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Birds of Prey (1999) (First Editions)
Birds of Prey Vol. 3: Of Like Minds
Collecting the exciting, sold-out BIRDS OF PREY #56-61 by the creative team of Gail Simone, Ed Benes and Alex Lei! OF LIKE MINDS, guest-starring Nightwing and Batgirl, shakes things up for Oracle, Black Canary and Huntress. In a tricky legal and ethical dilemma, the Birds show mercy to a would-be white collar criminal, but their act of compassion brings them to the attention of master extortionist (and one-time super-hero) Savant, a man who claims he can outthink Oracle and outfight the Canary...and can prove it!
Collects Birds of Prey #56-61.
Collects Birds of Prey #56-61.
144 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2004
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About the author
Gail Simone
1,081 books1,240 followersGail Simone is a comic book writer well-known for her work on Birds of Prey (DC), Wonder Woman (DC), and Deadpool (Marvel), among others, and has also written humorous and critical commentary on comics and the comics industry such as the original "Women in Refrigerators" website and a regular column called "You'll All Be Sorry".
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews
April 9, 2020
From the first conversation between Oracle and Black Canary, you can instantly tell this was written by a woman. It just sounds like how two women who are close friends would talk to one another. She quickly works on strengthening the bonds between the two characters. The villain of this arc, Savant, is a good foil for the two of them. He feels dangerous and something of a sociopath.
The weird juxtaposition of the book is that even though you have a woman writing the book, Ed Benes's art, while technically pretty and clean, is all crotch shots and taut boobs. It's very cringey. It's like he went out of his way to make the art pervy.
The weird juxtaposition of the book is that even though you have a woman writing the book, Ed Benes's art, while technically pretty and clean, is all crotch shots and taut boobs. It's very cringey. It's like he went out of his way to make the art pervy.
November 27, 2018
"I'm being followed, Canary . . . You make the call. Evade or confront?" -- Huntress
"Ummm . . . Evade?" -- Black Canary, substituting for Oracle (who is on a 'pasta break')
"Confront it is." -- Huntress
After reading Of Like Minds I can't wait to tear into the rest of this series. It's the perfect collision of three things -- (1) a trio of great characters (Black Canary is my favorite DC heroine, though Barbara 'Babs' Gordon - whether she's Batgirl or Oracle - is also on the short list; and then Huntress complements them both as the 'loose cannon' type); (2) a talented writer (I've enjoyed Gail Simone's work on the Wonder Woman and especially the Batgirl titles) who can dependably pen the action scenes or long stretches of talking-head dialogue, whether dramatic or humorous, with equal aplomb; (3) and the consistently alluring but controversial artwork by the illustration team.
I'm noticing that said artwork is drawing (haha) a lot of criticism in other reviews. To each his / her own -- I thought it wasn't distracting at all but fit with the pumped up, exaggerated nature of the story. There's action, suspense, and even several genuine conversation scenes that were not simply exposition. Pretty pictures will only get you so far if there's not a compelling narrative to back it up.
"Ummm . . . Evade?" -- Black Canary, substituting for Oracle (who is on a 'pasta break')
"Confront it is." -- Huntress
After reading Of Like Minds I can't wait to tear into the rest of this series. It's the perfect collision of three things -- (1) a trio of great characters (Black Canary is my favorite DC heroine, though Barbara 'Babs' Gordon - whether she's Batgirl or Oracle - is also on the short list; and then Huntress complements them both as the 'loose cannon' type); (2) a talented writer (I've enjoyed Gail Simone's work on the Wonder Woman and especially the Batgirl titles) who can dependably pen the action scenes or long stretches of talking-head dialogue, whether dramatic or humorous, with equal aplomb; (3) and the consistently alluring but controversial artwork by the illustration team.
I'm noticing that said artwork is drawing (haha) a lot of criticism in other reviews. To each his / her own -- I thought it wasn't distracting at all but fit with the pumped up, exaggerated nature of the story. There's action, suspense, and even several genuine conversation scenes that were not simply exposition. Pretty pictures will only get you so far if there's not a compelling narrative to back it up.
