[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: Kelly Thompson
Art: Jonathan Case and Gavin Guidry
Colors: Jordie Bellaire
Letters: Clayton Cowles

Reviewed by: Matthew B. Lloyd

Summary 

Part 1 “Worlds Without End” begins in Birds of Prey #9- just where did Dinah, Barda, Sin, Cass and Mari go when they followed Barbara into that portal?

Positives

The fourth art team debuts on this series and Jonathan Case and Gavin Guidry have another style to strut on the pages of Birds of Prey #9.  It’s adjacent to Leonardo Romero’s, but remains distinct.  Jordie Bellaire’s colors go along way in maintaining a consistency.  The atmosphere in this story is communicated quite well through the art as we explore this strange world.

Negatives

The latest issue of Doom Patrol puts the team in a routinely bizarre situation…oh, er… uh…this isn’t Doom Patrol?  Tone has been an issue with this series since issue #1.  In that issue, Harley was rightly feared to distract from the tone of the series, and Kelly Thompson has managed to do that to an even greater degree with Birds of Prey #9 without Harley even being mentioned in the issue.  Thompson has Dinah mention Danny the Street and that makes it clear that this series has veered into Doom Patrol territory.  That’s exactly how this issue feels.  There’s almost nothing in this issue that feels like a Birds of Prey comic.  Despite Dinah and Barbara being a part of the story…it’s gone off in such a strange direction that it reads like a Doom Patrol comic.  As a Doom Patrol comic it has some potential.

That tone is reinforced by some of the awkward humor in the opening sequence.  This was apparent in parts of Birds of Prey #8 as well.  It doesn’t land the way Thompson thinks it does and just comes off as a juvenile.  Thompson also brings back the picking between Mari and Dinah over Dinah’s costume choices.    Would they really pick like that when thrust into an unknown, confusing and dangerous situation?  Thompson also is having trouble with Dinah’s voice, she’s more and more detached as “too cool to care,” despite what we get of substance with the character indicates the opposite.  There’s no secret to be revealed that Dinah genuinely cares for Barbara.  The decision to include it is misplaced, unnecessary and superficial.  It’s just an odd thing to bring up.

Negatives Cont’d

There’s a strange moment when Meridian comes to- she was knocked out and left behind.  She goes to Star City and goes to the home of … Oliver Queen?  There’s an additional attempt at awkward humor before Zealot steps out from another room.  It’s not clear, but this must be Grifter, right?  He and Zealot were together in issue #1, but a blond man with facial hair in Star City is going to be taken as Ollie.  

There are unanswered questions as Dinah, Sin, Barda, Cass and Mari find a way out of this world and it seems rushed.  It comes off as a contrived moment to make the reader think, “oh wasn’t that fun!”  However, it really just makes the story feel like it’s going nowhere.  Almost nothing of real significance happens.  Everything is to cutesy.  Is this Thompson’s style or just a poorly conceived approach to this series?  

Verdict

Birds of Prey #9 strays further from the what makes the Birds of Prey the Birds of Prey.  Ill suited humor and a tone and milieu that resembles the Doom Patrol are the biggest culprits.  Coupled with the fact that the story barely moves forward, the issue is relies on the out of place elements to carry it.  There’s little substance to what transpires and it seems to set up a meandering arc that will end in a “surprise.”  There are some elements that have potential, but not in within the pages of Birds of Prey.

The post Review: Birds of Prey # 9 appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review CONTAINS spoilers]

Writer: Kelly Thompson
Art: Leonardo Romero
Colors: Jordie Bellaire
Letters: Clayton Cowles

Reviewed by: Matthew B. Lloyd

Summary

Dinah’s team “saves” Sin and Dinah learns more about Maps’ mysterious methods for contacting Dinah to begin with.

Positives

Starting at the end of Birds of Prey #6, Thompson’s big surprise reveal (we’ll get to it) DOES make this title seem more like an actual Birds of Prey comic instead of simply being one in name only.  It’s not a lot but it does feel like the possibility is there that it might eventually become a Birds of Prey comic.  Romero’s art is still enjoyable, even if the script doesn’t give him room to show off his layouts and action bits.  His faces and what he communicates with them are wonderful and do the job in telling that aspect of the story.

Negatives

What really stands out about Birds of Prey #6 when Thompson hits the reader with the big reveal in the sequence with Maps and Dinah is that this story was told completely out of order.  It contributes greatly to the feeling that this series has never really felt like a Birds of Prey comic.  Barbara Gordon finally makes an appearance to talk to Dinah at the end, and while it’s great she’s there, Dinah’s inability to give her a real reason for not including her on the mission (I mean, BoP IS Barbara’s after all) is awkward and unnecessary.  Dinah and Barbara have a more open/ honest friendship.  Dinah’s pulling a Batman, here.  This leads to another conversation, this time between Dinah and Maps.

Maps reveals (spoilers now) that Dinah tried eleven previous times to save Sin and in every attempt with Barbara included, both she and Sin died.  We also learn that Dinah told Maps not to let her have Barbara on the team for this final mission that succeeded.  From a storytelling perspective, if the reader had known all this ahead of time, everything Dinah does or doesn’t do would’ve been much more interesting.  Understanding there’s something larger at stake that actually relates to the core concept of BoP ( relationship between Babs, Dinah and Helena).  It would’ve felt like something approaching a BoP comic, and it would’ve been much more interesting and engaging.  Furthermore, Maps reveals that she thinks that someone from the future is trying to kills the Birds of Prey (despite the fact that they’ve never been a team that calls themselves that).  Thompson’s decisions continue to indicate that she doesn’t really understand the Birds of Prey concept, though at least tangentially she seems to understand Barbara’s importance to it.

