"The Insiders" part 1! For months, Superboy has been taunted by the secrets of his DNA--that he's a clone created from Superman and Lex Luthor. But who cloned him, and why? Meanwhile, the Titans and the Outsiders are rocked to the core as they face two of the most powerful villains in the DCU! Continued in OUTSIDERS #24.
I recognize that this cover image will serve to grab the full attention of the passing reader, and it makes for a powerful image that the DC marketing department can use to sell the crossover, but it also continues the annoying habit that DC has adopted in that their cover images do seem to be going out of their way to spoil the surprise twists inside their books. I mean the dramatic impact of this character's abrupt conversion onto a villain was considerably lessened by the simple fact that the cover went out of its way to forewarn the readers of this impending development. Still I will give Matthew Clark full marks for his work on this issue as when the fighting breaks out there's some lovely big impact visuals to be found from Cyborg's defeat, to the sense of raw power on display as Wonder Girl uses her lasso to give her attacker a good jolt. The art also manages to do a pretty effective job of ramping up the suspense from the wonderfully chilling sequence where the character prepar Read Full Review
The story itself was very short and a quick read. It leads into a cross over with The Outsiders that starts next week and runs into the 25th issue of each series. It may be a very good start to an interesting story, but on its own it is mostly a 10-page slugfest with a 4-page prologue and a 4 page advertisement for Outsiders #24. Read Full Review
Art-wise: Clarks work is passable but uninspired; most of the credit should go to Thiberts inking which, though decorative, maintains a high level of detail. Read Full Review