Outsiders #8 is written by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly. Artwork is by Robert Carey, colours by Valentina Taddeo and letters by Tom Napolitano. The book is published by DC. Main cover art (left) is by Roger Cruz and Adriano Lucas.
Outsiders #8 is available from today, in print and on digital platforms where all good comic books are sold. Grab your digital copy from Amazon Comixology UK right here.
Synopsis
Following the explosive revelations of last issue, Batwoman departs the Outsiders on a solo quest of her own design. In the storied deserts of the American southwest, a dangerous specter stalks the innocent and guilty alike with a vengeance that spans all the way back to those first dark days of the Old West. Anyone with violence in their heart can become the victim…or the perpetrator. Can Kate Kane hunt this monster down before more innocent lives are destroyed…or before it consumes her soul with its violence as well? Guest-starring Young Justice’s Jinny Hex, this issue is a brutal showdown for the soul of the Batwoman!
Review
After what was an incredible, dare I say somewhat groundbreaking issue, last month. DC’s Outsiders are back and we’re picking up with Kate Kane as she reels from Jakita’s revelations. Striking out on her own she’s getting in to far more trouble than she would hope for in DC’s own Wild West. But even as the book dials back – only a little – on the crazy meta-multiversal commentary, its strength of character still shines through.
Admittedly Kate Kane was the reason I came to this book. Her inclusion in the lineup offered the chance for writers Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing to do something different. Kane is traditionally a very straightforward vigilante. She might have dated a vampire – important to this issue – but solo Batwoman stories are often close to some of her cousin Bruce’s own darker tales. So seeing her caught up in the crazy shenanigans that Luke Fox has gotten her in to has been a blast to say the least. But despite the impulse to see Kate caught up in whatever comes next for the trio, it feels right that she spend this issue striking out on her own.
We witnessed a huge turning point for Kate last month. Listening to Jakita’s past and how she came to use the name Drummer rightfully crossed a line for Kate. Whilst I think she could (and likely will) learn to move on from the lies. It’s natural for her to turn and run when her status quo has been upended. It also speaks to her character that she doesn’t turn away Jenny Crisis when she comes calling. Hooking her back in by appealing to her human nature. Perhaps most interesting in seeing how far Kate has come is the moment she stops to ask if the Outsiders had helped Jenny. For just a second Kate appears vulnerable and perhaps regretful of her decision to walk away. That nuance of character feels so Kelly and Lanzing. As if the line between their DC work and their Star Trek series was blurring, just for a moment.
Striking out on her own leads Kate to the Wild West in search of Jinny Hex. Could she be another of the Century Babies? Whilst the detail isn’t written in stone in the issue it certainly seems that on her travels, Jenny has found plenty of other Century Babies, one of whom is the “Girl with the Gun”. So off goes Kate in search of a town filled with ghosts and a girl with a very special gun.
The two connect of their impending ghost attack and that leads to a cameo from the legendary Jonah Hex and a cool middle section when the book switches itself to written prose. See, even when they’re writing a more traditional issue Kelly and Lanzing are still breaking with convention. Ultimately the pair are pushing Kate towards a realisation. Something which comes at the conclusion of Outsiders #8 as she reaches out to her former colleagues. An act which is surely difficult for Kate. Her attempt to make contact comes as something of an emotional release which feels like another turning point for her character.
Any moment of relief for Kate is going to be short-lived. As she attempts to make a connection we see that something has gone terribly wrong at a foreboding location known as The Lost City of Cannon. Now I can safely assume the “cannon” in that name is referring to the meta commentary which took a back seat this week. As Outsiders ventures back between worlds it’s going to be exciting to see how Kate embraces the weird to save her friends.
Verdict
A great one-shot story for Kate Kane in the wake of last month’s revelations. Outsiders #8 shines a spotlight on the toll these multiversal adventures have taken on Kate. Giving her (and us) the chance to catch out breath and see more of the human side of Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing’s meta-commentary.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
