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DC's Outsiders wraps up today with #11 – unexpectedly the final issue of the series from writers Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly, and artist Robert Carey.
I say 'unexpectedly' because the comic was initially announced as being 12 issues long. It's been a strange old run, part one-and-done mystery stories, part meta-fictional revamp of Warren Ellis and John Cassaday's classic Planetary. The series ends, however, with a teaser for the potential revival of a different Ellis book... You can probably already guess which one, but just in case...
Spoilers for Outsiders #11
To give a brief recap of this mind-bending series, a new team of Outsiders has been assembled by Luke Fox, including himself, Batwoman Kate Kane, and Drummer – a mysterious figure who was later revealed to be Jakita Wagner from the original Planetary, the only character (along with the living ship Carrier) to survive the end of her universe.
In #11 Wagner's plan is about to come to fruition. She intends to destroy reality in order to restore her own universe. At first it seemed like the ship was on her side, but as last issue revealed, the Carrier thinks differently. Indeed, it has brought Wagner together with the Outsiders and a big fight with Luke, Lucius, and Batwoman ensues.
Having this strange tale end with a punch up feels, honestly, a bit hackneyed – but that's also kind of the point. This is a story about superhero stories, so it makes sense that it would end, at least in part, with a scrap.
Of course, this isn't the real end. In fact, the Outsiders are able to talk Jakita down from her plans. In acknowledging that they are all characters in a story, Luke, Lucius, and Kate are able to convince her that she has taken the wrong turn, that she's acting like a villain, and that doesn't sit well with her. She calls the fight to a halt, doesn't destroy the universe, and seemingly writes herself out of the Outsiders' reality, becoming a narrator of this meta-fictional tale, rather than an active participant.
We then pick up with the Outsiders two months later – and that's where things get really interesting. Luke reveals that he's forming a new team, noting that Jenny Crisis, Jinny Hex (Jonah's great-great-granddaughter, who starred in Outsiders #8), the Doctor (the baby sea monster who's popped up intermittently in the run), and City Boy are all members. Intriguingly, the issue suggests that City Boy is now a Century Baby like Jenny Crisis. Unless I've missed something elsewhere, that's a bit of a retcon, but an interesting one.
Of course, a new super-team needs a name. "Jenny's still calling it Outsiders," says Luke. "But I think it needs a name with a little more AUTHORITY."
Clang! Yes, the italics and bold letters are present and correct. That sure does read like Lanzing and Kelly dropping a not-too-subtle hint about the return of Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch's The Authority somewhere down the line, albeit with a very different line-up. It makes sense – we know that the team is going to be a part of James Gunn's new DCU, after all. The question now is: when will we meet this new iteration? And who's going to be writing and drawing their comic?
Outsiders #11 is out now from DC.
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