Outsiders (and Robin) question

[Scott Iskow]

I've been wanting to read Batman and the Outsiders, but I've been holding off because it spins out of several stories that I haven't read (Checkout, Five of a Kind, Countdown). Are any of these actually required reading to get into the new Outsiders series?

And while I'm on the subject of a Chuck Dixon book, will I need to read Gotham Underground to understand the Spoiler stuff going on in Robin?

[Drink]

No on both counts.

I was reading Winick's Outsiders, but stopped a while before CheckOut and 5 of a Kind. I jumped back in with BaTO and am having no troubles as of yet. And I never even look at Countdown.

And Robin, I've only read the one Dixon issue so far (I can only make one monthly visit to my LCS), and it's alright so far.

So they're pretty easy to get into, compared to other books.

[Choppa]

Spoiler hasn't even been in Robin. There was taht one quick tease in #171 and that's it. The cover is a total misrepresentation of what happens in the issue.

[Scott Iskow]

Spoiler hasn't even been in Robin. There was taht one quick tease in #171 and that's it. The cover is a total misrepresentation of what happens in the issue.

Solicitations suggest we'll be seeing more of Spoiler in Robin, though.

[SpaceBooger]

will I need to read Gotham Underground to understand the Spoiler stuff going on in Robin?
No but you should read Gotham Underground, it is all action and fan boy heaven... at least my version of heaven... with... nevermind.

The last issue of GU was awesome it showed how the brawl started and the art was done in a puzzle manner. Every panel was in the shape of a puzzle piece...

Here is a conversation from my site that I had with the inker Jack Purcell:

"Just read Gotham Underground #5 - WOW!
The art was phenomenal and the story even better.
My first opinion of this miniseries was that it was a slugfest…. but it is much more deep than that.
The best part is how it ties into all the major storylines seamlessly (Countdown, Salvation Run, Crime Bible, and the Bat Books.)
Wow! the puzzle pieces when Johnny was tossed out the window was spectacular, just as the missing pieces to hide identities… Wow!"

[Captain Jim]

No on both counts.

I was reading Winick's Outsiders, but stopped a while before CheckOut and 5 of a Kind. I jumped back in with BaTO and am having no troubles as of yet.

Besides, Checkout and Five of a Kind were lead-in's to Tony Bedard's stint on BATO--which never materialized.