The Outsiders #4 (February 1986)

When it comes to this blog, while I do enjoy talking about comics starring more famous characters, and I am a big ol' Marvel head, I also enjoy DC's books too. Also, like with Marvel, I am fond of DC's obscure and lesser-known characters. Among such characters would be members of the group known as the Outsiders. 

This group has graced this blog before, in my review of Batman and the Outsiders #15 (November 1984). The group was originally formed by Batman after the Justice League of America refused to intervene in the war-torn country of Markovia. While the group has had a couple of series over the years, in fact former Teen Titans members Nightwing, Starfire, and Arsenal have been members, the original 1980s incarnation (Geo-Force, Looker, Black Lightning, Katana, Metamorpho, Halo) is arguably the most famous.

The cover is a Jim Aparo piece. 

"Cha$ing the Dollar!"
Writer: Mike W. Barr
Penciler: Jim Aparo
Inker: Jim Aparo
Colorist: Adrienne Roy
Letterer: Unknown
Editor: Mike W. Barr
Executive Editor: Dick Giordano

Our story begins in the skies over the Atlantic Ocean. These skies are being crossed by three aircraft. Each of these aircraft have their own passengers, and they all have their own agenda. The first plane contains a mysterious Russian spy/assassin named Zviad Baazovi, but most of the world knows him only as the "Bad Samaritan". He debuted in the last issue. Said Bad Samaritan has stolen some printing plates used to manufacture both American Dollars and the currency of the country of Markovia. 

The second plane contains members of a group of heroes known as the Force of July. They want those plates back. and following both of those planes is the third, being ridden by our titular heroes. Like the Force of July, they want those plates returned to their rightful owners, as those plates could be used by the Samaritan to create convincing counterfeit cash. 

The pilot of the Bad Samaritan's plane wonders where this mysterious man is going, as so far, the plane's course is leading nowhere. But all is explained in due time.

Page 2, Panel 2

The Samaritan is rendezvousing with a Soviet submarine (Remember this comic is from the 1980s. The Cold War was still a thing). The pilot no longer being useful to him, the spymaster gets rid of him with a bullet to the brain, then parachutes down to the sub. The Outsider born Emily "Lia" Briggs, but is known in the superhero set as Looker senses the pilot's death. The Outsiders are still too far away to get a fix on the plane. 

That's not a problem the Force of July has. They spot the sub, only to get shot down. 

That is also not a problem for the Force of July, as they manage to escape their downed plane...by the power of AMERICA (F YEAH!). The Outsiders manage to catch up. The Force of July are having an easy time dealing with the Russians, but it turns out this sub as a little trump card: A device called the Enervator.

Page 7, Panels 1-2

The machine manages to harm the Force, but the Outsiders arrive to provide some backup. In particular: Violet Harper/Halo, Prince Brion Markov/Geo-Force, and Looker. Major Victory, the Force's leader, is none-too-happy to see the Outsiders, but that gets tabled by another trump card: A robot. 

Page 8, Panel 3

"This remake of Short Circuit is weeeeird." Seriously, how did they keep that thing in a sub? Either way, the robot proves to be too powerful for the Outsiders and the weakened Force. Geo-Force calls for the Outsiders to leave.

Halo points out that the Force will be left to the Russians' mercies. Geo-Force reminds her that if they're captured by the Russians as well, they can't help the Force or get those plates back. As the Outsiders flee, the Russians go to place the Force somewhere under heavy guard. Geo-Force, Halo, and Looker return to their craft. They know the sub will head back to Russia, so they need to pursue them. However, they need to make a stop at Geo-Force's home country of Markovia. 

Upon arrival in the country, the Outsiders head to Castle Markovia. It's the home of the country's royal family, which Geo-Force is a member of. They're greeted by his brother and sister-in-law: King Gregor and Queen Ilona.

Page 10, Panel 7

The two see the Outsiders as saviors, thanks to the events of Adventures of the Outsiders #35. Brion tells Gregor that they couldn't retrieve the plates, so they have to go to Russia. They're going to need some fake IDs that'll stand up to Soviet scrutiny. It'll also be faster than waiting for the diplomats to get the plates back. In the meantime, Gregor decides to have some fun with his brother by offering to show the Outsiders some of Brion's baby pictures. Brion is understandably embarrassed by this.

