DC All In has begun aiming to provide “radical interpretations” of characters and ideal jumping in points for all readers, specifically new ones. This entire idea is ingenious to me. I feel it’s really important to share the love for comics with new fans, get regular readers to try something new or even to jump back into runs they haven’t touched in a while who might feel intimidated to catch up on several issues.
This particular run of Birds of Prey is still relatively fresh on shelves, beginning back in 2023 with 13 issues already released. It’s not a lot to catch up on if this All In issue sparks your interest to read more about these characters. Let’s get into it!
I was slightly muddled in the beginning as I’m a few issues behind in this run, but that’s the entire point of All In! It’s beneficial to the review. It gave me insight to how it would feel as a brand new reader. When I completed the issue I got a solid grip of the plot and became completely invested. I’m excited to follow the story from here and I didn’t feel the need to rush back and read what I’ve missed (even though I will, because I’ve been enjoying this run so much and love the characters, but that’s a personal choice!). Birds of Prey All In issue is steady enough to give a solid start and doesn’t overwhelm you with too much information. It does a good job on cleanly introducing the characters and plot. I feel it doesn’t backtrack loads for continuous readers, (we’ve all been there, feeling like an issue was wasted on giving plot points and introductions that we already know.) It’s intriguing and throws new and old fans right into the chaos and excitement that’s known for Birds of Prey.
I think referencing two additional comics to the story could put pressure on brand new readers, but if you’re a frequent reader of comics, you would know this is a large common factor in comic books to allow readers to be exposed to a more wide variety of stories, as well as gain more insight and information if they’ve missed an issue or simply want a more in depth story. It’s completely optional and in this issue I found it doesn’t prevent the reader from understanding anything. Besides, who doesn’t love more reading material?
Sami Basri is one of my all time favourite comic artists. It’s such a treat to have a favourable artist work on a book with characters you love. For me, their style is aesthetically pleasing. I’ve often read comics that have such an amazing story but have the art style ruin it for me – the experience is a lot better when there is good art and you really feel as though someone is caring for the characters. Their art paired with Adriano Lucas’ striking colours undoubtedly breathes life into the book.
Judging by this All In issue, I believe it’s a fair enough entry point as it’s still early days in the plot line and perhaps it will expand more over time so as to not overbare the reader from the start, check out the issue and see what you think!