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Batman and the Outsiders gets new creative team...before first issue launches.
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Tony Bedard and artist Kai somethingorother have dropped off of the as of yet unreleased title.
Chuck Dixon and Julian Lopez will be taking over, changing the series' roster, storyline, but not general direction.
For comparison here's the original roster and the original artist's work:
Chuck Dixon and Julian Lopez will be taking over, changing the series' roster, storyline, but not general direction.
Newsarama wrote:Newsarama: Well, first of all Chuck, sudden creative changes are nothing new in this biz, but it’s somewhat unusual to see a full creative team change before the first issue even ships. So as much as you can divulge, can you tell us about the circumstances of you taking over this title?
Chuck Dixon: Well, anyone in any kind of creative endeavor can tell you that, no matter how hard you work at something, it all somehow gets away from you. It’s happened to me enough times.
That seems to be the case here.
No one in this business has greater respect for Tony [Bedard] than I do. The guy is dedicated, conscientious and has never written anything less than world-class comics entertainment. But whatever it was that the folks at DC wanted from this book, it just wasn’t coming together. I take this on faith as I wasn’t shown any of their material.
That said, I’ll be running with what they set up in the one-shots in a whole different direction simply because I have no idea what their direction was to be. The character line-up and the dynamic of the book will be what Tony set up in Outsiders #50. By editorial fiat and the demands of continuity the line-up will change with issue #3 and #4. Some jaw-dropping additions to the team will occur then. I’m also playing with one of the team members I’ve inherited in a way that has never been done in an ensemble book like this.
NRAMA: Not meant in a greater or lesser than way, but clearly a change of writers will have to have some affect. How would you say your take on this title will be different than what Bedard’s take was shaping up to be?
CD: Just from the inferences at the initial meetings it seems like my take will be more direct action as opposed to Tony’s more intrigue-laden plotlines. Tony does that whole intrigue thing so much better than I do. Of course, I’m only going off of the very vaguest notions of what the book was to be like with Tony on board.
It’s very weird because this was a book I was looking forward to reading.
NRAMA: Conversely, what do you think will remain mostly the same.
CD: Nothing, really. It’s a whole different gameplan.
NRAMA: Given that there have been changes, can you briefly give us Batman and the Outsiders 101? What do readers need to get going into next month’s issue #1?
CD: Well, Batman is forever frustrated by the way the JLA and its subsidiaries operate. He originally formed the Outsiders to be a more pro-active, preventative force for battling global baddies. He returns to the group for the same reason. He finds mostly flawed or secondary or unwanted heroes (and anti-heroes and outright villains) and casts them into a kind of Impossible Mission force to bring down evildoers while their plans are still in the making. The original series’ premise is even more relevant today with real-life supervillains threatening civilization every day.
NRAMA: What do you want readers to know as they weigh whether or not to give this title a try?
CD: It’s action. It’s team dynamics. We have a twist on an established villain that takes up much of the first few issues. We have some amazing guest stars and new team members coming up very quickly. You get to see a writer who majored in agriculture in high school struggle to learn the periodic table so he can write Metamorpho convincingly. The artwork is stunning. Batman’s in it. And we have a few DCU continuity shake-ups coming that should have the fanboys buzzing around the cash register on Wednesday.
NRAMA: Assuming the team on the cover to #1 will remain the team, can you maybe walk us through the team members and give us some brief thoughts on each?
CD: And how ‘bout that cover?
Martian Manhunter. Who’s cooler? Maybe Batman. I have a lot of fun with J’onn in the opening issue.
Metamorpho. Hotshot test pilot turned elemental freak. And he’s funny.
Catwoman. She’s sexy, smart and untrustworthy.
Grace. A powerful Amazonian who’s not so sure abut this whole Batman-as-leader thing but is willing to give it a try.
Thunder. Inexperienced superheroine and daughter of Black Lightning. She’ll provide some real sparks (no pun intended) in the opening arc.
Katana. Super-cool samurai. I have always adored this character and work to up her coolness factor to 11.
And Batman.
For comparison here's the original roster and the original artist's work:
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Though maybe we'll end up seeing J'onn and Arthur back on the Justice League someday.
PSN: OrneryRooster
I think what most excites me is it's the first time Batman will fucking acknowledge Cassie's issues since OYL
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Dixon should pick up Metamorpho Year 1
PSN: OrneryRooster
But man, I love Ollie so hard, especially when he is hanging out with Batman so I'm gonna have to read this.
I wanted Aquaman on the team.
As for the excluded characters, the lack of Martian Manhunter sucks but I hope the exclusion of Aquaman means we'll be getting Orin back. Oh and the lack of Catwoman sucks too, mostly because I like her character but can't stand her actual series.
As has been mentioned before, I think it'll just be nice that her inclusion in the series will pretty much force Batman to actually acknowledge her situation for a change. I imagine that Batman won't be happy, but I can see Cassandra being even less so, considering that Batman did pretty much nothing to figure out what was going on with her, leading to her killing several more people than would have died if the Bat clan hadn't just gone "lol well she's crazy now, nothing we can do".
I just hope Dixon doesn't skim over it and have things perfectly fine and dandy between Batman and Batgirl by the second issue.
I gotta admit, I'm sorta bummed out that J'onn is being replaced by Geo-Force, since my love for the former far outweighs anything I feel toward the latter. I guess he's being included because of his connection to the original Outsiders, though.
Orin is currently...not of the mortal coil. Arthur is the one and only Aquaman for the inevitable future.
PSN: OrneryRooster
Geo-Force might not be in it for long
what with him being a traitor and all
Where was Aquaman in issue 13?
PSN: OrneryRooster
12
whoops
Yeah, I remember that. It was clearly Arthur. But I can see the confusion with the text. Someone...let's call him Brad, fudged up, because Orin is currently in a glass box. Under da sea. So either he never got the memo, or he spoiled the result of issue #57
PSN: OrneryRooster
But only one Orin.
PSN: OrneryRooster
PSN: OrneryRooster
meltzer isn't really one for continuity
Bu...but...he's a New York Times Best Seller!
PSN: OrneryRooster
how the fuck did geo-force get on the league
it was "hey let's pick the people who fought amazo" and then all of a sudden geo-force is there
PSN: OrneryRooster
PSN: OrneryRooster
That said, the new art is really good, but the new line-up isn't. I agree with everyone about Geo Force, and Green Arrow is a little too notable for what I was looking for. Ollie is great & all, but more obscure heroes deserve a spot on a team like this.
I'm actually surprised he's not on the roster. It'd make sense, since Dixon created the character, and once Ollie returns to his title he'll be shunted off into the background somewhere. Though given the recent solicitations for Green Arrow/Black Canary, Connor probably won't be around much longer anyways.
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