Review by Tim Sheridan
“All Together Now”
Writer: Judd Winick
Penciller: Matthew Clark
Inker: Art Thibert
Letterer: Jared K Fletcher
Colorist: Guy Major
Asst Editor: Rachel Gluckstern
Editor: Joan Hilty
There is a plot here. It’s about the demon Sabbac. It’s a good plot too. Funny, at that. The issue is filled with an intriguing story about magic and demons and good and evil. Deathstroke even shows up. And we all know he’s a cool character.
But that’s not what makes this issue worth reading.
It’s the team itself. The Outsiders are the best team in comics right now. And it’s because they’re not really a team. They are a bunch of angsty super heroes who, despite their differences, want to do the right thing. In the last six months, their team has been torn asunder. Members left, died, and turned into villains. But they didn’t call it quits. They just decided to be less friendly.
They don’t seem to like each other. Team “leaders” Arsenal and Jade are not really happy with the rest of the team, but they know that together, they do good. This sort of dynamic is what makes them different from every other team in comics. Even the X-Men have a common bond. The Outsiders do not. They just have each other and their apathy for…everything.
This issue ties in with the Day of Vengeance mini-series that just wrapped up, but even if you didn’t read that, you can tell that something is up with the magic in the DCU right here. And that’s how the whole demon Sabbac tale gets underway. A prison blows up, the Fearsome Five schemes, and Deathstroke kills.
See, a lot happens in this issue. But that’s not why I think you should read this comic. In fact, usually magic and demons make me put down a book. The whole fantasy jive never struck a chord with me, which is why reading a Judd Winick-penned book was so odd for me at first. Winick uses demons and magic in his writing a lot, and does it really well, but it just was never my cup of tea. But, inter-personal dynamics is my cup, and Winick does that even better than he does magic.
