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Birds of Prey (2011)
Birds of Prey, Volume 3: A Clash of Daggers
The Birds of Prey lose one member but gain another, all while the team itself is pulled apart by personal demons and a traitor in their midsts. Plus, Mr. Freeze is out of Arkham Asylum and looking for revenge on the Court of Owls! His first target? The newest member of the Birds team, Strix!
Collecting: Batgirl Annual 1, Birds of Prey 13-17
Collecting: Batgirl Annual 1, Birds of Prey 13-17
160 pages, Paperback
First published December 24, 2013
5 people are currently reading
307 people want to read
About the author
Duane Swierczynski
527 books927 followersDuane Swierczynski is an American crime writer who has written a number of non-fiction books, novels and also writes for comic books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
August 20, 2022
(B) 72% | More than Satisfactory
Notes: It’s tedious, derivative pap, an aimless cry for attention: pumping up a nineties jam of gimmicks, sass and bloodshed.
Notes: It’s tedious, derivative pap, an aimless cry for attention: pumping up a nineties jam of gimmicks, sass and bloodshed.
October 28, 2017
Birds of Prey, Volume 3: A Clash of Daggers is the most braindead DC comic I’ve read since the last one; so, since yesterday! It stars a group of morons who, when they’re not arbitrarily fighting each other, are fighting a series of cookie-cutter villains in one repetitive story after another. It’s books like this that cause non-comics readers to look down on superhero comics in the first place.
There are three yawn-tastic storylines here: the Turds of Prey fight the Court of Owls, a shadowy and sinister organisation of lethal assassins; the Dagger Clan, a shadowy and sinister organisation of lethal assassins; and Basilisk, a shadowy and sinister organisation of lethal assassins. And each are as forgettable and uninteresting as the last!
But wait, it gets worse! The Turds themselves are among the most boring protagonists you’ll ever read. Batgirl and Katana are your average ass-kicking heroines while Starling remains as bland as bland can be. Black Canary is the only one given any kind of character development as her sonic powers are in flux because of painful memories of an ex. On the edge of your seat yet?
There are the two new characters: Strix, a former Talon and named after a genus of owl, and Condor, also named purely to keep the “Birds of Prey” theme going. Strix is a crap Cassandra Cain knockoff while Condor is arguably the stupidest character here (and no-one here’s gonna be splitting the atom any time soon!), who, despite fighting the Turds at every turn, becomes an unconvincing member of the group!
Duane Swierczynski’s writing is uninspired and rote at best. Worse, in trying to make them seem more cool and exciting than they are, he makes a good case against their existence after they blow up a power station and wander off saying that they’d better leave the repairs to the pros. Good work guys, onto the next civil engineering disaster!
And I don’t know if it’s an editorial or writer error but in one panel, Starling – who can’t fly - falls off a building, nobody catches her, but she somehow survives the fall and appears fine in the next scene??? It just speaks to the lack of care and effort that went into this book. Accompanying the bad writing is equally unimpressive art done in DC’s forgettable house style.
The awful third New 52 volume of Birds of Prey only highlights why it doesn’t have much of a fan following. It’s a dreary comic that reads like the workmanlike product that it is.
There are three yawn-tastic storylines here: the Turds of Prey fight the Court of Owls, a shadowy and sinister organisation of lethal assassins; the Dagger Clan, a shadowy and sinister organisation of lethal assassins; and Basilisk, a shadowy and sinister organisation of lethal assassins. And each are as forgettable and uninteresting as the last!
But wait, it gets worse! The Turds themselves are among the most boring protagonists you’ll ever read. Batgirl and Katana are your average ass-kicking heroines while Starling remains as bland as bland can be. Black Canary is the only one given any kind of character development as her sonic powers are in flux because of painful memories of an ex. On the edge of your seat yet?
There are the two new characters: Strix, a former Talon and named after a genus of owl, and Condor, also named purely to keep the “Birds of Prey” theme going. Strix is a crap Cassandra Cain knockoff while Condor is arguably the stupidest character here (and no-one here’s gonna be splitting the atom any time soon!), who, despite fighting the Turds at every turn, becomes an unconvincing member of the group!
Duane Swierczynski’s writing is uninspired and rote at best. Worse, in trying to make them seem more cool and exciting than they are, he makes a good case against their existence after they blow up a power station and wander off saying that they’d better leave the repairs to the pros. Good work guys, onto the next civil engineering disaster!
