Batman and the Outsiders #5: Critical Analysis

It will be difficult to talk about B&TO #5 without at least paying lip service to New Teen Titans #37, the first part of a crossover between the teams, but I have chosen to more or less skip over that issue in my new and improved (read: colorized) page by page bashing discussions of Mike W. Barr's Batman and the Outsiders. Still, I don't want you to miss anything, so here are some of the key points...

1) The story revolves around the Fearsome Five kidnapping Dr. Jace so that she can supplement their ranks with people turned into mud monsters (and so the Mud Pack makes its debut long before Detective Comics co-opted the name for the Clayfaces).

2) Nobody knows who the hell they are, so the Titans feel confident about attacking them. It even takes them a while to recognize Black Lightning and Metamorpho as friendlies.
3) Katana...
...is totally lying about sheathing her sword - it doesn't have a sheathe! Also...
...Katana is tired of sitting here, especially when she has to stand! (Hey, when did her hair get so long? It's back to normal by issue 6.)

4) Geo-Force...
...has some 'splaining to do! He has a teenage sister with an American accent he never told anyone about, the same costume, and the intention of betraying the Titans. What does that say about him? Well, not big on family. Wears a girl's costume. Has the traitor gene (actually, since he brought Dr. Jace along, he's responsible for at least one betrayal).

5) Halo...
...has an empty stare that will suck your soul right out of your body.

6) And Batman...
...is a douchebag. And consequently, Robin spends the better part of two issues TAKING LEADERSHIP OF BOTH TEAMS. Dick's on his way to becoming Nightwing and he ain't taking crap from the old man!

Marv Wolfman sure knows how to write the Outsiders! Now what will Barr do with the Titans? (Hint: They keep making the Outsiders look like amateurs, which is how to write a proper team-up between the Outsiders and, well, ANY OTHER TEAM!) See you tomorrow for the start of B&TO 5's breakdown!