. This is a decent filler-arc story, but not something I'll remember in 5 years.
February 3, 2019
Basic plot: A new villain called Karma hits Gotham and wants to break up what is left of the bat family for good. Bats calls in Black Lightning to help.
I like Black Lightning and how he was dealt with in the volume. He is an outsider, a teacher, and very not Batman. The various character reactions were believable. The art was ok, but Orphan was really white washed and was drawn to look way older than she is supposed to be. The plot itself didn't really grab me, so this volume is not the best I have read, and it seems to be rehashing old ground.
I like Black Lightning and how he was dealt with in the volume. He is an outsider, a teacher, and very not Batman. The various character reactions were believable. The art was ok, but Orphan was really white washed and was drawn to look way older than she is supposed to be. The plot itself didn't really grab me, so this volume is not the best I have read, and it seems to be rehashing old ground.
August 26, 2019
You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.
There are many ways to achieve your goals. You can either do it alone or with others, and this has often been one of the biggest question marks with Batman. To rid crime from Gotham city, he could singlehandedly take on the burden and take down every criminal that pops up on his radar on a daily basis, while sacrificing his own happiness, body, and mind. Or, he could accept the help of other like-minded individuals who want to make a difference, while utilizing their own resources and set of skills. Throughout the Rebirth Detective Comics series, fans have seen what it’s like for these members of the Bat Family to work together and help a city stand on two feet. Following the events in Batmen Eternal, the squad of vigilantes who stood by Batman left to pursue new goals. Batman will now have to find new Gotham Knights to help in his endeavour or reconcile with the idea that he might be better off alone.
What is Batman: Detective Comics: On the Outside about? Collecting Detective Comics #982-987, this story arc serves as a launchpad for the series, following James Tynion IV’s run which came to an end in Batmen Eternal. The volume kicks off with a stand-alone story written by Michael Moreci and featuring Deacon Blackfire, a villain who feeds off the belief of individuals in the absence of hope, to hence exponentially increase his spiritual powers, who wishes to expose Batman as a False God of Gotham. Writer Bryan Hill then takes over for a five-part story arc where he introduces a brand-new villain by the name of Karma who believes that Batman has lost his purpose and become weaker with the number of allies he has recruited to his Bat Family. Intending to both convince Batman of this lack of performance and to kill all of these younglings off, Karma conjures a plan that forces Batman to either give up or team-up.
Following up what James Tynion IV had thought up for this series is no easy feat. The most logical and safe route to take is to start with a new slate and that’s what Bryan Hill offers fans in On the Outside. The configuration of this story is a simple and linear structure where a new threat enters the picture and a new team is needed to take it down. Although nothing more than an enjoyable plot, this story arc didn’t dive too quickly into an overarching scenario that gives us an idea of what to expect from this run but allowed to tease the new heroes and villains who will henceforth be recurring characters. Among the new additions are Duke Thomas, known as The Signal, and Black Lightning, who plays the new mentor for this squad, while Cassandra Cain (Orphan) and Barbara Gordon (Batgirl) make a return. The characters and their banter weren’t particularly impressive since the writing almost felt exploratory as if trying to figure out how to build chemistry between them and make each of them somehow memorable.
While it isn’t necessarily a problem, this story arc felt like another episode in Batman’s life where he works in tandem with the members of his Bat Family to take down an unknown threat. The mystery behind the identity of this villain didn’t necessitate much detective work except a cheesy little memory jog that quickly reminds you that the story wasn’t searching for any form of complexity. It’s even worth mentioning that the story once again brought back the issues revolving around Batman’s odd interest to have under-aged heroes under his wings but doesn’t bring anything new to the table regarding this subject.
The stand-alone story drawn by Sebastian Fiumara and coloured by Dave Stewart was quite the change of style from the usual artwork featured in this series. It certainly fits with the story’s illusion-filled narrative but still had a couple of niggling sequences that made for awkward moments. The artwork for the On the Outside story arc also went in a completely different direction, giving us a much more modern and essentially digital style where colours are extremely vibrant, and high-contrasting panels are omnipresent, especially with the help of inkers and the heavy black contouring of figures.
Batman: Detective Comics: On the Outside is an introductory and casually entertaining chapter to the next line-up of heroes to defend Gotham from the menaces that its guardians create.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
January 26, 2020
A lot better than I expected going in!
I was nervous about the (writing) change to Hill, but this was fun!
Karma was fine as a baddie (having been Batman created was pretty good), but it was really Black Lightning here that brought this book together... I love that he played foil to Batman's hero. Right off the bat (excuse the pun) Jefferson questions Batman's existence as a hero as someone who endangers children's lives by bringing them into violence... Wooee.
I know this was a group book, but I really liked how it all revolved around Batman, and who he is. Starting with Black Lightening saving Batman, and finding out his identity (Jefferson: "Bruce Wayne? I can't believe it. I thought Wayne dated supermodels and crashed Ferraris." Alfred: “Bruce Wayne does."), and ending with Jim Gordon standing on the roof of the Gotham Police Dept. with Batman, the bat-signal on and pointed up into the night sky.
Jim: "You know you're not responsible for what those madmen do."
Batman: "Jim... Of course I am."
I absolutely hated the last story The Cursing of Gotham City! by Michael Moreci. Ug, awful.
I liked the art a lot, by Sebastian Fiumara, but the writing was garbage.
I was nervous about the (writing) change to Hill, but this was fun!
