| Birds of Prey | |
|---|---|
Cover of Birds of Prey: Blood and Circuits (2007), trade paperback collected edition. Art by Stephane Roux. |
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| Series publication information | |
| Schedule | Monthly |
| Format | Ongoing series |
| Genre | Superhero |
| Publication date | (Vol. 1) January 1999 – April 2009 (Vol. 2) July 2010 – August 2011 (Vol. 3) September 2011 – Present |
| Number of issues | Vol. 1:: 127 Vol. 2:: 15 |
| Creative team | |
| Writer(s) | Chuck Dixon Terry Moore Gilbert Hernandez Gail Simone Tony Bedard Sean McKeever Duane Swierczynski |
| Artist(s) | Greg Land Butch Guice Rick Leonardi Amanda Conner Casey Jones Ed Benes Joe Bennett Paulo Siqueira Nicola Scott Michael O'Hare Claude St. Aubin Jesus Saiz |
| Creator(s) | Chuck Dixon Jordan B. Gorfinkel Gary Frank |
| Birds of Prey | |
| Group publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Black Canary/Oracle: Birds of Prey (November 1995) |
| Created by | Chuck Dixon Jordan B. Gorfinkel Gary Frank |
| In-story information | |
| Base(s) | Clocktower Aerie One |
| Member(s) | Current team Oracle/Batgirl Black Canary Katana Poison Ivy Starling. Former members Huntress Big Barda Black Alice Lady Shiva Gypsy Hawkgirl Judomaster Power Girl Hawk Dove Manhunter Misfit Infinity Vixen |
Birds of Prey is a comic book series published by DC Comics that features the adventures of the heroine Oracle and her group of superheroines. The group is initially based in Gotham City and later operates in Metropolis and then relocates once more to "Platinum Flats", California, a new locale introduced in Birds of Prey in 2008.
The series was conceived by Jordan B. Gorfinkel and originally written by Chuck Dixon. Gail Simone scripted the comic from issue #56 to #108. Sean McKeever was originally to replace Simone,[1][2] but McKeever has since decided to leave the project, and will only write issues #113-117; Tony Bedard, who wrote issues #109-112, brifely took over the title at issue #118.[3] Artists have included Butch Guice, Greg Land, Ed Benes, and Joe Bennett; Nicola Scott began a stint as artist with issue #100. In 2011, the title was relaunched under writer Duane Swierczynskwi and artist Jesus Saiz.
Despite the title of the series being Birds of Prey, the phrase was not mentioned in the book until issue #86, when one of the group's members, Zinda Blake, suggests that it might be a fitting name for the team. However, the other characters get sidetracked and do not respond to her suggestion. Oracle, the team's leader, refers to the group by that name in a conversation with the new Blue Beetle, Jaime Reyes,[4] and later within the series.[5]
The central premise of the book is chronicling the adventures of the female heroes of the DCU. The core of the team is made up of Oracle, and Black Canary, with other heroines forming a rotating roster sometimes for extended periods, sometimes for merely one adventure. After Black Canary's departure, Huntress remained as the staple member and field leader, alongside new "core members." Following the events of Flashpoint (2011) and the company-wide relaunch as part of The New 52, Oracle recovers her mobility and reclaims her former Batgirl identity, taking a brief hiatus from the team in the process. Despite the previously all-female central roster, male allies such as Nightwing, Wildcat, Savant, and Creote frequently assist missions. In addition, Hawk and Dove briefly joined the team, making Hawk its first male member.
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The title series began with Chuck Dixon's one shot Black Canary/Oracle: Birds of Prey (which had a cover date of 1996, but the release date was November 1995). Initially, the two heroines featured were Barbara Gordon (formerly "Batgirl") and Dinah Lance (currently "Black Canary"). From the beginning, Canary was written as passionate and idealistic. In an interview with Comics Bulletin, Dixon described this choice as a fertile clash of values: "Dinah's more idealistic approach is at the heart of this book."[6]
When Gail Simone took over the series in 2003, she added the Huntress to the lineup. In her first arc, entitled "Of Like Minds", Simone let Black Canary walk into a trap set by Brian Durlin, known as Savant, and his assistant Creote. With Black Canary now critically injured and chained, Savant begins listing demands, the most significant of which is the true identity of Batman.[7] In the end, Huntress and Canary defeat their enemies, and form a team.
