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Alfred Pennyworth is woken up in Wayne Manor by a hologram recorded of Bruce Wayne to be played in the event of his death. Bruce thanks Alfred and calls him "dad" when he says goodbye, then asks him to reassemble a new incarnation of


Quote1 Batman formed the Outsiders so there would always be a "Batman" outside of Gotham. And as egotistical as it may sound, he hoped that a team representing different aspects of himself would fare best against the evil force that is gathering... that individuals with distinct abilities, when placed together, would form a unique unit capable of combating the darkness. Batman understood that there's no use in saving only one city from the abyss. That a world-view is necessary... and he wanted each one of you here to be a part of his vision to help save the future. Quote2
Alfred Pennyworth src

The Deep is an Outsiders volume written by Peter Tomasi and illustrated by Lee Garbett. It's published as part of the Batman: Reborn crossover, establishing the Batman Family status quo following Battle for the Cowl and Bruce Wayne's disappearance during Final Crisis. The other stories published simultaneously include Batgirl Rising, Batman Reborn, Elegy, The Grail, Hush Money and Long Shadows and Union. This is the beginning of Tomasi's Outsiders volume, following from the conclusion to Frank Tieri's Batman and the Outsiders with Batman R.I.P. and followed by Tomasi's second arc The Hunt.

Synopsis

Alfred Pennyworth is woken up in Wayne Manor by a hologram recorded of Bruce Wayne to be played in the event of his death. Bruce thanks Alfred and calls him "dad" when he says goodbye, then asks him to reassemble a new incarnation of the Outsiders. This leads Alfred to travel the world on a membership drive and recruit Black Lightning, Creeper, Geo-Force, Halo, Katana, Metamorpho and newcomer Roy Raymond, Jr..[1]

It's explained that Batman formed the Outsiders so "there would always be a Batman outside of Gotham" and each of the members were chosen to represent aspects of himself. Alfred explains that this new incarnation of the team will be a military campaign on evil unable to see their loved ones for months at a time, and gives them 48 hours to decide. They each organize their affairs, and Geo-Force shares an unexpected kiss with Katana in Markovia. When they return Alfred explains that they are going after an ancient enemy who have controlled their other foes like pawns for years, then introduces them to the Bat-Rocket.[2] This allows them to set up a cloaked orbiting base to live out of. Metamorpho explains the different sides of Batman they embody; Geo-Force is their decisive commander, Black Lightning is their heart, Katana is their grim crusader, Owlman is their detective, Creeper is their terror-inspiring maniac, Halo is their light-hearted optimistic Robin and Metamorpho himself is the Utility Belt. Their first mission takes them to an underground massacre where they meet robotic agents of the immortal Insiders.[3] The team takes this robot down, although the man inside controlling it is killed horribly by remote control. They're unable to stop him from sending a fragment of meteorite rock back to the Insiders, and Owlman figures out that the meteorite is connected Vandal Savage. Elsewhere Deathstroke is hired to take down two targets.[4] The team uses traces of radiation left in Metamorpho to track down the last meteorite fragment on the Earth's surface. This leads them to Opal City, where Alfred meets another two immortals who are both gunned down by Deathstroke.[5]

There's a massive fight with Deathstroke when he takes Alfred hostage, and he fails to get his real target which was a meteorite fragment inside the man he killed. The Insiders send their robotic Thrashers to kill the remaining Outsiders in space, but these space-marines are themselves hunted down by the Creeper. Vandal Savage walks through tundra to find the Insiders' secret base, but is stopped and met by Ra's al Ghul.[6] The Outsiders converge on the Insiders in Iceland and it's revealed that they're actually members of Savage's Blood Tribe from the Prehistoric Era. There's a massive battle between the Outsiders, Insiders and League of Assassins which ends when Creeper drives the Bat-Rocket into their base. This stops them from destroying the planet with their drilling machine, but most of the villains escape in the carnage. The Outsiders go home, as their first tour of duty is over.[7]

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Recommended Reading

Links and References


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Outsiders Storyline
This event or storyline is specifically related to any and all incarnations of the Outsiders, also known as Batman and the Outsiders. This template will automatically categorize articles that include it into the Outsiders Storylines category.
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