Karma was fine as a baddie (having been Batman created was pretty good), but it was really Black Lightning here that brought this book together... I love that he played foil to Batman's hero. Right off the bat (excuse the pun) Jefferson questions Batman's existence as a hero as someone who endangers children's lives by bringing them into violence... Wooee.
I know this was a group book, but I really liked how it all revolved around Batman, and who he is. Starting with Black Lightening saving Batman, and finding out his identity (Jefferson: "Bruce Wayne? I can't believe it. I thought Wayne dated supermodels and crashed Ferraris." Alfred: “Bruce Wayne does."), and ending with Jim Gordon standing on the roof of the Gotham Police Dept. with Batman, the bat-signal on and pointed up into the night sky.
Jim: "You know you're not responsible for what those madmen do."
Batman: "Jim... Of course I am."
I absolutely hated the last story The Cursing of Gotham City! by Michael Moreci. Ug, awful.
I liked the art a lot, by Sebastian Fiumara, but the writing was garbage.
January 10, 2019
**Warning: this text may contain spoilers** really loved this arc, is full of action and a pretty cool art.
On the Outside: A new villain appears in Gotham, trying to take revenge for the things Batman did to him. Bruce knows he met this guy called (Karma) a few years ago, and he'll need help from The Signal, Cassandra and Black Lighting, at the end of the arc, Bruce will help Pierce with his school as a sign of gratitude, he will also be the head of The Outsiders.
On the Outside: A new villain appears in Gotham, trying to take revenge for the things Batman did to him. Bruce knows he met this guy called (Karma) a few years ago, and he'll need help from The Signal, Cassandra and Black Lighting, at the end of the arc, Bruce will help Pierce with his school as a sign of gratitude, he will also be the head of The Outsiders.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 10, 2019
Tras la saga de la bati familia de James Tynion, un nuevo autor toma las riendas de la serie y trata de construir sobre la maravillosa y entretenida saga anterior.
A mí parecer, no lo logra.
La premisa parece buena. Batman decide que debe de alejarse un poco de lo que queda de su equipo y dejar que lo entrene alguien más: Black lightning. Mientras tanto, un villano nuevo llamado Karma, regresa para eliminar a los miembros de la bati familia ya que hacen débil a Batman.
Todo está lleno de incongruencias e inconsistencias. El principio es muy bueno, pero pasando las primeras páginas, todo comienza a caerse a nivel narrativo. La razón por la cuál Black Lightning es el indicado nunca es clara, ni para el personaje ni para nosotros. En varias ocasiones Alfred y el mismo Batman le aseguran que el es extraordinario y especial para esa tarea, pero al final del tomo, cuando tocaría verlo en acción o el por qué lo escogieron. No vemos nada. Nunca logra crear una estrategia o algo único con el equipo. A pesar de que interactúa con ellos, lo hace en pocas escenas.
El origen del villano aunque es interesante, no me queda clara la conexión entre su origen y sus motivaciones. Batman le aplicó el karma en el pasado, pero ¿Cómo asesinar a la bati familia es aplicarle karma a Batman? Además de que la tecnología que utiliza es muy poderosa.
También hay inconsistencias en la personalidad de Batman. Se aleja del equipo por los sucesos del run de Tynion pero nunca se aleja completamente. Y en varias ocasiones le dice al equipo que lo debilitan, pero nunca se aclara si es verdad o parte de una estrategia de Batman.
Un tomo escrito pobremente y con una estructura pésima que llena la historia de incongruencias.
A mí parecer, no lo logra.
La premisa parece buena. Batman decide que debe de alejarse un poco de lo que queda de su equipo y dejar que lo entrene alguien más: Black lightning. Mientras tanto, un villano nuevo llamado Karma, regresa para eliminar a los miembros de la bati familia ya que hacen débil a Batman.
Todo está lleno de incongruencias e inconsistencias. El principio es muy bueno, pero pasando las primeras páginas, todo comienza a caerse a nivel narrativo. La razón por la cuál Black Lightning es el indicado nunca es clara, ni para el personaje ni para nosotros. En varias ocasiones Alfred y el mismo Batman le aseguran que el es extraordinario y especial para esa tarea, pero al final del tomo, cuando tocaría verlo en acción o el por qué lo escogieron. No vemos nada. Nunca logra crear una estrategia o algo único con el equipo. A pesar de que interactúa con ellos, lo hace en pocas escenas.
El origen del villano aunque es interesante, no me queda clara la conexión entre su origen y sus motivaciones. Batman le aplicó el karma en el pasado, pero ¿Cómo asesinar a la bati familia es aplicarle karma a Batman? Además de que la tecnología que utiliza es muy poderosa.
También hay inconsistencias en la personalidad de Batman. Se aleja del equipo por los sucesos del run de Tynion pero nunca se aleja completamente. Y en varias ocasiones le dice al equipo que lo debilitan, pero nunca se aclara si es verdad o parte de una estrategia de Batman.
Un tomo escrito pobremente y con una estructura pésima que llena la historia de incongruencias.
June 20, 2019
A solid if unspectacular beginning. The creative team puts together a solid story about a new Batman villain, Karma. Karma's purpose is to "restore" Batman to his true potential by eliminating the batfamily which "weakens" him. It's told well enough, and we actually see Bruce's real weaknesses come into play, which is a nice touch. The win is believable in the end, which is a nice touch as well.
The last issue is a single issue Deacon Blackfyre story. I've heard of Blackfyre before but never encountered him in a story I've actually read, but the story was clear enough and gave me what I needed. The guest artists were bit more expressionistic than the main arc in the earlier issues which worked well for the near supernatural--and very internal--nature of the story. Much like the main arc this was a solid, if unspectacular, reflective issue that puts inside Batman's head a bit. Interesting use of the ideas of light and shadow in this one, reversed from what we normally see with Bruce.
