Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Birds of Prey #2

I picked up this issue because I really enjoyed the first issue.

The second issue of Birds of Prey isn't quite as good as the previous adventure, but that's mostly because we're at the point in the story where everything has to go wrong for our heroes - and by the end of the issue, things are looking bleak indeed.

The story begins with the Black Canary and the Huntress facing off against a mysterious opponent - a masked woman dressed in white, and apparently able to hold her own against two of the better hand-to-hand fighters in the DC Universe.

The team of heroes who make up this incarnation of Birds of Prey is an odd one, including the heroes you would expect - Oracle and Lady Blackhawk, for example - and several that seem an odd mix - Hawk and Dove and (sorta) the Penguin.

The story by Gail Simone is rushing along nicely so far, although I'm not crazy about some of the events in this issue. But I'm willing to hold final judgment until the story wraps up - there's plenty of room to grow here.

The art by Ed Benes and Adriana Melo is very good, especially from a technical viewpoint - the anatomy is excellent, the layouts fresh, the women beautiful and the fight scenes are strong. The only failing is a lack of emotion in the characters - they all just seem to be angry all the time.

Overall, the comic still seems to be feeling its way along, and it's still too early to say if this approach is working. Time will tell, and I'm interested enough to keep hanging on - for now.

Grade: B

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