Written by: Kelly Thompson
Art by: Jonathan Case, Gavin GuidryColors by: Jordie Bellaire
Letters by: Clayton Cowles
Cover art by: Leonardo Romero
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: May 7, 2024
Birds Of Prey #9 finds the Birds in a bleak pocket dimension with weird costumes, no connection to the Red, and surrounded by bat monsters.
Is Birds Of Prey #9 Good?
Oy! The idea of reinvigorating a dormant comic title with a new creator is to tell stories that add to the legacy of the title. In every way, Kelly Thompson and the Birds of Prey are lowering the legacy of the team with cutesy dialog, plot developments that make no sense, and a revolving door of artists that crush any attempts at maintaining consistency.
When last we left the Birds of Prey, Vixen's not-a-plan involved having the girls dress up in lingerie for a fashion show because that was supposed to draw out the villain messing with Time... somehow. The issue ended with Barbara getting sucked into a portal that appeared out of nowhere and the Birds leaping after her.
Now, the Birds wake up in a pocket dimension or alternate reality or something else entirely. It appears to be a muted version of Gotham City, and the Birds are now wearing exaggerated Gothic versions of their costumes without working weapons. Barbara and Meridian are nowhere to be seen.
The Birds search for Barbara and find her at the bottom of a well. When they haul her out, they decide to head for this realm's version of the Watchtower, but it isn't long before Cass deduces the Barbara they saved isn't the real Barbara.
Meanwhile, Meridian (Maps from the future) wakes up to find the portal blocked her entrance with the rest of the Birds. She seeks out Zealot for help, and the pair return to the portal to formulate a plan.
The issue ends with the Birds escaping through a new portal when chased by giant bats.
What's great about Birds of Prey #9? Not much. The Gothic-inspired costumes are a nice visual, and the art team's imagining of a darker-than-usual Gotham City has a certain creep factor, but that's about all.
What's not so great about Birds of Prey #9? It's clear at this point that Kelly Thompson has no idea what to do with this story, doesn't understand these characters, and dreams up random plot developments in the hope that something sticks. There's even a moment in the narration where Dinah concludes she's entered the third act of the story after missing the first and second. All of Thompson's worst habits as a writer are on full display, including adult, seasoned heroes talking like middle schoolers, juvenile humor at inopportune moments, and an indecipherable plot.
This issue and the series as a whole have devolved into a complete waste.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
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Bits and Pieces:
Birds Of Prey #9 is a waste of time, space, and money. The plot goes nowhere and makes no sense, Thompson's character work and story structure are abysmal, and the series as a whole is getting worse, not better.
2/10
Bingo! It’s clearly getting worse.
ReplyDelete-Matthew Lloyd
Want to like this book so much but it's just....pointless? Was actually optimistic about swapping Harley for the underrated Vixen but it's just silly hijinks and dialogue from a team that deserved better than what it's been getting the past few years.
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