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Birds of Prey (1999) (First Editions)
Black Canary/Oracle/Huntress: Birds of Prey
Two crime-fighting heroines, Black Canary and Oracle, team up to seek revenge on an old enemy.
208 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 1999
3 people are currently reading
714 people want to read
About the author
Chuck Dixon
3,435 books1,037 followersCharles "Chuck" Dixon is an American comic book writer, perhaps best-known for long runs on Batman titles in the 1990s.
His earliest comics work was writing Evangeline first for Comico Comics in 1984 (then later for First Comics, who published the on-going series), on which he worked with his then-wife, the artist Judith Hunt. His big break came one year later, when editor Larry Hama hired him to write back-up stories for Marvel Comics' The Savage Sword of Conan.
In 1986, he began working for Eclipse Comics, writing Airboy with artist Tim Truman. Continuing to write for both Marvel and (mainly) Eclipse on these titles, as well as launching Strike! with artist Tom Lyle in August 1987 and Valkyrie with artist Paul Gulacy in October 1987, he began work on Carl Potts' Alien Legion series for Marvel's Epic Comics imprint, under editor Archie Goodwin. He also produced a three-issue adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit for Eclipse with artist David Wenzel between 1989 and 1990, and began writing Marc Spector: Moon Knight in June 1989.
His Punisher OGN Kingdom Gone (August, 1990) led to him working on the monthly The Punisher War Journal (and later, more monthly and occasional Punisher titles), and also brought him to the attention of DC Comics editor Denny O'Neil, who asked him to produce a Robin mini-series. The mini proved popular enough to spawn two sequels - The Joker's Wild (1991) and Cry of the Huntress (1992) - which led to both an ongoing monthly series (which Dixon wrote for 100 issues before leaving to work with CrossGen Comics), and to Dixon working on Detective Comics from #644-738 through the major Batman stories KnightFall & KnightsEnd (for which he helped create the key character of Bane), DC One Million , Contagion , Legacy , Cataclysm and No Man's Land . Much of his run was illustrated by Graham Nolan.
He was DC's most prolific Batman-writer in the mid-1990s (rivalled perhaps in history by Bill Finger and Dennis O'Neil) - in addition to writing Detective Comics he pioneered the individual series for Robin , Nightwing (which he wrote for 70 issues, and returned to briefly with 2005's #101) and Batgirl , as well as creating the team and book Birds of Prey .
While writing multiple Punisher and Batman comics (and October 1994's Punisher/Batman crossover), he also found time to launch Team 7 for Jim Lee's WildStorm/Image and Prophet for Rob Liefeld's Extreme Studios. He also wrote many issues of Catwoman and Green Arrow , regularly having about seven titles out each and every month between the years 1993 and 1998.
In March, 2002, Dixon turned his attention to CrossGen's output, salthough he co-wrote with Scott Beatty the origin of Barbara Gordon's Batgirl in 2003's Batgirl: Year One. For CrossGen he took over some of the comics of the out-going Mark Waid, taking over Sigil from #21, and Crux with #13. He launched Way of the Rat in June 2002, Brath (March '03), The Silken Ghost (June '03) and the pirate comic El Cazador (Oct '03), as well as editing Robert Rodi's non-Sigilverse The Crossovers. He also wrote the Ruse spin-off Archard's Agents one-shots in January and November '03 and April '04, the last released shortly before CrossGen's complete collapse forced the cancellation of all of its comics, before which Dixon wrote a single issue of Sojourn (May '04). Dixon's Way of the Rat #24, Brath #14 and El Cazador #6 were among the last comics released from the then-bankrupt publisher.
On June 10, 2008, Dixon announced on his forum that he was no longer "employed by DC Comics in any capacity."
His earliest comics work was writing Evangeline first for Comico Comics in 1984 (then later for First Comics, who published the on-going series), on which he worked with his then-wife, the artist Judith Hunt. His big break came one year later, when editor Larry Hama hired him to write back-up stories for Marvel Comics' The Savage Sword of Conan.