The last issue is a single issue Deacon Blackfyre story. I've heard of Blackfyre before but never encountered him in a story I've actually read, but the story was clear enough and gave me what I needed. The guest artists were bit more expressionistic than the main arc in the earlier issues which worked well for the near supernatural--and very internal--nature of the story. Much like the main arc this was a solid, if unspectacular, reflective issue that puts inside Batman's head a bit. Interesting use of the ideas of light and shadow in this one, reversed from what we normally see with Bruce.
June 3, 2019
[Read as Single Issues]
Well , it was okay I guess .
Bryan Hill takes over the detective comics duties from James Tynion IV , after what was a successful run , Hill maintains the status quo from the Tynion run and proceeds to bring in a new villain - Karma, with artificial metahuman abilities such as mind reading and increase physical strength and agility . The initial issues deal with Batman figuring out who Karma actually is and what his motivations are , while the latter issues see him dealing with Karma and forming a new team - The outsiders .
Overall , I though for a Batman book , Batman does appear too weak and irrelevant for my liking , the interactions between Black Lightning and characters like Barbara or Bruce felt weird as hell but the art was stunning , the plot was quick paced .
Overall , an average outcome .
Well , it was okay I guess .
Bryan Hill takes over the detective comics duties from James Tynion IV , after what was a successful run , Hill maintains the status quo from the Tynion run and proceeds to bring in a new villain - Karma, with artificial metahuman abilities such as mind reading and increase physical strength and agility . The initial issues deal with Batman figuring out who Karma actually is and what his motivations are , while the latter issues see him dealing with Karma and forming a new team - The outsiders .
Overall , I though for a Batman book , Batman does appear too weak and irrelevant for my liking , the interactions between Black Lightning and characters like Barbara or Bruce felt weird as hell but the art was stunning , the plot was quick paced .
Overall , an average outcome .
February 15, 2019
Ups and downs all the way throughout. Sometimes Hills writing is great sometimes its poor. Glad it was a one off
March 30, 2019
3,5/5
September 2, 2024
actual rating: 3.5 ⭐️
the plot and villain were a little rough around the edges, but i really enjoyed the way bryan edward hill writes batman & black lightening. this storyline is very much a backdoor pilot for hill's batman and the outsiders, but it did it's job and made me interested in checking that run out
the plot and villain were a little rough around the edges, but i really enjoyed the way bryan edward hill writes batman & black lightening. this storyline is very much a backdoor pilot for hill's batman and the outsiders, but it did it's job and made me interested in checking that run out
January 19, 2025
Black Lightning cool in this along with the Karma villain.
January 29, 2019
This is a bit of a reset for the Bat team, and I thought it was pretty solid.
April 30, 2020
Oh, look! A bad guy is going after the Bat family and in order to protect them, Batman is pushing them away and sidelining them... again! Can you be less original? Write a Batman story that hasn't been done thirty times before, and that actually has some relevance, would you?
October 30, 2024
This was an excellent read and a wonderful beginning to The Outsiders!!
The initial plot begins when Black Lightning (Jefferson Peirce) is recruited by Batman to lead up the Outsiders initiative post a horrific case where a 17-year-old kid who was a Batman supporter is killed in action by a masked man. Signal, aka Duke Thomas, went to save the kid but was blown up in the process by the masked man presenting himself as Karma. A flash drive is found on Duke post the rubble, and Alfred is tasked with decoding the files to gain access to anything of value. The file possesses an in-depth message that essentially speaks of the weakness Batman's child sidekicks have caused him and how he seeks to cleanse him of this weakness.
We then cut to our next target, Orphan, aka Cassandra Cain, who desires to be with Duke post the attack by calling Alfred to inform him of her visit when suddenly she is ambushed by Karma. In the next issue, we see an intense face-off between Cassandra and Karma, who can read her thoughts, thereby anticipating her next move. Karma dislocates Cass's arm and compliments her on her pure violent thoughts, encouraging her to engage fully in the fight. We then briefly cut to Batman, picking up Jefferson from the airport who agreed to come to Gotham when a distress beacon goes off for Cassandra. Batman swiftly drives the two to the location, and Black Lightning emerges on the scene first to defend against the attacks aimed at Cass as she's held at knifepoint. Turns out Karma's mask is also able to absorb the lightning given off by Black Lightning, and he releases it on Batman revealing through his monolog that he knows the Dark Knight before disappearing into the sewers. Black Lightning then gets an injured Batman back to the Manor, now aware of Batman's secret identity.
Bruce then requests to speak with Jefferson, which makes his position clear that he doesn't condone the involvement of teenage heroes. Batman then provides a brief rundown on Duke, Cassandra, and Barbara before claiming that he will manage Karma while Jefferson works on turning the group into a functional team.
We then skip to Bruce in his car garage, listing out some of the details to Alfred before taking off in one of his cars to speed around the cliff sides to increase adrenaline to recall his memories. Bruce then recalls a gun trader in Markovia by the name of Fleet Delmare, who was torching/ killing the children's parents and leaving them orphaned as a part of the anti-Markovian freedom agenda. Batman, as a result, sprays the man with fear gas and leaves him to endure his fears in the desert dark of night when he is attacked by a swarm of bats. Bruce is now fully aware of the fact that he made Delmare into what he is today and feels an intense sting of guilt.
