Luke Fox is curious about the unknown corners of the globe. Luckily, because his father stole Bruce’s money during Joker War, he has the money and time to explore it. Indulging his quest for knowledge is Bat-Family black sheep Kate Kane and a new version of Wildstorm’s Drummer. As equal partners, Kate has her own ideas about what to do with the team. If you weren’t expecting Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, you were wrong.
Ahab
Lanzing and Kelly continue their X-Files style run of Outsiders in a surprising aquatic adventure. The premise is simple. During a briefing back at the Outsider’s London field office, Kate shares a story from her time as a cadet in West Point. A select group of cadets join a secret intelligence mission to investigate a century long storm in the “Enlil Triangle.” Tragically, it just so happens to end in a horrifying but classified Kraken attack on the fleet. According to Kate, never finding out what really happened has bothered her for years. Honestly, it is weird to ignore it for her entire career in the military and as Batwoman. It’s not like it was an obscure shadow. She genuinely saw a kaiju and got over it.
Then, Luke and Drummer silently judge Kate for harboring her secret obsession. Hilariously, they compare her to the mad antagonist of Moby Dick Captain Ahab. Regardless, the Outsiders agree to trust that Kate isn’t just looking for her “White Whale.” Most importantly, they collectively agree that the goal of the mission is not monster hunting. Of course, the beast itself is an intimidating goliath that resembles a man’s body, crab lower side, octopus arms and, shark’s head. Robert Carey’s monster of the deep shares similarities with the Karathen from James Wan’s Aquaman (2018). Curiously, Drummer points out how it may have been born at the start of the century like fellow Wildstorm characters Jenny Sparks or Jenny Quantum.
Not These F&%#ing Guys
Upon arriving in Atlantean jurisdiction, The Challengers of the Unknown show up and intercept the Outsiders. Apparently, this iteration of the Challengers are one of many highly controversial spin-offs of the disposable adventurers from DC’s New Age Of Heroes. Again, Lanzing and Kelly deliver their retconned history in exposition made to look like aged documents. Basically, there’s Moses, the tech guy, Bethany, the ammunition expert, Krunch, the muscle, and then there’s Trina Alvarez. What’s most important is that The Challengers are excessively wealthy and unironically annoying monster hunters. Moreover, this includes access to watercraft, mech suits, advanced computer systems, and a plethora of weaponry.
Admittedly, despite their initial hospitality, the Challengers end up antagonizing both the Outsiders and the creature. In all fairness, the Outsiders come recklessly underprepared for this mission. Luke believed all he needed to do was design a submersible batsuit, and tweak their jet to become a sub. Yet, his half-assed tech fails, despite justifying the risk by saying, “I pay for the operation, I set the protocol.” Consequently, Kate Kane must end the conflict with whatever empathy she can muster. Conversely, The Challengers claim that monsters don’t belong on the earth and therefore need to die. Ultimately, empathy wins out, while randomly implicating Aquaman in shouldering most of the blame.
Recommended If…
- You don’t mind The Challengers of The Unknown having the tone of the Doom Patrol or Agent of S.H.A.D.E.
- You’ve retained interest in Batwing and Batwoman.
- Intending to keep up with this iteration of the Outsiders.
Overall
Outsiders #2 is taking a procedural monster of the week format. For the most part, there is finite connective tissue between each issue so far. As a result, I can assume that whatever mysteries or unknowns the heroes encounter will remain mostly self-contained. The humor works to cut through the awkward scenarios, though it seems as the Outsiders don’t have a clue what they’re doing. Moreover, the illustrations on the page vary in quality, but overall I’d say readers shouldn’t have much of a problem outside of poor layout and choice of copy. On a positive note, I like the unofficial trend of getting a new Batwoman costume each issue. So far, the book finds a way to be fun while starving readers of satisfying answers.
Score: 6.5/10
DISCLAIMER: DC Comics provided Batman News with a copy of this comic for the purposes of this review