If this arc had begun with seeing Dinah’s failures and then her telling Maps to make sure Barbara wasn’t included, then this whole mission would’ve felt very different for the reader.  It would’ve been clear there was more at stake, and heightened the intensity of the drama. 

Negatives Cont’d

Unfortunately, this idea that Thompson introduces of a time traveling attack on the Birds of Prey feels derivative of the first arc in the current Justice Society comic.  Helena Wayne travels back in time chasing the as yet to be revealed Per Degaton in his attempt to kill the JSA in ALL time periods.  Helena’s already failed in some time periods and her final stop is the present day DC Universe.  Going forward, it appears that this will be a subplot that will play out in this title after Birds of Prey #6.

I normally wouldn’t critique a lot of standing around talking if the talking is good, but a lot of the talking in this issue could’ve been handled differently if the story arc had included some of the info dump as part of the plot instead of dialogue.  Had we known all about their 11 previous attempts to save Sin, the conversations at the end would not have been necessary.  There’s a rushed quality to finish things up and part of it is seen in all the talking.

Additionally, the actual finale was also rushed and anti-climactic, and it didn’t really resolve the issue.  Sin and Megaera are not actually separated.  Megaera has ceded control of Sin’s body back to her so that she can “just live in the world.”  This creates a couple of inconsistencies.  First, as the team is trying to draw Megaera out with this magic jar, they feel like it’s working and Megaera is being pulled into the jar.  It’s not clear why the team stop trying to recapture Megeara in the jar.  It just seems like they stop…because.  Secondly, if Dinah had the foreknowledge to keep Barbara out of the mission, why didn’t she have the foreknowledge to have magic users on the team to fight a mystical magic based adversary? Since she didn’t, Sin is not completely saved, but instead running around with Megaera inside her.  This comes off as contrived and not a genuine result of simply not being able to separate them.  Dinah had eleven other tries…and she didn’t think to also have Maps tell her to bring magic users?  The real reason is that Thompson has other plans down the line…that’s obvious.  However, for the internal logic of the story, this could’ve been set up better, as this mission still has the feeling of bringing a knife to a gun fight.  The finale isn’t unsatisfying in a “wow, it’s unresolved because of cool plot points,” but rather, “it’s unresolved because the characters were stupid!”  It falls into that category of storytelling in which the more one thinks about it the less it makes sense.  If the reader just read it and didn’t think about it, it would be better.

Verdict

While the ending of Birds of Prey #6 indicates there may be some hope for this title in future issues, the finale of this first arc reinforces the notion that Thompson isn’t all that interested in the Birds of Prey  concept.  It’s a disappointing first arc for the relaunch of a Birds of Prey title.  The magic, mystical and time travel elements push the title further away from that core concept of the grounded, hand-to-hand combat, espionage, undercover mission that is central to the Birds of Prey concept.  It would be better for Thompson to create a new team without damaging the Birds of Prey.  A complete restart is the best option for this series, either as a proper Birds of Prey title, or a new team concept that fits what Thompson actually wants to write about.

The post Review: Birds of Prey #6 appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: Kelly Thompson
Art: Leonardo Romero
Colors: Jordie Bellaire
Letters: Clayton Cowles

Reviewed by: Matthew B. Lloyd

Summary

Dinah and Co. meet Diana and the Amazons in battle…and OOOPS- it’s all just a big misunderstanding.  This leads to a breakthrough in the plot however….

Positives

About halfway through Birds of Prey #4, the comic becomes somewhat intelligible and the actual plot is finally revealed by the end.  This makes about 1/3 of the issue pretty good from a writing standpoint.  Once Diana listens to what Dinah has to say about the mission, it feels believable.  It’s also nice to know that the Amazons have been trying to contact Dinah, but “couldn’t get through.”  Gee maybe ask Diana her longtime JLA teammate to reach out?  Additionally, Harley plays a much smaller role in this issue than in the previous three, and that’s a huge relief.

Leonardo Romero and Jordie Bellaire continue to make this an entertaining book visually, despite the erratic nature of Kelly Thompson’s writing.  Romero’s figures just plain look good as does Bellaire’s choice of colors.  Romero also does a nice job with the storytelling that helps the book flow narratively as best as possible with the given script.

Negatives

It’s odd to me, but clearly not Thompson, that Wonder Woman identifies this group of characters as “the Birds of Prey” when they are clearly not recognizable as such and the fact that this is the first time as we saw in issue #1 when Dinah assembled them for the first time that this group has ever worked together.  I think Thompson is the only person who upon first seeing this group together would say it’s the Birds of Prey.  It’s funny in a meta-way and sort of stupid within the story itself. 

The first third of this issue is a battle between Dinah’s faction and Diana’s faction and narratively it’s tedious and boring.  This is mainly due to the fact that it is completely nonsensical for Dinah and Diana to be fighting against each other.  If anything a quick message from Black Canary to Wonder Woman would’ve made all this unnecessary.  Essentially, if Thompson had written the characters instead of trying to fit characters into a story she wanted to tell, the first three issues wouldn’t have been necessary to get the plot to where it ends up by the end of issue #4.