And I don’t know if it’s an editorial or writer error but in one panel, Starling – who can’t fly - falls off a building, nobody catches her, but she somehow survives the fall and appears fine in the next scene??? It just speaks to the lack of care and effort that went into this book. Accompanying the bad writing is equally unimpressive art done in DC’s forgettable house style.
The awful third New 52 volume of Birds of Prey only highlights why it doesn’t have much of a fan following. It’s a dreary comic that reads like the workmanlike product that it is.
June 27, 2025
"So . . . who's up for a Bourbon?" -- exit line of Starling, a.k.a. Ev Crawford
A stiff drink or two might indeed be needed if this Birds of Prey series continues on its seemingly disorganized bent. (Or is it a failure to maintain a consistent tone?). Barring some increasingly quippy and/or well-timed asides in the finale often courtesy of Starling, as quoted above - including some sharp 'Jazz Age' literary and historical references that were a cut above the sometimes rote dialogue in many a graphic novel - and the welcome action sequences (which were also a saving grace in the previous volume), this featured yet another muddled plot with a revolving-door line-up and a few too many scenes with the title ladies kvetching at each other . . . about each other. Sigh
A stiff drink or two might indeed be needed if this Birds of Prey series continues on its seemingly disorganized bent. (Or is it a failure to maintain a consistent tone?). Barring some increasingly quippy and/or well-timed asides in the finale often courtesy of Starling, as quoted above - including some sharp 'Jazz Age' literary and historical references that were a cut above the sometimes rote dialogue in many a graphic novel - and the welcome action sequences (which were also a saving grace in the previous volume), this featured yet another muddled plot with a revolving-door line-up and a few too many scenes with the title ladies kvetching at each other . . . about each other. Sigh
April 23, 2014
Also reviewed for Addicted2Heroines
Starling pulled out a guy's eyeball in this thing!
No, she didn't stab him in the eye. She pulled his freaking eyeball out and turned it around so he could see himself!
Sorry. It was my favorite part of the book, and I felt it needed mentioning.
And by favorite, I mean just the Birds of Prey stuff. Naturally, the Batgirl Annual #1 that starts the story off is supah-awesome. But I'd already read that one in Batgirl...something or other.
So, I don't think it really counts, you know?
The action starts right off the bat when Katana's husband/sword get stolen...by ninjas!
What's a half-crazy samurai girl to do when ninjas steal her man? She's going after them, of course!
Unfortunately, she and the rest of the Birds are still getting over the toxin they were exposed to from the last book.
Thank you, Poison Ivy!
Everyone tells her to wait until they get a little stronger, but she's not having it.
Out the door... Poof!
And what happens when you go trotting off without backup?
In Katana's case, she ends up in getting kidnapped (pretty quickly) by the same Death Cult Ninjas who took her sword. Evidently the leader has it out for Katana due to some unfortunate incident yet to be named.
All we know so far is that she DISHONORED the clan. And from everything I've read, that's a real sticking point with those Ninja-types.
Are the Birds gonna leave her out there on her own?
Hell no!
They come in guns a blazin', snatch her from the jaws of death, and scoot out the door! Sort of. Cause she ain't leaving without her sword. And who can blame her, really? So the ladies grab a random ninja that's lying around, in the hopes that they can get him to talk later.
This is the part with Starling and the eyeball!
Speaking of Starling, it appears that she has Amanda Waller on speed dial. I'm really interested in seeing where that part of the story takes us! Does it have something to do with the Suicide Squad, or is Starling just a spy for Waller? She does seem to genuinely care for her teammates, but I can't imagine that this is going to end well.
Batgirl's story from the beginning of the volume comes into play when she introduces the newest member of the team, Strix. Her actual name is Mary, and she was a Japanese WWII survivor recruited by the Owls when she was ten. Cryogenically frozen or whatever they did to their Talon assassins, she's about the same age as the other Birds on the team now. She's mute, but whether it's because she can't talk or won't talk isn't totally clear to me. At any rate, she's a wild card.
Condor also shows up, and eventually ends up on the team. Sorry, but his character doesn't interest me in the slightest. Is it sexist of me not to want a guy on the team? Probably.
But that's honestly not why I didn't like him being added to the roster. He just struck me as sort of a goober. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think he adds anything cool to the title.
Katana takes off for parts unknown at the end, in order to deal with some unfinished business.
Ninja business?
I'm really hoping that they haven't decided to boot her off, because I was just starting to warm up to that wacky chick.
Volume 3 is a step up from the last volume. Last time around, I wasn't really sure this title was going anywhere. It wasn't bad, but I wasn't crazy-impressed either.
This story? Much better. Where it goes from here...we'll have to see.
