Batman and the Outsiders #4 Review

Writer: Bryan Hill / Artist: Dexter Soy / DC Comics There is so much going on it Batman’s corner of the DC universe that it’s honestly staggering that we have three titles that are being influenced by the Year of the Villain and all of them seem to be taking place at roughly the same time, if Batman’s laments are to be interpreted as such. However, in the midst of all the Batman stories we are being given, I still find myself thankful for Hill’s work on Batman and the Outsiders. He’s made it his mission to make sure that the Outsiders are the ones driving the action and that the entire reason for the team isn’t just that Batman needs a black ops team. Batman also recognizes that he is not always the solution. It’s a small solace, but it’s a solace just the same. The Lesser Gods continues with Sofia continuing her start of darkness under the tutelage of Ra’s al Ghul. The story then shifts to the Outsiders trying to regroup after realizing that their team dynamics still have a long way to develop. Hill deftly navigates different pairs of the Outsiders in order to expand on their characterization and motivation with varying degrees of successful. When it’s Cass and Duke, it’s chock full of touching sentiments and one-liners. When it’s Black Lightning and Duke, we get to poke and prod at inter-generational friendships. And when it’s Batman and Black Lightning… well that’s an area that I feel like we’re running out of novel territory, but it’s still well written. The main point …