Negatives Cont’d

As mentioned in the review for last issue, the reasoning  for not contacting Diana directly is confounding.   What was stated in issue #1 does not seem to line up with what’s presented in issue #3, and ultimately Birds of Prey #4 still doesn’t clarify things.  It’s certainly possibly that editorial didn’t communicate things clearly to Kelly Thompson about the events in Diana’s own title.   It’s a real mess over there, so that’s somewhat understandable.  What’s not understandable is why Dinah didn’t just reach out to Diana and ask for help?  Oliver was right there in D.C. with her and could’ve said something.  It’s makes no sense and seems only to be there because Thompson wanted to construct a conflict that was not naturally occurring.  It’s so poorly developed that it really does make the first three issues superfluous and a complete waste of time.

Had Dinah made attempts to contact Diana, but was unable to reach her that would’ve provided a reasonable situation which required Dinah to act.  Had she gone in looking to talk instead of fight and be secretive, that would’ve fit with the fact that these characters have a longstanding friendly relationship.  There’s no reason to think that Diana wouldn’t listen to Dinah, even if the United States military is waging war on Themiscyra at Tom King’s behest.

The mystical nature of the big bad revealed in the final few pages of Birds of Prey #4, push the genre further away from what one expects in a Birds of Prey comic.  It also makes some aspects of Thompson’s line up feel contrived.  Gee, sure glad Barda’s there when the “mega rod” is of Apokoliptian origin.  Zealot seems like she may be of use … but, I still don’t know anything about her, Thompson hasn’t developed her much.  At one point she says she hates this mission, and I have to agree with her.  That reveal of Megaera certainly appears to be be a job for Wonder Woman.  However, Harley the Wild Card will probably be able to bash her with her mallet in order to save the day.  I don’t know….

Verdict

If you’ve spent money on issues #1-3, you may feel really cheated with the plot developments in Birds of Prey #4.  It not only exacerbates the lack of reasoning on Dinah’s part in not even attempting to contact Diana for help, it just becomes clear that Thompson literally lost the plot for this arc in the very beginning.  Things just don’t make sense from a character standpoint, and there are just too many things that just are because Thompson wants them that way instead of them making logical sense based on character and the known world of the DC Universe.

The post Review: Birds of Prey #4 appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: Kelly Thompson
Art: Leonardo Romero
Colors: Jordie Bellaire
Letters: Clayton Cowles

Reviewed by: Matthew B. Lloyd

Summary

Dinah struggles to keep her team together while Harley saves the day!  Of course Harley knows how to get the team on Themiscyra secretly!

Positives

Birds of Prey #2 starts with a touching flashback with Dinah and Sin.  It reminds the reader why this team has been assembled with a solid character moment.  Leonardo Romero brings another excellent performance on the art chores.  He displays a range from intimate to exaggerated which are both appropriate in their respective scenes.  Dinah and Sin in the opening sequence both exhibit a genuine fondness that Romero captures.  Additionally, in the span of 2 pages Dinah displays, confusion, anger and resignation in succession as she tries to keep her team together.

There are moments in this issue as Dinah struggles to get things going that this feels like a Birds of Prey comic.  They are few, however.

Negatives

Like it or not, your enjoyment of Birds of Prey #2 hinges on how much you like Harley Quinn.  If you’re a fan, you’ll probably enjoy this comic.  If you you’re not, then…this will be a frustrating read.  Harley just sucks the concept of the Birds of Prey out of the issue.  The moment it starts to feel like a Birds of Prey comic, Harley pops up and just becomes annoying.  Now, if Harley were to die by the end of this arc, it might be worth it, but what happens in issue #5 or #6 can’t make this issue any better.  There’s always hope for the next arc, right?  As long as Thompson gets Harley off the team, that is.  You can’t make readers like Harley if they don’t like Harley and Harley is written like Harley.

As Thompson has stated, Harley is the wildcard.  Will she also be the Harley ex machina- the out for plot corners?  She already feels like she dominates this issue with her solution to getting on Themiscyra.  It could prove to be an interesting moral quandary for Black Canary to get assistance from a villain like King Shark, but there’s no sense of that in the script at all.  Thompson realizes this is not the Harley Quinn animates series on MAX, right?  This just seems to shove character aside so Thompson can do something zany with Harley.  I get that Harley’s personality and characterization push her forward and dominate an issue, even if it’s not intended.  This knowledge doesn’t improve the issue, however.  I don’t know if it’s possible to write Harley accurately without this happening.

Negatives Cont’d

With John Constantine and the magic angle, it feels less and less like a Birds of Prey comic.  It’s true, one can imagine Barbara arranging using magic with an appearance by Zatanna, or I suppose even Constantine, but there’s something about the haphazard way it seems to come about that detracts from the tone of what a Birds of Prey series should be.  It almost feels like Thompson didn’t have a better idea so she had to go the magic route to get out of another plot corner.  I think it would’ve come off better had we seen Dinah go through the thought process of her plan instead of seeing it play out.  Again, it feel like she decided she wanted to use Constantine and wrote it that way instead of Constantine being a creative solution to a problem.  Good thing Constantine owed Dinah a favor.  How many people will owe Dinah a favor in this series?  And, it appears King Shark owed Harley a favor, too!  As it is, it is difficult to follow Dinah’s plan.  There’s a “hurry up and get there already” feel.  It’s a necessary step in the plot for the team to get to Themiscyra, but it’s more boring than interesting or exciting.

