WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Batman & the Outsiders #14, by Bryan Hill, Dexter Soy, Veronica Gandini and Clayton Cowles, available now.
In their various incarnations, the Outsiders has been one of the most effective covert teams in the DC Universe. Since it was founded by Batman in Mike W. Barr and Jim Aparo's Batman and the Outsiders #200, we've seen Black Lightning, Metamorpho, Geo-Force, Katana, and Halo at the team's core in the past, with teams also run by Alfred as it evolved over the years. They've all served different purposes since debuting in 1983, but they've still been bound to a fairly strict moral code, even if they've operated outside the bounds of heroes like the Justice League.
However, that seems to change with Batman and the Outsiders #14 over the course of their war with Ra's al Ghul, we're seeing the most dangerous and perhaps, the deadliest incarnation of the team.
This iteration is supposed to be run by Jefferson Pierce/Black Lightning, but the Dark Knight is still crafting their missions and calling the shots. With Ra's ready to tear cities down and holding an alien weapon of mass destruction, Bruce Wayne has taken off the gloves, starting with Jefferson. He has Black Lightning upgraded so his electric powers can be used to find Ra's weapon, but he's also given Sofia a new suit that harnesses her super-strength and speed.
As they head to Khadym, Ra's' base, this is where the Caped Crusader unleashes the team with no-holds-barred, telling them to leave one victim conscious for interrogation. The ensuing superhero fight is shockingly brutal. Black Lightning electrocutes people at all turns, which is risky because his experiments recently with the Batman mean that he could go haywire at any time. While it's a small risk, Bruce wants to send Ra's the message that he has people to lose too.
While Batman still doesn't endorse guns or killing, he seems perfectly fine with Katana severing limbs and amputations. When Sofia then brings the city down, it seems to be without consideration for any hidden or injured soldiers that could get killed in the collapse and rubble. While neither Batman nor his soldiers are being careful, hearing him say he's only living in this moment is disturbing because it hints he's emotionally compromised. Batman is famous for planning 10 steps ahead, so to hear him not thinking about the future is odd.
Perhaps the scariest notion is that Lady Shiva is using Cassandra Cain and Duke (and his shadow powers) to torture Ra's' associate, Tolan, in London. Duke's powers were warped by Ra's himself, and they could be lethal since he's not in full control of them yet. Still, Shiva has him extract info, and Bruce knew that she was doing that all along. In fact, it seems like Lady Shiva didn't go rogue after all, as the young heroes are surprised to see.
Batman could be using her as a scapegoat, a tool to get the young heroes to achieve their full potential while absolving himself of responsibility. While this has only riled them up for their upcoming fight with the Demon's Head, Bruce needs to control them when they all converge on Japan to save the world because that's what separates them from the League of Assassins. And if Batman can't rein in his team, it will only be a matter of time until they cross the ultimate line.