August 14, 2018
I'm starting to think Gail Simone will make any series I read atleast interesting. Lucky for me, Birds of Prey is GREAT.
So we have Oracle lead a team of badass woman who kick some ass. Honestly though, deeper down, it's about a sisterhood all trying to respect and work with each other by taking on very dangerous missions. This one is kind of great as we have a main enemy, not only for Black Canary, but also for Oracle herself in terms of computer smarts. Savant is our main baddie here and he's kind of cunning, really evil, and creepy as shit. Add that with some intense fights, fun banter, and great dialog and you have a heck of a story.
Good: Loved the way all the girls got together, but all vastly different, that make each of them unique. I also enjoyed Savant as a villain and he's weird and creepy in all the right ways. The story and pacing were great, never boring, and always entertaining.
Bad: The art. I mean it's good but holy hell do I feel like half the shots of the girls are up their ass, vagina, or on their boobs. Just sooooo many. It was distracting. (I love me some Black Canary tho)
Overall it was a ton of fun. I can see why this series is held in such high regards. Hope it continues to be a delight. A 4 out of 5.
So we have Oracle lead a team of badass woman who kick some ass. Honestly though, deeper down, it's about a sisterhood all trying to respect and work with each other by taking on very dangerous missions. This one is kind of great as we have a main enemy, not only for Black Canary, but also for Oracle herself in terms of computer smarts. Savant is our main baddie here and he's kind of cunning, really evil, and creepy as shit. Add that with some intense fights, fun banter, and great dialog and you have a heck of a story.
Good: Loved the way all the girls got together, but all vastly different, that make each of them unique. I also enjoyed Savant as a villain and he's weird and creepy in all the right ways. The story and pacing were great, never boring, and always entertaining.
Bad: The art. I mean it's good but holy hell do I feel like half the shots of the girls are up their ass, vagina, or on their boobs. Just sooooo many. It was distracting. (I love me some Black Canary tho)
Overall it was a ton of fun. I can see why this series is held in such high regards. Hope it continues to be a delight. A 4 out of 5.
March 17, 2013
It's almost like a book of two halves. On one hand, Gail Simone writes strong, physically and mentally imposing women with emotional lives that don't revolve around men. On the other hand, there's the art that goes beyond what I consider the normal standard of sexually exploitative for female superheroes. I've seen this sort of thing before in superhero comics starring strong women. Almost like editorial is petrified that that readers won't pick up a comic about female superheroes unless they sex it up. Just take a look at that cover and tell me if you can honestly see Babs wearing that. Worse are the cringe-inducing number of panels that make the ladies' breasts and butts the focus, sometimes to the point of actually cropping their heads out of the panel. The characters Simone wrote deserve much better than this, and so did her storyline. I can recommend this book for the writing, just be warned about the art.
June 24, 2019
After reading a slew of comics written by male writers, one almost forgets what it's like when women are written well.
So, I actually hadn't read this volume of Simone's run. Anytime I come across the trades in comic book stores, I buy as many as I can find because they're virtually impossible to locate. I hope they release an omnibus someday! Gail's run is my all time favorite!
She just gets how to write women - you know, for pretty obvious reasons. Dinah, Babs and Helena are all very different women and that reads in this comic. They all have different styles and I'm just not realizing this series is partially responsible for how I see the rest of the DC universe compared to the Bats. The Bats are all very logical, tactical and slow to act because they weigh the pros and cons of every situation. Babs even says that she's jealous of Dinah's ability to think with her heart, not her head. There's Dinah who doesn't hold back when others are in danger - not tactical. There's Helena who lets vengeance rule her decisions from time to time - not tactical. Babs is in charge partially because she thinks everything through beforehand. It makes for a great balance.
Anyway, I'm excited to reread the volumes I love and read the ones I haven't read yet. I just adore this series!
So, I actually hadn't read this volume of Simone's run. Anytime I come across the trades in comic book stores, I buy as many as I can find because they're virtually impossible to locate. I hope they release an omnibus someday! Gail's run is my all time favorite!