Author Simone commented on the new lineup, saying that each character provided a foil for the two others: "In this case, Babs and Dinah respect each other tremendously, and each is capable of great things the other is not. Dinah's not just Oracle's legs, sometimes, she's her conscience, or her muse, or just her best friend. And Oracle is far more to Dinah than just the mission controller. They trust each other, and out of that, there's a friendship that they believe in. Huntress...I see Helena as someone who is not a loner completely by choice. Dinah is so accepting, and so open, that Helena sees an opportunity to be part of something without having to force her way in. There's friction, because once Helena puts the mask on, she's really not very good fitting in. But she likes that they're giving her a chance. Whether she blows it or not, you'll have to keep reading."[8]
Simone was appreciative of her work, saying Birds of Prey editor Lysa Hawkins "was looking for a slightly tougher Birds of Prey and asked me to submit a proposal. I have a huge fondness for Babs and Dinah both, so it's a bit of a dream come true. I'm really excited by the art, which is very sleek and sexy, with a nice dark tone, by Supergirl star Ed Benes.[9]
The Huntress later meets Oracle in person for the first time while rescuing her from a potentially life threatening situation during the "Sensei & Student" storyline.[10] The US government had become aware of the existence of Oracle and formatted a list of suspects to interrogate, one of whom was Barbara. Without any form of due process, two federal agents imply they believe she is the Oracle and that if any evidence is brought to light she will be tried for treason against the United States of America.[11] Once again, Oracle relies on the Huntress when no other allies are available.
While Oracle and Huntress share a long history of animosity with one another, Black Canary eventually inspires Oracle to employ her as a full-time agent. The budding friendship is cut short during the "Hero Hunters" arc. In the final issue of the storyline, the Huntress realizes Oracle has been manipulating her psychologically in order to make her "behave" properly, in the same way a teacher attempts to reform a troubled child.[12] Despite Oracle's remorse for her actions, Huntress temporarily departs from the group. She later rejoins the team, once again as a full-time agent along with newcomer Lady Blackhawk. Although the personnel on Oracle's team grows and changes, Huntress and Lady Blackhawk remain core agents.
When Birds of Prey approached the century mark, Simone used issues #99 and #100 to shake up the lineup. She let Black Canary leave the team with her ward, a little girl called "Sin", and used a prison break arc to introduce superhumanly strong Big Barda, pacifist Judomaster, and rascally Misfit into the new squad, and with the new Spy Smasher as an ambiguous Jack Bauer-like anti-heroine and Lois Lane cornering Oracle into almost giving away her secret identity. Again, the characters were chosen to provide a foil for each other, and affirmed her love for her characters: "The team is a group of individuals, quite unlike the friendship between Dinah, Helena, and Babs. And any team with Barda on it automatically has a certain bull in a China shop tremble, and I love that... The characters don't apologize for being asskickers, nor for being smart, nor for being sexy, nor for being sexual, for that matter. There are always going to be some people who find that not to their taste, but at the same time, Birds of Prey regularly brings in people who don't otherwise read mainstream comics, a whole audience that may not pick up any other superhero titles, and I love that niche, that little area between good taste and utter shamelessness."[13] Finally, Simone stated her agony of leaving the book: "I miss the characters in all the books I've worked on. Writing the last issue of Birds of Prey I'm doing was actually physically painful."[14]
After Simone's departure to sister title Wonder Woman, Sean McKeever wrote Birds of Prey from issues #113 to #117. McKeever used his short stint to pit a new incarnation of "Blackhawk" villain Killer Shark against ex-Blackhawk Zinda Blake and to introduce the location of Platinum Flats, called by IGN "the Silicon Valley of the DC universe and a hotbed of white-collar crime committed by mysterious villain 'The Visionary'." IGN called his short stint "enjoyable" and creative.[15] His writing deeds were taken over by Tony Bedard, who stated in a Comic Book Resources interview that he liked the concept of Platinum Flats. Bedard wants to mix the concept of 21st century white-collar crime with 1930s mob families and has stated that Oracle is his favorite Birds of Prey character.[16]
DC canceled the series in February 2009, with the "Oracle: The Cure" mini-series beginning publication the following month as part of a company-wide reorganization of Batman-related titles.[17]
On January 13, 2010, DC announced the return of the Birds of Prey title for the spring, under the Brightest Day banner. Gail Simone returned to write series with Ed Benes providing the artwork. Hawk and Dove were brought as new members of the team as well, with Oracle playing a strictly supporting role.[18][19][20] While in Singapore in December 2010, she announced, in an interview with the newspaper Straits Times, an intention to create a Singapore superheroine.
It was eventually announced that the title would cancelled along with every other DC book as part of a company-wide relaunch following the Flashpoint event.[21] Two months prior to the title's cancellation, Simone left the book after issue #12.