Furthermore, Dinah’s attempts to keep the team together seem to be proof that she hasn’t built a team that is “impeccably trustworthy.”  The readers knew this, why didn’t Dinah?  It just makes Dinah seem stupid for trusting them instead of going to true friends like Helena and Barbara- Meridian be damned!   That falls on Thompson’s shoulders for forcing this team together.  She shouldn’t have included the premise that Dinah was assembling them with the belief that they were all “impeccably trustworthy.”  If Dinah had taken a different approach, more of a  “I’ll do whatever it takes,” then her struggles would feel genuine.  As it is, this conflict feels contrived and there simply for the sake of conflict.  With Birds of Prey #2, it feels like Thompson is really interested in writing a Suicide Squad title.  This isn’t the Birds of Prey, it’s Dinah stuck with a couple people she can trust, two villains, and a couple chancers.

Verdict

Harley Quinn ruins everything she’s in.  She doesn’t play well with others and it’s no different in Birds of Prey #2.  She doesn’t mesh well with the rest of the team tonally.  Her ridiculousness detracts from what at times begins to feel like a Birds of Prey comic.  There’s far too little time spent on character which leaves too much time for Harley.  Thankfully, Romero does a really nice job with the art on this issue.  Script-wise it feels messy and cobbled together, you just sort of want to get through it so the plot can move forward.  It’s definitely a step backwards from last issue.

The post Review: Birds of Prey #2 appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: Kelly Thompson
Art: Leonardo Romero
Colors: Jordie Bellaire
Letters: Clayton Cowles

Reviewed by: Matthew B. Lloyd

Summary

Dinah (Black Canary) Lance has to put together a team to rescue her sister, Sin.  Who will she recruit and will they all say, “yes?”

Positives

The art by Leonardo Romero is simply fantastic.  Romero has a clean, uncluttered style that looks great.  There are some great action sequences that he approaches in different ways and they all work.  It’s clear what’s going on and he brings a dynamic flair to the pages.  In the quieter moments he also shines as he is able to communicate emotion effectively through body language and an economy of line.  Plus, there are some interesting angles he chooses in telling the story.  Jordie Bellaire chooses lighter tones of colors that compliment Romero’s style, which elevates the look of the issue as well.

Thompson focuses the story around Dinah and her character and it works well.  The play here uses DC continuity with the inclusion of Sin who hasn’t been seen since before the New 52 line wide reboot.  It’s a nice touch that makes the series feel connected to the DC Universe as a whole as well as the greater history of the DC Universe.  The character that contacts Dinah for this rescue mission is a well-played surprise that will remain such.  However, the inclusion of this character is a fun and interesting reveal that brings about more questions than it answers.

Positives Cont’d

There was a lot of speculation and internet discussion of this new line up when it was first teased teased.  The proof is in the pudding, and with Birds of Prey # 1 in stores, we get to examine that pudding, now.  As stated above, it’s great to have Dinah be the focus.  Thompson puts her and her family at the center and this works well.  Cassandra is a logical and believable choice for a rescue mission.  She’s stealthy, a known quantity to Dinah and maybe THE best fighter in the DC Universe.  As stated in the opening pages, Dinah needs a team that will make the adversary, “$@#% their pants.”  Cassandra fits this bill.

Next up we have Big Barda.  Barda is definitely a heavy hitter.  For a fight she’s a good choice, but on the stealth side of things, maybe not.  She could’ve learned some things from husband, Scott (Mr. Miracle) Free in this area.  Even so, she’s the muscle of the team and that works well enough.  This is a solid start to the team and the path that Dinah takes to recruit these two is done well, especially as it continues to rely on Dinah’s relationship to the target, Sin.

Negatives

Things start to go in a different direction with the next two choices Thompson has included for this story arc.  Zealot is totally unknown to me, and as a longtime fan of Dinah and the Birds of Prey, it’s seems odd that Dinah would go outside her previous teammates for a mission that is this important and for one she herself says she needs people who are “impeccably trustworthy.”  Cass fits that, and Barda ‘s been in the Birds of Prey before.  It’s alluded that Zealot owes Dinah a favor, and while she may think that Zealot has the skills (whatever they are) for the mission, is Zealot the best choice if it’s only a favor?  Is Zealot really invested in Dinah’s sister or anything that matters to Dinah?  The details in Birds of Prey # 1 are not convincing in this matter.

Thompson herself admitted in the release publicity for this book that she knew Harley Quinn would be divisive.  As with Zealot, the argument Thompson makes for her inclusion is not only unconvincing, and illogical, but…laughable.  It would be one thing to have a character argue that some element of Harley’s skills make sense for the plan, but Thompson has put the team before the plan, so it’s not clear how Harley would fit into this.  What makes even less sense is the argument we do get for her inclusion.

Negatives Cont’d

Cassandra shares a story with the others claiming that Harley is such a good fighter that Harley almost beat her in a confrontation recently.  It’s simply bad writing to suddenly imbue Harley Quinn with this sort of skill level.  It’s just as hard to imagine that Dinah would believe it.  So, even if Cass has an ulterior motive in convincing the team, Dinah should see through that fairly quickly.  It also doesn’t make sense that Dinah would go against her instincts on Harley’s trustworthiness that Thompson does include in the issue.  The bottom line is that Harley will always feel forced when included on a Birds of Prey roster.  There’s an argument coming up below that will claim this isn’t the Birds of Prey, just a team Dinah’s putting together for a mission.  However, Birds of Prey or not, like Zealot, Birds of Prey # 1 doesn’t make a convincing argument for Harley being on the team or for Dinah to go against her instincts. 