She just gets how to write women - you know, for pretty obvious reasons. Dinah, Babs and Helena are all very different women and that reads in this comic. They all have different styles and I'm just not realizing this series is partially responsible for how I see the rest of the DC universe compared to the Bats. The Bats are all very logical, tactical and slow to act because they weigh the pros and cons of every situation. Babs even says that she's jealous of Dinah's ability to think with her heart, not her head. There's Dinah who doesn't hold back when others are in danger - not tactical. There's Helena who lets vengeance rule her decisions from time to time - not tactical. Babs is in charge partially because she thinks everything through beforehand. It makes for a great balance.
Anyway, I'm excited to reread the volumes I love and read the ones I haven't read yet. I just adore this series!
July 5, 2016
Oracle and Black Canary track down a "normal" supervillain who has combat skills on par with Batman. It leads to complications.
Along the way the two of them decide upon whether to trust Huntress.
Great artwork and the females are deliciously drawn to the point of being distracting to the stories. I doubt Gail Simone would have completely approved.
OVERALL GRADE: B.
Along the way the two of them decide upon whether to trust Huntress.
Great artwork and the females are deliciously drawn to the point of being distracting to the stories. I doubt Gail Simone would have completely approved.
OVERALL GRADE: B.
April 23, 2019
I loved everything about this except for the art. The three were drawn so sexualized. Very cringe.
January 24, 2013
I'm...puzzled. From everything I've read, Simone is lauded for rich believable characters. From what I'm seeing here in early chapters, there's a tendency to use three-syllable words when something shorter would do - which makes the characters seem a little theatrical rather than believable. And I'm also talking about the beefy villains, who unless I'm missing something are just typical muscle and not Rhodes scholars with a hormonal imbalance.
This tendency isn't consistent - in fact, the characters are known to switch from soliloquy to goombah within the same page. It's like a slight case of split personality, or perhaps Simone is making a case for the clear effects of the just-completed fistfights on cognitive abilities.
I like the easy interactions between Dinah, Barbara and Helena. They feel a big staged (like they know we're watching, and tone down the animus just a little) but there's still heart beneath the text.
You know what I find weird? So much of the plot revolves around Dinah being tied up, and not having much success to wrest control of her situation. I don't know why this stands out to me, but I have a couple of thoughts: one, the fact that the pose affords us maximum opportunity to get a full view of her rack. Two, that nearly any male character in a similar comic-book predicament would pull something out of his ass and we wouldn't think twice about it. This feels...odd from a proto-feminist writer.
Also didn't appreciate the full leering shot of Huntress hanging upside-down, with no perceptible change in boob conformation. See boobsdontworkthatway.com if you've never understood this odd phenom.
I am trying really hard to enjoy this book - in fact my liberal/feminist lifer card pretty much demands it - but I'm having a hard time connecting with these characters. "Do you think because I know which wine to order with trout I won't slit your throat?" Geez, this guy sounds like a bad Showtime "thriller" villain, not a real person. I know how many people appreciate the characters of strength and equality that Simone writes, but I don't actually find myself enjoying them that much. That hurts - I feel like I'm missing out on something here. Points to Simone for taking a couple of shots at the stupidly sexist costumes though.
It isn't until the heroes start snarking at each other that I begin to smile. THIS feels lifelike.
And surprisingly, just at the end, I start to actually care. The conflict between two of our heroes actually sets up a struggle I'm interested in, and it carries through quite a number of pages even. Makes me wonder if Simone was having growing pains when starting on this book. Makes me *just* interested enough to peek at the next book. Don't let me down Gail.
Benes...NO. I'm sorry, a close up of Huntress' crotch from below? What, do you have a private upskirt collection? This is plain disgusting and not befitting a story where feminine power is a subtext. WOW. Benes does have skill in drawing clean panels and stages action pretty well, but he simply doesn't have the temperament for anything but an exploitation book (which I guess means I'm not surprised he draws for DC).
2 for most of the story, +2 for showing potential at the end. +1 for clean art, -2 for egregious misogyny.
This tendency isn't consistent - in fact, the characters are known to switch from soliloquy to goombah within the same page. It's like a slight case of split personality, or perhaps Simone is making a case for the clear effects of the just-completed fistfights on cognitive abilities.