The next morning, Brion is visited by Lia.

Page 12, Panel 4

"Brion, you HAVE to come down here! The breakfast buffet is AWESOME!" She wants to know if Brion will escort her to a dinner the modeling agency she works for in her civilian time is holding next week. It likely will be fun. After all, there's opportunities to build business contacts, dancing, and most importantly, free food. Mmmm, free food...

Brion points out that Lia is still married, even if she thinks it's only on paper. Brion tells her he still can't because he is the leader of the Outsiders, and he must maintain a sort of distance from his teammates to do the job. Yeah, Brion and Lia would go on to have a brief affair while on the team together, but they broke it off for the sake of their significant others at the time. The group arrive in Russia, where a contact of Brion's alerts him to where the Force of July is being held. 

Page 15, Panel 1

This military base outside of Leningrad is known as "Lenin's Office". Because nobody could come up with a better one. Our heroes fight their way into the base and manage to rescue the Force of July. Despite this, the Force are still not happy to see them there. The two teams reluctantly join forces, sniping at each other the whole time. The battle is ended by someone making it rain. As in, rain money.

So, what's the big idea. Well, it was done to get the heroes' attention.

Page 19, Panel 6

Yes, ol' Mikhail Gorbachev himself. Remember, this was the 1980s. Major Victory wants to kill him as he's the then-Soviet premier and Major Victory is way too "rah-rah U-S-A", but Brion just tells him it would cause a war and that he should also shut his big talk hole. 

Gorbachev happily hands the plates back to the American heroes, which understandably confuses them. Gorby points out that as much that the Soviet Union would love to see America's economy collapse, it could end up taking the rest of the world with it, which may cause even bigger problems. A funny statement in hindsight considering the fate of the Soviet Union only a few short years later in real life.

The Bad Samaritan is not happy with this, being all like, "Hey! I worked hard to make off with those plates!" Gorby assures him that it was a test, and he passed it with flying colors. 👍 He allows the heroes to leave. As they do so, Gorby proposes the idea of a team of Soviet super-agents. After all, they did get plenty of data from their examinations of the Force of July, and America has a boatload of superheroes. Why can't the Soviets?

We also get a backup story focused on Metamorpho!

"The Gold Standard"
Writer: Mike W. Barr
Penciler: Joe Staton
Inker: Joe Staton
Colorist: Adrienne Roy
Letterer: John Costanza
Editor: Mike W. Barr
Executive Editor: Dick Giordano

This story begins with Simon Stagg showing his daughter Sapphire and son-in-law Rex "Metamorpho" Mason around the newest Stagg Enterprises plant. Sapphire sneezes, and Rex takes her temperature with a thermometer. 

Page 1, Panel 4

Keep that thermometer in your brain, folks. It'll come into play later.

Lurking nearby is Java, Simon Stagg's caveman servant. Yes, an actual Neanderthal servant. 

Java's in love with Sapphire, and laments that she is not only aware of his feelings, but she loves Rex. Stagg takes Rex and Sapphire to a lab that is being attended by Dr. Bensen Berner (get it?).

Page 2, Panel 5

Berner, in his stereotypical "German scientist" accent, announces the matter transmitter he's been working on is ready for a test run. Berner puts a bar of lead and a bar of gold in the machine. The machine seemingly duplicates the properties of the gold bar and alters said properties of the lead bar. Basically, it turned lead into gold. 

The two janitors, Hugo and Bruno Thugg (Yeah, that's not an obvious bad guy surname 😒) overhear this and get an idea.

They figure if they can nab to newly-created gold bar, they can get rich, and live the sweet life forever. Unfortunately, the two wannabe-criminals didn't hear the part where Berner points out that the transformation is temporary. The gold bar eventually changes back into lead. Still, it's a step forward. 

That night, Rex takes Sapphire home when he hears an alarm. He goes to check it out, and finds the Thugg brothers looking for the gold bar. Metamorpho fights the brothers, and Hugo starts a fire to distract him. This allows him to blast the Element Man with the transmutation ray, turning him into gold.

