Order and Outrage #1: The More Rich, The More Corrupt

Order and Outrage #1 tells a story in three periods: now, then, and before. The “now” plot line follows a mysterious blue woman who has awoken in a crater, only to be arrested. The “then” storyline follows a mother and daughter escaping persecution from The Order, who want to eliminate them because of their non-exceptional genes. The “before” story follows Megan, upset at her lack of promotion to a science team, who discovers a yet-to-be-revealed secret.

The most exciting part about jumping into a new series like this is writer Jim Starlin, who is most well-known for creating Thanos at Marvel. Starlin has done much work in the cosmic landscape, so it seems like a no-brainer for him to pen a new, cosmically-based series over at Dark Horse. Thankfully, the best parts of Starlin shine through in this introductory issue, with many alien concepts being grounded in a story that has subtext based on reality. Starling’s writing evokes an older style that harkens back to his days at Marvel, when all of the cosmic grandiose had in-depth meaning, casting beyond the spectacle. 

In this series, Starlin talks about wealth disparity and the lack of equality amongst the oligarchical elite that controls society. This concept is told in a hamfisted way, leaving subtlety out the window. Starlin wants to ensure everyone knows what this series is about and unabashedly spells it out through exposition. This also allows this title to hook you in well before a dramatic cliffhanger is necessary. This also allows this title to hook you in well before a dramatic cliffhanger is required. It is only a four-issue mini-series, so it’s great to see Starlin get straight to the point, pushing decompressed storytelling to the wayside.

Rags Morales handles the art here in spectacular fashion. Morales is tasked with drawing small corridors, blush, green landscapes, small villages, and insane cosmic characters and settings. These are not three settings that generally appear in one story, but Morales pulls it off in stride, using the three different periods as an advantage to let loose on each panel uniquely. R. Brown also has a hand in this, using crazy and vibrant colors for the cosmic angle and a more subdued palette for the interior and corridor segments. Overall the art team does a fantastic job, leaving little to be desired.

Usually, one issue that crosses back and forth through three different timelines can be confusing, but lettered Michael Heisler does an excellent job in helping distinguish the different perspectives and locations through various other text bubbles and boxes. This makes the overall reading experience more palatable and understandable.