In July, writer Marc Andreyko and artist Billy Tucci took over the title for the final story-arc, which featured the original Black Canary and Phantom Lady. Manhunter, a former Birds of Prey member created by Andreyko, appeared as well.[22]
DC Comics relaunched Birds of Prey with issue #1 in September 2011 for the New 52 range. Novelist Duane Swierczynski replaced Andreyko as the writer, with Jesus Saiz handling the art.[23] Noted Batman villain Poison Ivy was announced as one of the new characters joining the team.[24]
The book's first storyline begins shortly after Barbara regains the use of her legs due to the events of Flashpoint. Dinah approaches her old friend with an offer to join the new Birds of Prey team she is putting together, but she declines, instead suggesting that Katana take her place. The gun-toting vigilante Starling is also recruited into the team.[25]
The series has been collected into a number of trade paperbacks published by DC Comics.
| Title | Material collected | Publication date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birds of Prey | Black Canary/Oracle: Birds of Prey, Birds of Prey: Manhunt, Birds of Prey: Revolution, a story from Showcase '96 #3 | 2002 | 978-1563894848 |
| Birds of Prey: Old Friends, New Enemies | Birds of Prey: Wolves, Bird of Prey: Batgirl, Birds of Prey #1–6 | 2003 | 978-1563899393 |
| Nightwing: The Hunt for Oracle | Birds of Prey #20–21, Nightwing #41–46 | 2003 | 978-1563899409 |
| Birds of Prey: Of Like Minds | Birds of Prey #56–61 | 2004 | 978-1401201920 |
| Birds of Prey: Sensei and Student | Birds of Prey #62–68 | 2005 | 978-1401204341 |
| Birds of Prey: Between Dark and Dawn | Birds of Prey #69–75 | 2006 | 978-1401209407 |
| Birds of Prey: The Battle Within | Birds of Prey #76–85 | 2006 | 978-1401210960 |
| Birds of Prey: Perfect Pitch | Birds of Prey #86–90, #92–95 | 2007 | 978-1401211912 |
| Birds of Prey: Blood and Circuits | Birds of Prey #96–103 | 2007 | 978-1401213718 |
| Birds of Prey: Dead of Winter | Birds of Prey #104–108 | 2008 | 978-1401216412 |
| Birds of Prey: Club Kids | Birds of Prey #109–112, #118 | 2009 | 978-1401221751 |
| Birds of Prey: Metropolis or Dust | Birds of Prey #113–117 | 2009 | 978-1401219628 |
| Birds of Prey: Platinum Flats | Birds of Prey #119–124 | 2009 | 978-1401222932 |
| Oracle: The Cure | Birds of Prey #126–127, Origins and Omens: Oracle, Oracle: The Cure #1–3 | 2010 | 978-1401226039 |
| Birds of Prey: Endrun | Birds of Prey v2 #01-06 | 2011 | 978-1401231316 |
| Birds of Prey: Death of Oracle | Birds of Prey v2 #07-13 | 2011 | 978-1401232757 |
The comic was loosely adapted to a television series, Birds of Prey. Set in an alternate future of the DC Universe, the show starred Dina Meyer as Oracle and Ashley Scott as Huntress, established partners in New Gotham. Meyer's Oracle was the paralyzed former Batgirl; Scott's Huntress was the daughter of Batman and a metahuman Catwoman, and as such exhibited feline powers.
Joined in the pilot episode by a young psychic runaway named Dinah (played by Rachel Skarsten), the team spent 13 episodes stopping various metahuman threats such as Huntress' old high school friend Shiva and a thinly-veiled Nightwing knockoff, the dangerous "Darkstrike" (previously known as "Nightstrike" until the similarity to Nightwing prompted the change). Other main cast members included Shemar Moore as Huntress' love interest Detective Jesse Reese, and Mia Sara as the villainous Dr. Harleen Quinzel (Harley Quinn). Lori Loughlin was a notable guest star, playing Dinah's metahuman mother, the Black Canary.
The theme song was "Revolution" by Aimee Allen, and the show was developed by Laeta Kalogridis.
Gail Simone scripted the Justice League Unlimited episode "Double Date". She originally intended the episode to feature a temporarily house-bound Batgirl (Barbara Gordon) contacting Huntress and Black Canary to complete a case for her, but a character rights issue necessitated removing Barbara from the story and taking it in a different direction (teaming Huntress with the Question and Black Canary with Green Arrow).[26]
The Birds of Prey appear in the episode "The Mask of Matches Malone" for the younger-audience animated series Batman: The Brave and the Bold. The episode was written by longtime Birds of Prey writer Gail Simone.[27] Both Huntress (Tara Strong) and Black Canary (Grey DeLisle) are currently recurring characters on the show and will comprise the team with Catwoman (Nika Futterman); Oracle does not exist in the program's continuity, though the Barbara Gordon Batgirl features in other episodes of the show. In "The Mask of Matches Malone", Catwoman, Black Canary and Huntress team up to restore order to Gotham when Batman develops amnesia. The episode attracted commentary for a musical number which the Birds perform to a club. The song was written was Michael Jenric. After airing in Australia, the episode attracted heavy comments in online forums due to perceived racy, and possibly innuendo-laden content in the song lyrics. The episode was subsequently delayed by Cartoon Network ahead of its US broadcast so it could be re-edited to meet American Standards and Practices. Executive producer James Tucker describes the number as a "Cole Porter-type song... fun, sophisticated and with clever wordplay". Tucker says, ultimately, that he was pleased with the edit.[28]
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