Batman and the Outsiders #3: Pages 18-19

Agent Orange HQ... The Agentorium? The Orange Pad? The Old Orchard Inn? The Gas Chamber? Whatever he calls it.Though they have some of the modus operandi down (the disused HQ in plain sight), these guys are definitely NOT Gotham City locals. If you think the scariest thing about Batman is that he might call the cops, you're not really on the same page as anyone else.

Speaking of hiding in plain sight... Did noone notice army surplus helicopters taking off and landing in the disused arena?
Oh, I guess SOMEone did.
Three things about Mike Barr's Batman:
1) He loves a good metaphor.
2) He can immediately tell in which helicopter the boss is.
3) And there's no way he's gonna split up the team to go after two separate threats. That would mean one of the teams would be out of his direct control. Still, he gives Agent Orange a run for his money in the pointing category.

And now for the page I think is actually pretty cool:
You almost have to admire a man who, a couple days after getting untested powers, is willing to let helicopter blades ram him in the head repeatedly. He's like dropping a fork in the garburator.
As the soldiers spill out of the Orangecopter II, Batman gives his team a pep talk. It's important to keep the troops motivated. If I were Black Lightning I'd shove my 5 years of experience up his Bat-ass and tell him that as a non-flyer, he shouldn't be going after a helicopter, but yeah, I guess I'd be afraid he'd call the cops on me.
Not having confidence in others is contagious. She should count herself lucky they shot her in a straight line. But really, branding Black Lightning a coward? Not cool.
Yeah, how 'bout you shut up, "WOMAN".

Mike Barr, your disrespect for your own characters will never cease to astound me

Comments

hiikeeba said…
I was angry at Mike Barr for a long time after Batman left the Outsiders. If I had known he had that planned, I never would have picked up the title.

Thanks for opening the wound. :)
Siskoid said…
Here's some salt.
Anonymous said…
If Batman is going to give pep-talks like that, Agent Orange should just give up now.

And the helicopters? It is Gotham. You usually don't want to look up when you hear noises like that, in a city like that. You never know when it's going to be Pigeon Man on the prowl, deciding you look like a statue.

And if Gotham is patterned directly after New York, "Gotham" Square Garden is probably perched on "Gotham" Station. The tourists will think the noise is coming from a really big subway train.

Either way, if it's at the garden, then surely it must be the Orange Grove. Gas Chamber also works, though.
Siskoid said…
Pigeon Man? Hey, I haven't gone through the entire Outsiders archive yet. NO SPOILERS!!!