I can see the potential for it to crash and burn, especially with the seemingly endless rounds of rotating cast members. Then again, that may be what keeps the title fresh. Who knows?
Starling pulled out a guy's eyeball in this thing!
No, she didn't stab him in the eye. She pulled his freaking eyeball out and turned it around so he could see himself!
Sorry. It was my favorite part of the book, and I felt it needed mentioning.
And by favorite, I mean just the Birds of Prey stuff. Naturally, the Batgirl Annual #1 that starts the story off is supah-awesome. But I'd already read that one in Batgirl...something or other.
So, I don't think it really counts, you know?
The action starts right off the bat when Katana's husband/sword get stolen...by ninjas!
What's a half-crazy samurai girl to do when ninjas steal her man? She's going after them, of course!
Unfortunately, she and the rest of the Birds are still getting over the toxin they were exposed to from the last book.
Thank you, Poison Ivy!
Everyone tells her to wait until they get a little stronger, but she's not having it.
Out the door... Poof!
And what happens when you go trotting off without backup?
In Katana's case, she ends up in getting kidnapped (pretty quickly) by the same Death Cult Ninjas who took her sword. Evidently the leader has it out for Katana due to some unfortunate incident yet to be named.
All we know so far is that she DISHONORED the clan. And from everything I've read, that's a real sticking point with those Ninja-types.
Are the Birds gonna leave her out there on her own?
Hell no!
They come in guns a blazin', snatch her from the jaws of death, and scoot out the door! Sort of. Cause she ain't leaving without her sword. And who can blame her, really? So the ladies grab a random ninja that's lying around, in the hopes that they can get him to talk later.
This is the part with Starling and the eyeball!
Speaking of Starling, it appears that she has Amanda Waller on speed dial. I'm really interested in seeing where that part of the story takes us! Does it have something to do with the Suicide Squad, or is Starling just a spy for Waller? She does seem to genuinely care for her teammates, but I can't imagine that this is going to end well.
Batgirl's story from the beginning of the volume comes into play when she introduces the newest member of the team, Strix. Her actual name is Mary, and she was a Japanese WWII survivor recruited by the Owls when she was ten. Cryogenically frozen or whatever they did to their Talon assassins, she's about the same age as the other Birds on the team now. She's mute, but whether it's because she can't talk or won't talk isn't totally clear to me. At any rate, she's a wild card.
Condor also shows up, and eventually ends up on the team. Sorry, but his character doesn't interest me in the slightest. Is it sexist of me not to want a guy on the team? Probably.
But that's honestly not why I didn't like him being added to the roster. He just struck me as sort of a goober. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think he adds anything cool to the title.
Katana takes off for parts unknown at the end, in order to deal with some unfinished business.
Ninja business?
I'm really hoping that they haven't decided to boot her off, because I was just starting to warm up to that wacky chick.
Volume 3 is a step up from the last volume. Last time around, I wasn't really sure this title was going anywhere. It wasn't bad, but I wasn't crazy-impressed either.
This story? Much better. Where it goes from here...we'll have to see.
I can see the potential for it to crash and burn, especially with the seemingly endless rounds of rotating cast members. Then again, that may be what keeps the title fresh. Who knows?
January 18, 2014
(2.5 / 5)
First off, the Batgirl annual in this collection is stunning. Great story, fantastic artwork and an exciting guest star in the form of Catwoman. If only the rest of the volume was the same quality. This is also where the change of authors makes itself most apparent, and the Birds of Prey fall apart. We have already lost Poison Ivy, now we lose Katana as well. And to add insult to injury, we have a man join the team. And we have to be told in a series of jokes that just because he's on a team of female superheroes, he's not gay, okay? He's the manliest man to ever man, and he's out for all the pussy (sorry, Catwoman).
My heart sinks if this is what we're in store for.
First off, the Batgirl annual in this collection is stunning. Great story, fantastic artwork and an exciting guest star in the form of Catwoman. If only the rest of the volume was the same quality. This is also where the change of authors makes itself most apparent, and the Birds of Prey fall apart. We have already lost Poison Ivy, now we lose Katana as well. And to add insult to injury, we have a man join the team. And we have to be told in a series of jokes that just because he's on a team of female superheroes, he's not gay, okay? He's the manliest man to ever man, and he's out for all the pussy (sorry, Catwoman).
My heart sinks if this is what we're in store for.
December 24, 2014
3.5 stars, this series really made me like Ev/Starling.. I enjoy her tough spirit.
