Outlawed #1
- WRITER
- Eve L. Ewing
- Artist
- Kim Jacinto
- Letterer
- VC's Clayton Cowles
- Cover Artist
- Pepe Larraz, David Curiel
- Publisher
- Marvel Comics
- Price
- 4.99
- Release Date
- 2020-03-18
- Colorist
- Espen Grundetjern
Outlawed #1 by writer Eve L. Ewing (Ironheart) and illustrator Kim Jacinto (Savage Avengers) takes aim at what might be one of the most overlooked and potentially controversial notions in comic books: the morality of the existence of teenage superheroes. The landscape of superhero comics would not be what it is today without characters like Spider-Man, Robin and the staring X-Men lineup, all of whom were children when they were joined the ubiquitous fight against whatever evil encroached their orbit.
Ewing and Jacinto dare to ask whether or not children should be permitted to fight crime in the streets or actually be enlisted in private organizations. There’s no easy answer to this question, especially when one considers how many lives have been saved by teen heroes. It’s easy to shrug off the discussion as just silly comic book fanaticism (which is certainly true), but media doesn’t exist in a vacuum.
Like all artistic mediums, comic books can act as a social conduit for discussing larger issues that affect millions of people on a global level. Outlawed #1 looks at how far is too far when protecting children from danger, as well as the idea of if there’s really a limit at all. For parents who desperately try to remain pragmatic in their decision making, this is an internal struggle which never fades away.
Told non-linearly, Outlawed #1 centers on members of the Champions, a team of teen superheroes consisting of heavy hitters like Ms. Marvel, Spider-Man, Nova and Ironheart. These kids often wind up punching above their weight class, but usually fare well after doing so. In Outlawed #1, this is not the case. After an encounter which left several innocent bystanders injured as well as countless dollars’ worth of property damage, the government calls for a clampdown on underage masked heroes.
Ewing was wise to take a page out of the Civil War event playbook and make it her own. Her plotting is sharp and, with the exception of a few comedy bits that fall flat, her dialogue is top notch. Ewing lays down the stakes with sobering clarity, which gives Outlawed #1 far more weight than expected.
Jacinto's artwork is exceptional in Outlawed #1. From the exaggerated facial expressions to the big action set pieces, this comic has so much illustrated energy. If characters are just standing around, postulating with their arms crossed over their chests, the panel framing is engaging. Even as the action ramps up, the art never feels cluttered. Ewing and Jacinto are definitely on the same page in their execution and both shine because of it. The icing on the cake is a lovely color palette by Espen Grundetjern, who makes every page vibrant even when things turn dour for our heroes.
Outlawed #1 it simply fantastic. From its sharp writing to its energetic art, there really isn't much not to like here. Sure, some of the characters featured have caused some very weird (and often extremely juvenile) divides within the comic book fan community, but for anyone looking for a well-written story that challenges a reader's expectations, this is a title worth seeking out.