Batman and the Outsiders #6: Pages 20-23

So Batman has lured the Cryonic Man to a public place and endangered an untold number of motorists. Sure, that wasn't really the plan. The plan was endanger an untold number of hotel guests! Maybe this running a superhero team isn't for him. He should stick to solving riddles for the police because this, this just isn't right. While less than half the team fights the villain, Bats puts the bigger half in charge of traffic control. Necessary, I suppose, because Gotham has some of the worst drivers in America. Like this guy:He lets go of the wheel when he sees the battle, and then tries to swerve into another car.
Wait, wait, wait... Didn't that battle seem a lot closer? As if the car was in the tunnel? Aparo-vision strikes again. Which makes the guy's serving a lot more criminal. The battle was half a mile away! I wish I could tell you that the cars are losing control because the Cryonic Man put an ice sheet on the road, but he really didn't. The cars are just out of control because that makes for more exciting comics.
At least in theory. Question: If that car can't break, is it now plunging into the tunnel towards the battle? Not much of an exit there, Rex. And that guy's not the only one with car trouble. There are those two cars under the bridge, and then this white sports car that tries to pass an 18-wheeler on the side of the wall.
Oh I think he'll still have to declare something, citizen Geo-Force (if you're gonna commit insurance fraud, at least have the decency not to talk to us like a communist), if we go by those sound effects in the first panel.

Batman and Katana take the fight to the supervillain, as Batman's mismanagement of resources continues.
Check out Katana's amazing homage to Captain America! Something you shouldn't do in a battle: Throw away your one magic weapon. That's her smaller blade in her left hand there. See?
"Geo-Force, no! It's gas! She's not technically being held!" Oh, and you're not done with traffic control. Not so long as the Gothamites keep their feet on the accelerators!
I hope all the bumper car noises cover the fact Rex just gave away Geo-Force's secret identity. At least now we have a big gun on the fight. GF could throw lava blasts at the cold-themed villain... ah, no.
Note that up until now, Cryo has only seen GF fly and maybe catch a car. That's it. So that's quite a lot of admiration for those old standards. GF conveniently doesn't use the full range of his abilities, but then, neither does the Cryonic Man (have we seen an ice power YET?).

And now though Rex said he needed help with the mad drivers, he's run into the tunnel himself to join the group in time for the cliffhanger. Has Batman been training them AT ALL?
Ooh, the villain's taken a shining to Katana.
CLIFFHANGER!
"That stuff is liquid nitrogen! ...SOLID liquid nitrogen!" Oh yes, and "They're dead already!"

Still, had a good run.

Comments

Diabolu Frank said…
DAaAng. I knew these books weren't that good, since I avoided them all these years, but I never realized they were this bad. "Solid liquid nitrogen?" Really?
Austin Gorton said…
Does Cryo really not know who Batman is? The other Outsiders, sure, but Batman? He does live in Gotham, after all.

And seriously, I think the true villain of this piece are Gotham's awful drivers.

Or Batman's poor leadership.