Detective Comics Sets Up a Fight for Leadership of the Outsiders

SPOILER WARNING: This article contains spoilers for Detective Comics #987 by James Tynion IV, Alvaro Martinez Bueno, Raul Fernandez and Brad Anderson, on sale now.

Detective Comics #987 brought Bryan Hill and Miguel Mendonca's short run on the title to a close, and it laid the groundwork for a new Outsiders series. The final part of "On the Outside" saw Batman confront Karma, the monster he created long ago. The issue also includes the official founding of a new team of Outsiders with a very specific mission.

Perhaps most interesting of all is the fact that we finally come to understand the purpose of the Brainiac Files we have been hearing about all summer long. It turns out they serve a very important purpose in Batman's war on crime and his use of them reveals the need for a new Outsiders team.

By the end of the issue, we know what Batman's plan is and where it will take him and his allies from here. What we don't exactly know is how Batman will be able to overcome his own shortcomings to lead a new generation of heroes as a true team.

A New Team With a New Mission

During the four-issue event series Justice League: No Justice, Amanda Waller downloaded all the data in Brainiac's mind before the alien's head exploded. All that superhuman intel was deemed to be dangerous in the hands of the United States government, so Batman stole them from her. It's only now that we get to see the files' true purpose.

The Brainiac Files hold an incredible amount of information, including crisis-level threats around the world. Batman has targeted specific threats that need to be dealt with in his own way, creating the need for a new team under his watch. Following the failure of the Gotham Knights protocols, the Dark Knight is trying something new; he's brought in an expert.

By the end of Detective Comics #987, Batman has left Black Lightning in charge of a new Outsiders squad. This team seemingly includes Katana, The Signal and Cassandra Cain. The plan is to use them against these emerging threats, while also training the younger generation to be better, more effective heroes. As promising as this new beginning is, though, it's fair to wonder how different things will turn out when Batman still calls the shots.

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New and Familiar Enemies

Thanks to the Brainiac Files, Batman is able to find a connection between Karma and a dangerous weapons dealer in Markovia. Apparently, Martina Dementieva provided Fleet Delmar with the alien helmet that allowed him to become Karma. From what little we see of her, she has her hands in the Markovian military and she possesses some incredible abilities of her own.

Batman reveals that the first target for his new team of Outsiders will be Martina and her overseas operations. However, it appears that she has plans of her own, as she is ready for Batman and his people to come after her. As the issue comes to an end, she calls for a man named Roderick. If you're familiar with the history of the Outsiders you will know that name means some wild things are coming.

Introduced in the 1993 Outsiders series, Roderick was a vampire who attempted to take over Markovia. The team eventually defeated him, but not before longtime member Looker was transformed into a vampire. Martina says that, "it is time for him to stop playing dead." This could either be a reference to his undead nature or the fact that he was seemingly killed in 1994. Either way, where there's Roderick and Markovia there is King Brion Markov, the superhero Geo-Force and a former member of the Outsiders. This team just can't seem to stay away for long.

Can Batman Get Out of His Own Way?

Bruce Wayne may have hired Black Lightning to teach his teenage sidekicks how to be better heroes, but it is made crystal clear that Batman is still in charge. They are still the Dark Knight's team and they perform the missions he has authorized. It then becomes a question of how much good can Jefferson Pierce do when he's still constrained by Batman's own parameters.

Karma sufficiently messed with Batman's head to the point where he didn't actually know if the villain was telling the truth or not. Has the Bat Family ultimately made him stronger or weaker? It took a one-on-one battle, against all sane logic, to prove Bruce is still capable on his own. However, it should not be ignored that Batman is in a weakened state following the end of his relationship with Catwoman. He also literally used all the pain and torment in his mind to defeat Karma, so it's clear that Batman isn't exactly stable at the moment.

This new age of Outsiders will be defined by Black Lightning and Batman's conflicting methodologies and worldly outlooks. Jefferson is a teacher who wants to bring out the good in people, while Batman is a militant vigilante who seeks out the worst tendencies in people and crafts them into weapons. Can Bruce overcome the demons in his head long enough to bring the next generation up in the world, or is Black Lightning's team doomed before they even get started?