DCU Comic Book Reviews

OUTSIDERS #40

Mad Scientists, Part 1:  ...You Make Lemonade

November 2006

Written by Judd Winick

Pencils by Matthew Clark & Ron Randall

Inks by Art Thibert

Cover By Daniel Acuña

Synopsis

It began years ago...Monsieur Mallah and the Brain started collecting blood samples from various super heroes that have provided the means to replicate the DNA, create clones and then sell the clones to make money.  However, Mallah and brain are less interested in making money, than finding a body for the Brain.  Their partner tells them it will just take time.  Elsewhere, Katana and a portion of Metamorpho overhear the conversation between Mallah and Brain and their mysterious partner.  The rest of the Outsiders are being held captive.  Katana and shift decide they need help, so they free the clone of Superman.  The clone goes crazy and starts destroying the site, but it does free the rest of the Outsiders, who are then able to capture the Brain.  They ask Mallah who is his partner, Mallah give it to them to save the Brain’s life.  Their partner is Dr. Sivana.

Review

“Crap.  Never trust a monkey in love.”

So far during the One Year Later arc, I feel as if the Outsiders book is one big pinball machine as each issue seems to zing around and around without direction until it settles to the next area of the board that Judd Winick thinks is the best place to land.  In one sense, I like how each issues links to the next and how we got from a tiny nation in Africa to this point with Dr. Sivana in a connect-the-dots manner.  In fact, the initial OYL story is referenced in this issue.  Yet, there does not seem to be any resolution to any of these stories and I doubt it is coming any time soon.  It looks as if this book has some kind of direction, but this bouncing from point to point to me indicates there was no thought given to how it was all going to end.  Bits and pieces are tossed out into the story (pieces of Metamorpho, Grace’s heritage) but it seems so random that it does not feel like it was done by design.  What keeps this book from sinking into the quagmire is that Winick is able to write some zippy dialogue, some fast pace action, and the villains are always interesting, especially the love affair between Mallah and the Brain.  However, it is a sad thought when the villains are more interesting than the heroes.

It will be curious to see how Winick treads with the actions of Dr. Sivana, specifically with regards to the events that are currently being played out in 52.  In the first week, Dr. Sivana was captured.  This presumably might have been linked to clones, but now seems to be related to Intergang and perhaps the big mystery of 52 that will tie the entire series together.  If Winick knows what happens, he need to be careful not to ruin and if he doesn’t know he better be careful not to disrupt the timeline and anger the Continuity Geeks who will come down hard on DC.-- MRB

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