Birds of Prey #8 – Kelly Thompson, Writer; Javier Pina, David Lopez, Artists; Jordie Bellaire, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: This new arc of Birds of Prey seems to be going in a very different direction than the first—and it’s playing very well to Kelly Thompson’s strengths as one of the funniest writers in the industry. I see a lot of shades of the work of Gail Simone and the Palmiotti/Conner team in this latest arc, but with a firmer handle on classic over-the-top superheroes. When we last left off, the Birds had teamed up with Vixen to investigate the mysterious time paradox that threatens Barbara Gordon—as well as to unravel a mystery involving those who wear Vixen’s clothes suddenly losing their memory and committing crimes. To solve this mystery, the Birds go undercover—as performers in Mari’s latest fashion show, with Sin/Megeara posing as waitstaff to take action when needed. And let me tell you, this new teen girl/ancient cosmic entity partnership delivers some of the best lines of the series.
When the gala comes under attack, it leads to some amazing splash pages, as well as some fantastic visual gags—particularly courtesy of Barda, who has some very interesting ideas about what constitutes proper battle attire and absolutely no sense of modesty. The new art team of Pina/Lopez does a great job with the visuals, but I’m not sure the unique coloring style meshes as perfectly with the linework as it does on Romero’s art—one of the perils of frequently switching art teams, although no fault of anyone’s involved. But the biggest strength of this issue is its great team dynamic, and now that Barbara—the founder of the Birds—is back in the main cast, the stakes are higher than ever. There are so many mysteries surrounding this book, particularly when it comes to wild-card from the future Meridian, that it’s easily one of my most anticipated books from DC every month.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