The idea that Harley is a “wildcard” is nothing more than Thompson not having a real reason to include her that makes sense.  It sounds cool, but is ultimately shallow.  Unless of course, like her newfound fighting ability Cassandra describes, Harley manifests whatever Thompson needs for the plot to work!  Thompson wants to use Harley, but it doesn’t add to the plot in any way or even make sense.

Here’s a real wildcard for you:  The individual that contacted Dinah about Sin’s abduction claims she can’t tell Barbara.  which is then the in-story reason for Barbara not being included.  What if, the Harley they recruit isn’t Harley at all, but Barbara in disguise as Harley?  That’s about the only way that it would make sense for Barbara not being on Dinah’s handpicked team, or Harley being on it!

Negatives Cont’d

Perhaps, the single greatest negative with this issue is that Barbara Gordon is not part of the team Dinah puts together.  I’ve argued before that Barbara is essential to the Birds of Prey, she’s what makes the team THE Birds of Prey, otherwise it’s just a collection of female heroes/anti-heroes or whatever. (The Birds of Prey aren’t always female either, just ask Hawk, Savant or Creote). 

Additionally, and as mentioned above, it doesn’t make sense that Dinah wouldn’t include her closest allies.  She’s got Huntress marked off the list on page 2!  While the final reveal of who’s abducted Sin implies that Dinah needs some heavy hitters, it also suggests that this team will need to be committed to Dinah (trustworthy!) and it stands to reason that those closest to her would be the best choices, friends and former teammates like Babs, Helena, Nightwing, Ollie and Roy, Zinda (Lady Blackhawk) Blake etc…. 

Verdict 

This issue is a bit of a mixed bag.  The art on Birds of Prey # 1 is  great.  The plot and focus on Dinah is interesting and engaging.  It’s the details that detract from the overall big ideas.  The line up of the “team” is obviously the biggest with some of the sub-details that go along with that which logically follow, the inexplicable reasoning for including Harley for example.  The line up ends up being confusing instead of exciting.  This line up might be interesting if Dinah fell into the situation and had to make do with them to get the job done.   This suggests that if this were not called Birds of Prey, it would get a higher rating because it could be viewed as its own thing.  Or, if Barbara Gordon (as Oracle OR Batgirl) and Helena (Huntress) Bertinelli were in the line up it would feel like the Birds of Prey and  it would’ve been a 9/10.

The post Review: Birds of Prey #1 appeared first on DC Comics News.

Check out all the details in the official press release below!

DC’S NEW COMIC BOOK SERIES ‘BIRDS OF PREY’ IS UNVEILED

Comic book writer Kelly Thompson reveals the brand-new Birds of Prey character lineup in the ongoing “Dawn of DC” series debuting in September

As part of the “Dawn of DC” storytelling initiative, DC’s new ongoing comic book series Birds of Prey debuts September 5, led by an all-star creative team and featuring fan-favorite characters. Series writer Kelly Thompson (Black Widow, Captain Marvel) has been revealing the Birds of Prey character lineup throughout the week, teasing that leader Black Canary will be joined by Cassandra Cain, Big Barda, Zealot, and Harley Quinn for a dangerous new mission. In her DC comic book series writing debut, Thompson herself has teamed up with her Eisner Award-nominated Hawkeye partners-in-crime, artist Leonardo Romero (Batman) and colorist Jordie Bellaire (Wonder Woman), alongside letterer Clayton Cowles for the electrifying series.

Birds of Prey character lineup art by Leonardo Romero

In this new series, Dinah Lance is one of the DC Universe’s most elite fighters, and combined with her sonic scream, she’s a fearsome foe in any scenario…but sometimes even the Black Canary needs help. Faced with a personal mission brought to her by a mysterious new ally, and up against near-impossible odds, she re-forms the Birds of Prey with an unrivaled group—Cassandra Cain, Big Barda, Zealot, and Harley Quinn—with only one goal: extraction of their asset at any cost. What could possibly go wrong? This all-new, all-deadly Birds of Prey is still breaking hearts and faces after all these years!

Birds of Prey #1 triptych gatefold variant cover art by Frank Cho

“When I say this is a dream come true for me, I mean not just working on the iconic Birds of Prey title, but also the characters we were able to fold in, and the creative team we assembled,” said Birds of Prey writer Kelly Thompson. “Leonardo Romero and Jordie Bellaire were two of my first partners-in-crime making superhero books and I’ve been trying to make this happen ever since. It won’t surprise anyone to learn that Leonardo and Jordie are even better than they were the last time we worked together—and working together on this wild book is pure magic.”

“I couldn’t be happier to announce my first monthly project for DC! With this book, I’ve had the opportunity to not only draw some of the most badass women in the DC Universe, but also to work once more with the best people in our industry, Kelly Thompson and Jordie Bellaire” said Birds of Prey artist Leonardo Romero. “I missed the dynamic we had on Hawkeye, so I’m very excited to have our team back together! Can’t wait to show you all what we’ve been doing!”