In 1986, he began working for Eclipse Comics, writing Airboy with artist Tim Truman. Continuing to write for both Marvel and (mainly) Eclipse on these titles, as well as launching Strike! with artist Tom Lyle in August 1987 and Valkyrie with artist Paul Gulacy in October 1987, he began work on Carl Potts' Alien Legion series for Marvel's Epic Comics imprint, under editor Archie Goodwin. He also produced a three-issue adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit for Eclipse with artist David Wenzel between 1989 and 1990, and began writing Marc Spector: Moon Knight in June 1989.
His Punisher OGN Kingdom Gone (August, 1990) led to him working on the monthly The Punisher War Journal (and later, more monthly and occasional Punisher titles), and also brought him to the attention of DC Comics editor Denny O'Neil, who asked him to produce a Robin mini-series. The mini proved popular enough to spawn two sequels - The Joker's Wild (1991) and Cry of the Huntress (1992) - which led to both an ongoing monthly series (which Dixon wrote for 100 issues before leaving to work with CrossGen Comics), and to Dixon working on Detective Comics from #644-738 through the major Batman stories KnightFall & KnightsEnd (for which he helped create the key character of Bane), DC One Million , Contagion , Legacy , Cataclysm and No Man's Land . Much of his run was illustrated by Graham Nolan.
He was DC's most prolific Batman-writer in the mid-1990s (rivalled perhaps in history by Bill Finger and Dennis O'Neil) - in addition to writing Detective Comics he pioneered the individual series for Robin , Nightwing (which he wrote for 70 issues, and returned to briefly with 2005's #101) and Batgirl , as well as creating the team and book Birds of Prey .
While writing multiple Punisher and Batman comics (and October 1994's Punisher/Batman crossover), he also found time to launch Team 7 for Jim Lee's WildStorm/Image and Prophet for Rob Liefeld's Extreme Studios. He also wrote many issues of Catwoman and Green Arrow , regularly having about seven titles out each and every month between the years 1993 and 1998.
In March, 2002, Dixon turned his attention to CrossGen's output, salthough he co-wrote with Scott Beatty the origin of Barbara Gordon's Batgirl in 2003's Batgirl: Year One. For CrossGen he took over some of the comics of the out-going Mark Waid, taking over Sigil from #21, and Crux with #13. He launched Way of the Rat in June 2002, Brath (March '03), The Silken Ghost (June '03) and the pirate comic El Cazador (Oct '03), as well as editing Robert Rodi's non-Sigilverse The Crossovers. He also wrote the Ruse spin-off Archard's Agents one-shots in January and November '03 and April '04, the last released shortly before CrossGen's complete collapse forced the cancellation of all of its comics, before which Dixon wrote a single issue of Sojourn (May '04). Dixon's Way of the Rat #24, Brath #14 and El Cazador #6 were among the last comics released from the then-bankrupt publisher.
On June 10, 2008, Dixon announced on his forum that he was no longer "employed by DC Comics in any capacity."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
January 14, 2026
"You worry me to death! I don't give a damn if you're hanging from an attack chopper a thousand feet in the air . . . I'm not going any farther in this 'partnership' until we talk about this!" -- Barbara Gordon, the former Batgirl now known as 'Oracle'
"ungh . . . ungh . . . ungh" -- rejoinder from Dinah Lance, a.k.a. 'Black Canary,' while hanging from an attack chopper a thousand feet in the air
I was caught unaware, but his month marks the 30th (!) anniversary of the debut of DC Comics' Birds of Prey vigilante cadre, so what better time to have read the introductory volume that started it all? While it lacks some of the finesse of the later books in the long-running series - especially when writer Gail Simone was at the helm; I will always argue that she made this title reach peak potential - it still nicely sets the stage and tone for the consistently action-packed and quip-laden stories yet to come. While Black Canary works the missions solo in the field for the first few stories, in the latter half she allies herself with both Huntress and Catwoman. (In a graphic novel sense this is akin to that summer afternoon when scrappy teenagers John Lennon and Paul McCartney were first introduced at a community fair. Hyperbole? Maybe a little bit. 😉) So the unlikely but highly effective 'BoP' team is forming, and these dangerous ladies are going to venture forth to kick some ass and right the wrongs in the fictional DC universe, which includes actual 'in real life' issues as human trafficking and corporate sabotage. It all began right here, and this was an entertaining and nostalgic read.
