Review: Birds of Prey #18
[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writer: Kelly Thompson
Art: Juann Cabal
Colors: Adriano Lucas
Letters: Clayton Cowles
Reviewed by: Matthew B. Lloyd
Summary
The assassins are coming for Sin! Dinah and Barbara devise a trap that gives the “sisters” a chance for a “get away” weekend. Meanwhile, more nonsense with Barda and Cassandra.
Positives
Bird of Prey #18 starts out strong as Barbara gets some intel indicating that the assassins from whom Sin was liberated back in Birds of Prey Vol.1 #95 (2006) are coming to take her back. This is a nice continuity callback by Kelly Thompson. It’s a good use of DC history. Contemporary comics don’t get this right as often as they should. The opening pages with Dinah and Sin give some insight into Dinah’s character which is appreciated and connect to the same story referenced as it ties into Dinah’s fighting prowess and how she values skill in hand-to-hand combat.
Barbara’s concern for her friends and development of the plan is a solid use of her role as Oracle. Barbara responds to a call for assistance is a nice touch even if it isn’t executed well. There’s some nice storytelling as Dinah and Sin communicate non-verbally as they become aware of the assassins that have surrounded their “safe house” and are preparing to attack. This whole sequence shows that Thompson can be a good writer.
Negatives
Despite the very good start to Birds of Prey #18, the secondary plot with Barda and Batgirl (Cassandra Cain) is unfortunately more of Thompson’s nonsense. It’s obvious that Thompson doesn’t know how to handle this cast effectively. Instead of Bara and Cass doing something worthwhile they are seen playing video games before heading off to help John Constantine. It makes sense for these two to have something to do while the smaller mission that Dinah and Sin are on runs, but it just seems like a weird solution to send these two on a magical mission to assist Constantine. Thompson has tried to push this series into the magical and supernatural and it is like fitting a square peg in a round hole. In this particular issue, it points out that Barda doesn’t really fit into this friend group and Thompson has to find something for her to do, the same with Cass who’s usually more of a loner.
It also demonstrates that Thompson doesn’t know how to manage a larger cast effectively and make it all feel like it fits. The plotline with Dinah and Sin is a more grounded and personal thing that fits the characters, while the mission for Constantine is just a distraction from that better plot. Not only should Barbara have just called in some magical types to help Constantine instead of sending Barda and Cass. This is so much wasted space for the issue that could’ve been used to move the Dinah/ Sin plot forward. Thompson has done this in this series. The Birds of Prey concept can be a tricky one to crack, it takes the right balance of action and character moments and part of that is knowing how to use the characters. This has been a problem for Thompson throughout the series.
I doesn’t really make sense that Barda and Cass are just sitting around playing video games…waiting…for something. I don’t think this is their life. They have other things to do. Thompson wants to get smaller personal moments, but they have to be meaningful and it doesn’t make sense that they are just sitting around…waiting. Also, Thompson’s inability to write quality humorous moments doesn’t help. Half this issue should be replaced with something meaningful instead of the nonsense. It would be better to show actual personal moments unrelated to a mission with the pair bonding instead of playing video games.
Verdict
Birds of Prey #18 is a mixed bag. Half of the issue is really good, and half of the issue is wasted. Thompson can’t write a complete issue and gets in her own way allowing the good stuff to be undermined by nonsense that has no value to the story or characters. I had real hopes for this issue, but it’s more of the same. This series will not improve until a better writer takes over.