I like the easy interactions between Dinah, Barbara and Helena. They feel a big staged (like they know we're watching, and tone down the animus just a little) but there's still heart beneath the text.
You know what I find weird? So much of the plot revolves around Dinah being tied up, and not having much success to wrest control of her situation. I don't know why this stands out to me, but I have a couple of thoughts: one, the fact that the pose affords us maximum opportunity to get a full view of her rack. Two, that nearly any male character in a similar comic-book predicament would pull something out of his ass and we wouldn't think twice about it. This feels...odd from a proto-feminist writer.
Also didn't appreciate the full leering shot of Huntress hanging upside-down, with no perceptible change in boob conformation. See boobsdontworkthatway.com if you've never understood this odd phenom.
I am trying really hard to enjoy this book - in fact my liberal/feminist lifer card pretty much demands it - but I'm having a hard time connecting with these characters. "Do you think because I know which wine to order with trout I won't slit your throat?" Geez, this guy sounds like a bad Showtime "thriller" villain, not a real person. I know how many people appreciate the characters of strength and equality that Simone writes, but I don't actually find myself enjoying them that much. That hurts - I feel like I'm missing out on something here. Points to Simone for taking a couple of shots at the stupidly sexist costumes though.
It isn't until the heroes start snarking at each other that I begin to smile. THIS feels lifelike.
And surprisingly, just at the end, I start to actually care. The conflict between two of our heroes actually sets up a struggle I'm interested in, and it carries through quite a number of pages even. Makes me wonder if Simone was having growing pains when starting on this book. Makes me *just* interested enough to peek at the next book. Don't let me down Gail.
Benes...NO. I'm sorry, a close up of Huntress' crotch from below? What, do you have a private upskirt collection? This is plain disgusting and not befitting a story where feminine power is a subtext. WOW. Benes does have skill in drawing clean panels and stages action pretty well, but he simply doesn't have the temperament for anything but an exploitation book (which I guess means I'm not surprised he draws for DC).
2 for most of the story, +2 for showing potential at the end. +1 for clean art, -2 for egregious misogyny.
July 20, 2014
Would've given it a 3 if the art involved less ridiculous T&A shots.
April 7, 2018
*long dramatic sigh*
Someone once said to me that the 90’s didn’t truly end until about 2004, and when it comes to comics, I’m inclined to agree.
The story itself is good (it’s Gail Simone, of course it’s good), but the art…
First are the Super Muscular Men who are always a mild sneeze away from busting out of their shirts. Then there are the impractically dressed lady heroes (Huntress’s entire stomach is exposed! “Seven hundred sit-ups a day” or not, it is not ideal when fighting criminals with any weapons more powerful than a super soaker.), with bodies that are constantly contorting in unnecessarily provocative manners (not to mention all the butt shots), with certain… exaggerated features that only occur naturally in the world of comics.
And, yes, I know that loads of comics have been guilty of these things as well, but that doesn’t make it any less exasperating.
Luckily though, I actually do read comics for the plot, so I still enjoyed the story and the characters enough to not knock off stars.
Someone once said to me that the 90’s didn’t truly end until about 2004, and when it comes to comics, I’m inclined to agree.
The story itself is good (it’s Gail Simone, of course it’s good), but the art…
First are the Super Muscular Men who are always a mild sneeze away from busting out of their shirts. Then there are the impractically dressed lady heroes (Huntress’s entire stomach is exposed! “Seven hundred sit-ups a day” or not, it is not ideal when fighting criminals with any weapons more powerful than a super soaker.), with bodies that are constantly contorting in unnecessarily provocative manners (not to mention all the butt shots), with certain… exaggerated features that only occur naturally in the world of comics.
And, yes, I know that loads of comics have been guilty of these things as well, but that doesn’t make it any less exasperating.
Luckily though, I actually do read comics for the plot, so I still enjoyed the story and the characters enough to not knock off stars.
August 5, 2021
Birds of Prey: Of Like Minds collects six issues (Birds of Prey #56–61) of the 2003 on-going series and covers two stories: "Of Like Minds" and "Feeding the Game".
