Birds of Prey #9 – Kelly Thompson, Writer; Jonathan Case, Gavin Guidry, Artists; Jordie Bellaire, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: Birds of Prey continues to be the most dizzying book DC is putting out, throwing us and its characters into one bizarre adventure after another with no breaks—and we wouldn’t have it any other way. When we last left off, a hilarious battle at Vixen’s fashion show (including a naked Barda pummeling everyone in sight) ended when the entire team was thrown into a portal—with the exception of Meridian, who found herself actively excluded. Seeking clues to what happened to her friends, the future Maps Mizoguchi seeks out former Bird Zealot, who is now off with her boyfriend Grifter and none too happy to be pulled back into the action. They investigate, but can’t find any real answers—because wherever the Birds are is completely off the grid. And as soon as we see where they actually are, it becomes clear that something deeply sinister is going on and this new dimension won’t be letting them leave easily.
The Birds find themselves in a strange, Gothic “Under Gotham” of sorts, with brilliantly eerie art by Jonathan Case creating a truly surreal atmosphere. But they’re not all there—Barbara is missing, and it takes a while until they find her mysteriously at the bottom of a well. There are a lot of great beats in this issue, but my favorite has to be the unique interplay between Sin and her evil ride-along goddess Megeara, who seems to be evolving into less of a possessing arch-demon and more of an annoying little sister. Great vibes of Venom and Eddie Brock at their funniest. But don’t expect to be laughing for long—the reveal at the end of the issue leads to some of the creepiest segments Kelly Thompson has ever written, with Case’s art shifting brilliantly to depict a truly horrific monster. The fast pace works very well here—it keeps us in the Birds’ shoes as the ground keeps shifting, never letting them or us get our footing.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