Page 6, Panels 4-5

Sapphire pulls the thermometer (remember that) from her purse and tosses it on the gold bar that was used to turn Rex into gold. The mercury in the thermometer helps free Rex, and he takes down the Thuggs with a dose of nitrous oxide, aka laughing gas. The backup tale ends with our hero taking Sapphire home so she can rest and get plenty of TLC. 

What I especially liked about this issue is the nice character touches, like Looker and Geo-Force's attraction to each other of the glare Katana shoots at Looker when she approves of Halo wearing the stereotypical spy trenchcoat and hat (Katana was Halo's legal guardian at the time, and was a rather strict one compared to the more free-spirited Looker). 

The backup tale is an enjoyable, silly, and fun little short story. It feels like it came straight out of the Silver Age, with Joe Staton provide some great cartoony art.

Batman and the Outsiders #15 (November 1984)

With the Summer Olympics in full swing, I had remembered that I had a comic that featured a group of superheroes having an epic battle at the event. I had wanted to look at this comic last year, but since the Olympics were delayed, I had to hold off on it. This is also another opportunity to talk a bit about another team that had not appeared in this blog before: The Outsiders.

The Outsiders are a long-running DC superhero team. The original incarnation of the group first appeared in the final issue of the original The Brave and the Bold comic: The Brave and the Bold #200 (1983). The group would get their own book, which lasted 46 issues. The book, alongside The New Teen Titans and Legion of Super-Heroes, was given the "Hardcover/Softcover" treatment. Basically, the comic would be printed in higher-quality paper and distributed to comic shops first ("hardcover"), then a year later, reprinted in standard paper and put on newsstands ("softcover"). 

The Outsiders have become a long-running team in the DCU, having several series. They also have appeared in media outside of comics, like the Brave and the Bold animated series and the Black Lightning live-action series. So, with that out of the way, let's look at Batman and the Outsiders #15!

The cover is a Jim Aparo piece, and it's pretty good. It depicts Maxie Zeus and two of his New Olympians standing on a Olympic medal platform. I bet that dude on the right is doped all the way to Hades and back. Can we get the IOC on this?!

"Going for the Gold!"
Writer: Mike W. Barr
Penciler: Trevor von Eeden
Inker: Trevor von Eeden
Colorist: Adrienne Roy
Letterer: Ben Oda
Editor: Mike W. Barr
Executive Editor: Dick Giordano

The story begins with Halo lighting the Olympic torch. Let the Olympic Games begin! However, we're getting a most...unusual new event for this year's Games...Superheroes vs. Supervillains! Batman and his Outsiders are facing off against Maxie Zeus and his New Olympians.

If you've ever watched Batman: The Animated Series, you may be familiar with Mr. Zeus. I don't think he's ever fought Wonder Woman, though. Considering she knows the actual Greco-Roman gods, I can imagine her literally laughing him into prison.

Anyway, it's revealed that Maxie has a hostage: one Lacinia Nitocris. Batman demands he let her go, but Maxie's like, "Naw, but she won't be harmed." President Ronald Reagan calls Batman over and asks him to try and settle this without bloodshed. Batman agrees, then casually smacks down a Secret Service agent who had his gun out. 

The New Olympians represent some of the old Greco-Roman pantheon: Nox (goddess of darkness), Diana (goddess of the hunt), Proteus (a shape-shifter), Antaeus (a demi-god son of Poseidon who liked to rassle people) and Vulcan (god of fire). The stadium is evacuated, and the fight is on!

Geo-Force engages Antaeus. The Markovian Prince takes down the giant, but Antaeus gives him a wallop to the back for his trouble. Diana challeges Katana to a swordfight. Halo and Nox fly to a construction site. The challenge is to try and do some tightrope walking on a high cable. Nox nearly falls, and angrily rebukes Halo for trying to help her. 

Halo's attempt results in her falling, but being a clever girl, Halo realizes that the challenge was to cross the cable without flying. There's a loophole in that. As such, the blonde energy manipulator uses her tractor beams to help her cross.

(clever girl)

Vulcan clears out the soccer field so he and Proteus can face Black Lightning and Metamorpho in a game of handball.

