DC Comics has missed the point of Batman & the Outsiders for 25 years

Despite the fact that I’m a longtime Batman & the Outsiders fan, the series has never once in its publishing history ever gotten its balance exactly right. There is definitely a place for the book within the context of the DC Universe as well as an audience outside the typical hardcore comic crowd, but those handling the book rarely seem to nail it down. Oh sure, at times it’s been a decent comic with good art, especially during the Jim Aparo and Alan Davis years and the current Chuck Dixon/Julian Lopez series is far better than anyone had any right to expect, but the concept has always been more than a little ill-defined.

At the heart of the Outsiders concept is the unspoken subtext that it’s Batman’s last-ditch defense for humanity against superhumans. Therefore, for Batman to stock the team with the superpowered types — or to depend too heavily on superpowers to execute his plans — goes against the grain and never quite works. Nearly all members of the team should be normal or slightly enhanced humans who defeat superpowered enemies against incredible odds through superior planning, training, teamwork, and skill. The Outsiders is the Batman concept applied to a team book, and functions as a extended version of the ‘Batman Family,’ i.e. Bats’ inner circle of Nightwing, Robin, etc. The Outsiders are Batman’s team in Kingdom Come. The Outsiders are the team Batman assembles to take down Superman in The Dark Knight Returns, and the way that battle plays out is how a well-done Outsiders arc should read: a well-engineered plan in which the individual players are not necessarily aware of the part they play but somehow by following Batman’s plan they manage to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat (and occasionally the reverse).

The Outsiders are hardcore. The only group more intense should be the Suicide Squad. The Outsiders don’t have to get along or like each other, they just have respect each other enough to work together. Members should regularly be disturbed by the lengths to which they are forced to go to accomplish their mission goals, and float in and out of affilation with the team – at all times at least one member should be participating against their better judgement.

Certain characters fit on the team and others don’t. As Batman’s ultra-elite covert strike force it’s always been a mixed grab-bag of second-raters and hopeless cases. It’s not a training camp, and neither is it a group of big guns. It’s a team of highly-skilled, top-of-the-class in their field types who don’t work well with others — and would prefer not to except when forced to by the Batman, who won’t accept no for an answer. The Outsiders are the group Batman has because it’s necessary, not because he subconsciously wants drinking buddies. Too many superpowers don’t fit the concept: Metamorpho and Martian Manhunter are both too ridiculously overpowered for the team. An Outsider should have maybe one or two powers like Black Lightning, but despite (or because of) his overpowered nature, Geo-Force is, always has been, and always will be a dud (sorry, Brad Meltzer).

Characters that work/would work as Outsiders: Nightwing, Batgirl (Cassandra Cain), Green Arrow, Katana, Black Lightning, Huntress, Manbat, Arsenal/Red Arrow, Oracle, Atomic Knight, Plastic Man, Terra (ooh, the irony), The Creeper, Black Orchid, Ghost Detectives (only occasionally), Wolverine (you know, in some crossover bullshit or something)

Characters that don’t: Metamorpho/Shift, Thunder, Halo, Looker, Catwoman, Martian Manhunter, the Eradicator, Geo-Force, Windfall, Faust, Wylde, Technocrat, Indigo, Jade, Robin, Spoiler, Capt. Marvel Jr., Starfire (good god no)

Meh: Grace, Captain Boomerang Jr., Aquaman.

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