DCU Comic Book Reviews

OUTSIDERS #47

CheckOut, Part Two

July 2007

Written by Judd Winick and Greg Rucka

Pencils by Matthew Clark

Inks by Art Thibert

Cover By Mathew Clark and Art Thibert

Synopsis

[Continued from Checkmate, issue #13]

After the rest of the Outsiders had been captured by Checkmate, Nightwing decides to go directly to Checkmate Headquarters by breaking in and holding Black Queen Sasha Bordeaux hostage.  He then steals he security and heads out to rescue his team, finding Grace first.  They are on the way to rescue Anissa Pierce (aka Thunder) when Bordeaux stops them.  She tells them that the rest of the Outsiders are safe and waiting in the board room.  Bordeaux tells them all that Checkmate shut down the Outsiders’ operation unless they agree to help Checkmate infiltrate Oolong Island and stop the crazy sceintists from continuing their work.  Reluctantly, Nigthwing agrees.  Aboard the Pequod on the way to Oolong Island, the team is suddenly attacked by a large sea monster. [Continued in Checkmate, issue #14]

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

“Listen, I think you’re reckless, arrogant, and almost criminally dangerous.  It’s fifty-fifty to me whether you do more harm than good on any given day.”

This comic was fun.  Winick’s trademarked fast, destructive action and quick wit (especially all of the stuff about Grace’s ass hanging out) are display here and I think it works for this issue.  It was quick, moving the plot to where it was predictably headed at the beginning of the story.  It also highlighted beautifully Nightwing’s abilities as he easily gained access to the castle and then was able to rescue Grace.  Granted things went downhill from there, but the destruction caused by Grace showed exactly what Sasha was talking about in the quote provided above. 

I like the fact that the past relationship of Nightwing and Sasha, in connection with Batman, was explored a little bit in this issue.  I am a little fuzzy regarding the details of the time Sasha was involved with Bruce so I am not sure the extent of what she knew or didn’t know.  Frankly, I am not even sure that is needed, really.  At the very least, Nightwing acknowledged he knew her, she acknowledge that it used to be her, and that is that. 

It was also nice to see that Oolong Island hasn’t been completely abandoned just because 52 is now finished.  Personally, I would like to see more of the scientists and I hope whatever happens here doesn’t shut down any possibility of seeing these crazy, wacky kids more often in the DCU. 

I commented that the first issue of this crossover storyline felt like Judd Winick’s “voice” as a writer was not apparent even though he was given co-writing credit along with Greg Rucka.  In this issue the opposite is true.  This feels completely like Winick’s writing with Rucka’s “voice” being buried or nonexistent.  I am guessing that the two of the worked out the plot and the character beats for the story together, but then wrote the issues separately.

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