Birds of Prey #1 Preview Reveals First Look at Beloved Character's Return
The Birds of Prey are about to flourish in DC's comics once again, with a new ongoing series set to launch in September from Kelly Thompson and Leonardo Romero. The new Birds of Prey book has already captivated fans' attention as the roster has been unveiled and the variant covers have been released — and now, a new look at the book has dropped another bombshell. On Tuesday, a few preview images from Birds of Prey #1 were released online, which show Dinah Lance / Black Canary reading a letter in her bedroom with Oliver Queen / Green Arrow. On Dinah's bedside table is a framed photo, which — as Thompson confirmed in a post on her Substack newsletter — is Cynthia "Sin" Lance.
— Leonardo Romero (@Leo__Romero) June 20, 2023
Who is DC's Sin Lance?
Created by Gail Simone and Paulo Siqueria in 2006's Birds of Prey #92, Sin is a young girl who enters Dinah's orbit at a vicious martial arts camp in Asia, which Dinah has enrolled in after swapping lives with Lady Shiva for a year. After Dinah learns that Sin is being trained to be the next Lady Shiva, she helps her escape the camp and essentially becomes her mother figure. The two of them live in Metropolis together, and Dinah quits the Birds of Prey so she can better protect Sin. In 2007's Black Canary miniseries, Dinah and the Green Arrow family battle with the League of Assassins over Sin's future, as the latter group wants to kidnap her and make her their new leader. To end the conflict, Oliver Queen / Green Arrow fakes Sin's death and hides her away in a monastery, where Dinah visits her from time to time.
Some had theorized that Sin could end up being Red Canary, who debuted in the comics earlier this year and becomes a superhero after being inspired by Dinah. It's worth noting that Red Canary's real name was recently revealed to be "Sienna", so we'll have to wait and see if and how there is a connection between the two.
What is DC's new Birds of Prey series about?
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!
"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 in a statement. "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."
"I couldn't be happier to announce my first monthly project for DC!" Romero echoed. "With this book, I've had the opportunity to not only draw some of the most badass women in the DC Universe, but also to work once more with the best people in our industry, Kelly Thompson and Jordie Bellaire. I missed the dynamic we had on Hawkeye, so I'm very excited to have our team back together! Can't to show you all what we've been doing!"
What do you think of the new Birds of Prey #1 preview? Are you hoping for the return of Sin Lance? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!