The next morning, we see Jefferson gathered by Barbara, Cass, and Duke, who all appear to be pissed off at the thought of being forced to work with Jefferson and not allowed on a mission to help bring down Karma. Meanwhile, Karma puts one of his plans into action by kidnapping a school bus full of kids and a T.V. host (the one who did the initial interview with the Batman fan). Barbara then intercepts Black Lightning by sending Orphan out into the field, who is ultimately approached by Batman and is then directed to save the kids by looking for the light as he cuts all radio activity, effectively blocking Barbara out.
Orphan becomes confused as she tries to disarm the bomb until Black Lightning appears and harnesses the bomb's energy while Orphan sets the kids free to make a daring mistake. Meanwhile, Batman fights off Karma in a brief one-on-one attack until he sends the masked man flying with one of his propeller gadgets before Black Lightning, Batman, and Orphan all make a swift exit.
The team then briefly reconvenes in the Batcave where Bruce reprimands Barbara, but she brushes it off and then leaves while Black Lightning asks Batman how he plans on taking down Karma without knowing how to do so when we see Katana emerge.
We then skip to a fairly routine securities guard shift change at WE when a man is shot in cold blood while the other, identity as Fredrick Morgan, is held captive by some hired thugs under Karma. In the cave we see Batman orienting the team consisting of Black Lightning, Katana, Orphan, and Signal to the ongoing list of world threats to be handled until Alfred interrupts with the recent news of the ambush at WE. Batman then instantly seeks to handle the threat of Karma alone, but Signal, Orphan, and Black Lightning insist that this be managed as a team.
We then cut to WE as the thugs surround Fredrick, and just as we see the time runs out, our heroes emerge to take down the gang. Batman then retreats to take down Karma after much internal debate, to which we see the two go head to head on the higher executive floor. Batman then overloads Karma's mind with all his most gruesome traumatic memories, causing Fleet to break down. Batman then promises to get Fleet Delmare the help he needs in exchange for information on how he got his mask as he removes it.
To conclude this section of the arc, we travel to Metropolis, where we see Bruce Wayne dropping off Jefferson Peirce and thank him for his help. Jefferson then states that he would like to continue working with Batman as the leader of the Outsiders initiative, and Bruce agrees to help Jefferson's school with resources via Lucius Fox head of WE charity causes. As Bruce Wayne leaves, we then see Superman, who warns Jefferson to not become consumed by Batman as he continues forth with work in Gotham.
Finally, we travel to Markovia, where we see Martina having a verbal argument with her advisor, Markus, until she dispatches him and calls for Roderick to be notified as she continues her sinister plot.
We get a mini-arc involving the relative of Deacon Blackfire, who seeks to possess a kidnapped child, Johnathan, by using an army of homeless people as his slaves, promising grand dreams acquired but delivering nothing. Batman ultimately defeats Deacon by removing the ties of his blinded followers removing his power.
8.7/10 for the main plot of the Outsiders. It was a great setup, and I enjoyed seeing this team in action as well as the individual leader traits that Jefferson Peirce possesses. It was also great to see Duke and Cass back in action, and I hope we get to see more Barbara Gordon as well. Looking forward to vol 9 😉👍🌟!!
The initial plot begins when Black Lightning (Jefferson Peirce) is recruited by Batman to lead up the Outsiders initiative post a horrific case where a 17-year-old kid who was a Batman supporter is killed in action by a masked man. Signal, aka Duke Thomas, went to save the kid but was blown up in the process by the masked man presenting himself as Karma. A flash drive is found on Duke post the rubble, and Alfred is tasked with decoding the files to gain access to anything of value. The file possesses an in-depth message that essentially speaks of the weakness Batman's child sidekicks have caused him and how he seeks to cleanse him of this weakness.
We then cut to our next target, Orphan, aka Cassandra Cain, who desires to be with Duke post the attack by calling Alfred to inform him of her visit when suddenly she is ambushed by Karma. In the next issue, we see an intense face-off between Cassandra and Karma, who can read her thoughts, thereby anticipating her next move. Karma dislocates Cass's arm and compliments her on her pure violent thoughts, encouraging her to engage fully in the fight. We then briefly cut to Batman, picking up Jefferson from the airport who agreed to come to Gotham when a distress beacon goes off for Cassandra. Batman swiftly drives the two to the location, and Black Lightning emerges on the scene first to defend against the attacks aimed at Cass as she's held at knifepoint. Turns out Karma's mask is also able to absorb the lightning given off by Black Lightning, and he releases it on Batman revealing through his monolog that he knows the Dark Knight before disappearing into the sewers. Black Lightning then gets an injured Batman back to the Manor, now aware of Batman's secret identity.
Bruce then requests to speak with Jefferson, which makes his position clear that he doesn't condone the involvement of teenage heroes. Batman then provides a brief rundown on Duke, Cassandra, and Barbara before claiming that he will manage Karma while Jefferson works on turning the group into a functional team.
We then skip to Bruce in his car garage, listing out some of the details to Alfred before taking off in one of his cars to speed around the cliff sides to increase adrenaline to recall his memories. Bruce then recalls a gun trader in Markovia by the name of Fleet Delmare, who was torching/ killing the children's parents and leaving them orphaned as a part of the anti-Markovian freedom agenda. Batman, as a result, sprays the man with fear gas and leaves him to endure his fears in the desert dark of night when he is attacked by a swarm of bats. Bruce is now fully aware of the fact that he made Delmare into what he is today and feels an intense sting of guilt.
