Outsiders #41

Reviews

Reviewer: Mathan “Welcome Back” Erhardt
Story Title: Mad Scientists Part 2: Raising the Dead

Written by: Judd Winick
Penciled by: Matthew Clark & Ron Randall
Inked by: Art Thibert
Lettered by: Pat Brosseau
Editor: Joan Hilty
Publisher: DC Comics

This issue picks up right after the conclusion of the previous one, with the revelation that Monsieur Mallah and the Brain were in league with Dr. Sivana. However Sivana’s been watching all along and implements the destruction of the nuclear plant that Mallah and the Brain have been using as a base.

Naturally everyone gets out alive (or so we assume) but then Sivana puts the next stage of plan in action; revealing to the world that the Outsiders aren’t as dead as everyone believed them to be. He calls the press lets the story take a life of it’s own. From there we see the Outsiders, in pairs, enjoy some downtime as they brace for how the revelation will alter their lives. This includes a paring that I’m sure well have the fanboy’s (and Winick critics) up in arms. The issue ends with Sivana promising that his next step will be even more impressive.

In terms of story this issue is solid. Winick makes Sivana a character that’s actually interesting and builds him up a credible menace in the DCU, apart from the Marvel clan. The downtime scenes work very well as you really get to see the characters being themselves. And while I’ve got no problem with the paring that’s bound to cause controversy, you’ve really got to wonder if Winick isn’t just goading his critics into causing a fuss.

Art wise, despite having two guys doing the pencils the book maintains a rather uniform look. This is most likely due to Art Thibert’s inks, which are as crisp as usual. There’s plenty of action in the issue and the art really give it momentum and a dynamic that rivals an action film. And you’ve really got to love the final panel on page #9, which works perfectly. Oh, the colors are spectacular.