Plots from the past become a problem in the present for Desai.
What They Say:
FLASH FACT: The Outsider’s greatest enemy is revealed.
The Review:
With the final issue of The Outsider, we get a curious story that like the previous two manages to stand alone but still figures into the larger series of events. With the way Desai is trying to figure out who it is that’s trying to kill him by manipulating events, he’s had to suffer through a few attacks of different types but managed to come out on top. The latest one though is definitely unexpected as it brought about the Martian Manhunter of this reality into things. It’s been a surprising part of the event that he’s been sidelined like this, much as Superman was, but it let other power players take the big position and for us to see how much the world has changed because of their lack of influence on events.
The story of J’onn in this reality is definitely fun as we see that he’d been captured some years ago and had many of his secrets spilled in brutal form, both from his body directly and from the ship he came from. Desai being the kind of man he is, he eked out every little thing he could from him and his ship and then sold it off to the Russians. And that turned into a very psychologically damaging experience since he was treated cruelly the whole time until he could turn the tables and put into motion his plan to get revenge on Desai for what he did. It’s straightforward to be sure, but it has a good bit of detail to it at times that helps to make the motivations very clear and believable even in just a few panels.
The history portion of the issue definitely works well overall, even if it feels shoehorned into things in a way, but the bulk of it is given over to the action. And it works well with his shapeshifting abilities and the fact that Desai has largely avoided physical contact in the series overall when we view his history. But he’s taken strong people to task before, such as with Black Adam, and the Martian is the no different as he provides a significant enough challenge. There’s a different kind of ruthlessness here that gives him an edge but Desai is the type that doesn’t fight physically since it bores him since his abilities gives him a distinct advantage that’s hard to pin down. I definitely liked the physicality of it all here, especially with our favorite Martian, as he changes forms and brings something palpable to the table for it.
Digital Notes:
This Comixology edition of Flashpoint: The Outsider contains the main cover as seen with the print edition with no variants or other extras included.
In Summary:
Of all the Flashpoint books, The Outsider is one that had a whole lot of potential and definitely felt very different from everything else in the event that was being published. Michael Desai definitely has that enigmatic feeling about him that leaves you uncertain of whose side he really belongs to and there’s a lot of appeal to that. But at the same time, he was a tenuous connection to the main Flashpoint storyline overall outside of a nugget at the start and what it leads into in the final issue of the event series. The Outsider has a lot of appeal but at the same time that disconnect both helped and hindered it. Watching the underworld and other aspects of this world unfold played out well while still dealing with big power players, such as Black Adam and the Martian Manhunter. But it never felt like it resonated with the larger world. There’s plenty to like, but just enough to hold it back as well.
Grade: B-
