Birds of Prey is a property I’ll admit I never really got into in the past. I’ve heard wonderful things but at the time of previous runs I generally wasn’t reading DC comics. I know the concept and previous teams well enough, but it’s a pretty fresh idea for me. So, I’ve been excited to check out Birds of Prey #1, kicking off a team team… both on the page and behind the page. The end result is a fun start, though it plays to familiar beats.

Written by Kelly Thompson making her long-awaited DC Universe writing debut, Birds of Prey #1 centers primarily around Dinah Lance, aka Black Canary. She’s presented with a personal mission by an unknown individual and must put a team together to pull it off. She recruits Cassandra Cain, Big Barda, Zealot, and Harley Quinn, an interesting group full of personality… varied personalities. The end result is a debut that sets things up nicely and also delivers some laughs while doing so.

The negative about Birds of Prey #1 is it follows the familiar formula. Dinah is given a mission and must recruit a team. We’re then introduced to each member and presented as to why they’re being recruited and also given hints as to how their personality will gel. Then, there’s of course some banter and minor conflict that’s about personalities more than anything. But, it works. The end result is a fun debut that creates a team of heavy hitters that will get the mission done, it’s a question as to how much damage will happen along with it.

Joining Thompson is Leonardo Romero on art with Jordie Bellaire on color and Clayton Cowles lettering. The look of the comic matches the pop sense of the writing. It’s fun with great color moving far away from the grittiness it could easily fall in to. The comic especially focuses on the humor of it all with great action sequences that play out more like action comedy than serious action films that are about the body count. Small details like body language and facial expressions help land the punch as far as laughs. What particularly stands out is how different these characters are from each other in design, especially size. Big Barda feels like she towers over everyone, especially Cassandra Cain. Zealot’s style and look stands out from the others as far as her warrior background. It’s all nice to see adding to the comic overall.

Birds of Prey #1 is a fun start to the series. It delivers action and laughs in a familiar formula, but it’s one that works and works well. We know what to expect and by the end of the comic, things are very clear with some nice surprises. Overall, it’s a great start that promises a hell of a lot of entertainment to come.

Story: Kelly Thompson Art: Leonardo Romero
Color: Jordie Bellaire Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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