Chuck Dixon’s Birds of Prey was a personal favorite for a while, as I noted in a previous review. I enjoyed the last three issues, which tied into my above-ground locale, so I figured, this close to issue 100, that I should stick around and see how Gail Simone, who is liked around here anyways, does.
Creative Team
Writer: Gail Simone
Pencils: James Raiz
Inks: Robin Riggs
Art Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Story Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Synopsis: Miss Yasemin, a gorgeously drawn and recently released inmate of a women’s correctional prison, has revenge on her mind. She has a history with the Huntress she wishes revenge for. When her “partners” advise her to not cross paths with the Huntress because of her JLA ties, she kills them and then advises the driver to head to Gotham.
Black Canary (Dinah), Huntress (Helena), and Oracle (Babs) are picnicking with the subject of their conversation. Dinah rescued a young girl from the life of a trained assassin (who is already fairly capable) and wants to retire, essentially, to raise her. Nothing is decided, as the topic changes to the “Batgirl” who has been spotted. Babs states it isn’t her, that she had a date last night.
Cut to the Sherwood Florist, Dinah’s flower shop, where someone asks for her, but speaks to Rhosyn Forrest, her new employee, instead. They ask to leave her a funeral bouquet where Dinah will see it.
The above-mentioned three go Batgirl hunting, and Oracle is back at her command center. They have set up a trap at the same place where Batgirl has been seen the last two nights. She appears and the Birds try to stop her, but she is apparently powered, and they are no match for her. The “Batgirl” is in a makeshift outfit, with a Batman logo-ed t-shirt, freckles, and sneakers.
She says she was meant to be Batgirl and knows all of the Birds by their first names. Miss Yasemin appears, still in the limo, and attempted to shoot her spleen, but the “Batgirl” jumps in front of the bullet, well actually almost teleporting.
The Batgirl then disappears and reappears hugging Babs to end the issue.
Comments
The Good: Funny, smart writing, that moves the plot and the characters along. The pacing is a little slower than I would like, but moving fairly quickly to an issue 100 climax. Funny without using gags (cobwebs in inappropriate places), dramatic, and draws you into the story. I already care and wonder about the “Batgirl”. It does help that we should get an explanation next issue, not somewhere in the next 5.
The art is wonderful. Beautiful without being exploitative, lifelike without being rendered, with expressive faces and well-chosen angles.
The Bad: A little faster pace for the comic, the tiniest bit of a hint on who she is before the big reveal. Nitpicks 🙂
Conclusion: If you like these characters, or smart, funny, clever, and most of all human writing then buy this book.