"ungh . . . ungh . . . ungh" -- rejoinder from Dinah Lance, a.k.a. 'Black Canary,' while hanging from an attack chopper a thousand feet in the air
I was caught unaware, but his month marks the 30th (!) anniversary of the debut of DC Comics' Birds of Prey vigilante cadre, so what better time to have read the introductory volume that started it all? While it lacks some of the finesse of the later books in the long-running series - especially when writer Gail Simone was at the helm; I will always argue that she made this title reach peak potential - it still nicely sets the stage and tone for the consistently action-packed and quip-laden stories yet to come. While Black Canary works the missions solo in the field for the first few stories, in the latter half she allies herself with both Huntress and Catwoman. (In a graphic novel sense this is akin to that summer afternoon when scrappy teenagers John Lennon and Paul McCartney were first introduced at a community fair. Hyperbole? Maybe a little bit. 😉) So the unlikely but highly effective 'BoP' team is forming, and these dangerous ladies are going to venture forth to kick some ass and right the wrongs in the fictional DC universe, which includes actual 'in real life' issues as human trafficking and corporate sabotage. It all began right here, and this was an entertaining and nostalgic read.
November 8, 2012
Something about this book just didn't click for me, but I can't put my finger on it. Maybe it's because this volume is very Black Canary heavy, and I'm really here for Oracle. Maybe it's because none of the storylines are that compelling. It might also have to do with art that had the female characters striking poses that were meant to be sexy, but more often came off as silly considering what they were actually trying to say and do.
January 5, 2015
Not bad at all. This is more of a Black Canary and Oracle with guest stars type of book. Black Canary is sent on missions by her handler, Oracle, and she teams up with other crime fighters, particularly Huntress, and even the antihero Catwoman. The Dark Knight and Robin make an appearance, but they stay peripheral characters, and that is as it should be. This is not their show.
I haven't read a lot of Black Canary so far in my graphic novel endeavors. I have to say that I like her style. Oracle knows her stuff, and while she cannot go out in the field, she is crucial to successful missions. There was a good give and take between the pair, even though there was some friction when Canary would go off half-cocked and Oracle would lose contact with her.
I liked seeing these tough, independent women doing their own thing, and I liked the camaraderie between the women as they fight crime and protect those in need of protecting.
I would read more of these.
Overall rating: 3.5/5.0 stars.
I haven't read a lot of Black Canary so far in my graphic novel endeavors. I have to say that I like her style. Oracle knows her stuff, and while she cannot go out in the field, she is crucial to successful missions. There was a good give and take between the pair, even though there was some friction when Canary would go off half-cocked and Oracle would lose contact with her.
I liked seeing these tough, independent women doing their own thing, and I liked the camaraderie between the women as they fight crime and protect those in need of protecting.
I would read more of these.
Overall rating: 3.5/5.0 stars.
November 28, 2014
Such a disappointment. A comic of heroines written and drawn by dudes at their dudliest. I can no longer overlook stupidly sexualized poses and giant tits that never move, even when their owners are doing martial arts. Bodies don't work that way. Oh well. Silly Jaclyn, to think that an acclaimed series of awesome heroines would live up to its potential.
May 28, 2020
Die BIRDS OF PREY waren es vor 10 Jahren, die mir den Spaß an Superheldencomics zurückgegeben haben, nachdem ich dieser vierfarbigen Welt für Jahrzehnte entsagt hatte. Inzwischen sind die in diesem ersten Paperback gesammelten Stories über 20 Jahre alt und machen noch immer Spaß.
