Outsiders #1: A Planetary-Size Error in Judgment

Cynical venting first:

Right up front: The latest iteration of Outsiders is not an original comic. It isn’t even trying to be. It’s a watered-down version of Planetary, transplanted into the DCU and subbing out that comic’s leads for two already-established DC heroes and a different version of The Drummer. So, it has that going completely against it right from the start, because Planetary is a nigh-perfect comic and if I scoured the internet, I’m sure I could find some thesis papers written on it. It’s stood the test of time, numerous DC regime changes, the writer’s personal failings, and is still one of the best, most perfect comics of the 21st century.

And yet, and yet…

Outsiders #1 has enough going for it to not be a misfire. What it actually is is undetermined at this point. Sure, there’s the naked and shameless aping of Luke Fox wearing Elijah Snow’s trademark all-white suit, a not-so-casual mention of a “fourth man,” the basic idea of being “archaeologists of the unknown,” a no-nonsense lead heroine in Kate Kane, and a wacky Drummer rounding out the trio – but once readers get to the end of Lanzing and Kelly’s first issue, they realize there’s more going on here than meets the eye, and more to this comic than just retrofitting a classic with a new coat of paint. Not to get into spoiler territory, but there’s more than a little meta-commentary going on with the faux-Planetary set-up than meets the eye. To be sure, the final panel will raise more than a few eyebrows, particularly among fans of a particular age that grew up in the golden age of Ellis and Cassaday.

To that end, the artifact that the team winds up exploring is another nod to that era in a very big way (sorry, but no spoilers here) that begs a reconsideration as to what exactly Lanzing and Kelly have up their sleeve with this tale. However, that in and of itself can’t absolve the flaw in its initial conceit that it at least superficially is taking all of its cues from its source code in Planetary, but without that comic’s awe and sense of wonder for the popular 20th century culture it was excavating in new and exciting ways. That’s not to say that the premiere issue’s take on that isn’t interesting on its own terms, but it lacks the wow factor of the original classic material. It will be fascinating to see where Jackson & Lanzing take this story, at any rate.

All that, though, fails to absolve Outsiders of its original sin: that it’s playing from the songbook of another, far superior comic, and even as it tries to weave a meta-narrative from that comic, readers can’t help but be reminded that they could just be reading Planetary instead. The same goes for the art: whereas John Cassaday was a revelation on Planetary, plain and simple, Robert Carey on Outsiders is workmanlike at best, and rough around the edges at worst. Quite simply – if you’re going to try to put a new spin on a classic comic like Planetary, with the rich artistic legacy it represents, you bring in an A-lister to draw it. Unfortunately, DC editorial failed to get that memo because the art in Outsiders struggles from the jump to match the scope of the narrative being told. Similarly, Valentino Taddeo’s colors, though lovely, don’t do enough to push the envelope to the level it should be at. It’s impossible, though, to fault either artist for bringing their respective A-games when the true problem is they might just be mismatched for this comic. Perhaps something more street-level would have been a stronger fit? Either way, it’s a missed opportunity in a comic full of them, trying to spin a new narrative based on old cloth, but can’t help but get tripped up in its own aspirations. There’s potential there, but it’s going to take some time for it to unfold so that the writers can show what they’re truly building toward.