Birds of Prey #19 – Kelly Thompson, Writer. Juann Cabal; Adriano Lucas, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: Few titles do more with action scenes than this one, which is especially impressive given how the art team shifts with every arc. It’s clear Kelly Thompson has a distinct visual sense for the series, and partners with artists who bring out the absolute best in her script. Last issue had Big Barda literally break the fourth wall, and this one continues that kind of over-the-top action with two different plotlines. In the very entertaining B-plot, Barda and Cass Cain are in the magical market trying to get a possessed Constantine where he needs to go for his exorcism and dealing with an army of golden golems. As Barda brutalizes everything in sight, Cass has an even trickier task – wrangling a very tricky demon inside her friend, while also figuring out if Constantine himself can be trusted. After all, he’s a liar in the best of times, and that adds a fun sense of ambiguity to the whole thing.
Meanwhile, the more serious of the two plots goes to Black Canary and Sin, as the sisters organize a camping trip in the woods – that’s actually a way to lure an army of assassins out of hiding to try to get their hands on Megeara. This would be an effective plot, and the two are holding them off fine – until Black Canary takes a bullet to the shoulder and is out of the fight, which also enrages Sin enough to let the ancient God out of her cage and kick off a night of Lovecraftian horrors for the assassins. For us, this is some wildly entertaining art to enjoy, but for Black Canary it’s something to worry about. Is Sin losing control of Megeara – or are the two becoming one and the same, with Sin embracing her inhuman side? It’s all nicely creepy, and Thompson has done an amazing job of blending the human side of this story with some of the wildest, most out-there storytelling at DC.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
