Birds of Prey is a series with a profound history in superhero comics, and it’s taking a big swing as it returns this week from Kelly Thompson and Leonardo Romero. The series came out swinging a full three months ago, with teasers getting fans hyped for the team lineup. Because when it comes to superheroes, what’s more exciting than how a team will gel? Now, with Birds of Prey #1 available in comic shops this week, here are three reasons why this is a series to watch.
Why Birds of Prey is great #1: Badass team
The opening lineup–because who is to say if this team won’t change in its second story arc–features Black Canary, Cassandra Cain, Big Barda, Zealot, and Harley Quinn. Unsurprisingly, it was billed as one of the most badass and kickass teams donning the Birds of Prey title. Barda is a great heavy, Zealot can slice and dice, and Harley adds a bit of chaos. The fact that Thompson and Romero are pulling from different areas of DC is also exciting, including the New Gods, Wildstorm, Gotham, and more.
Right off the bat, Birds of Prey #1 features the various dynamics, giving us a taste of what’s to come. Will conflicts arise? Definitely yes. Can this team gel? With a leader like Black Canary, probably. Either way, it will be a wild ride just seeing how this team interacts.
Credit: DC Comics
Why Birds of Prey is great #2: Exceptional dialogue and character
As Thompson said in the AIPT Comics podcast, she writes dialogue over weeks, if not months. Thompson’s approach to nailing a good bit of discussion and saving it for just the right scene, and by extension nailing a character, is in her attention to the dialogue. It’s exceptional in the first issue, with Barda speaking plainly in a way that brings belly laughs to the reader, or with Harley, trying to fit in with the team after reluctantly joining and having to self-edit.
However, Black Canary is the soul of the issue, and as team leader, we understand she’s sure of herself and tactical. You get that through the captions as she details Cassandra being “the best of us” and totally confident in her abilities. There’s a good sense Black Canary understands each one and understands how they’ll fit into a single team.
Credit: DC Comics
Why Birds of Prey is great #3: Classic comics feel
Visually stunning, if not arresting, the first issue shows how Romero and Jordie Bellaire are really firing on all cylinders. The color choices, a little overly bright by comic standards, make it stand out as loud and impactful as it stands out in the comic landscape. Color almost spills onto the page at times, adding light to a way, for instance, as if someone brushed it with a highlighter.
That’s no more obvious than in a Batgirl vs. Harley flashback, which utilizes red and blue tones that utilize a yellowish-looking paper background that also serves as the light source color. Romero draws your eye with well-placed circles that show the room falling apart as Cassandra gets kicked in the face.
Credit: DC Comics
Bellaire is a recent Eisner award winner, and it shows creativity and confidence in many expressive moments throughout the first issue.
Meanwhile, Romero goes full-tilt with a fight scene involving ninjas across a rooftop you won’t want to miss. There’s a good sense of weight and kinetic energy in the fights while the character acting is on point. Each character seems to have a different fight style that’s expressed well visually. Barda, for instance, is like a battering ram in a bar fight, while Cassandra and Black Canary are quick and agile.
In Conclusion:
All in all, I loved Birds of Prey #1. It feels like a triumphant first foray at DC Comics for Thompson with slickly and efficiently staged action with the comic’s great strength in its characters.
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