Birds of Prey #1 will be available at local comic shops on September 5 with a main cover by series artist Leonardo Romero, variant covers by Stanley “Artgerm” Lau and Chris Bachalo, a 1:25 variant by Nick Bradshaw paying homage to the first Birds of Prey series cover by Greg Land and Brian Stelfreeze from January 1999, a 1:50 variant by Chris Bachalo, a 1:100 variant by Leonardo Romero, and a triptych gatefold variant cover by Frank Cho. There will also be a blank sketch cover available.

Fans can read more Birds of Prey comic books with a DC UNIVERSE INFINITE ULTRA subscription. DC UNIVERSE INFINITE subscribers can download comics for unlimited offline reading on their favorite iOS and Android devices. For more information on DC UNIVERSE INFINITE Ultra, download the app from the Apple App and Google Play stores. DC UNIVERSE INFINITE is not intended for children.

For the latest information on everything DC, visit www.DC.com and follow @DCOfficial and @TheDCNation on social media.

The post New ‘Birds of Prey’ Series Revealed With Brand-New Lineup appeared first on DC Comics News.

Barda, written and drawn by Ngozi Ukazau, is set during Barda’s earlier years on Apokalips, under the command of Darkseid and Granny Goodness. Moulded by Granny to be the leader of her Female Furies, Barda, in this story, is tested in ways she never expected. This is the latest in DC’s line of YA graphic novels that are meant to introduce young readers to DC’s iconic line of heroes through contemporary examinations of what forged them into the people they are now. For Barda, this would be the first time such layers of the character have been examined to this extent.

DC Expands With Barda’s Discovery of Love and Her True Purpose

Likened to a journey of self-discovery for the fierce warrior, Ukazau describes the plot as a young woman pushed to her limits:

Barda is a story of a very tough soldier who slowly realizes that her loyalties are more complicated than it seems. Barda is a great character because she is so complicated. She’s big, she’s mean, she’s tough. But on the inside, she’s very scared. But she’s a defender. The story calls her to be a bit more cruel than she actually is. And we start to see the tension. Does she like defending people or does she like causing pain? And she figures out who she is through the course of the story.

The key player in her turn away from Apocalypse stays in tradition, as her future love, Scott Free, aka Mister Miracle, is part of Granny’s “education.” For those new to Jack Kirby’s Fourth World and the New Gods, Scott Free is the son of Darkseid’s counterpart, the benevolent Highfather of New Genesis. In a treaty between both worlds, Darkseid gave his son, Orion, to Highfather, and Highfather, in turn, relinquished custody of Scott to Darkseid. His very name was a way of mocking the hopelessness of his situation. Expected to break the young New God’s spirit, Barda, instead, begins to question her own motivations as she finds herself falling for Scott. Coincidentally, another YA graphic novel focuses on Scott, entitled Mister Miracle: The Great Escape.

Other DC YA graphic novels include Batman: Nightwalker, I Am Not Starfire, Mera: Tidebreaker, Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass, Swamp Thing: Twin Branches, and others.

Barda is set to debut on book shelves in June 2024.

Official Source – DC’s BARDA Gives The New God Warrior A Graphic Novel of Her Own (screenrant.com)

The post DC Presents “Barda,” A Graphic Novel Focusing on The New God’s Fury-to-Hero Journey appeared first on DC Comics News.

The wonderful folks at Newsarama report that the latest in a series of charity sketches produced by industry icon (and DC Chief Creative Officer and Publisher) Jim Lee has helped donate over $55,000 to the Book Industry Charitable Foundation (or “Binc”).

According to the Binc website, “Binc is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to assisting booksellers in need. The Binc Foundation grew out of a wish of bookstore employees to establish a fund to help their colleagues experiencing unexpected financial crises. Binc is dedicated to assisting bookstore employees across the United States in their greatest time of need.”

Lee has posted a sketch every day of April so far, in an attempt to assist comic book stores and their employees during the pandemic that is currently affecting millions of individuals and businesses (both big and small) all over the world.

The rules are as follows: whomever wins the auction for the original sketch gets to choose who he draws next, given that it cannot be a character he has sketched before. Some of these charity sketches have included Azrael, Dr. Fate and Big Barda.

Day 8! BATMAN BEYOND (from Arkham Knight) as chosen by the high bidder of Doctor Fate—Dhaval! Thank you Dhaval w/your continued generous support! All proceeds to benefit struggling comics shops during this crisis via @BINC ! 3 day auction is now live on https://t.co/OAz3DxKP3I pic.twitter.com/0xRlEKB7Th

— Jim Lee (@JimLee) April 8, 2020

This Batman Beyond sketch sold for $11,600 and was a big hit on social media, receiving almost 5,500 total likes across Instagram and Twitter. Many fans even noticed the smaller details within the sketch, such as the Ben Affleck armored Bat-suit from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

A couple of my favorites have been the sketches of Deadman and Phantasm, from the Batman: Mask of the Phantasm animated film, with the latter drawn by artist Rafael Albuquerque. Both of these sketches are still a part of open auctions.

If you would like to participate in the auctions, head on over to eBay.

For coverage on how the comic book industry continues to be impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic, keep it on DC Comics News.

The post Jim Lee Sketches Batman Beyond For Charity appeared first on DC Comics News.

Big Barda, the towering powerhouse of DC’s New Gods, is an excellent response to complex questions about superhero self-care. Barda manages an impossible balancing act rarely seen in the pages of superhero comics. Reportedly, the New Gods will soon join the ranks of DC heroes on the big screen, making this the perfect moment for a closer look at Barda’s exemplary life. It should be noted that this article will follow the general thread of Barda’s story, not necessarily every event and title she has been a part of. 