The next morning, we see Jefferson gathered by Barbara, Cass, and Duke, who all appear to be pissed off at the thought of being forced to work with Jefferson and not allowed on a mission to help bring down Karma. Meanwhile, Karma puts one of his plans into action by kidnapping a school bus full of kids and a T.V. host (the one who did the initial interview with the Batman fan). Barbara then intercepts Black Lightning by sending Orphan out into the field, who is ultimately approached by Batman and is then directed to save the kids by looking for the light as he cuts all radio activity, effectively blocking Barbara out.
Orphan becomes confused as she tries to disarm the bomb until Black Lightning appears and harnesses the bomb's energy while Orphan sets the kids free to make a daring mistake. Meanwhile, Batman fights off Karma in a brief one-on-one attack until he sends the masked man flying with one of his propeller gadgets before Black Lightning, Batman, and Orphan all make a swift exit.
The team then briefly reconvenes in the Batcave where Bruce reprimands Barbara, but she brushes it off and then leaves while Black Lightning asks Batman how he plans on taking down Karma without knowing how to do so when we see Katana emerge.
We then skip to a fairly routine securities guard shift change at WE when a man is shot in cold blood while the other, identity as Fredrick Morgan, is held captive by some hired thugs under Karma. In the cave we see Batman orienting the team consisting of Black Lightning, Katana, Orphan, and Signal to the ongoing list of world threats to be handled until Alfred interrupts with the recent news of the ambush at WE. Batman then instantly seeks to handle the threat of Karma alone, but Signal, Orphan, and Black Lightning insist that this be managed as a team.
We then cut to WE as the thugs surround Fredrick, and just as we see the time runs out, our heroes emerge to take down the gang. Batman then retreats to take down Karma after much internal debate, to which we see the two go head to head on the higher executive floor. Batman then overloads Karma's mind with all his most gruesome traumatic memories, causing Fleet to break down. Batman then promises to get Fleet Delmare the help he needs in exchange for information on how he got his mask as he removes it.
To conclude this section of the arc, we travel to Metropolis, where we see Bruce Wayne dropping off Jefferson Peirce and thank him for his help. Jefferson then states that he would like to continue working with Batman as the leader of the Outsiders initiative, and Bruce agrees to help Jefferson's school with resources via Lucius Fox head of WE charity causes. As Bruce Wayne leaves, we then see Superman, who warns Jefferson to not become consumed by Batman as he continues forth with work in Gotham.
Finally, we travel to Markovia, where we see Martina having a verbal argument with her advisor, Markus, until she dispatches him and calls for Roderick to be notified as she continues her sinister plot.
We get a mini-arc involving the relative of Deacon Blackfire, who seeks to possess a kidnapped child, Johnathan, by using an army of homeless people as his slaves, promising grand dreams acquired but delivering nothing. Batman ultimately defeats Deacon by removing the ties of his blinded followers removing his power.
8.7/10 for the main plot of the Outsiders. It was a great setup, and I enjoyed seeing this team in action as well as the individual leader traits that Jefferson Peirce possesses. It was also great to see Duke and Cass back in action, and I hope we get to see more Barbara Gordon as well. Looking forward to vol 9 😉👍🌟!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 29, 2019
This volume was fine. Just fine. It didn’t really feel like a continuation of the last volume. The team has been gutted. I’m really confused by Duke. He’s not consistently around enough for me to get a read on him. He just kind of appears for a few issues here, a few issues there. I don’t like it.
But, DC, frankly I’m sick of reading the same plot. Give these characters some growth. Give them room to develop depth.
But we’ve seen this plot before. As recently as volume 3 of the main Batman series. But I couldn’t get over how much this reminded me of Death of the Family from the New 52 run.
The main thing that needs to die:
Batman: I work alone.
Batman’s 30 kids: We do not believe you.
There has never been a man who works alone less. Can we let Batman have that revelation and move on?
But, DC, frankly I’m sick of reading the same plot. Give these characters some growth. Give them room to develop depth.
But we’ve seen this plot before. As recently as volume 3 of the main Batman series. But I couldn’t get over how much this reminded me of Death of the Family from the New 52 run.
The main thing that needs to die:
Batman: I work alone.
Batman’s 30 kids: We do not believe you.
There has never been a man who works alone less. Can we let Batman have that revelation and move on?
October 3, 2020
*I’ve read A LOT and not reviewed in a long time, so to catch up: Three sentence reviews! (More or less.)*
Classic comic book adventure. I enjoyed getting to know Black Lightening, as I have read VERY LITTLE with him. Plus, it seems like Detective Comics is going to start going the Outsiders route--something else I know VERY LITTLE about. I'm excited to see what comes next.
Classic comic book adventure. I enjoyed getting to know Black Lightening, as I have read VERY LITTLE with him. Plus, it seems like Detective Comics is going to start going the Outsiders route--something else I know VERY LITTLE about. I'm excited to see what comes next.
August 15, 2019
tl;dr: A paper thin, absurd, and wildly contradictory filler arc to introduce The Outsiders. Easy skip unless you're interested in the new Batman and the Outsiders series. There's a great one-off issue in the back for a spooky, 90's-ish Decon Blackfire story.
This one is clearly a filler arc, and while there's nothing inherently wrong with filler arcs in general, even as far as filler arcs go this one is incredibly weak.
As evidenced by the title, it's primary purpose is to revive Batman's 'Outsiders' team to kick off the new 'Batman and the Outsiders' series, but the book itself does an incredibly poor job giving us any reason why he's doing it. He gives the generic 'threats that have to be handled outside official channels' line, but doesn't really even give any build up to what those might be other than a generic international black market for powerful weapons, which seems pretty passe at this point.