September 4, 2021
Birds of Prey: A Clash of Daggers picks up where the previous volume left off, collecting the next five issues (Birds of Prey #13–17) of the 2011 on-going series with Batgirl Annual #1 and collects six interconnecting one-issue stories.
The first half of the trade paperback: "Swear By My Eyes", "Three Hours of the Condor", and "Sayonara, Katana" (Birds of Prey #13–15) has the Birds of Prey teaming up with Benjamin Reyes as Condor to take down the Dagger Clan, who has stolen Katana's Soultaker Sword. At the end of the story arc, Tatsu Toro as Katana quits the Birds of Prey.
The later half of the trade paperback: "Lights Out", "Heartstopper!" and "The Blood That Moves Us" (Birds of Prey 16–17, and Batgirl Annual #1) has Barbara Gordon as Batgirl propose a new and controversial member to the Birds of Prey – Mary Turner as Strix, a former Talon. It did not go well as Condor attacks Mary Turner when they meet. In the end, both Mary Turner and Condor joins the Birds of Prey.
With the exception of Batgirl Annual #1, which was written by Gail Simone, the rest of the trade paperback was written by Duan Swierczynski For the most part, it is written rather well. Although, the constant reconfiguration of the team complicates things, just when I feel that I have gotten to know a character – they quit the team. However, I do like the new team and their more avian theme for the team – Black Canary, Starling, Strix, and Condor.
Romano Molenaar (Birds of Prey #13–14, 16–17), Juan Jose Ryp (Birds of Prey #15), and the team of Admira Wijaya and Daniel Sampere (Batgirl Annual #1) are the pencilers for the trade paperback. For the most part, the penciling styles complement each other rather well, albeit distinctive, making the artistic flow of the trade paperback somewhat smooth for the most part.
All in all, Birds of Prey: A Clash of Daggers is a rather good continuation to what would hopefully be an equally wonderful series.
The first half of the trade paperback: "Swear By My Eyes", "Three Hours of the Condor", and "Sayonara, Katana" (Birds of Prey #13–15) has the Birds of Prey teaming up with Benjamin Reyes as Condor to take down the Dagger Clan, who has stolen Katana's Soultaker Sword. At the end of the story arc, Tatsu Toro as Katana quits the Birds of Prey.
The later half of the trade paperback: "Lights Out", "Heartstopper!" and "The Blood That Moves Us" (Birds of Prey 16–17, and Batgirl Annual #1) has Barbara Gordon as Batgirl propose a new and controversial member to the Birds of Prey – Mary Turner as Strix, a former Talon. It did not go well as Condor attacks Mary Turner when they meet. In the end, both Mary Turner and Condor joins the Birds of Prey.
With the exception of Batgirl Annual #1, which was written by Gail Simone, the rest of the trade paperback was written by Duan Swierczynski For the most part, it is written rather well. Although, the constant reconfiguration of the team complicates things, just when I feel that I have gotten to know a character – they quit the team. However, I do like the new team and their more avian theme for the team – Black Canary, Starling, Strix, and Condor.
Romano Molenaar (Birds of Prey #13–14, 16–17), Juan Jose Ryp (Birds of Prey #15), and the team of Admira Wijaya and Daniel Sampere (Batgirl Annual #1) are the pencilers for the trade paperback. For the most part, the penciling styles complement each other rather well, albeit distinctive, making the artistic flow of the trade paperback somewhat smooth for the most part.
All in all, Birds of Prey: A Clash of Daggers is a rather good continuation to what would hopefully be an equally wonderful series.
January 3, 2014
I really liked the first volume of Birds of Prey but felt that the second volume went off the rails too much. Now, I’m torn over this third volume. It is better than the second volume, but it also shakes up the team...again.
The book opens with the fantastic Batgirl Annual #1, where she unexpectedly teams up with Catwoman for the introduction of a new character (someone’s gotta replace Poison Ivy, right?). Not only was the story action-packed, but the artist totally blew me away. I loved the hyper-realistic style. Unfortunately, it doesn’t continue through the volume when it switches back to the Birds of Prey series. But after reading this piece, I will definitely be starting the Batgirl solo series.
The second part of the story provides an exit point for Katana, who is getting her own solo series from DC, and the introduction of another new character. I like Katana and will follow her to the new series, but I’m also unhappy that the Birds are losing another member just after the team started to gel. This section was a simple, uninspired story, but it did have some good action sequences. I’ll miss Katana on the team, but will be glad to *hopefully* see the gloves pulled off so she can let loose with the violence more suitable to the character.