Die BIRDS OF PREY stehen für absolute Frauenpower, sie brauchen keine männlichen Superhelden, um ihre Abenteuer zu bestehen. Nicht in Abrede zu stellen ist allerdings, dass mit Chuck Dixon und Jordan Gorfinkel zwei Männer als Autoren die Serie eröffnet haben und mit einer Ausnahme auch alle Zeichnungen von Männern stammen. Die starken und selbstbewussten Frauen haben dem Idealbild der Superheldin entsprechend alle eine "perfekte Figur" und sind stets cool und sexy.
Babara Gordon ist seit dem Attentat, das der Joker auf sie ausübte, an den Rollstuhl gefesselt. Das heißt aber nicht, dass sie der Verbrechensbekämpfung entsagt, ganz im Gegenteil: Als Oracle erstellt sie mit Hilfe modernster Computer Lagebilder und sammelt Informationen, um Gauner zur Strecke zu bringen. Ganz ohne ausführenden Arm geht's aber nicht, und darum rekrutiert Oracle Dinah Lance aka Black Canary. Dinah muss sich von ihrer Trennung von Green Arrow erholen und ist weitestgehend mittellos, also nimmt sie den Job an, den Oracle ihr anbietet. Der erste Auftrag führt Black Canary in ein Entwicklungsland, so wie einem gewissenlosen Spekulanten das Handwerk legt. Danach gilt es, den Machenschaften eines Sklavenhändler ein Ende zu setzen. Hierbei bekommt sie schlagkräftige Unterstützung von Lois Lane.
Es folgt die Miniserie Manhunt, die aus vier Heften besteht. Erstmals taucht hier Huntress auf, die später zum Team gehören wird, und auch Catwoman ist mit von der Partie (sie verfolgt aber eine eigene Agenda, dem Charakter treu bleibend). Neben dem eher etwas blass wirkenden bösen Buben ist es vor allem Lady Shiva, die unserem Team zu schaffen macht.
Charm, Witz und Spannung machen diesen Band zu einer kurzweiligen Lektüre, die man mehr als einmal genießen kann. Die Artwork ist sehr gelungen, auch abseits der üppigen Kurven und knappen, körpernahen Kostüme.
Die BIRDS OF PREY stachen seinerzeit als reines Frauenteam aus der Comiclandschaft hervor, die Charaktere sind stark und unabhängig. Aus dem Hause DC sicherlich eine der herausragenden Serien!
Die BIRDS OF PREY stehen für absolute Frauenpower, sie brauchen keine männlichen Superhelden, um ihre Abenteuer zu bestehen. Nicht in Abrede zu stellen ist allerdings, dass mit Chuck Dixon und Jordan Gorfinkel zwei Männer als Autoren die Serie eröffnet haben und mit einer Ausnahme auch alle Zeichnungen von Männern stammen. Die starken und selbstbewussten Frauen haben dem Idealbild der Superheldin entsprechend alle eine "perfekte Figur" und sind stets cool und sexy.
Babara Gordon ist seit dem Attentat, das der Joker auf sie ausübte, an den Rollstuhl gefesselt. Das heißt aber nicht, dass sie der Verbrechensbekämpfung entsagt, ganz im Gegenteil: Als Oracle erstellt sie mit Hilfe modernster Computer Lagebilder und sammelt Informationen, um Gauner zur Strecke zu bringen. Ganz ohne ausführenden Arm geht's aber nicht, und darum rekrutiert Oracle Dinah Lance aka Black Canary. Dinah muss sich von ihrer Trennung von Green Arrow erholen und ist weitestgehend mittellos, also nimmt sie den Job an, den Oracle ihr anbietet. Der erste Auftrag führt Black Canary in ein Entwicklungsland, so wie einem gewissenlosen Spekulanten das Handwerk legt. Danach gilt es, den Machenschaften eines Sklavenhändler ein Ende zu setzen. Hierbei bekommt sie schlagkräftige Unterstützung von Lois Lane.
