Birds of Prey Continues to Set the Bar for Superhero Teams in Comics (Review)

Birds of Prey has been one of DC’s best team books for a while now, and impressively it doesn’t seem to matter which form of the team is in the spotlight. Case in point, Birds of Prey #19, which splits the team in half and leaves part of the team completely out and yet never misses a beat, delivering hilarious moments and thrilling action in equal measure while pulling at the bigger threads that will form the core of the series’ next chapter. If that’s not a successful outing, I’m not sure what is.

Kelly Thompson picks up right where the last issue’s cliffhanger left off as the team is taking on two missions simultaneously, and while the scenarios are completely different, the methods are quite similar. Black Canary and Sin look to route a lethal splinter cell of the League of Shadows, while Barda and Batgirl try and return a possessed Constantine to his normal charming self. Thompson finds depth and humor in both scenarios, though they also play off of each other extremely well, with the Barda and Batgirl side of things providing the perfect amount of lightheartedness to balance out the more serious nature of Sin and Canary’s fight for survival.

I say fight for survival, but really that battle is a showcase for just how powerful Sin really is, and Juann Cabal, Adriano Lucas, and Clayton Cowles feel unleashed in a way throughout the latter half of that story. Sin is a force of nature, and between the layouts, major pops of color, and inventiveness in how Sin’s power and abilities are portrayed, you can’t help but come away impressed.

Granted, it’s hard to top a Barda action sequence, as everyone’s favorite warrior just demolishes an army of Golems and then somehow threatens someone in the most delightful way possible. There’s just something so wonderfully fun and offbeat about Thompson’s Barda and Batgirl dynamic, and I simply can’t get enough of it. That’s only bolstered by the always-compelling John Constantine, even if he’s not truly himself these days.

[RELATED: Kelly Thompson Breaks Down DC’s New Birds of Prey Team, Reaction to Harley Quinn, and More]

Now, this issue isn’t earth-shattering as far as major developments, but the threads that are pulled throughout feel substantial and that they will lead to major developments down the line. Black Canary and Sin continue to evolve as mother and daughter and fellow superheroes, and having Oracle take a more active role in the adventure doesn’t hurt either.

Bird of Prey has been one of DC’s best books every single month, and that trend continues effortlessly with issue #19. Thompson, Cabal, Lucas, and Cowles are putting together another all-time run of the series, and if you’re not along for the ride, you are most certainly missing out.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Published by: DC Comics

Written by: Kelly Thompson

Art by: Juann Cabal

Colors by: Adriano Lucas

Letters by: Clayton Cowles

What did you think of Birds of Prey? Let us know in the comments, and you can talk all things comics with me on Bluesky @knightofoa!