The New 52 Review: BIRDS OF PREY #1

"The Bad Girls Club - Gotham"

BIRDS OF PREY #1
DC COMICS

WRITER: Duane Swierczynski
ARTIST: Jesus Saiz
COLORS: Nei Ruffino
LETTERS: Carlos M. Mangual
32pp, Color, 2.99 U.S.

Birds of Prey began as a 1995 one-shot comic book entitled Black Canary/Oracle: Birds of Prey. The series followed the adventures of Oracle, the former Batgirl Barbara Gordon who was wheelchair bound and Dinah Lance AKA Black Canary. With the re-launch of DC Comics superhero line, “The New 52,” Birds of Prey returns in a new series with Black Canary in the lead and Ev Crawford AKA Starling her partner.

Birds of Prey #1 (“Let Us Prey”) opens in Gotham City. Gotham Gazette reporter, Charlie Keen, has been tracking Black Canary for two weeks, and the “source” for his info on Black Canary has led him to church. However, this wild-goose chase has also led him into a trap, or perhaps Charlie’s just bait to lure Canary and Starling into a trap. Or maybe they’re the bait.

Birds of Prey scribe Duane Swierczynski has fashioned a brisk crime thriller filled with snappy dialogue, crisp flashbacks, and slick action set pieces. It feels more like 100 Bullets than a superhero comic book, at least for this debut issue. Artist Jesus Saiz does his best Steve Dillon, which may be why this also feels like Garth Ennis-lite, which isn’t a bad thing.

I like to give a superhero comic book credit for being clever. The Birds of Prey creators may also deserve credit for giving superheroes a Vertigo spin that won’t alienate Birds of Prey from the rest of The New 52.

B+

September 21st
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LEGION OF SUPER HEROES #1
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NIGHTWING #1
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RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #1
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SUPERGIRL #1
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WONDER WOMAN #1
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