Es folgt die Miniserie Manhunt, die aus vier Heften besteht. Erstmals taucht hier Huntress auf, die später zum Team gehören wird, und auch Catwoman ist mit von der Partie (sie verfolgt aber eine eigene Agenda, dem Charakter treu bleibend). Neben dem eher etwas blass wirkenden bösen Buben ist es vor allem Lady Shiva, die unserem Team zu schaffen macht.
Charm, Witz und Spannung machen diesen Band zu einer kurzweiligen Lektüre, die man mehr als einmal genießen kann. Die Artwork ist sehr gelungen, auch abseits der üppigen Kurven und knappen, körpernahen Kostüme.
Die BIRDS OF PREY stachen seinerzeit als reines Frauenteam aus der Comiclandschaft hervor, die Charaktere sind stark und unabhängig. Aus dem Hause DC sicherlich eine der herausragenden Serien!
November 13, 2018
Ik had gehoopt iets meer over Oracle te leren, maar helaas heeft ze geen erg aanwezige rol. Wel een super toffe comic, met heerlijke verhalen. Smaakt absoluut naar meer!
May 19, 2016
My first experience with the Birds of Prey was a success.
Chuck Dixon wrote some really funny dialogue, not only with the main characters (Black Canary and Oracle), but also with Huntress and Catwoman. The first two or three chapters were overseas missions against sex trafficking and whatnot with Canary in the action and Oracle keeping contact from Gotham. The final couple of chapters threw in Huntress and Catwoman working in the field with Canary for a semi-shared goal.
The artwork was great and the plots weren't the most compelling things, but they still held up well enough. This basically just solidified how much I love female vigilantes and solidified Black Canary as one of my all-time favorite crime-fighters.
Chuck Dixon wrote some really funny dialogue, not only with the main characters (Black Canary and Oracle), but also with Huntress and Catwoman. The first two or three chapters were overseas missions against sex trafficking and whatnot with Canary in the action and Oracle keeping contact from Gotham. The final couple of chapters threw in Huntress and Catwoman working in the field with Canary for a semi-shared goal.
The artwork was great and the plots weren't the most compelling things, but they still held up well enough. This basically just solidified how much I love female vigilantes and solidified Black Canary as one of my all-time favorite crime-fighters.
July 4, 2018
This one dragged. Early on, a lot of the dialogue feels quite stilted. The storylines were quite samey too - I don't think there was one where Black Canary didn't remove her earrings and stop listening to Oracle. That said, I did enjoy the arc towards the end. Everything's better with Catwoman, and I've never read anything with Huntress in before but she seems cool too.
February 26, 2016
Creo que no puedo ser objetiva sobre todo cuando esto es una relectura. La dinámica de Dinah y Barbara siempre me ha gustado mucho, su relación es el corazón de todas las historias.
Me encanta el contraste de sus personalidades, la seguridad de Dinah como Black Canary y cómo se maneja en todas las misiones de Oracle es maravillosa. Aún cuando sea impulsiva y a veces un poco testaruda, me encanta cómo se toma siempre en serio su labor de justiciera. Y Barbara... AYS. Su labor como Oracle, todo su PSD y cómo se va hilando todo a la historia es fabuloso. Voy a necesitar el volumen dos en físico también porque razones.
Me encanta el contraste de sus personalidades, la seguridad de Dinah como Black Canary y cómo se maneja en todas las misiones de Oracle es maravillosa. Aún cuando sea impulsiva y a veces un poco testaruda, me encanta cómo se toma siempre en serio su labor de justiciera. Y Barbara... AYS. Su labor como Oracle, todo su PSD y cómo se va hilando todo a la historia es fabuloso. Voy a necesitar el volumen dos en físico también porque razones.
April 8, 2015
Eh. I'm not going to bother reading Dixon's volume 2. I greatly prefer Gail Simone's run of Birds of Prey that starts at vol. 3.