And there's a particular sense of whiplash and double think that comes with this team building exercise. Fresh off Tynion's great run on Detective Comics, Batman has decided to shut down the highly effective Batfamily team that had formed, only to decide that... he really needs a team he can rely on? And one that happens to pull from that highly effective team that he already trusted but disbanded? That after learning teamwork and other skills from a mentor like Batwoman, what these people really need is... a mentor and team leader, like Black Lightning? (Not ragging on Black Lightning, who is a highlight of the book; just the circuitous reasoning behind it all)
This confusion is further compounded by the fact that the book clearly has no idea how to write a story around any of this, introducing a paper thin villain by the name of Karma whose history is created through a really dubious and absurd flashback scene , and whose credentials have all the subtlety of a Dragonball villain who defeats all the strongest people in the universe 5 minutes after being introduced just to show how powerful they are. Rather than seeming dangerous, they just come across as arbitrary, and this villain has that kind of setup without even seeming all that powerful to begin with, just further undermining the entire premise of him as a threat.
And so Batman's response to this underwhelming threat, in this book about him already realizing he needs a team, is the classic "I have to do this alone, it's too dangerous." It's ridiculous. The villain never feels like nearly that much of a threat to warrant such an overreaction, and especially not a reaction so contrary to the entire point of the book, and particularly not after he already got over this type of hangup (not for the first time) so recently, in the same book, in the very preceding run.
Phew. Ok. Rant over. I don't think anyone really needs to read this unless they're interested in jumping into the Batman and the Outsiders run that's just started, but for those that do, there's a pretty great battle in a church that you'll have to look forward to, and there's a random extra issue at the end with a spooky Demon Blackfire story that's actually really great. Fantastic art in that last issue, and a writing style that felt a lot more like the more noirish self-narration you saw in the 80's and 90's.
This one is clearly a filler arc, and while there's nothing inherently wrong with filler arcs in general, even as far as filler arcs go this one is incredibly weak.
As evidenced by the title, it's primary purpose is to revive Batman's 'Outsiders' team to kick off the new 'Batman and the Outsiders' series, but the book itself does an incredibly poor job giving us any reason why he's doing it. He gives the generic 'threats that have to be handled outside official channels' line, but doesn't really even give any build up to what those might be other than a generic international black market for powerful weapons, which seems pretty passe at this point.
And there's a particular sense of whiplash and double think that comes with this team building exercise. Fresh off Tynion's great run on Detective Comics, Batman has decided to shut down the highly effective Batfamily team that had formed, only to decide that... he really needs a team he can rely on? And one that happens to pull from that highly effective team that he already trusted but disbanded? That after learning teamwork and other skills from a mentor like Batwoman, what these people really need is... a mentor and team leader, like Black Lightning? (Not ragging on Black Lightning, who is a highlight of the book; just the circuitous reasoning behind it all)
This confusion is further compounded by the fact that the book clearly has no idea how to write a story around any of this, introducing a paper thin villain by the name of Karma whose history is created through a really dubious and absurd flashback scene , and whose credentials have all the subtlety of a Dragonball villain who defeats all the strongest people in the universe 5 minutes after being introduced just to show how powerful they are. Rather than seeming dangerous, they just come across as arbitrary, and this villain has that kind of setup without even seeming all that powerful to begin with, just further undermining the entire premise of him as a threat.
And so Batman's response to this underwhelming threat, in this book about him already realizing he needs a team, is the classic "I have to do this alone, it's too dangerous." It's ridiculous. The villain never feels like nearly that much of a threat to warrant such an overreaction, and especially not a reaction so contrary to the entire point of the book, and particularly not after he already got over this type of hangup (not for the first time) so recently, in the same book, in the very preceding run.
Phew. Ok. Rant over. I don't think anyone really needs to read this unless they're interested in jumping into the Batman and the Outsiders run that's just started, but for those that do, there's a pretty great battle in a church that you'll have to look forward to, and there's a random extra issue at the end with a spooky Demon Blackfire story that's actually really great. Fantastic art in that last issue, and a writing style that felt a lot more like the more noirish self-narration you saw in the 80's and 90's.
July 18, 2019
For more reviews and bookish posts please visit: http://www.ManOfLaBook.com
Batman: Detective Comics, Vol. 8: On the Outside by Bryan Hill & Michael Moreci (illustrated by Miguel Mendonca, Phillip Briones, and Sebastian Fiumara) is a graphic novel which continues the story of the aftermath of the events which led to the Gotham Knights team take down the monster they helped create. This graphic novel collects issues #982-986.
Batman (Bruce Wayne), Batwoman (Kate Kane), Red Robin (Tim Drake), Orphan (Cassandra Cain), Azrael (Jean-Paul Valley), Batwing (Lucas Fox), as well as a few other heroes known as the Gotham Knights took down a monster which, ironically enough, they helped created. Their battle isn’t over, however, as our battle scarred heroes are trying to physically and emotionally recover from their ordeal.
The young heroes of Gotham, do not intend to simply stand down, while resenting that Batman assigned Black Lightning (Jefferson Pierce) as their new guide. Also introduced is a new villain, Karma (Wayne Hawkins), who can read minds and be a step ahead of everyone.
The ideas which drive Batman: Detective Comics, Vol. 8: On the Outside by Bryan Hill & Michael Moreci (illustrated by Miguel Mendonca, Phil Briones, and Sebastian Fiumara) aren’t new, Batman’s past actions come back to haunt him. However the writers do execute them in a different way, making Bruce very protective as he realizes that he is doing no favors to the people who trust him.