The last section brings the two new characters into the fold while bringing back a tie to the series-spanning Basilisk storyline. The biggest point of this section seemed to be to show that Canary is losing control of her power. While I do want to know more about her character, I’m not thrilled about the prospect of the team leader falling apart when the team already has so many issues.
Overall, I’m still hooked on the Birds, but I really hope that the writers/DC give the shake-up nonsense a rest. Let this team stick together for a few volumes, build a little trust and, hey, even resolve the Basilisk story arc with them. Recommended.
The book opens with the fantastic Batgirl Annual #1, where she unexpectedly teams up with Catwoman for the introduction of a new character (someone’s gotta replace Poison Ivy, right?). Not only was the story action-packed, but the artist totally blew me away. I loved the hyper-realistic style. Unfortunately, it doesn’t continue through the volume when it switches back to the Birds of Prey series. But after reading this piece, I will definitely be starting the Batgirl solo series.
The second part of the story provides an exit point for Katana, who is getting her own solo series from DC, and the introduction of another new character. I like Katana and will follow her to the new series, but I’m also unhappy that the Birds are losing another member just after the team started to gel. This section was a simple, uninspired story, but it did have some good action sequences. I’ll miss Katana on the team, but will be glad to *hopefully* see the gloves pulled off so she can let loose with the violence more suitable to the character.
The last section brings the two new characters into the fold while bringing back a tie to the series-spanning Basilisk storyline. The biggest point of this section seemed to be to show that Canary is losing control of her power. While I do want to know more about her character, I’m not thrilled about the prospect of the team leader falling apart when the team already has so many issues.
Overall, I’m still hooked on the Birds, but I really hope that the writers/DC give the shake-up nonsense a rest. Let this team stick together for a few volumes, build a little trust and, hey, even resolve the Basilisk story arc with them. Recommended.
October 24, 2014
New team members,and not so exciting as last volume.
August 1, 2018
This series has officially gone off the rails.
What started as a tense, carefully plotted action/mystery comic with sharp dialogue has devolved into a weak, character-free pile of fists and kicks. This volume totally abandons the cliffhanger ending of volume two in favor of a completely tangential story about Katana's sword getting stolen and taken to Japan. The Birds give chase, and then give chase some more, and then chase a little, and then fight, and then chase a tad more, and then it's over. It is utterly boring, outside of one scene where Starling tortures a bad guy for info in a way that is truly horrifying.
Besides the relative blandness of this story, in a strange move (probably a DC decision more than Swierczynski's), the Birds are now getting saddled with two new teammates I couldn't care less about: Stritch, a non-speaking former Talon with a bad name that is hard to imagine any character saying out loud, and Condor, a man. I think with one of the defining characteristics of the Birds of Prey being that they're an all-female team, it's a little weird to dump a dude on the team for no discernible reason. And the inclusion of a Talon who doesn't speak means we have basically no character to develop there, since the only way we're ever told how she feels or what she wants is when another character guesses at it.
All in all, this has become a deeply disappointing series. I'm going to read the next volume in hopes they finally address the big reveal at the end of volume two, but my hopes aren't exactly up.
What started as a tense, carefully plotted action/mystery comic with sharp dialogue has devolved into a weak, character-free pile of fists and kicks. This volume totally abandons the cliffhanger ending of volume two in favor of a completely tangential story about Katana's sword getting stolen and taken to Japan. The Birds give chase, and then give chase some more, and then chase a little, and then fight, and then chase a tad more, and then it's over. It is utterly boring, outside of one scene where Starling tortures a bad guy for info in a way that is truly horrifying.
Besides the relative blandness of this story, in a strange move (probably a DC decision more than Swierczynski's), the Birds are now getting saddled with two new teammates I couldn't care less about: Stritch, a non-speaking former Talon with a bad name that is hard to imagine any character saying out loud, and Condor, a man. I think with one of the defining characteristics of the Birds of Prey being that they're an all-female team, it's a little weird to dump a dude on the team for no discernible reason. And the inclusion of a Talon who doesn't speak means we have basically no character to develop there, since the only way we're ever told how she feels or what she wants is when another character guesses at it.
All in all, this has become a deeply disappointing series. I'm going to read the next volume in hopes they finally address the big reveal at the end of volume two, but my hopes aren't exactly up.
April 9, 2020
When I saw Gail Simone’s name on the cover I thought they finally got some talent on this book, but unfortunately Simone only wrote Batgirl Annual #1, which was the highlight of this book. The remainder was all Swiercznski & his story isn’t getting any better.