May 20, 2017
Birds of Prey is DC Comics all-female superhero team. The team is lead not by a male hero nor a male mentor, but by a woman: Barbara Gordon who was once Batgirl but after the events of Alan Moore's The Killing Joke is now Oracle. Oracle is one of my favorite DC characters - after being paralyzed by gunshot - she returns to college, gets her MLS and becomes a librarian. However, not only does she remain independent with an excellent job, she's also Oracle - the information hub for all the DC heroes especially Batman and Nightwing - and she runs her own organization of female heroes.
Birds of Prey Volume 1 is a reprint of several early Birds of Prey comics from the mid to late 1990s, written by Chuck Dixon. I hope DC reprints the entire run. Because this volume gathers a number of specials, the stories are slightly disjointed. A few characters reappear, but really each issue within this volume could be read as a stand alone.
Other characters featured in the volume include: Black Canary (who's awesome, has a much better new costume, and has dumped Oliver Queen), Catwoman (Oracle warns against working with her - Canary and Huntress do anyway), and Huntress. Featured villains include Lady Shiva, Mad Hatter, Spellbinder (who's female) and corporate hack Nick Devine.
I enjoyed this volume very much, but it does have a strong, "Good start, where's the rest?" feel to it. I would very much like to see more.
Birds of Prey Volume 1 is a reprint of several early Birds of Prey comics from the mid to late 1990s, written by Chuck Dixon. I hope DC reprints the entire run. Because this volume gathers a number of specials, the stories are slightly disjointed. A few characters reappear, but really each issue within this volume could be read as a stand alone.
Other characters featured in the volume include: Black Canary (who's awesome, has a much better new costume, and has dumped Oliver Queen), Catwoman (Oracle warns against working with her - Canary and Huntress do anyway), and Huntress. Featured villains include Lady Shiva, Mad Hatter, Spellbinder (who's female) and corporate hack Nick Devine.
I enjoyed this volume very much, but it does have a strong, "Good start, where's the rest?" feel to it. I would very much like to see more.
February 17, 2017
Chuck Dixon is one of the gods of comic book writing, truly. Fans of Black Canary will love the moment where she hangs up the wig and purchases herself some hair dye (setting up the comedy for Smith’s Green Arrow run, when the resurrected hero attempts to pull off her wig! Oops!). Establishing the relationship between Pretty Bird and Oracle, this is a must read for any fan of BoP, also featuring Catwoman and Huntress. My only complaint is that it’s only these first two trades that gather Dixon’s contribution, the 3rd book picking up much later in the run when Simone assumes the mantle (and without a doubt, maintains the same high quality, which we know and love her for.)
In tandem with great writing, I love the art style – Plus, I only spotted one boobs/butt pose and it wasn’t a spine breaker.
In tandem with great writing, I love the art style – Plus, I only spotted one boobs/butt pose and it wasn’t a spine breaker.
November 3, 2016
I really wanted like this more but as you can see, it took me soooo long to finish it. I just couldn't get into or get attached to some of my faves bc when the writing wasn't kinda bland, it was about plots I couldn't care less about. I adore Babs, Helena, Dinah and Selina but there wasn't enough camaraderie or character development here. The best parts are when Dinah and Babs are working out the kinks in their partnership.
However, I think I would've enjoyed this a lot more had I not read Gail Simone's books first. Reading about them at a time when they're already a well oiled machine made it harder to start right at the beginning.
However, I think I would've enjoyed this a lot more had I not read Gail Simone's books first. Reading about them at a time when they're already a well oiled machine made it harder to start right at the beginning.
March 11, 2013
Not very deep, but fun and exciting adventures.
November 1, 2015
This was a truly auspicious start to a unique kind of book series, that takes B team superheroes, and takes them to the A game. It's well worth your time.
December 22, 2017
im so in love with Dinah Laurel Lance like how could a girl get any better??? she's a queen im dying
October 25, 2017
I know it's early days, and I know there are art and costume problems, but darn it I just love ladies helping ladies SO MUCH.