"Of Like Minds" is a four-issue storyline with the finale (Birds of Prey #56–59) that has Dinah Lance as Black Canary is kidnapped by Brian Durlin as Savant and Aleksandr Creote as Creote and tortured for information about the identity of Batman. Eventually, she is saved by Barbara Gordon as Oracle sending Helena Bertinelli as Huntress to save her.
"Feeding the Game" is a two-issue storyline (Birds of Prey #60–61) that has Helena Bertinelli posing as Black Canary to investigate a corrupt senator. Barbara Gordon as Oracle has a crisis of faith and hates seeing people she loves getting injured and hurt on her behalf and had actually fired Dinah Lance as a result.
Gail Simone penned the entire trade paperback. For the most part, it is written rather well. Simone handles the character extremely well – fleshing out the relationship between Barbara Gordon and Dinah Lance and reintroduced Helena Bertinalli as Huntress to the Birds of Prey team. The narrative is fast paced, unpredictable and well scripted, and delivers a more convincing friendship between the main cast than previously trade paperbacks.
Ed Benes penciled the entire trade paperback. Since he was the only penciler, the artistic flow of the trade paperback flowed exceptionally well. For the most part, Benes' penciling depicts the narrative rather well, a tad blockish in some places, but done well nevertheless.
All in all, Birds of Prey: Of Like Minds is a good continuation to what would hopefully be a wonderful series.
"Of Like Minds" is a four-issue storyline with the finale (Birds of Prey #56–59) that has Dinah Lance as Black Canary is kidnapped by Brian Durlin as Savant and Aleksandr Creote as Creote and tortured for information about the identity of Batman. Eventually, she is saved by Barbara Gordon as Oracle sending Helena Bertinelli as Huntress to save her.
"Feeding the Game" is a two-issue storyline (Birds of Prey #60–61) that has Helena Bertinelli posing as Black Canary to investigate a corrupt senator. Barbara Gordon as Oracle has a crisis of faith and hates seeing people she loves getting injured and hurt on her behalf and had actually fired Dinah Lance as a result.
Gail Simone penned the entire trade paperback. For the most part, it is written rather well. Simone handles the character extremely well – fleshing out the relationship between Barbara Gordon and Dinah Lance and reintroduced Helena Bertinalli as Huntress to the Birds of Prey team. The narrative is fast paced, unpredictable and well scripted, and delivers a more convincing friendship between the main cast than previously trade paperbacks.
Ed Benes penciled the entire trade paperback. Since he was the only penciler, the artistic flow of the trade paperback flowed exceptionally well. For the most part, Benes' penciling depicts the narrative rather well, a tad blockish in some places, but done well nevertheless.
All in all, Birds of Prey: Of Like Minds is a good continuation to what would hopefully be a wonderful series.
July 15, 2012
Let's face it, the comic-book industry has often unkind to the fairer sex. Some stories were undeniably sexist (like when Sue Storm was actually referred to as the "weakest" member of the Fantastic Four), and others were outright misogynistic (Barbara Gordon's disgusting treatment in "The Killing Joke" comes to mind). But here is a comic book starring women and written by a woman where the ladies finally get the respectful treatment they so richly deserve! Gail Simone is a master at characterization, and she does an excellent job giving the three lead heroines their own distinct personalities and making them all compelling.
If you're looking for a graphic novel starring strong, charismatic, intelligent women, then Gail Simone's incredible "Bird of Prey" run is the book for you, and it starts with this edition.
If you're looking for a graphic novel starring strong, charismatic, intelligent women, then Gail Simone's incredible "Bird of Prey" run is the book for you, and it starts with this edition.
October 1, 2009
What I really enjoyed from reading this trade paperback was not the excellent art by Ed Benes or his very impressive action scenes, but the well thought-out and deep relationship between Black Canary and Barbara Gordon.
The subtle conflict between the styles of the two main characters: Barbara's pragmatism and the desire to do whatever necessary (quite Batman-esque if you ask me) versus the idealism of Black Canary, and her role as Barbara Gordon's moral compass as they try to fight crime in Gotham, really impress me the most, and made the story quite enjoyable.
