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Batman and the Outsiders # 4 (2019)

By Mark Rodriguez

Batman has set up a team led by Black Lightning to rescue Sofia from being captured by the forces of Rah's Al Ghul. With Duke having his personal issues with trust in the team after an encounter with a villain named Karma, Batman sets up a little exercise to have him gain trust in the team. Elsewhere, Rah's trains Sofia to become a member of the League of Assassins. Some days before though, he gets a deal from Lex Luthor that led him to this path.



Lesser Gods Part 4 opens with Rah's Al Ghul telling Sofia that she is the demon's flame and with violence she will earn her new name. Sofia suits up and is now a full fledged member of the League of Assassins.

In Gotham, Cassandra approaches Duke as he's playing basketball. Duke wonders if she came to see if he's broken and Batman wants him off the team. Cass says she can help him. She says she knows fear and what it does. Duke doesn't want to become her problem but she says he would do the same if she needed help. She says fear is easy for an assassin to kill.

Black Lightning is hanging out with Kaliber who is practice shooting targets that look like the Joker, Penguin, Riddler and Bane. Lightning doesn't like Kalibers fascination with guns. Kaliver says one doesn't sell books in Markovia and guns are just tools and nothing more. Lightning blasts the rest of the puppets and says he just sees Kaliber as an arms dealer between gigs. Kaliber tells Lightning that he doesn't want to take his team. He says he's not proud of himself since he has black market tech stitched onto himself and he has blood on his hands. He has a story on why Batman gave him a second chance and tells Lightning that they don't have to be friends but they do have a kid to save.


Katana has a vision of her reaching for the soul of her husband as he's being attacked by demons. She wakes up from her meditation, her hand still reaching out of him, and weeps.

Jefferson sees Bruce Wayne's yacht full of women in swimsuits and is invited on board. Bruce tells him he has to make appearances, Lightning tells him he's tired of being his errand boy. Bruce says he's not an employee or sidekick, he needs his help. He knows that Sofia is in Khadym, Rah's rouge nation. Lightning says he should go with them since he knows what they're up against. Bruce says this is why he can't go, he is struggling with personal issues and is worried Rah's can exploit it. Lightning says he's afraid of him. Bruce says the main thing to fear when it comes with Rah's is oneself, and at this point, that's a weakness he has. Bruce says Duke can't go on this mission, he needs more time and Jefferson tells him that he has Cass working on it. Bruce tells him they should meet up at the cave later that one.


Lightning meets up with Signal on a rooftop and tells him that Bats wants the to meet up in the cave, though Cass and Duke won't be on the mission. Duke wants to help but Jefferson tells him he isn't being punished, he just needs time, like the rest of them do. Duke apologizes for getting in his face earlier. Jefferson says he was right, he's not his father or Batman. Duke says he is their leader though, so he will respect that. Lightning tells Duke he knows he can handle being on the team, he just needs time. He also says maybe he can learn something from Duke, how to put up with Batman.


At the Batcave, Bats tells Lightning and Katana that Ishmael knows them so they will need to enter in secret. Kaliber generated some fake IDs for them as arms dealers and he will be watching over them.

Rah's has a squad of armed men standing before Sofia and she is to earn her name. As the men start to attack her, Rah's tells her that they won't stop until she makes them stop.

Batman give them both a locator set to Sofia's signal. They are mostly set to get her and take her out. Black Lightning says they have to consider the possibility that she might not want to leave. Batman says he has, and they'll have to be convincing.

Elsehwere, Sofia finally draws her sword and stabs one of the men. The men all lay dead and Rah's says she done well on her first step. He asks her what should he call her now?

Batman says Rah's can cloud Sofia's mind but he can't destroy her soul just yet. He tells them to bring her to Gotham and he'll wrestle with whatever she's become. Lightning goes to see Katana as he can see that something is bothering her. She says her husband's soul trapped in her sword is in pain. She sees visions of her husband being taken over by darkness and she doesn't know how to save him. Lightning says it's not a problem she has to solve alone, they can learn some Japanese magic together if they need to. Katana says they will in time, but for now Sofia needs help.

Rah's tells Sofia that Batman will try to save her and send his pawns over to rescue her. He says it's a weakness that Batman thinks there's another way to save this world. He says that Batman's pawns will try to rescue Sofia Ramos, but will instead find Babylon. She is to let them know her name and then kill them all.


My Opinions- 

It looks like the gang is starting to slowly work together and learn to overcome their issues. The biggest take away is Bruce wanting to help but being held back by his own personal demons to dare go after Rah's directly.

It still bugs me a bit that while the gang is busy just chilling out, like Duke playing basketball and Bruce throwing fake yacht parties, Sofia is being brainwashed by Rah's. It's to the point where the characters even admit that by the time they get to her, she might not want to be rescued. While I understand the need to get the team together and all that, but there is a girl's life on the line here. If the Outsiders aren't ready, send someone who is before she becomes a permanent super villain.

Other than that, the comic is cool as we get to know about the characters and the art is pretty cool too. I did like seeing Duke apologizing to Black Lightning.

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