And of course, the ball has to be spiky. 

Anyway, Metamorpho and Lightning get to action. Meanwhile, at Gotham Community College, young lady known only as "Miss Howard" is getting some happy news. She's getting the Langston scholarship!

Okay, back to the Olympic superhero action. We see the heroes continuing on their events. Antares walloping Geo-Force. Diana and Katana's swordfight continues with neither combatant being willing to yield. Nox challenging Halo to parallel bars, because...who knows. Batman, who is watching this with Maxie Zeus and Lavinia, finds a piece of paper in Zeus's assistant Argus's pocket.

"Rendezvous at Pantheon"

Batman decides to take his leave. Zeus is like "You can't leave, I didn't command you!", and Batman's like, "I'm Batman, I do whatever I want because I'm Batman." Zeus sics Diana and Antares on the Dark Knight. As Antares leaves, Geo-Force notices that he feels a little stronger. He then realizes something. Like his mythological namesake, Antares draws strength from him every time he touches the ground. And since Antares is jumping in the air, well...

Diana sics some wolves on the Caped Crusader, because she has those, but Katana uses a bit of archery to stick their collars to a wall. An impressed Diana is like "that shot was awesome", and Katana accepts her compliment with a Mighty Backhand. Antaeus tries to ambush Batman, but Geo-Force makes sure that's not a problem. The Markovian monarch then notices that Zeus has fled the coop, Lavinia in tow.

Batman then swipes a police car. I'm guessing the Batmobile was in the shop today. Batman realizes what the note means, and summons Halo. The lightcaster then uses her powers to KO Nox. Black Lightning and Metamorpho take down Proteus and Vulcan. Meanwhile, Batman arrives at a certain home.

Yup. Remember, Maxie Zeus is a loony-tune who thinks he's Zeus. It makes sense he'd have a hideout that references the Ancient Greeks. In this case, at hideout whose address is 144 Corinthian Road. Corinthian is a style of architecture, and the original Pantheon was 144 feet high and 144 feet wide.

So, what is this all about? Well...

Yes, Zeus has a daughter. Her name is Medea. Ain't she cute? Batman tries to sneak her out, but she actually gets the attention of Zeus's hired goons. Batman naturally beats up the goons, because that's what he does. Zeus arrives and tells everyone to knock it off. You see, he kidnapped our Miss Nitocris because...he wanted to give his daughter a mother.

Yeah, in the comics, Zeus had lost his wife through unrevealed circumstances, and the grief made him go nuts and become the looneybug he is today. Although considering the current state of DC "canon", God knows if that's even canon anymore. I hate current DC so much. Lacinia is like "You could have just asked, ya toga-wearing dipstick", and Zeus is like "Imma GAWD." It would have been so funny to see Zeus get a judo chop in the throat here.

Anyway, with that, Lacinia agrees to take Medea in...which is odd, but probably a good idea. Kid could use a sane parent, after all. And with that, Zeus basically tells his hired goons to let the heroes go. They are being observed by a pair of figures on a mysterious satellite. 

Ah, I'm sure that won't lead to anything. The cops corral Zeus and his hired goons. Black Lightning rightfully points out that Zeus attacked the Olympics and threatened people. He threatened the life of an Olympic athlete. All because he wanted to give his daughter a mom. Batman agrees that yeah, Zeus was a jerk, but he gets why. Yeah. This ending is weird.

I thought this was a rather fun issue, but I do think it could have been better in some places. I think it's fun seeing a group of superheroes battling supervillains in the form of Olympic athletic contests. Maxie Zeus was the perfect villain to use here, as his whole gimmick was he thinks he's Zeus. It fits considering the Olympics' history. The ending is weird and feels really anti-climactic.

Trevor Van Eeden is the artist here, and I have to admit, I'm not too fond of his art here. It feels a bit unfinished to me. It's like Eeden didn't get the time to turn in some great art, and that's a shame. 

This comic has not been reprinted in trade as far as I know, so you'll have to look in your local comic shop's back issue bins for it. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get vaccinated! See you next time, where we join the Avengers in their continuing battle against Immortus...