Not digging the fact Black Canary can’t control her “Canary Cry”. It seems really lame, or it being tied to her husband just isn’t being explained very well at all. I was disappointed to see Katana leave the group, but this Talon character Strix seems very similar to the Cassandra Caine version of Batgirl. Another new character was introduced named Condor (& only male character on the team). I’m hoping the new creative team in the next volume do something more with him cause I’m kind of ambivalent about him now. The whole Starling is a spy for Amanda Waller angle is getting old too.
Not digging the fact Black Canary can’t control her “Canary Cry”. It seems really lame, or it being tied to her husband just isn’t being explained very well at all. I was disappointed to see Katana leave the group, but this Talon character Strix seems very similar to the Cassandra Caine version of Batgirl. Another new character was introduced named Condor (& only male character on the team). I’m hoping the new creative team in the next volume do something more with him cause I’m kind of ambivalent about him now. The whole Starling is a spy for Amanda Waller angle is getting old too.
February 5, 2015
This volume contains Batgirl Annual issue #1 which i have not read since i am reading by issues instead of trades so as whats going on with Batgirl in her own series i do not know but i will be picking her up shortly but back to The Birds of Prey. In these issues you learn what it takes to really tick off Katana does she go all slice and dicey or does she make decisions that make her the bigger person or maybe a little bit of both you'll have to find out. Apart from Katana and her wrath a new character shows up out of nowhere i'll give you a hint He is a He and is also a bird, and is not Robin(dont expect him cause you'll be disappointed) but this birds name starts with a C and ends in an R. later you possibly also gain a new member in the Birds, who knows is the group ready for another member they need to keep their eyes on at all time, and she doesnt speak, as ive heard billions of times before "its always the quiet ones". are things about to get Icy? and that is your hint. want to know go read it.
May 19, 2014
Over a week ago, I wrote a review of X: Big Bad, and how disappointed I was by it. I talked about how I was sort of shocked that it could be so uninteresting, considering that Duane Swierczynski wrote it. It must have been a fluke, because, as is the case with this book, I pretty much enjoy everything Swierczynski writes.
In this trade we see a shift in the Line Up of the Birds of Prey, and a male Member comes on board, named Condor. I have always loved the Birds team, but more so when Barbara Gordon was Oracle, controlling things behind the scene, as opposed to flying around and kicking everyone as Batgirl. I am with the Majority on that, right?
I hadn't read any of the new 52 Birds of Prey books in a while, and so I completely forgot about one of their newest members, Starling. I absolutely love her. She is such a fun, bad ass character, I want to see more of her in the New 52. Good read.
In this trade we see a shift in the Line Up of the Birds of Prey, and a male Member comes on board, named Condor. I have always loved the Birds team, but more so when Barbara Gordon was Oracle, controlling things behind the scene, as opposed to flying around and kicking everyone as Batgirl. I am with the Majority on that, right?
I hadn't read any of the new 52 Birds of Prey books in a while, and so I completely forgot about one of their newest members, Starling. I absolutely love her. She is such a fun, bad ass character, I want to see more of her in the New 52. Good read.
May 16, 2014
Another round of the Birds of Prey, and another shake up to the roster! Sad to see Katana go, but I'm digging Condor, and the other surprise member. Also, why is Starling working for Amanda Waller, everyone's most untrustworthy Alphabet Girl? What's really going on there? More to be revealed...great stuff!
August 3, 2016
Sadly, another mediocre volume of Birds of Prey. The characters are relatively flat and the plots just aren't that interesting. I've been picking these up from the library, but increasingly they're not worth reading.
Except the Batgirl Annual, which is pretty good, but not actually a Birds of Prey story, nor by the regular team ...
Except the Batgirl Annual, which is pretty good, but not actually a Birds of Prey story, nor by the regular team ...
October 23, 2014
The art is gorgeous throughout. The story is stronger and much less scattered than Vol 2 and, as usual, the characters bring life to the story. Catwoman makes an appearance and is fantastic! Lots of amusing moments in this one, as well as some surprisingly heartfelt ones. And two new additions to the team, one in particular who promises to be interesting.
December 1, 2013
You would think that the "Birds of Prey" would be exempt from Batman story arc takeover, but sadly, it's not so. I really wish this book series would find some stories of its own.
February 20, 2014
decent collection of stories. not as captivating as volume one, but still enjoyable. nice additions of Condor and Strix to the team. art is good without, fairly consistent.
May 16, 2014
First look at Condor, hope to see more.