The subtle conflict between the styles of the two main characters: Barbara's pragmatism and the desire to do whatever necessary (quite Batman-esque if you ask me) versus the idealism of Black Canary, and her role as Barbara Gordon's moral compass as they try to fight crime in Gotham, really impress me the most, and made the story quite enjoyable.
March 13, 2010
I'm catching up on Gail Simone's Birds of Prey series, as I've only read some of the trades to date. This is the start of her run, and it is also where she introduces two of my favorite characters from her run Savant and Creote. Creote is in love with Savant, and Savant 1) doesn't know it and 2) doesn't realize his hulking and intelligent underling is Gay (in a very understated and well done way). Simone shows of her strengths here when the characters are talking, and she plays with how little sense there is to both Dinah's and Helena's costumes are. Nearly worth 4 stars.
August 12, 2008
After one volume I'm sure that I will love this series. The ladies are super kick ass, smart, and really hot; all three have been affected by the fucked-up shit they've endured at the hands of Gotham's usual cast of dudes, but they've all found ways to move on and be heroes on their own terms. Also, Oracle used to be a librarian!!!
March 11, 2013
Birds of Prey makes a quantum leap in characterization and wit when Gail Simone comes on board.
January 7, 2023
Gail Simone is a queen among comic book writers.
September 10, 2019
As a kid I always liked strong female characters. I preferred reading Nancy Drew and the Dana Twins to the Hardy Boys. When I started reading comic books, I liked Supergirl and Batgirl, amongst other super heros. Leap forward many years, I liked Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Xena and when the TV series came out, Birds of Prey. Strong, intelligent, beautiful women.. what's not to like.
So after enjoying the TV series, I did try some of the comics (graphic novels) featuring them as well. Birds of Prey, Vol. 3: Of Like Minds is the third volume of the series by Gail Simone and it didn't disappoint. Excellent drawing (yup, probably not the technical terminology), great colours and an entertaining, action filled story with sufficiently satisfactory dialogue and emotional content.
The Birds of Prey are Oracle, Commissioner Gordon's daughter, ex Batgirl who is paralyzed from the waist down from being shot years ago. She has assumed the role of Oracle, the computer genius who is the lead of the Birds of Prey. Black Canary is her eyes on the ground, ex of the Justice League. She can fight, shoot and has the sonic cry. Also assisting at times but not trusted by Oracle is The Huntress, trained by the Mafia, expert with bow, guns, etc. They are the main characters in this novel, with a brief appearance by the new Batgirl.
Black Canary is on the job trying to exact justice on Mr. Fisher who has been robbing clients of their money and is planning to escape the country. They let him go when he tells them he is being blackmailed. Tricked into going back to Fisher's house (he is threatening to kill his family and himself), Canary is trapped by Savant, the mastermind who is blackmailing Fisher and many other wealthy crooked people. Savant and his assistant want Oracle to work for him or he will kill Canary. He wants to know Batman's real identity and and also Oracle's. Oracle must get Huntresses assistance to save Canary's life.
That's the gist of the story. As I said, lots of excellent action; strong women; great drawings and a fun, entertaining read. Loved it (3.5 stars)
So after enjoying the TV series, I did try some of the comics (graphic novels) featuring them as well. Birds of Prey, Vol. 3: Of Like Minds is the third volume of the series by Gail Simone and it didn't disappoint. Excellent drawing (yup, probably not the technical terminology), great colours and an entertaining, action filled story with sufficiently satisfactory dialogue and emotional content.
The Birds of Prey are Oracle, Commissioner Gordon's daughter, ex Batgirl who is paralyzed from the waist down from being shot years ago. She has assumed the role of Oracle, the computer genius who is the lead of the Birds of Prey. Black Canary is her eyes on the ground, ex of the Justice League. She can fight, shoot and has the sonic cry. Also assisting at times but not trusted by Oracle is The Huntress, trained by the Mafia, expert with bow, guns, etc. They are the main characters in this novel, with a brief appearance by the new Batgirl.
