Diana rushes to the island with her golden lasso in hand. She’s ready to get down to business and find out why the Birds of Prey are invading her island. The stars of the show are scattered across the island with their mission about to go terribly wrong in this new exciting issue of Birds of Prey!
When it comes to entertaining team dynamics this series has you covered. Everyone is brawling and showing off their powers while communicating in a way that Kelly Thompson is increasingly comfortable writing. There’s very little wasted space and dialogue as the action never stops. I think the dynamic between Harley Quinn and Black Canary could develop a bit more by now. Like Black Canary is still angry at herself for agreeing with Harley Quinn but can there be something else too now? Harley’s part of the plan actually worked out unlike Black Canary’s so far floundering one. The depth of every heroine in Birds of Prey hasn’t been fully tapped into so I’m still excited by the bits and pieces we’ve had the chance to witness.
The pacing of this comic is great as the story beats rush alongside the art to keep you constantly flipping through the pages. But don’t worry there are times where you stop for a second, take it all in and realize that maybe minutes have gone by before you plunge yourself right back into the action. I especially love that by the end of this issue it really feels like we’re coming to not just the next point of the story but an accumulation of screw ups that have led our main heroines to the prison cell they have to escape from.
Alright, we’re back at the main event. There was a bit of a dip in the last issue but Leonardo Romero came back swinging! My problem with the previous issue is that there wasn’t a lot of space to let the art breathe and this issue makes sure to balance the rush with some breathtaking action-packed spreads. There are four moments in particular that really stand out to me in their presence, in how I rushed to show these pages off to everyone around me and how the buildup to these moments had me on the edge of my seat!
As for the colors by Jordie Bellaire there is this consistent soft haze covering the landscapes and characters while the letters by Clayton Cowles provide a much more brutal delivery of the various blows coming from both sides.
Recommended if…
- The art has your jaw dropping to the floor
- You’re entertained by the new team dynamics of the Birds of Prey
- You haven’t been disappointed yet and there’s certainly no reason to be disappointed now!
Overall
There’s small things here and there that I could nitpick but wow this series is so fun and beautiful that I can only think about those criticisms in passing. Truth is I’m just curious with where we’re going and can’t wait to read the next issue!
Score: 8.5/10
DISCLAIMER: DC Comics provided Batman News with a copy of this comic for the purpose of this review.
