Birds of Prey, Vol. 12: Platinum Flats

Birds of Prey (1999) (First Editions)

by Tony Bedard, Michael O'Hare (Illustrator), Nicola Scott (Illustrator)

After an attack by the Joker left former Batgirl Barbara Gordon in a wheelchair, she took on the mantle of Oracle, the premiere computer hacker in the DCU. Now, she kicks tail as the leader of a covert ops team populated by the world's top heroines, including the Huntress and Lady Blackhawk.

The all-female team hits the road and find a new home in a place called Platinum Flats. But the move brings them into direct conflict with former teammate Black Canary! Then the past comes back to haunt Oracle as Joker makes a deadly move against her squad. Can she find the courage she needs to face the madman?

Collects Birds of Prey #119–124

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Dc Comics, Superheroes, Fiction, Adventure, Comic Book

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Antony J. L. Bedard is an American writer and editor who has worked in the comic book industry from the early 1990s through the present. He is best known for his work at CrossGen Comics, where he was under exclusive contract, and for his run writing Marvel Comics X-Men spin-off Exiles.

Reviews

[James DeSantis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh, besides some fun interactions with the ladies this is a snooze story. Even the joker comes off kind of lame. A 2 out of 5.

[Ben Truong · Rating 3 out of 5]

Birds of Prey: Platinum Flats collects six issues (Birds of Prey #119–124) of the 2003 on-going series and covers six one-issue storylines.

Birds of Prey: Platinum Flats is a collection of six one-issue somewhat connected storylines that has the Birds of Prey moving their base to Platinum Flats – America's High-Tech Capital located in California and close to Star City. The Birds of Prey mainly goes against the Silicon Syndicate, which is composed of various high-tech enterprises by a gang of notorious criminals. Other antagonists includes long time Birds of Prey villain the Calculator and the Joker.

Tony Bedard penned the entire trade paperback. For the most part, it is written moderately well. Bedard fleshes out the syndicate with what was up to the minute references of crooks using analogues of Ebay and Facebook to further their business. However, these up the minute references, seriously dates the stroylines. The syndicate is a rather forgettable bunch, barely sustaining the interest, and their association with the Joker is plot convenient rather than logical.

Michael O'Hare (Birds of Prey #120–123), Nicola Scott (Birds of Prey #119), and Claude St. Aubin (Birds of Prey #124) penciled the trade paperback. Scott is far better in every respect, having mastered the skills O'Hare is still coming to terms with. His figures have awkwardness about them on occasion, but there isn’t the clutter of St. Aubin's final chapter art.

All in all, Birds of Prey: Platinum Flats is a moderate continuation to what would hopefully be a wonderful series.

[Liz.Loki · Rating 3 out of 5]

The overall plot was meh but I loved the final fight between Barbara and the Joker. Love how she made clear she’s not ruined bc of what he did to her, she’s still the same person, she’s still a hero, she’s BARBARA GORDON and he can never take that from her. Love how SHE took something important from him, it was SO SATISFYING seeing her beat his ass.

[Rosa · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first book I finished in 2011, and I'm a tiny bit disappointed in it. There was a lot of action in this book and we spent a lot of time learning about the different villains but I would have liked some more time spent with Canary and the decision for her, Green Arrow and Speedy to help out the team and I would have liked to spend a little more time with Misfit and Black Alice and the whole school thing. The whole Platinum Flats Syndicate thing is interesting but I feel like this book is losing the touch that makes it a great female superhero book. It's losing the personal lives of the other members and focusing on Oracle's focus on the job and nothing else.

[Debra Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Birds of Prey move to Platnum Flats and run into an old emeny from Gothem.

[The Sapphic Nerd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helena teaching at Misfit's new school is priceless. And Babs standing up to The Joker! The Burds tricking Calculator. Some good stuff here!

[Jena · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lackluster end for the original BoP run, but I bumped up a star for some great scenes with Babs.

It was nice seeing Canary again after her long absence, but her usual playful sarcasm is gone and she's honestly just boring here. Helena and Zinda are similarly bland. Misfit was in character, but Misfit is no Canary, Huntress, or Black Hawke.

With the exception of the showdown with Joker, nothing really felt tense, exciting, or thrilling.

I also thought it was a bit hard to accept that Babs would leave her position as Oracle and dismantle the BoP (temporarily, anyway) through just a note. That's a pretty big dick move.

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tony Bedard had a tough act in following Gail Simone but he plays to his strengths in these tales. Solid story telling, with nice character spotlights on the supporting characters. We get Misfit in high school, and Bedard is one of the few writers who remembers that Helena Bertinelli, Huntress, is a high school teacher (which gives us a couple of nice Misfit-Huntress moments). Toss in Zinda's fun loving, but professional approach to things, and Babs is still the brains of the operation, well you'll have good time reading this.

[Jemz Thomson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this as the team has a great dynamic and work together really well. Oracle is a good, strong firm leader. It was also nice to be introduced to some DC heroes that I had never heard of before such as Misfit, Lady Blackhawk, Manhunter and Infinity.

My favourite part of this book is how the events of The Killing Joke are addressed. It really shows some strong character development

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume has a few high points. The use of the new Platinum Flats setting is quite good, especially because of its mystery, and Oracle’s confrontation against the Joker is terrific. There’s some slowness in between, and the setting’s mystery gets burst too soon … but it’s overall a solid volume.

Wait, there’s no actual ending in this final Birds of Prey story from volume 1!? Sigh.

[Nate Deprey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The idea of super heroes in the DC version of Silicon Valley is a nice twist and it is at least a bit satisfying for Barbara Gordon to extract some small measure of revenge from the Joker but what happens to that character in the Killing Joke is so awful it is hard to imagine anything evening the score.

[Warren]

Salvation Run

[John Yelverton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent attempt to keep the Birds of Prey afloat, but they're really missing the writing talents of Gail Simone.

[Wilde Sky · Rating 2 out of 5]

This graphic ‎novel lost me, there were simply too many different characters / stories jammed together - some of the illustrations were reasonable.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

if you've never read any of this awesome comic series, start with this graphic novel.