Black Canary is on the job trying to exact justice on Mr. Fisher who has been robbing clients of their money and is planning to escape the country. They let him go when he tells them he is being blackmailed. Tricked into going back to Fisher's house (he is threatening to kill his family and himself), Canary is trapped by Savant, the mastermind who is blackmailing Fisher and many other wealthy crooked people. Savant and his assistant want Oracle to work for him or he will kill Canary. He wants to know Batman's real identity and and also Oracle's. Oracle must get Huntresses assistance to save Canary's life.
That's the gist of the story. As I said, lots of excellent action; strong women; great drawings and a fun, entertaining read. Loved it (3.5 stars)
August 14, 2017
3.5, really? Perfectly good jumping on point for the whole Birds of Prey idea. Might be some of Simone's strongest writing. Its un-convoluted, clear, and pretty linear, with strong art. Ed Benes is one of those artists, I recognise, but its not until I see his work, I forget how terrific he is.
This is back when DC was still working under the continuity of The Killing Joke, by Alan Moore. But you needn't read that to enjoy this. (The Killing Joke is well worth reading, and if you haven't you should.)
This is back when DC was still working under the continuity of The Killing Joke, by Alan Moore. But you needn't read that to enjoy this. (The Killing Joke is well worth reading, and if you haven't you should.)
August 16, 2017
Nice rapport between Black Canary and Oracle. The cooperation is effective, but the have fun too.
Speaking of effective, ending pages as Canary is in danger while Oracle is reminded of past losses makes its point well.
Speaking of effective, ending pages as Canary is in danger while Oracle is reminded of past losses makes its point well.
May 15, 2014
3 stars for the characters and some fun writing. A lot of the plot was just OK, but the thing that nearly ruined the volume for me was the art. Ed Benes shows a lot of skill and creates some nice work here, but man did I loathe the exploitative way he drew the female characters, particularly Huntress (though Barbara and Canary had their moments). I am encouraged to read reviews and see that I am not the only one who found it disgusting and beyond normal levels of "superheroes are a fantasy, not realistic." I hesitate to continue the series, particularly if this style continues even after the artist changes.
March 11, 2014
Oh, my beloved Birds of Prey. This volume contains Gail Simone's first work with Oracle, Black Canary, and Huntress. While the characters beats are dynamic and personalities well-chosen, the art is cheesecake to the extreme. It distracts from almost everything going on, from the examination of what it means to be Big Brother, and how one suffers the effects of a kidnapping (or a break-up), to the bonds of friendship calling someone to action. Your mileage may vary on this, but stick with the series. The art gets better.
March 8, 2013
A decent enough story, maybe 4 stars for that. Awful, adolescent artwork. Those 3 guys should be ashamed of themselves. I haven't read Simone's script, but I doubt it contains the words "upskirt" or "crotch shot." You have a female author and an all-female superhero crew and this is how you treat them? Weak.
September 5, 2015
This isn't the first volume of Birds of Prey; but everybody I know told me that this was a good starting point. This was a good stand alone story that I didn't need to read the first two volumes to figure out what was going on in this volume. I have the next issue on stand by and I will buy the first two volumes as well volumes five and up just to add to my collection.
May 12, 2012
I love Gail Simone's writing, I love the team. I just have to say: did switching to a female writer mean that they felt they had to ramp up the T&A for the sake of the male audience? Because Huntress' new costume is one of the most ridiculous things I have ever seen.
February 22, 2016
Originally gave this 4 stars, mainly for the story, but after 24 hours of rumination, I'm taking off a star for the overly buxom art.
See my review of Sensei and Student for further clarification.
Too lazy to type it twice.
See my review of Sensei and Student for further clarification.
Too lazy to type it twice.
January 10, 2019
I enjoyed the story, but I was super frustrated with some of the artwork. Can we please have female superheroes wearing things that look like they could actually do some of the stuff they're doing? Also, I do not need crotch shots every third page. Seriously.
November 20, 2014
Barbara Gordon, Black Canary, and The Huntress fight crime in Gotham. Another enjoyable story by Gail Simone.
June 6, 2020
Gail Simone's Birds of Prey is more fun than it has any right to be.
