Birds of Prey #11 – Kelly Thompson, Writer; Robbi Rodriguez, Javier Pina, Gavin Guidry, Artists; Jordie Bellaire, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: This arc has taken a new approach, sending the Birds of Prey into a new and often terrifying reality with each issue – each one directed by a member of the Birds’ inner thought patters. It’s all to find Barbara Gordon, who has been taken by the cosmic sorceress Maia – one of the last survivors of a clan of superpowered sisters. Her sole remaining sister, Cela, has joined up with the Birds to guide them through their journey – but there’s only so much she can do when they arrive in a world full of dinosaurs. This is courtesy of Sin, the newest member of the Birds, and the young warrior is even a little confused by exactly how she did that. The dinosaurs are out for blood, and Vixen has suddenly discovered that she’s missing her connection to the Red. But hey, at least Barda and Cass are enjoying themselves as they take the fight back to the giant prehistoric lizards.
The visuals in dinosaur world are fantastic, but I do think the lack of a stable artist is wearing on this book a little. Every artist involved in this issue is excellent, but shifting art styles from page to page are noticeable. The subplot involving Zealot, Meridian, and John Constantine is brief but a lot of fun, and the issue is at its best when the dinosaurs briefly make way and the Birds are alone plotting their next move within a cave. There are some great scenes between Dinah and Vixen, and the reveal about exactly how they wound up in dinosaur world is hilarious and perfectly in character for a character like Sin who has had a…tumultuous life so far. We’re about to head on to the next world when we get a dramatic cliffhanger. This series might be better than any other out of DC at priming us for what’s to come next, and even if this arc isn’t 100% up to the standard set by the first, it’s one of the most enjoyable titles at DC right now.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
