DC's New Birds Of Prey Are Flying Your Way Soon
The Birds of Prey are back in the DC Universe with Kelly Thompson, Leonardo Romero, Jordie Bellaire, and Clayton Cowles launching an ongoing series starring a new version of the iconic superteam. As part of the "Dawn of DC" initiative, the new Birds of Prey features an impressive cast of characters, including Black Canary, Big Barda, Harley Quinn, Cassandra Cain's Batgirl, and Zealot.
The Birds of Prey first debuted in "Showcase '96" #3, featuring several female superheroes fighting all types of threats in the DC Universe, with Black Canary and Barbara Gordon's Oracle leading the charge. While the team was initially written by Chuck Dixon, the team really blossomed when Gail Simone (and artist Ed Benes) took over the title in "Birds of Prey" #68. Simone, who worked with artists such as Joe Bennett, Nicola Scott, and Pablo Siquiera in her 50+ issues of the series, made a kickass book starring a constantly rotating group of characters. Throughout its run, the team featured a revolving door of heroes. Everyone from Lady Blackhawk, Huntress, Lady Shiva, and Gypsy, to original characters co-created by Simone, including Sin, a female version of Judomaster, and Misfit, were a part of the team at some point.
Now, the newest "Birds of Prey" are about to form — with some very familiar faces joining the team.
The Birds of Prey's new mission in the DC Universe
Kelly Thompson and Leonardo Romero previously worked together on Marvel's "Hawkeye" series starring Kate Bishop. Thompson's run on "Captain Marvel" ends this week, with the groundbreaking title wrapping up after 50 issues. "Birds of Prey" sees Thompson jump into the DC Universe and features familiar and returning faces to the all-female squad. In a Twitter post, Thompson called the team the most dangerous version of the group yet. The series will see Black Canary back in charge of the "Birds of Prey," with the longtime leader recruiting her fellow members to take on a mysterious new threat. Here's the official synopsis from DC Comics:
In Birds of Prey, Dinah Lance is one of the DC Universe's most elite fighters, and combined with her sonic scream, she's a fearsome foe in any scenario...but sometimes even the Black Canary needs help. Faced with a personal mission brought to her by a mysterious new ally, and up against near-impossible odds, she re-forms the Birds of Prey with an unrivaled group—Cassandra Cain, Big Barda, Zealot, and Harley Quinn—with only one goal: extraction of their asset at any cost. What could possibly go wrong? This all-new, all-deadly Birds of Prey is still breaking hearts and faces after all these years!
Black Canary and Big Barda
Dinah Lance sets the tone for the fan-favorite DC team with her sonic scream and incredible hand-to-hand combat skills. She has often been paired alongside Green Arrow in the DC Universe but has somewhat supplanted the Emerald Archer as the most popular hero from the iconic relationship.
Big Barda has been a member of the Birds of Prey before, specifically during the end of Gail Simone's (and artist Nicola Scott's) run on the comic. Hailing from Apokolips, the hellscape ruled by Darkseid, Barda trained her god-tier powers under Granny Goodness as part of the Female Furies, a group of mighty warriors who acted on behalf of the DC supervillain. However, after meeting prisoner Scott Free (Mister Miracle), she traveled to Earth and escaped her past life, turning over a new leaf as a hero. Barda has struggled to escape her past life, with Darkseid's machinations and attacks on Earth having left her constantly fighting against the being she used to fight for.
Big Barda is the most powerful member of the Birds of Prey ever and will likely be the muscle for the team. Regardless of the Bird of Prey's opponents, Barda gives them a weapon whose pure strength and abilities won't be rivaled — and if they are, may God help everyone else on Earth.
Cassandra Cain, Zealot, and Harley Quinn
"Birds of Prey" will also feature Cassandra Cain's Batgirl, who appeared in Gail Simone's "Birds of Prey" run. The daughter of Lady Shiva and David Cain, Cassandra was raised to be the deadliest assassin on Earth. Since Cain was deprived of a normal upbringing, she would slowly develop social skills later in life. She has worked alongside Batman, been a member of The Outsiders, and recently teamed up with Stephanie Brown's Spoilers, as the two young heroes shared the role. Writer Kelly Thomspon has long referred to Cassandra Cain as one DC hero she couldn't wait to write.
A new powerhouse on the team is Zealot, who comes from the Wildstorm side of the DC Universe. From a different planet, Zealot possesses several powerful abilities, ranging from super-enhanced powers, expertise in numerous combat forms, and a near-immortality. Zealot is currently appearing alongside other heroes from the Wildstorm Universe within the pages of DC Comics in "Wildcats."
The true wildcard of the team is the unexpected reveal that Harley Quinn is joining the Birds of Prey. The former villain has become an anti-hero in the DC Universe, even joining the Bat Family in recent years. However, Quinn is still unpredictable as ever, and with her on the roster, the other members will need to keep her in check. Quinn will bring some energy and spunkiness to the team and add a lighter personality to a group of often uber-serious heroes. It seems destined she will get on the nerves of the Birds of Prey — but likely in a loving way.
The Birds of Prey roster will continue to evolve
During the rollout for "Birds of Prey," Kelly Thompson revealed that the team will continue to change with separate missions bringing different characters to the squad. She also explained longtime member Barbara Gordon's absence would make sense after reading the first issue, adding she isn't involved due to a significant plot point in the comic that will be expanded on if the series continues past the initial run. In a DC press release, Thompson called writing "Birds of Prey" a dream come true for her.
"When I say this is a dream come true for me, I mean not just working on the iconic Birds of Prey title, but also the characters we were able to fold in, and the creative team we assembled," Thompson said. "Leonardo Romero and Jordie Bellaire were two of my first partners-in-crime making superhero books and I've been trying to make this happen ever since. It won't surprise anyone to learn that Leonardo and Jordie are even better than they were the last time we worked together—and working together on this wild book is pure magic."
"Birds of Prey" #1 will feature covers from Leonardo Romero, Stanley "Artgerm" Lau, and Chris Bachalo. Artist Frank Cho will draw an action-packed triptych variant. Additionally, the title will come with incentive covers from Nick Bradshaw (1:25), Bachalo (1:50), and Romero (1:100). The first issue of "Birds of Prey" from DC Comics will be available on September 5 at comic book stores and online retailers.