The Outsider was one of more intriguing books of the week. And in a week of subpar Flashpoint tie-ins, it’s nice to find one that, for the most part, delivers.

James Robinson handles the story about Michael Desai, a mysterious character with stone skin and an enormous amount of money and influence within the Flashpoint world. You may remember him briefly from the recruitment conversation during Flashpoint #1. Here we learn a little about his birth and about his current status. While fleeting references are made to the Flashpoint events, this issue doesn’t go to far into connecting itself with the bigger story. But that doesn’t mean this is a bad issue. In fact I was really drawn into Desai’s world. We learn that he seems more interested in keeping his suit clean but obviously has no “code” against violence. He’s a prim and proper man with unlimited resources at his disposal. Robinson handles him well.

Overall Javi Fernandez’s art is good but not great. There’s nothing particularly eye-catching about the look of the issue but also nothing that stands out as bad. And while some of the action panels lack a steady flow and structure, the art is servicable.

I didn’t know what to expect from this book. There’s still a ton of questions about this character and what’s ahead. But this first issue interested me enough that I am certainly onboard for the next book. I really would like to see a more stable and polished look to the art and hopefully we’ll get that in the second issue.