Oracle's Twelve
Last time we left the Birds of Prey, they were in the midst of a daring heist-like infiltration of a mysterious building in Gotham. Things have quickly turned south for our favourite ladies in capes; is this their final flight?
The Good
Simone did a great job of conveying the fear that follows around Junior; like I mentioned last issue, it was almost an "Oh, s&*@" moment when she was revealed, and that carried over to this week. A certain line about Junior striking to maim or disfigure fit right in with her character, and was a great introduction to the character.
Cat Man flipping eggs was a funny panel.
The real strength of this issue came from the Huntress/Question dynamic. While Vic Sage and Huntress had a history before (Simone wrote the Justice League episode "Double Date"), I'm glad it's carried over to Renee Montoya. I'd like to see more of her in Birds.
The Bad
Some of the art in this issue is a bit off. Huntress' face on the first page seems to suffer from a malformed jaw, and there's just little things that stick out in the rest of the book. This isn't anything to condemn fully, but I just wanted to say they were noticeable enough to warrant a mention.
I know Junior is supposed to appear threatening, but to have her overwhelm Black Canary (who we've seen take on some of the world's best fighters) seems a bit off to me.
Oracle having seismic sensors around Gotham in order to see where people are just seemed like one big Deus Ex Machina. She may be all-seeing, but not that all-seeing.
I'm not sure if Simone is trying to establish Zinda Blake's accent by changing the spelling of her words, but seeing the abuse of the word "ya" made me cringe at times.
The Verdict
Last issue I commented on how this whole undercover operation felt a bit like a casino heist movie; this was a good thing, as most heists go terribly, terribly wrong. This issue we get to see that fallout, and how the Birds react under immense pressure. It allowed for good characterization and some genuine worry from some of them that exposed their both their vulnerabilities and insecurities. I'm interested in seeing where Huntress as field leader will lead, and how the Birds are looking to strike back next issue. Good issue all around; just a few nitpicky things here and there.