PS Saw Greg Land's name on the front and was wondering if I'd read it wrong when I got to the last issue.
Oh no, there he is!
PS Saw Greg Land's name on the front and was wondering if I'd read it wrong when I got to the last issue.
Oh no, there he is!
July 30, 2022
This was a great origin story for Birds of Prey. It's very character driven, and really digs into the differences between Oracle, Black Canary, and Huntress in a good way. The plot moves along at a nice clip, and has a few surprises in it, and the combat scenes exist almost exclusively to advance characters or the plot (which is how I like my fight scenes in comics). The art is very solid. Overall, a great book.
November 2, 2018
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. My first exposure to Church Dixon was the terrible X-Men: The Draco. The Friendship between Barbara Gordon and Dinah Lance is wonderful, and it's too bad the Burnside Batgirl writers, who brought Dinah into the book, dropped the ball at selling their friendship. I'm looking forward to reading more.
March 23, 2020
As the first introduction to this team... IT WAS EVERYTHING! Gahhhh... I love badass women working together to get paid, get revenge, and get to revel in their professional skills! Yeah... it’s old school, yeah... they are hyper sexualized, yeah... they are cliche— but that’s because it’s the original. Laying the foundation for future deep character development, I’m all in and here for it!
November 16, 2023
starting to think i might be a birds of prey fan not just a black canary fan....
yes okay the story and art is flavoured by the 90s lense of misogyny but it's just that, look past that and it's a really solid enjoyable few stories and girls having fun and kicking ass - frankly there's still not enough of that in 2020's lense of comics.
yes okay the story and art is flavoured by the 90s lense of misogyny but it's just that, look past that and it's a really solid enjoyable few stories and girls having fun and kicking ass - frankly there's still not enough of that in 2020's lense of comics.
October 6, 2019
Book summary:
Barbara: Dinah NO
Dinah: Dinah YES
I really did enjoy this, particularly the story arc with Catwoman & Huntress. Some of the art is a little too...uh, sexualized, but not nearly as bad as some of the worst I've seen.
Barbara: Dinah NO
Dinah: Dinah YES
I really did enjoy this, particularly the story arc with Catwoman & Huntress. Some of the art is a little too...uh, sexualized, but not nearly as bad as some of the worst I've seen.
January 1, 2018
WIG WAS SNATCHED AND I COMPLETED MY READING CHALLENGE AT THE VERY LAST MINUTE
February 2, 2019
I didn't find this volume as good as 2 and 3, but I really liked the issue where Dinah and Babs separated and spent the day with men, only to realize how terrible an idea that is.
April 6, 2019
Disgustingly sexist.
Read
September 20, 2019Very 90s and male-gaze-y but not bad, for what it is. The art is nice and clean and it provided a good introduction to the characters, especially Oracle and Black Canary.
January 3, 2020
The beginning of Birds of Prey with Black Canary and Batgirl/Oracle. This also has some Huntress and Catwoman in it! Good stuff.
February 16, 2021
Yikes.
I know, comics, like any media, are a product of their time. But this isn’t *that* old...and it was not worth my time.
I know, comics, like any media, are a product of their time. But this isn’t *that* old...and it was not worth my time.
May 12, 2025
good stuff just need to let them kill bad guys,
take a lesson from Batman, they get back up if you don't!
take a lesson from Batman, they get back up if you don't!
February 29, 2016
This review can also be found on my blog.
While I'm a huge fan of the 2002 TV series "Birds of Prey," (I should rewatch that again and probably post about it later), I had never read any of the comics before going into it. This volume is not the start of the "official" first Birds of Prey run, but of the one-shot issues by Chuck Dixon leading up to it. They aren't all chronological, so I'll give a brief synopsis of each.
