I just read half a crossover of the New Teen Titans and the Outsiders.  I read the NTT half.  I'm going to go pick up the Outsiders half.  Before I do that though, I kind of liked the characters and was wondering if Batman and the Outsiders was a good book.  I figure I can pick up a run cheap and easy. Is it worth it?  Is Batman and the Outsiders a good book?  Is there a run I should focus on?  I know Bats quits the team and it becomes just the Outsiders.  When does this happen?  Is it any good after that? Will Berkovitz This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

I just read half a crossover of the New Teen Titans and the Outsiders.  I read the NTT half.  I'm going to go pick up the Outsiders half.  Before I do that though, I kind of liked the characters and was wondering if Batman and the Outsiders was a good book.  I figure I can pick up a run cheap and easy. Is it worth it?  Is Batman and the Outsiders a good book?  Is there a run I should focus on?  I know Bats quits the team and it becomes just the Outsiders.  When does this happen?  Is it any good after that? Will Berkovitz This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Well, like most series the beginning is better than the end, but for the most part BATO was a great series.  Mike W. Barr had a real knack for pulp _style_ stories and making Bats and his team work together.  I remember the first Christmas issue really gave a sense of these characters each being outsiders and needing the family the team gave them.  The amazing Jim Aparo was the artist and I consider it some of his best work. When Mr. Aparo went off to get a head start on the deluxe Outsiders series, a relative newcomer Alan Davis** was brought on to carry out the penciling duties on the rest of the BATO run and it was simply amazing as well. Batman and the Outsiders is better than The Outsiders, IMO, but both are really good books. **he was a newcomer to me anyway

Is there a run I should focus on?  I know Bats quits the team and it becomes just the Outsiders.  When does this happen?  Is it any good after that? It's still good, but you're better off getting the BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS run (including BRAVE & BOLD #200) and if you like it, going on to the later stuff. kdb

kdb Hey, thanks Kurt.  I love Power Company, especially now that Firestorm is a member.  Sounds funny since I voted for Booster Gold, but I love Firestorm more than Booster.  I just thought that Booster would fit the corporate mentality of the team better. Thanks for the heads up on B&B 200.  How long was Batman a member of the Outsiders?  When did it it go from Batman and the Outsiders to just The Outsiders? Will Berkovitz This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Thanks for the heads up on B&B 200.  How long was Batman a member of the Outsiders?  When did it it go from Batman and the Outsiders to just The Outsiders? I dunno.  #28?  #32? You can look it up at www.comics.org kdb

Is Batman and the Outsiders a good book? Hell, yes.  Best book DC was publishing, in its prime. I always rather liked the notion that this was a team of adults that was prety much a spin off of the Teen Titans. (Batclan leader, geo-_base_d hero, naive energy projector... etc) Yes, but which era was that. Don't forget that apart from some marvellous stories it also gave us the Duke of Oil and the Nuclear Family (Whilst I'm not fond of the latter, I have to admit a grudging respect for all the sheer chutzpah of stretching the pun concept of the name as far as they did) And while it did give us Halo's costume, which I always like, it also gave us Looker's costume, which adds new meaning to the term hookerwear. even by heroine standards! If Aparo and/or Davis can't make it look good, CHANGE it!