The Good
For a series that’s supposed to be focused on hard-hitting action and battles, a great many of the Convergence #2 issues have been lackluster in that one important field. This is an issue that is, decidedly, NOT lacking as the battle kicks off from the word GO and does not let up for a single second. The Outsiders have been repowered just in time to encounter a beefed up OMAC leading a group of mutated creatures into the streets of Gotham. Marc Andreyko does a fantastic job of starting at a sprint and never letting up while still letting the very basic characteristics of each participant shine through. It’s not subtle, but it really, really doesn’t need to be at this point as there’s no room for subtlety AND action in only two issues. The battle is appropriately wild and Andreyko gives us a great look at a lot of the struggles, both inner and outer, that both sides are enduring as they clash for the fates of their cities.
Carlos D’Anda returns, bringing his blocky, cartoonish style to the characters, making each one appear stout, though not necessarily short. They all look like they could deliver an absolutely jaw-smashing punch as well as take more than a few without flinching and it gives the action a tremendous sense of kinetic impact. Gabe Eltaeb’s colors compliment D’Anda’s linework perfectly, displaying bold, bright colors that actually juxtapose extremely well against Batman’s pitch-blackness. This isn’t the usual dark Batman, so it doesn’t clash, but the use of colors definitely makes him stand out. The colors are very basic, but it suits the tone and does a great job of defining this as a very different Bat-verse than the primary one we’re used to, and that’s not a bad thing. A little variety goes a long way to making these characters both stand out and get fleshed out.
The Bad
As exciting and fun as this issue is, it’s also profoundly confusing in a lot of parts and doesn’t really move anything forward. The characters, besides Metamorpho, end where they began and even Metamorpho’s arc is less an arc than a line. This is inherent in the two-issue format and that’s just an unfortunate reality of the series, but it’s also not entirely excusable.
The exact parameters that OMAC is operating under are never made entirely clear, leading to an inordinate amount of confusion in what should be a fairly straightforward story.
The Verdict
Considering the limitations this issue is working within, it pulls off an entertaining, engaging story with a great economy of space. The ending is a giant cliffhanger, which is both a good thing and a bad, but even with the cliffhanger, it actually feels satisfying and complete. There’s not a lot of character or story, but the action and dialog are both strong enough to make this an easy recommendation, particularly to fans of this permutation of Batman and the Outsiders. Even with little prior knowledge, there’s really only one large, OMAC-shaped hole in the basic understanding of the issue, so it’s still an easy recommendation.