The new villain, Karma, is very interesting with dark origins, a well done villain and a very good opponent for the Gotham Knights. The interaction of Black Lightning with the team really speeds up the story. I’m sure there are some tie-ins to the Black Lightning TV show, I don’t watch the show and I didn’t feel I lost anything of the story because of it.
The art is very good, powerful and dynamic, the action sequences are strong especially the ones featuring Batman or Orphan. The tone of the book is very similar to the previous ones, which really helps follow it. I do like different renditions in comics, but I do not like styles change abruptly mid-story, or sometimes even mid-issue.
I really enjoyed this book, as it is a complete story with plenty of material to be used later on. I’m looking forward to the new run of this character and his team.
Batman: Detective Comics, Vol. 8: On the Outside by Bryan Hill & Michael Moreci (illustrated by Miguel Mendonca, Phillip Briones, and Sebastian Fiumara) is a graphic novel which continues the story of the aftermath of the events which led to the Gotham Knights team take down the monster they helped create. This graphic novel collects issues #982-986.
Batman (Bruce Wayne), Batwoman (Kate Kane), Red Robin (Tim Drake), Orphan (Cassandra Cain), Azrael (Jean-Paul Valley), Batwing (Lucas Fox), as well as a few other heroes known as the Gotham Knights took down a monster which, ironically enough, they helped created. Their battle isn’t over, however, as our battle scarred heroes are trying to physically and emotionally recover from their ordeal.
The young heroes of Gotham, do not intend to simply stand down, while resenting that Batman assigned Black Lightning (Jefferson Pierce) as their new guide. Also introduced is a new villain, Karma (Wayne Hawkins), who can read minds and be a step ahead of everyone.
The ideas which drive Batman: Detective Comics, Vol. 8: On the Outside by Bryan Hill & Michael Moreci (illustrated by Miguel Mendonca, Phil Briones, and Sebastian Fiumara) aren’t new, Batman’s past actions come back to haunt him. However the writers do execute them in a different way, making Bruce very protective as he realizes that he is doing no favors to the people who trust him.
The new villain, Karma, is very interesting with dark origins, a well done villain and a very good opponent for the Gotham Knights. The interaction of Black Lightning with the team really speeds up the story. I’m sure there are some tie-ins to the Black Lightning TV show, I don’t watch the show and I didn’t feel I lost anything of the story because of it.
The art is very good, powerful and dynamic, the action sequences are strong especially the ones featuring Batman or Orphan. The tone of the book is very similar to the previous ones, which really helps follow it. I do like different renditions in comics, but I do not like styles change abruptly mid-story, or sometimes even mid-issue.
I really enjoyed this book, as it is a complete story with plenty of material to be used later on. I’m looking forward to the new run of this character and his team.
November 18, 2019
Detective Comics: On the Outside picks up where the previous volume left off and collecting the next six issues (Detective Comics #982–987) of the 2016 on-going series and covers two stories: "The Cursing of Gotham City!" and "On the Outside".
"On the Outside" is a five-issue storyline (Detective Comics #983–987) has Bruce Wayne as Batman making a new team called the Outsiders. Leading the team would be Jefferson Pierce as Black Lightning and Tatsu Toro as Katna with Cassandra Cain as Orphan and Duke Thomas as the Signal. Together, Batman and the Outsiders take on Fleet Delmar as Karma, who is a villain that believes that Batman's protégés weaken them.
"The Cursing of Gotham City!" is a one-issue storyline (Detective Comics #982) that has Bruce Wayne as Batman trying to solve a case of child abductions by a strange, militant, and religious sect that has affect Gotham's homeless. His investigation leads him to Joseph Blackfire as Deacon Blackfire in the subterraneous tunnels of the city.
With the exception of one issue (Detective Comics #982) which Michael Moreci wrote, Bryan Edward Hill penned the entire trade paperback. For the most part, it is written rather well, despite the fact that the titular story felt like a backdoor pilot for the Batman and the Outsiders on-going series, it introduces the characters and the composition of the team rather well. The team itself is an interesting choice as it composes entirely of minority characters.
With the exception of one issue (Detective Comics #982) which Sebastian Fiumara penciled, Miguel Mendonça penciled the entire trade paperback. Since he was the main penciler, the artistic flow of the trade paperback flowed exceptionally well. For the most part, I enjoyed his penciling style it gives a wonderful steady feel for the trade paperback.
All in all, Detective Comics: On the Outside is a good continuation to what would hopefully be a wonderful series.
"On the Outside" is a five-issue storyline (Detective Comics #983–987) has Bruce Wayne as Batman making a new team called the Outsiders. Leading the team would be Jefferson Pierce as Black Lightning and Tatsu Toro as Katna with Cassandra Cain as Orphan and Duke Thomas as the Signal. Together, Batman and the Outsiders take on Fleet Delmar as Karma, who is a villain that believes that Batman's protégés weaken them.
"The Cursing of Gotham City!" is a one-issue storyline (Detective Comics #982) that has Bruce Wayne as Batman trying to solve a case of child abductions by a strange, militant, and religious sect that has affect Gotham's homeless. His investigation leads him to Joseph Blackfire as Deacon Blackfire in the subterraneous tunnels of the city.
With the exception of one issue (Detective Comics #982) which Michael Moreci wrote, Bryan Edward Hill penned the entire trade paperback. For the most part, it is written rather well, despite the fact that the titular story felt like a backdoor pilot for the Batman and the Outsiders on-going series, it introduces the characters and the composition of the team rather well. The team itself is an interesting choice as it composes entirely of minority characters.