November 18, 2019
Patrząc po ocenach widzę bardzo duży rozstrzał w notach i zdaję sobie sprawę, że nie każdemu fabuła nowych Ptaków Nocy może podejść, ale mi się akurat całość podobała bardziej niż poprzednia odsłona. Może dlatego, że nie ma tu takich udziwnień, a fabularnie mamy tutaj naprawdę prostą historię, która sprawnie brnie przed siebie bez zbędnych przestojów.
Pewna organizacja napada Katanę i odbiera jej drogocenny miecz. Okazuje się, że za całym zamieszaniem stoi niejaki Dagger Clan, a bohaterki czeka mała wizyta w Japonii, gdzie stawka diametralnie wzrośnie, gdy okaże się, że do całego ambarasu dołączamy bombę. Droga do odnalezienia miecza też jest nieco bardziej kręta, ponieważ ładunek grupie oprychów wcześniej zdążył podkraść niejaki Condor, z którym Katana i spółka będzie musiała skrzyżować skrzydła i wszystko inne co tam mają. Kadry są dynamiczne, akcja rwie do przodu i nie ma w zasadzie miejsca na większy przestój, choć parę chwil na oddech się tu znajdzie.
Interakcje pomiędzy bohaterkami też są fajniejsze. Prym widzie panna Starling, choć jest to dość problematyczna postać, która niejako zdradza całą grupę, bowiem pracuje jednocześnie dla Amandy Waller. Pojawia się też problem z Black Canary, a konkretniej z jej mocami, które zaczynają wymykać się spod kontroli. Jest to też fantastycznie zobrazowane, zwłaszcza przy akcji z pewnym magazynem, gdzie opcja załatwienia sprawy po cichu odpada, gdy Kanarek rozwala cały budynek w drobny mak, podczas jednego z niekontrolowanych ataków. Interesujący wątek. No i ukazanie próbki mocy postaci, jakby nie było, do tej pory słabo eksponowanej.
Grupa nam się nieco zmieni w trakcie historii, bowiem ktoś odejdzie, a ktoś inny się dołączy i najwięcej ubawu miałem z tłumaczeniem jednemu przedstawicielowi płci żeńskiej jak będzie postrzegane dołączenie faceta do grupy typowo kobiecej. Ale i tak największym zaskoczeniem jest kobieta o pseudonimie Strix. To Szpon płci żeńskiej, uratowany podczas wspólnej akcji Batgirl i Catwoman, który nawiasem mówiąc również mamy dodany do tego tomu. (choć akurat to najsłabszy element, dodatkowo jeszcze mocno odstający wizualnie od reszty)
Podobała mi się też cała akcja już po powrocie do Gotham i ukazanie takich szczegółów jak brak bicia serca u Strix, dzięki czemu była ona bardziej efektowna w walce z wrogimi robotami, które namierzały bohaterki poprzez wykrywanie ciepłoty ciała i pracy serca właśnie. Nowa bohaterka ma spory potencjał i jestem ciekaw jak się całość dalej potoczy. Cały tom trzeci wygląda też nieźle, poza wspomnianym fragmentem, który wydał mi się za bardzo sterylny. Bardziej 3,5/5, ale podciągam wyżej, tak na kredyt, bo bawiłem się tu naprawdę dobrze.
Pewna organizacja napada Katanę i odbiera jej drogocenny miecz. Okazuje się, że za całym zamieszaniem stoi niejaki Dagger Clan, a bohaterki czeka mała wizyta w Japonii, gdzie stawka diametralnie wzrośnie, gdy okaże się, że do całego ambarasu dołączamy bombę. Droga do odnalezienia miecza też jest nieco bardziej kręta, ponieważ ładunek grupie oprychów wcześniej zdążył podkraść niejaki Condor, z którym Katana i spółka będzie musiała skrzyżować skrzydła i wszystko inne co tam mają. Kadry są dynamiczne, akcja rwie do przodu i nie ma w zasadzie miejsca na większy przestój, choć parę chwil na oddech się tu znajdzie.
Interakcje pomiędzy bohaterkami też są fajniejsze. Prym widzie panna Starling, choć jest to dość problematyczna postać, która niejako zdradza całą grupę, bowiem pracuje jednocześnie dla Amandy Waller. Pojawia się też problem z Black Canary, a konkretniej z jej mocami, które zaczynają wymykać się spod kontroli. Jest to też fantastycznie zobrazowane, zwłaszcza przy akcji z pewnym magazynem, gdzie opcja załatwienia sprawy po cichu odpada, gdy Kanarek rozwala cały budynek w drobny mak, podczas jednego z niekontrolowanych ataków. Interesujący wątek. No i ukazanie próbki mocy postaci, jakby nie było, do tej pory słabo eksponowanej.