Becoming Barda

Most readers know Barda as Mister Miracle’s butt-kicking, statuesque wife. She first appeared in the pages of Mister Miracle #4 in 1971. Born on the hellish planet of Apokolips, Barda was taken from her mother as a small child to be trained as a warrior by Granny Goodness. At Granny Goodness’ Home for Orphaned Youth, Barda was groomed to lead the Female Fury Battalion and excelled at her position. At first, Barda embraced her home planet. However, over time, the oppressive rule of Apokolips began to weigh on her. After Auralie, one of Barda’s teammates was brutally tortured and killed for a ridiculous crime, Barda began to feel a conflict between her personal values and the culture of her homeland. 

Shortly thereafter, Barda met and fell in love with Scott Free, the adopted son of Darkseid. Their relationship bloomed from an honest connection. In Scott, Barda recognized qualities she admired, even if they are not the qualities her training would have led her to value. Though these new emotions were confusing to Barda, she accepted their importance within herself and chose to follow the path she was beginning to perceive as the right one. Barda helped organize Scott’s escape to Earth but did not leave Apokolips with him initially. 

Despite her opposition to Apokolips’ laws and the cruelty of Granny Goodness, Barda realized that a part of her was still connected to the place she was raised. Though riding off into the sunset with Scott may have appeared to be a happy ending, even in Barda’s earliest stories, she demonstrates a deep understanding of her own psychological needs. She was not ready to leave Apokolips or sever the bond between herself and Granny Goodness. Barda left only when she was truly ready, thus lessening the impact of total relocation. 

Going to Earth meant forging a whole new ‘Barda’, a task the young heroine only undertook when she was certain it was what she wanted. From the start, readers see Barda make decisions on her own terms and actively seek to do what is best for her. She is not beholden to the ideas placed in her head by others, nor is she tethered to an identity that no longer suits her values. In a way, Barda’s delayed departure from Apokolips is a triumph in and of itself. 

Arrival on Earth

Once on Earth, Barda found Scott Free working as a magician under the alias ‘Mister Miracle’. Barda was drawn to Scott in a way she had never been drawn to another person. She helped him find success in his new path and was surprisingly supportive, considering her past. Barda did not look down on the people of Earth or waste energy clinging to an old way of life. Instead, she took advantage of the pleasures of Earth, pleasures that would have been illegal on Apokolips. Simply put, Barda learned to appreciate the little things. 

Life on Apokolips was full of darkness, violence, forced decisions, and oppressive control. Barda is excited to partake in the choices she has on Earth and basks happily in the possibility of choosing her own path. The love she shares with Scott and the friendships they make throughout the years are precious to Barda. She continues to tap into her warrior side when Scott or the Justice League need her help, but on the off days, she explores this new world and allows herself the freedom to think and feel in ways that would have been impossible on Apokolips. 

In one story, Barda even went as far as leaving Scott after a long period of feeling ignored and mistreated by him. In this act, she makes it clear that even when it comes to the person she loves most, she will not suffer mistreatment or abuse on any level. Of course, Barda and Scott eventually worked through this bump (in an oh so comic book way) and continued to build their life together. When the couple’s son was born, Barda threw herself wholeheartedly into the role of mother and caregiver. 

Barda loves just as fiercely as she fights, though she never would have known it on Apokolips. Love is a fulfilling experience for her. Barda is sometimes accused of appearing weak and uninspired for being satisfied with the role of housewife, but in reality, it is a clear act of defiance. To have a family, a quiet life, and a peaceful existence would have been the ultimate disgrace on her home planet. Barda’s ‘ordinary’ existence on Earth is nothing short of an impossible act of courage. Being a stay-at-home mom may not sound bold, but the love and joy she derives from that role are among the pleasures Barda watched comrades on Apokolips die for. She intends to enjoy them to their fullest. 

A Hero’s Healing Process

Spending most of her time raising a son doesn’t mean Barda has hung up her armor- far from it. After coming to understand their mission, Barda assists the Justice League when they believe her strength will be an asset. She is believed to be just as strong, tall, and expertly trained as Wonder Woman. The core difference between the Amazonian Princess and Barda is the morality of their training. Diana was trained to understand both war and peace. She uses her combat skills, however violent, only on missions that fight oppression. Barda later develops into the same sort of hero but has to fall back on training once used to enforce a cruel status quo. This means Barda is constantly in conflict with her own hardwiring. Strangely, you wouldn’t know it by watching her in battle. Barda keeps her composure, remaining tactical and level headed. Readers rarely see her falter as time goes on. The ghosts of Barda’s past don’t jeopardize Justice League missions the way other heroes’ might. 

Barda’s reliable nature comes from the fact that she respects her own mental well being. She gave herself time to come to terms with Apokolips and time to heal from the violence she witnessed and carried out. Furthermore, she didn’t push herself too hard when coming to a new planet. She adapted. She grew. She figured out what she wanted and pursued it, allowing feelings of guilt and regret to fade away. 

The warriors of Apokolips were not raised to waste time on useless emotions. It is likely that self-pity, guilt, and wallowing are useless in Barda’s eyes. Instead of falling into their trap, she navigates through it, pushes forward, and takes all the time and space necessary to address them properly. It is only through this process that people are able to let go and move on, which is likely why Barda never appears clouded by her past. She has confronted her trauma and developed healthy ways of moving on. 

