Birds of Prey and Batgirl review

I thought I’d try to get this place back in business after a long hiatus with a few reviews, last week Birds of Prey and Batgirl came out so I thought I’d take a look at both titles.  First let’s take a look at Birds of Prey issue 3, our favorite gals were in heap of trouble last issue with Barbara swearing to fight back with the bold declaration “I AM THE GRID!” Was she able to live up to her words? Let’s find out.

We pick up this issue with the girls on the run and hiding out in the Penguin’s club as they try to dissect what has actually has happened to them with Oracle via their communicator. The news media is still reporting that Black Canary is a murderer via a mythical chest punch that unfortunately Black Canary is capable of doing much to everyone’s dismay. As the White Canary lurks nearby, Oracle must break the news that Creote and Savante are now dead. Black Canary now realizes the threat extends to everyone they have ever known. A Gotham City police tank bursting though the wall interrupts this thought as rogue Gotham City cops appear by the boatload. It is about this time when Canary and the gang need her the most that Oracles’ systems go down.

As a baffled Barbara fails to understand what has happened some of the pieces of the plot to destroy the Birds start to fall in place. Some of our villains stand revealed before Oracle but I won’t blow this shocking double cross for you if you haven’t read it yet. I will say that the stakes have been raised even higher and it appears that Barbara may have unwittingly handed all the information that is being used to destroy them to the villains. A captured Oracle is left only to ask why as she is taken prisoner and removed from her lair. We are left to ponder where she and the bad guys are headed and only more questions to whether or not all the villains stand revealed yet. Is there some worse mastermind behind this that has yet to appear?

At the Penguin’s club after fighting off the cops, Black Canary realizes that she must face the White Canary alone and prepares for a fight to the death. There seems to be no other option at this point. Even Huntress realizes that everything depends on this one battle and that Black Canary is likely going to her death. Goodbyes are said or left unsaid as Black Canary contemplates becoming a murderer like her husband Ollie and can’t bring her to stoop to that level. I was particularly pleased by this turn of events that refers to the on going subplot of Canary’s disastrous break up with her husband. Dinah stays true to her character’s core by rejecting the taking a life as she did in the Green Arrow books.

As Dinah faces off with the White Canary, she begins to realize whom she is dealing with or not dealing with. She eliminates Shiva and Cassie Cain from the list of candidates since this person is ruled by emotion and revenge, which doesn’t fit their profile. During the battle Dinah has finally figured out whom she is dealing with but that revelation will have to wait until next issue. I am still not quite sure who the White Canary is but she makes reference to being a poor village girl and a wealthy benefactor backing her. As the issue ends it appears that the Penguin is leading the rest of the group into another trap which leads us to wonder who is actually puling the strings of all of this? It does not appear to be the White Canary, but is it the duo that has captured Barbara or perhaps The Penguin or is someone else lurking yet to be revealed? I simply have no idea. I never saw the double cross coming this issue. Gail Simone has crafted a tale that is certainly gripping and keeps us guessing from moment to moment. The Birds are on the top their game again and seem to be topping the sales charts too according to some of the posts from the writer herself saying the DC is pleased with the relaunch. As well they should be since Birds or Prey should have never been cancelled in the first place.

Moving on to Issue 12 of the Batgirl title, it seems that all the characters are starting to fall into place with their roles. Stephanie Brown appears more confident in her role as Batgirl and for a change writer Bryan Q Miller does nothing this issue to undermine that. No silly prat falls or goof ups on her part as Stephanie skydives her way into battle and then wades though a mass of lasers in a desperate attempt to reach Barbara who is being held prisoner by the Calculator.

Last issue the Calculator had trapped Barbara in her own mind and had sought to destroy her there. However at the end of the issue Barbara found a way to take the battle in inside the Calculator’s mind. We get a look at his damaged psyche and some back-story that has been missing on him is filled in on what really drives him. The Calculator has always appeared brilliant and menacing but he has never been a Joker like level scary. I’m not sure I can say that about him anymore as we find out why he always fiddling with that Rubik’s cube. Horrific is the only word that comes to mind and I believe that I will never look at a Rubik’s cube the same way. As Barbara and the Calculator wage war throughout his mind, we also get a look at what happened to the twins Wendy and Marvin’s mother. Another shocking image that gives us a picture of mind that is about to come unhinged.

Stephanie has located where Barbara is being held but quickly realizes she needs help in disconnecting the computers that have linked the minds of the two foes. Batgirl deduces that she that someone with more computer expertise is needed and turns to Wendy for help who is standing in for Oracle. Still piloting the jet from where Stephanie skydived, Wendy agrees she needs to be on the ground to help. Before Wendy can act Steph accidentally triggers a fail-safe that sets off a giant robot for her to battle.

The battle of minds is about to come to a conclusion as Calculator attempts to use his secret back door escape that he built and trap Barbara in her mind forever. Wendy comes to her rescue by crashing the jet into the compound where they are being held which disables the machines and the robot. As the two returns to their bodies, Barbara reveals that it was always part of her plan that Batgirl would not follow her instructions and attempted to rescue her anyway. The Calculator gets a rude surprise from his daughter as she literally pulls the plug on him and traps him inside his mind again.

The issue ends with Stephanie saving the day for a change and learning to ask for help and Wendy pondering what she will do to start over. Stephanie offers to give her some pointers on new starts but laughingly admits she might not be the best to give advice. It appears that Wendy has made her decision to join that the Bat team and even gets get a new name as she will be Barbara’s “Proxy” when she is not available to help Batgirl. This addition to the cast will no doubt free up and allow Oracle to return to her main team of the Birds while not losing contact with this book. I must say I am enjoying this new status quo for the book and the addition of “Proxy” to the mix. If writer Bryan Q Miller can let up a little on making Steph appear inept and allow her to grow in her new role as Batgirl, I think I’ve found a book that I can enjoy for quite some time. Let’s hope so.