Birds of Prey #2 Review: Taking Flight in Brilliant and Beautiful Fashion

To an extent, every comic reader has a hyperfixation – the character or team that they're thinking about a little too often, or the ongoing title that they know they're buying based on principle alone. Birds of Prey fits both criteria for me, as the ongoing adventures of Black Canary and the DC universe's other heroines have remained particularly important to me for years. Going into DC's newest Birds of Prey ongoing series, I was happy to have any new addition to the team's canon, but I was unprepared for just how stunning those additions would be. Birds of Prey #2 continues the comic's momentum at an exhilarating pace, delivering a character-driven, butt-kicking story that is nothing short of a revelation.

Birds of Prey #2 continues right where the series' debut issue left off, as Black Canary has introduced her new ragtag team—Zealot, Big Barda, Cassandra Cain, and Harley Quinn—to Meridian, an older version of Maps Mizoguchi who has a dire warning about the DCU's future. With the team's mission of rescuing Sin Lance from Themyscira to prevent the end of the world on the horizon, they navigate different points of view, and some unconventional threats, to put their plan into action. 

While much of DC's line-wide "Dawn of DC" relaunch has been a success, it cannot be overstated how snugly Birds of Prey fits within that status quo. In a way, issue #2 proves to be a celebration of the larger DCU (or at least, a few pockets of it), allowing for character cameos and location changes that are incredibly effective and fun. This ethos feels very similar to Birds of Prey's earliest days, with the 1990s and 2000s eras of the book becoming a globe-trotting affair. Sure, we already know that this arc is headed to Themyscira, but the way this issue approaches its new set pieces gives me tons of confidence for that element and for whatever other locales await in storylines to come.

But at the same time, this lively and wide-ranging sequence of events does not distract from the Birds themselves. Kelly Thompson's script makes moves—some larger than others—in the arcs of all five of its protagonists, to great success. Dinah's arc is particularly effective, with the issue allowing her to balance her emotional pull towards Sin with her dynamic with the allies surrounding her. (When one of the most prevailing gripes about this run is that Sin is offhandedly referred to as Dinah's "sister" instead of her pre-New 52 status quo of surrogate daughter, you know the comic is doing something right.) Again, the issue's approach to the endearing soap opera of the Birds' lives is not only entertaining in the moment, but provokes excitement for when team mainstays Batgirl and Huntress eventually rejoin the fray.

Entire odes could be written just about Leonardo Romero's art, which settles into a perfect groove when drawing Birds of Prey's ensemble. From the fluidity of a fight scene to the volume of a character's hair to a well-timed sight gag from Harley, Romero approaches each panel with a brilliant perspective. The influence of Alex Toth and Jack Kirby can be seen throughout Romero's visuals, while still unequivocally feeling like something new. Jordie Bellaire does some of the best color work of her career, which is saying something, because her timeless-but-timely approach has been stunning for years. In Birds of Prey #2, Bellaire's approach to yellows, blues, and purples creates a dazzling effect, working perfectly in concert with Romero's art. Clayton Cowles' lettering is a consistent balance to that visual symphony, while still creating pockets for each character's distinct voice to be conveyed.

Birds of Prey #2 is not only a stunning and lively showcase of the titular group's endless potential – it's a breathtaking example of what sequential superhero comics are still capable of achieving. With art that is simultaneously reverential and revolutionary, and a script filled with genuine surprises and a gleeful sense of stakes, this issue is a knockout in every way possible. When the dust settles on the "Dawn of DC" initiative, Birds of Prey will be one of the best—if not the best—comic book to emerge from the experiment.

Published by DC Comics

On October 3, 2023

Written by Kelly Thompson

Art by Leonardo Romero

Colors by Jordie Bellaire

Letters by Clayton Cowles

Cover by Leonardo Romero and Jordie Bellaire