Barda knows when her mental state is drifting into dark waters. Whenever the darkness calls her back, she is unafraid to walk away, take a breather, and sort through her emotions before deciding how to move forward. In this way, she has mastered the wisdom that even the best superheroes tend to miss. Readers are used to stories in which heroes have to be told by their teammates when they are not in the right condition to fight. They have to be forced to sit out and typically resent the call. Barda is cut from a different cloth. Being an effective teammate means being in top physical and mental condition. To Barda, fighting with a damaged psyche makes a warrior more of a liability than an asset. 

2019’s Female Furies by Cecil Castellucci offers a new take on Barda’s backstory, and a new reason for Barda to consider mental wellness before a fight. In this title, Aurelie is the leader of the Female Furies. Barda faithfully follows Aurelie’s leadership, trusting that Granny Goodness’ chosen favorite can overcome any challenge. Sadly, Aurelie is thrown off by deep psychological wounds after a powerful man is allowed to repeatedly assault her. She initially tries to continue business as usual, but the trauma impacts her judgment and performance. These digressions eventually lead to Aurelie’s death. Despite their camaraderie, Barda did not believe Aurelie when she confided in her and refused to address the clear warning signs of a friend in crisis. If Barda had listened and helped Aurelie cope with what she was feeling instead of encouraging her to suppress and carry on, her former leader might still be alive. Though Female Furies is a recent title, it is impressively true to the core of Barda’s character and the example she has represented from her earliest days. 

Always a Hero

When she’s not fighting, Barda still actively helps her community. Members of the League often come to her for advice or to seek training before difficult missions. Barda is able to talk battle strategy in one moment and play blocks with her son the next. The sides of herself she values- the warrior, the mother, the wife, and the friend- all coexist harmoniously in Barda. She is always in the right state of mind to fight injustice because she takes care of her mind and recognizes that life requires a balance of both pleasure and pain, difficulty and simplicity. In the battle between Apokolips and Genesis, Barda witnessed the danger of trying to build a world on extremes. She avoids making this mistake in her own life, much to the benefit of those around her. 

Barda is also a hero outside of the Justice League. She teaches self-defense classes for women and is a great ally and confidant to her husband, Mister Miracle. When Scott’s mind works against him, Barda supplies loving clarity to talk him through his pain. She supports his decisions and acknowledges that he needs space to make his own mistakes. When Scott’s back is against a wall, Barda is right alongside him to help him pick up the pieces. In this way, Barda proves that being a superhero doesn’t always mean suiting up for the big fight. Sometimes it’s showing support for someone you love, or sharing a valuable skill with neighbors in need.

For many comic book readers, superheroes represent the best parts of ourselves. Drive, ambition, courage, and selflessness are all crucial pieces of being an exceptional person. All of these things are present in Barda- the drive to move forward, the ambition to build something good, the courage to start anew and face her demons, and the selflessness to share her wisdom with the world. She is a prime example of a superhero with healthy habits, which makes her one of the most important depictions readers can see. With any luck, the upcoming movie will bring her message of balance and self-care to a larger audience. Take it from Barda- it’s difficult to save anyone if you have not first saved yourself.

The post Big Barda: The ‘New God’ of Superhero Self-Care appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: Cecil Castellucci

Artist: Adriana Melo

Colors: Hi-Fi

Letters: Sal Cipriano

Reviewed by: Tony Farina

Summary

In the final issue of Female Furies, Barda and the Furies try desperately to free half the population from Darkseid and his evil team. The half of the population they wish to free are the women. They try in vain to stage an uprising and then they try to lure the Beautiful Dreamer to help them.

Meanwhile, Granny discovers that after the Furies murdered Willik, she will not be replacing him on the high council. Instead, she is now to take orders from a dunce. The Female Furies are blamed for this decision and so, Granny being full of Goodness, decides to forgive them all…just kidding. She loses her mind and brings up new Furies to replace them.

There is a lot that happens at the end that I refuse to spoil.

Positives

I can not show it here, but right in the middle of this book is a two page splash that has old Furies vs new Furies. Seriously, get two copies of this book so you can take that page out and frame it. It is Adriana Melo at her absolute finest. The artwork she has done in Female Furies is inspired. According to her Twitter account, she is going to be working with Jody Houser next on a Harley/Ivy book. That is going to be amazing. Go add that to your pull list now.

I would argue that Melo is one of the top five artists working for DC comics right now. Here is the proof.

There is a line late in the book that sums up what is great about this issue (and the series). Women helping women.

Castellucci knows that often times, that is hardest thing. Women are pitted against each other and from that, they fight (in this book literally) and try to hold each other back. The men convince the women they are worthless and worth less. The cycle continues and it is tragic.

Negatives

This book is over. What will I do now? Oh right. Read it again.

Verdict

Before I give my final verdict, I would like to speak directly to the writer of Female Furies.

Cecil Castellucci, you are a magnificent story teller. Somehow, you manged to take Kirby’s world, which was obviously made in the early 70’s and make it fresh, new and timely. You took what he did, paid tribute to it and then wrote a six issue mini-series social commentary about it. You have done the world a service. As the father, I thank you for what you have done.

My final verdict is that Female Furies will be nominated for multiple Eisner Awards. You, will want to be the person who read it before that happened.  Buy the individual copies. Buy the TPB when it comes out. Support your local shop, but also, support the message of this amazing, ground breaking, and absolute perfect mini-series.

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