Outcast #26 — Cat’s Cradle
I think I’ve always suspected that Kyle’s dad was lurking somewhere out in the world, so it was exciting, but not shocking, when he appeared in Outcast #25. Outcast #26 picks up where we left off, at the gas station, but this issue serves as more of a set-up to next issue than its own stand-alone. In fact, I’m not entirely sure why #25 and #26 were separate issues.
First, a word from the villains. With the brutal death of Sidney, it seems several other Sidney-types have stepped up to fill his void. Throughout the initial span, Sidney did seem to want to work with Kyle. His methods were more aggressive than seemed necessary, but listening to this other group, it sounds as though Sidney was magnanimous by comparison. Although we still don’t know why they need the Outcast.
Which is actually something that is grating on me. We’re 26 issues into this series, and the workings of the Outcast are still a complete mystery. Given Simon’s explanation of the Outcast’s energy harming these possessors, I’m starting to worry that if we continue to drag out this knowledge, no explanation will be worth the build up. I’m all for a long-standing mystery, but eventually we need to be fed some real clues and substance. I don’t want someone to just done explain it to us, but I would like to have a better grasp on what an Outcast is. It’s my sincere hope that we’ll have real answers at the end of this arc, as we’re clearly gearing up for a major confrontation.
The interaction between Kyle and Simon is one of the reasons this series continues to work so very well. Robert Kirkman’s dialog has always been his strongest suit, as is his his character development. Of course Kyle doesn’t want to hear his father’s excuses/reasons why he was gone. He doesn’t want to talk about any of that. He wants real answers about how to defend his family. Anything else his father has to say is just wasting valuable time.
I am confused, though, on why they bothered to leave Reverend Anderson at all, given that they end up right back where they were by the end of the issue. In many ways, this issue reads like a giant chess move. Something big is going to happen — at least, that’s the promise I’m reading in these last two issues — in an issue or two, but these last two issues are merely building up to that. This series was a literal back peddle for the characters in more ways than one. I’m also a little frustrated that I don’t know what they’re going to do with Anderson, going forward.
When I got to the end of Outcast #26, I actually restarted Comixology, thinking maybe it glitched out and wasn’t showing me the rest of the issue. The next couple of issues are going to have to really pack a punch to keep the pace that the series has thus far started.
Our Rating: Yep
Author: Robert Kirkman
Artists: Paul Azaceta
Publisher: Image Comics
Publish Date: 03/29/2017
Acquired via Purchase