Quintessential 90's fair, Birds of Prey is a group of superhero women situated in Gotham City here to take out the bad guys. I say super hero, but this is more of a street level group taking on black mail, corruption, and finding the best take out in Gotham. This being the 90's, one character is a God Level Hacker, one is a trained martial artist who refuses to use her super power unless it's an emergency, and the other is the bad girl on a motorcycle.
I'm simplifying the team setup. Black Canary, Huntress, and Oracle are female characters in the DC Universe that are rich in backstory, each worth a Wikipedia read. However, Simone easily lets you know who performs what function on the team and who the characters are through dialogue so you won't need to trace each characters long history. No one sets up a great team dynamic like Simone.
This collection starts off with the core duo of Black Canary and Oracle, and adds in Huntress, the odd woman out of the Bat Family. Black Canary has a history of being "the one who gets kidnapped" and this is clearly set up to be the last of those stories. From this point onward, the Canary, or Dinah, is going to level up. There is no doubt that Oracle is my favorite version of Barbara Gordan. Disabled as Batgirl, Barbara rises up to fight crime with her immense intelligence and leadership skills, while trying not to succumb to moral ambiguity. And Huntress is there with a chip on her shoulder.
Alas, the art must be mentioned as "super cheese cake". Ed Benes can set up a fun page layout and action scene, but it will have tits and ass shots. Black Canary and Huntress's costumes are unfortunately super revealing at this point in time. The style is fairly cartoonish and the male characters are about to bust out of their shirts with muscles.
If you can forgive the fan service artwork, Birds of Prey is a fun read. The characters, even the new villains are well sketched out. Simone does the right thing and instead of ignoring the legacies of each character, uses it to inform their characterization and brings it in when appropriate. This is the kinda of street level super hero comic I love to read.
Quintessential 90's fair, Birds of Prey is a group of superhero women situated in Gotham City here to take out the bad guys. I say super hero, but this is more of a street level group taking on black mail, corruption, and finding the best take out in Gotham. This being the 90's, one character is a God Level Hacker, one is a trained martial artist who refuses to use her super power unless it's an emergency, and the other is the bad girl on a motorcycle.
I'm simplifying the team setup. Black Canary, Huntress, and Oracle are female characters in the DC Universe that are rich in backstory, each worth a Wikipedia read. However, Simone easily lets you know who performs what function on the team and who the characters are through dialogue so you won't need to trace each characters long history. No one sets up a great team dynamic like Simone.
This collection starts off with the core duo of Black Canary and Oracle, and adds in Huntress, the odd woman out of the Bat Family. Black Canary has a history of being "the one who gets kidnapped" and this is clearly set up to be the last of those stories. From this point onward, the Canary, or Dinah, is going to level up. There is no doubt that Oracle is my favorite version of Barbara Gordan. Disabled as Batgirl, Barbara rises up to fight crime with her immense intelligence and leadership skills, while trying not to succumb to moral ambiguity. And Huntress is there with a chip on her shoulder.
Alas, the art must be mentioned as "super cheese cake". Ed Benes can set up a fun page layout and action scene, but it will have tits and ass shots. Black Canary and Huntress's costumes are unfortunately super revealing at this point in time. The style is fairly cartoonish and the male characters are about to bust out of their shirts with muscles.
If you can forgive the fan service artwork, Birds of Prey is a fun read. The characters, even the new villains are well sketched out. Simone does the right thing and instead of ignoring the legacies of each character, uses it to inform their characterization and brings it in when appropriate. This is the kinda of street level super hero comic I love to read.
August 22, 2022
Simone does an excellent job differentiating these characters and giving them very lived in, entertaining personalities. It very much feels like reading a great early 2000s TV show like Buffy or something, with similar dialogue and emotional leanings. That said, this first book (in Simone's run, the two before this are a different writer) is a little lacking in the story department. I found it hard to care about the villain or anything he was trying to do, and having Black Canary tied up for several issues in a row when we know she's got to eventually get free gave it a little bit of a lack of energy. Overall, though, better than a lot of Bat stuff that was coming out around this time, and I'm interested to keep going with the series.
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