With the exception of one issue (Detective Comics #982) which Sebastian Fiumara penciled, Miguel Mendonça penciled the entire trade paperback. Since he was the main penciler, the artistic flow of the trade paperback flowed exceptionally well. For the most part, I enjoyed his penciling style it gives a wonderful steady feel for the trade paperback.
All in all, Detective Comics: On the Outside is a good continuation to what would hopefully be a wonderful series.
June 18, 2019
I have several issues with this uneven and really not enjoyable story.
What happended to Batwing, Red Robin, Robin, and Nightwing from the last volume. I understand that this is a new story arc with a new writer, but the only time events from the last series is mentioned is on the back cover. A few recap and transition pages would have been helpful and necessary.
The new villian Karma is not interesting at all. His orgin story is even worse. Batman uses a thinned out version of Scarcrow's fear toxin to punish this man by making him insane. Batman tells him that he will not go insane, but oops he does. Then Batman uses bat sonar to gather bats to scare Karma, however, the bats peak out Karma's eyes. Seriously? Batman uses extreme torture? Batman is known for scaring people, not torturing them, especially when it is not necessary. This goes against lines that Batman has set and will not cross.
Batman brings in Black Lighting to help reach Batgirl, Orphan, and the Signal, becasue of the events from the previous story arc? With all the connections that Batman/Bruce Wayne has Black Lighting seems like such a random choice. Also, the Signal was not even in the last story arc, so how and why is he here in this book? Another randon character choice.
The art work overall is pretty good. The last chapter seems like a single issue tacked on story with moody art work that works well with the story.
This book is a big disappointment and should not be part of the Batman continuum. Let's call this an else worlds story without the else worlds heading.
What happended to Batwing, Red Robin, Robin, and Nightwing from the last volume. I understand that this is a new story arc with a new writer, but the only time events from the last series is mentioned is on the back cover. A few recap and transition pages would have been helpful and necessary.
The new villian Karma is not interesting at all. His orgin story is even worse. Batman uses a thinned out version of Scarcrow's fear toxin to punish this man by making him insane. Batman tells him that he will not go insane, but oops he does. Then Batman uses bat sonar to gather bats to scare Karma, however, the bats peak out Karma's eyes. Seriously? Batman uses extreme torture? Batman is known for scaring people, not torturing them, especially when it is not necessary. This goes against lines that Batman has set and will not cross.
Batman brings in Black Lighting to help reach Batgirl, Orphan, and the Signal, becasue of the events from the previous story arc? With all the connections that Batman/Bruce Wayne has Black Lighting seems like such a random choice. Also, the Signal was not even in the last story arc, so how and why is he here in this book? Another randon character choice.
The art work overall is pretty good. The last chapter seems like a single issue tacked on story with moody art work that works well with the story.
This book is a big disappointment and should not be part of the Batman continuum. Let's call this an else worlds story without the else worlds heading.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 3, 2018
После монументального рана Тайниона длиной в 50 выпусков Detective Comics снова осиротели, что снова превратило онгоинг в удобную площадку для издательских экспериментов. И первый эксперимент в этом ряду - пилотная история к возрождению еще одной классической уэйновской инициативы: Batman and Outsiders, которые стартуют под авторством Брайана Эдварда Хилла уже в декабре.
Из-за очередных проблем с доверием в Лиге и в готэмском семействе Бэтмен собирает третью «карманную» команду. На данный момент в неё вошли Катана, Сирота, Сигнал и Черная Молния в качестве полевого наставника. Два афроамериканца и два азиата. Подобной рокировкой DC решили сразу несколько стратегических задач. Во-первых, восстановили необходимый в текущем дискурсе градус diversity. Во-вторых, наконец пристроили в модный онгоинг на приметную роль Джефферсона Пирса, шоу про которого, кажется, уже продлили на третий сезон.
Повод для сбора Аутсайдеров был изобретен крайне удачный. В Готэме появился новый загадочный суперзлодей, который называет себя «Кармой». Карма уверен: армия сайдкиков и прочих бэтменовских припевочек делают Тёмного Крестоносца слабым и излишне уязвимым. Поэтому робины и сайдкики должны быть уничтожены. Выкорчеваны с корнем. Все до одного.
Также в арку входит самостоятельная история о том, как бомжи-сектанты пытаются воскресить Дикона Блэкфаера из старлиновской лимитки 1988 года Batman The Cult.
Из-за очередных проблем с доверием в Лиге и в готэмском семействе Бэтмен собирает третью «карманную» команду. На данный момент в неё вошли Катана, Сирота, Сигнал и Черная Молния в качестве полевого наставника. Два афроамериканца и два азиата. Подобной рокировкой DC решили сразу несколько стратегических задач. Во-первых, восстановили необходимый в текущем дискурсе градус diversity. Во-вторых, наконец пристроили в модный онгоинг на приметную роль Джефферсона Пирса, шоу про которого, кажется, уже продлили на третий сезон.
Повод для сбора Аутсайдеров был изобретен крайне удачный. В Готэме появился новый загадочный суперзлодей, который называет себя «Кармой». Карма уверен: армия сайдкиков и прочих бэтменовских припевочек делают Тёмного Крестоносца слабым и излишне уязвимым. Поэтому робины и сайдкики должны быть уничтожены. Выкорчеваны с корнем. Все до одного.
Также в арку входит самостоятельная история о том, как бомжи-сектанты пытаются воскресить Дикона Блэкфаера из старлиновской лимитки 1988 года Batman The Cult.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews