BIRDS OF PREY #1 started a stir within the fandom as soon as the lineup was announced – a huge amount of fans, myself included, were skeptical of what was to come from swapping out the original cast and taking the series in a new direction. The character line-up consists of Dinah Lance, Cassandra Cain, Big Barda, Zealot, and Harley Quinn, which is not the usual line-up we are used to when it comes to the Birds of Prey. I can gladly say I worried for nothing. To be honest, I thought adding Harley Quinn to the team would be a popular grab for sales, but her character fits the story being told here. They need an unpredictable wild card, and who better than that?
Despite my huge love for Harley, I was most excited to see Black Canary and Cassandra Cain interact. I’m a huge fan of each character separately, so to have them together was and will be a bonus for me. They’re both written well and already blend pleasantly. BIRDS OF PREY #1 does them both justice.
I do wish Huntress made the cut as many of my favorite Birds of Prey stories include her, however, BIRDS OF PREY #1 new line-up has made a good first impression that I’m willing to pull the series to keep an eye out for more action.
It’s early days yet, and I can imagine a few more characters helping the team along the way. Who knows, other fan favorites and potential new characters may be thrown into the mix. Kelly Thompson herself said the team will be reshuffled after this arc. It’s too soon to tell who, as issue one was just the gathering of the first team. However, BIRDS OF PREY #1 has set up an engrossing storyline.
The art and coloring are good, particularly the action sequences which I found to be very fun and well put together. You can’t have the Birds of Prey without some great fight scenes. Kelly Thompson’s award-winning work is typically fast-paced and action-packed, giving me a great feeling about this new reformation of the birds. Leonardo Romero is a great artist and brings forward the essentials to make a book run smoothly and look well put together. His work here is nicely assembled and has me eager to see what other pieces he brings to the table.
Jordie Bellaire sparked a buzz in me when I saw their name on the team. I love her work over on the Wonder Woman corner of books. She’s extremely talented, and I’m not biased simply because she lives in Ireland! Her colors are purposefully less vibrant for this book, but it’s a different story and has a different theme. It proves this artist can adapt and do anything! The lettering for the fight scenes goes super well with the rest of the team giving a homely feeling to classic comics.
The hype for BIRDS OF PREY #1 is warranted, and I thoroughly recommend grabbing it ASAP. I have a feeling this run will be very popular as it continues to unfold. The book opens a great opportunity to explore uncharted territory with different characters. Here’s to the new enrollment!