Grupa nam się nieco zmieni w trakcie historii, bowiem ktoś odejdzie, a ktoś inny się dołączy i najwięcej ubawu miałem z tłumaczeniem jednemu przedstawicielowi płci żeńskiej jak będzie postrzegane dołączenie faceta do grupy typowo kobiecej. Ale i tak największym zaskoczeniem jest kobieta o pseudonimie Strix. To Szpon płci żeńskiej, uratowany podczas wspólnej akcji Batgirl i Catwoman, który nawiasem mówiąc również mamy dodany do tego tomu. (choć akurat to najsłabszy element, dodatkowo jeszcze mocno odstający wizualnie od reszty)
Podobała mi się też cała akcja już po powrocie do Gotham i ukazanie takich szczegółów jak brak bicia serca u Strix, dzięki czemu była ona bardziej efektowna w walce z wrogimi robotami, które namierzały bohaterki poprzez wykrywanie ciepłoty ciała i pracy serca właśnie. Nowa bohaterka ma spory potencjał i jestem ciekaw jak się całość dalej potoczy. Cały tom trzeci wygląda też nieźle, poza wspomnianym fragmentem, który wydał mi się za bardzo sterylny. Bardziej 3,5/5, ale podciągam wyżej, tak na kredyt, bo bawiłem się tu naprawdę dobrze.
January 12, 2025
For the fun action, Strix, and the artwork, I bumped this book up to 3 stars. Swierczynski still struggles to connect dots and make this book cohesive. Three volumes in and the main storyline from the first volume is forgotten, the whys of the team ignored, and the plot holes are still prevalent. Here there is some terrific fight scenes involving a crew of ninjas out for Katana for no explained reason. The introduction of a lame character named Condor who gets to join because he has a bird name I guess. There are still some subplots that are interesting and Batgirl's brings in Strix who, thanks to Gail Simone, I find interesting. The art was very good, by multiple artists, throughout the book. Overall, a slight recommendation because I think the good things outweigh the bad. Barely.
January 11, 2023
This wasn’t great…it continues the story, but it wasn’t great.
Not even guest star Catwoman could make this great.
If you wanna know what happens, just read the back of the book. If you want.
What I liked was the first chapter, but it was the Batgirl annual, which I had just read. (It’s a great chapter, but I just read it.)
Stuff happens. Our heroes fight a ninja cult and a terrorist organization. Nothing amazing happens.
We get the first male member of the squad. I guess because he is bird themed. And another random member.
I’ll be honest: I don’t think DC knows what the heck to do with Birds of Prey. Too many rotating members. Needs more consistency. They need a Big Bad.
Not even guest star Catwoman could make this great.
If you wanna know what happens, just read the back of the book. If you want.
What I liked was the first chapter, but it was the Batgirl annual, which I had just read. (It’s a great chapter, but I just read it.)
Stuff happens. Our heroes fight a ninja cult and a terrorist organization. Nothing amazing happens.
We get the first male member of the squad. I guess because he is bird themed. And another random member.
I’ll be honest: I don’t think DC knows what the heck to do with Birds of Prey. Too many rotating members. Needs more consistency. They need a Big Bad.
August 11, 2018
A better volume than the last with some really good art and a less choppy story. A big chunk of it was a Batgirl story written by Gail Simone with painted art by Admira Wijaya that comes into play later in the book. This one seemed to really find its footing as a series. Might have to pick up the rest now.
February 8, 2025
Ok this looks to be returning to the overarching storyline with Katana's exit. But there is just something both Vol 2 and 3 make them seem as though they are separate stories from what is being told and set up in Vol 1. Overall, not a bad stand alone, but doesn't have enough about it to justify its place in this arc being told.
February 19, 2018
This volume seemed to lose its focus at first and was confusing as to why the setting was now Japan but it did resolve into a more cohesive story. I like the new team to a point. Strix is interesting but Condor is annoying.
July 23, 2017
While trying to recoperate from working with Poison Ivy the team continues to fight an unknown foe.
September 24, 2017
Zmiany kadrowe w teamie ptaszków, problemy Diny z jej mocami, do tego zła organizacja fanatycznych morderców-terrorystów. Wszystko, czego potrzeba do szybkiego akcyjniaka.
April 3, 2019
Sometimes it is way too clear when there are editorial issues. There was some interesting things going on wrapped up way too quickly.
October 16, 2019
A nice comic book with some of our favorite heroines from DC universe.
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