Birds of Prey: Between Dark & Dawn (Birds of Prey (Graphic Novels)) 
asked by macfan on November 22, 2006 6:53 AM
Huntress goes undercover to infiltrate a religious cult with a dangerous secret and a hidden operative, while Black Canary and Oracle uncover the true nature of Sovereign Brusaws organization. It all leads to the Huntresss battle against former Justice League member Vixen! Finally, the Birds must face the aftermath of the Gotham Gang War, leading to a decision that changes the teams fate forever!
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The star of the show is certainly Gail Simones writing, there is nobody working in US comics today who writes better female characters and more enjoyable dialog in general. The artwork is very capable and slick, though tending towards the cheesecake poses rather too often.
If you like well made US superhero comics then you will like this.
If you like well made US superhero comics then you will like this.
reviewed by pits on November 23, 2006 6:38 PM
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Chuck Dixon created the mold when he delivered the first BIRDS OF PREY mini-series that later spawned a comic series that's about to pass 100 issues, and a short-lived television series that never quite found its wings. But I really think Gail Simone is the shining star of the series. She has the women's rap down, and she tech-savvy and seems to enjoy world-building, military hardware, politics, and history. All things that I gravitate to in storytelling. Simone is an absolute gem when it comes to creating captivating characterization.
In this last offering of issues rendered as a graphic novel, the Birds come into their own in many ways. Instead of the group just being Black Canary operating undercover with Barbara Gordon (Oracle) as backup, Huntress has been added in, as well as Lady Blackhawk. They work well as a group, and all of them are individuals with different triggers and goals.
This graphic novel concerns itself with a religious cult that has a surprise villain that I truly didn't see coming until X was on the page. Yet, X really fit. That's the magic that Simone brings to her work -- it's all a logical outgrowth of characters and situations. The later section of the book deals with the aftermath of the GANG WAR storyline that ran through the Bat books and ended in the loss of a major Robin-centric character that I still haven't agreed with.
As always, Ed Benes's artwork is lush and almost pure cheesecake -- except that he does action and body language and backgrounds so darn well. He's the perfect artist for a book like BIRDS OF PREY, and I hope he stays with the series forever.
If you haven't checked out a BIRDS OF PREY comic book/graphic novel and only have the television series to judge from, I'd suggest picking up any of Simone's graphic novels. Or any of Chuck Dixon's. But if you're wanting the deep emotion and women in turmoil, Gail Simone has definitely carved out territory of her own. I'm looking forward to more.
In this last offering of issues rendered as a graphic novel, the Birds come into their own in many ways. Instead of the group just being Black Canary operating undercover with Barbara Gordon (Oracle) as backup, Huntress has been added in, as well as Lady Blackhawk. They work well as a group, and all of them are individuals with different triggers and goals.
This graphic novel concerns itself with a religious cult that has a surprise villain that I truly didn't see coming until X was on the page. Yet, X really fit. That's the magic that Simone brings to her work -- it's all a logical outgrowth of characters and situations. The later section of the book deals with the aftermath of the GANG WAR storyline that ran through the Bat books and ended in the loss of a major Robin-centric character that I still haven't agreed with.
As always, Ed Benes's artwork is lush and almost pure cheesecake -- except that he does action and body language and backgrounds so darn well. He's the perfect artist for a book like BIRDS OF PREY, and I hope he stays with the series forever.
If you haven't checked out a BIRDS OF PREY comic book/graphic novel and only have the television series to judge from, I'd suggest picking up any of Simone's graphic novels. Or any of Chuck Dixon's. But if you're wanting the deep emotion and women in turmoil, Gail Simone has definitely carved out territory of her own. I'm looking forward to more.
reviewed by scoobie on November 29, 2006 2:25 AM