Black Canary/Oracle: Birds of Prey: Dinah Lance - the Black Canary - has just left the Justice League and is trying to start a new life. Barbara Gordon, as Oracle, contacts her to investigate the Green Brotherhood, an eco-terrorist group sabotaging billionaire Nick Devine's philanthropic projects in third world countries.
Birds of Prey: Revolution: Oracle and Black Canary team up once again to stop a white slavery ring in the Caribbean.
Showcase '96 #13: Black Canary and Lois Lane fight their way out of a warehouse full of disillusioned workers - by giving them a little help to believe in themselves.
Birds of Prey: Manhunt: This 4-issue run co-stars Huntress and Catwoman as the Birds reluctantly team up with them to take out Archer Braun- a secretive man with whom each of these ladies has a bone to pick!
Most of the authors and artists are the same for these different comics; as a result, there is a nice consistency here that might not show up in other collections of multiple runs. As it is, there are still slight variations on character designs and art styles from issue to issue. For example, Black Canary/Oracle reminded me of The Dark Knight Returns in it's desaturated palette and high contrast between light and shadow. The color and tone get much richer in Revolution. The art in Showcase reminded me more of older comics with it's stylized characters, bright colors, and often simple, monochrome backgrounds. Manhunt was a little more expressive with the panel layout, making it feel even more action-oriented and fast-paced. Overall I'm not a fan of Canary's design in these - I love her original leather jacket and fishnets, and '90s fashion was something else (this is coming from a '90s kid mind you).
Of the four, my personal favorite was Manhunt. I adore crossovers and I loved how the four women interacted with each other and had different motives for wanting to get the bad guy X,D A central thread throughout was Canary and Oracle trying to understand and communicate with each other. It could go over into "girl talk" sometimes, which I found a little cheesy but otherwise didn't mind. Overall it's a fun collection, but I can't wait to get to the Gail Simone era!
While I'm a huge fan of the 2002 TV series "Birds of Prey," (I should rewatch that again and probably post about it later), I had never read any of the comics before going into it. This volume is not the start of the "official" first Birds of Prey run, but of the one-shot issues by Chuck Dixon leading up to it. They aren't all chronological, so I'll give a brief synopsis of each.
Black Canary/Oracle: Birds of Prey: Dinah Lance - the Black Canary - has just left the Justice League and is trying to start a new life. Barbara Gordon, as Oracle, contacts her to investigate the Green Brotherhood, an eco-terrorist group sabotaging billionaire Nick Devine's philanthropic projects in third world countries.
Birds of Prey: Revolution: Oracle and Black Canary team up once again to stop a white slavery ring in the Caribbean.
Showcase '96 #13: Black Canary and Lois Lane fight their way out of a warehouse full of disillusioned workers - by giving them a little help to believe in themselves.
Birds of Prey: Manhunt: This 4-issue run co-stars Huntress and Catwoman as the Birds reluctantly team up with them to take out Archer Braun- a secretive man with whom each of these ladies has a bone to pick!
Most of the authors and artists are the same for these different comics; as a result, there is a nice consistency here that might not show up in other collections of multiple runs. As it is, there are still slight variations on character designs and art styles from issue to issue. For example, Black Canary/Oracle reminded me of The Dark Knight Returns in it's desaturated palette and high contrast between light and shadow. The color and tone get much richer in Revolution. The art in Showcase reminded me more of older comics with it's stylized characters, bright colors, and often simple, monochrome backgrounds. Manhunt was a little more expressive with the panel layout, making it feel even more action-oriented and fast-paced. Overall I'm not a fan of Canary's design in these - I love her original leather jacket and fishnets, and '90s fashion was something else (this is coming from a '90s kid mind you).
Of the four, my personal favorite was Manhunt. I adore crossovers and I loved how the four women interacted with each other and had different motives for wanting to get the bad guy X,D A central thread throughout was Canary and Oracle trying to understand and communicate with each other. It could go over into "girl talk" sometimes, which I found a little cheesy but otherwise didn't mind. Overall it's a fun collection, but I can't wait to get to the Gail Simone era!
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