Justice League: No Justice Just Founded Rebirth's New Outsiders

WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Justice League: No Justice #4 by Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, Josh Williamson and Francis Manapul, in stores now.

Justice League: No Justice is over. The universe has been saved. However, the fallout from Amanda Waller's attack on Brainiac is still being measured. She has the Brainiac Files, an unlimited supply of cosmic knowledge at her fingertips, and Batman's not about to allow her to use that information for her own gain. It would seem that the ongoing feud between the Dark Knight and the leader of the Suicide Squad has reached a new stage.

The two have been at odds since the events of Joshua Williamson and Jason Fabok's Justice League vs. Suicide Squad. Both are masterful tacticians and dangerous manipulators, and Batman founded the Justice League of America in order to contrast the power Waller has assembled. Where Waller worked in the dark, Batman's team would somewhat ironically stand in the light. With the JLA now operating under a very different mission statement as the Justice Foundation, it appears Bruce Wayne wants a new team -- one that can match the Suicide Squad in both power and purpose.

We've known the Outsiders would return since their appearance in 2017's Dark Days: The Forge, and Bryan Hill and Miguel Mendonca will be telling a story in Detective Comics about Black Lightning putting together a new team. With a simple conversation, Justice League: No Justice #4 sets the stage for the official return of Batman's personal strike force.

How the Outsiders Can Save the World

In the closing pages of No Justice, Batman calls Black Lightning to the Batcave in order to make him an offer. In his eyes, Amanda Waller is not a good person, and she cannot be trusted to use Brainiac's knowledge for the greater good. Unfortunately, since she has the full support of the United States government, the Justice League can't exactly move against her out in the open. They have to be smart about it. Batman may have learned something from his adventures in space with Team Entropy.

In order to combat Waller's growing power, Batman needs a team that can match the capabilities of the Suicide Squad. Unlike the Justice League, who possesses a very public image, he needs a group who can work outside the law in order to do the right thing from the shadows. By fighting fire with fire, Batman hopes to finally stop Waller while keeping the League's image as pristine as possible.

Batman originally founded the Outsiders in 1983 in opposition to the Justice League's tactics, but here they seem to be more complementary. This iteration of the Outsiders, whenever and wherever the team is ultimately formed, can now be considered something of a black ops division of the Justice League. In Batman's own words, they "need a team who can keep us covered...from the outside." For the first time maybe ever, these two teams may actually be working together.

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The Outsiders have always been Batman's team, but he usually needs a field leader to take control when he's off with the Justice League. Nightwing will be leading the Titans, Damian Wayne is in the process of forming his own Teen Titans group, and for all we know, Tim Drake may not even be a superhero anymore. Though he has never been a true member of the Batman Family, Black Lightning and Batman have always had a strong working relationship. Thus, his promotion to team leader makes perfect sense.

Maybe it's because of the success of the Black Lightning television show, or the fact that Katana and Geo-Force are being used elsewhere, but the use of Jefferson Pierce makes sense here. Bringing the team under his control is only right. It allows Black Lightning to take on a certain authority within the DC Universe and once again makes him a prominent figure in the superhero community. It also allows for the re-establishment of the fatherly figure he was in Pre-Flashpoint continuity. If this Outsiders team is bringing in new blood like Duke Thomas and Cassandra Cain, Black Lightning is the perfect choice here.

Judging by the solicitations for upcoming issues of Detective Comics, Black Lightning's fledgling group may have a confrontation with Batman right off the bat. It is said that he will come into possession of the Brainiac Files, which could ultimately result in the Dark Knight becoming everything he hated in Amanda Waller. If Waller can't be trusted with this vast amount of knowledge, can Batman be trusted either?

If the Outsiders must distance themselves from their leader in order to truly bring about change in the DC Universe, then so be it. Under the guidance of Jefferson Pierce they can work in the shadows to do what is right with or without Batman's guidance. They may also be able to keep the DC Universe's entire superhero community honest.