Batman and the Outsiders #6 Review

Writer: Bryan Hill

Artist: Dexter Soy

Colors: Veronica Gandini

Letters: Clayton Cowles

Published by: DC

This series is fast becoming one that acts as a good cleanser from other series that are overly reliant on the script to get by. Hill and Soy have found a rhythm that allows for a quick read that relies, sometimes to its detriment, on the visual aspects of the book. 

Having said all that, reviewing a book of this nature becomes a little difficult because, unlike a lot of other books, it relies heavily on one aspect of the storyline (Casssandra and Duke), while leaving others on the team (Batman, Black Lightning) to a couple of pages, or not at all (Katana). 

What Hill presents of Duke and Cassandra is interesting, as we get a little more of Ra’s al Ghul’s plan, and a new player in the mix to, for lack of a better word, mess with both our heroes, but more specifically with Cassandra. 

The ensuing fight is as cinematic as ever with Dexter Soy as the artist. I’ve been a fan of Soy for many years now and I am always delighted when he shows up in comics that I read. His pencils and inks (because I’m pretty sure he inks himself) are always expressive, fluid, and feel like they pop off the page. His inks are a little darker than most comics out there, but it just fits with his style and makes it stand out. 

Since the script is a little light, it’s Soy’s art combined with Gandini’s colors that really really help propel this issue throughout. Comics are a visual storytelling medium, and this issue is a perfect example of this. 

Having said all that, even with the stellar art and visual storytelling, the issue is light on progression and will probably read a lot better as a trade once the arc is done. Because of this, it’s hard to recommend this single issue to anyone who hasn’t been following the series from the beginning.