Review: Birds of Prey Volume 1 - End Run

After being framed for the murder of a European gangster, Black Canary reunites with her former teammates to clear her name and uncover the identity of her unseen foe. The answer may lay in their past, but the Birds must live long enough in order to uncover it. Thankfully, they have help in the form of Hawk and Dove, and… the Penguin? This is one reunion that is not to be missed.

Birds of Prey Volume 1: End Run collects Birds of Prey (Vol. 2) #1-6, written by Gail Simone, with art by Ed Benes, Adriana Melo and Alvin Lee.

After successfully diffusing a hostage situation in Europe, Black Canary reunites with Oracle and Huntress to track down a mysterious villain who threatens to kill everyone they’ve ever known and loved. This threat isn’t to be taken lightly either, considering said villain is in possession of a rather hefty document carrying just about every bit of information on our heroines' secret identities. Complicating matters is the arrival of a woman calling herself the White Canary. As far as villains go, White Canary has a rather distinctive look and the fact that she’s able to fight Black Canary to a standstill makes her a terrifying opponent. She has big bad potential, further highlighting just how good Simone is at creating new characters.

Meanwhile, Batman baddie Penguin is seemingly caught in the crosshairs of this conflict. His inclusion in the narrative is as brilliant as it is hilarious. Simone writes him rather well, giving him a very distinct personality as a lecherous club owner. New recruits Hawk and Dove are also along for the ride. Their involvement in the story is a little more tenuous, as they feel too randomly placed. Neither character contributes anything noteworthy to the story and instead feel wedged into the narrative in order to tie-in to the then-current event Brightest Day. That’s not to say that they’re not welcome additions to the cast. Hell, having Hawk on the team was worth it if only for Lady Blackhawk’s hilarious one-liner asking if he’s “fancy.”

For all intents and purposes, End Run acts as a sequel to Gail Simone’s acclaimed run on the first Birds of Prey series. Much of its plot hinges upon events and characters originally introduced during that time. For fans of that run, reading End Run will be like a referential stroll down memory lane. Simone utilizes guest stars such as Savant, Creote and Lady Shiva to provide a sense of familiarity amongst her readers. Their inclusion is more than welcome, considering these characters had been all but abandoned when she departed the original Birds of Prey way back in 2007. This also happens to create a near seamless narrative that links both of her Birds runs, allowing readers to feel like she’d never left at all.

The downside to Simone’s sequel approach to the title also happens to be just how dense it is to penetrate for newer readers. Despite being an apparent introductory arc to a new volume of Birds of Prey, it requires the reader to have precise knowledge of Simone’s preceding run, as well as a working knowledge of the dissolution of Black Canary’s marriage to Green Arrow. In many ways, End Run is a direct follow-up to The Battle Within. In this globe-trotting adventure, Black Canary and her one-time mentor Wildcat were forced to do battle against the assassins known as the Twelve Brothers in Silk. After their defeat at the hands of Canary and her allies, the Brothers returned to Asia never to be seen or heard from again. Though it’s not essential to have read this storyline to enjoy End Run, it will leave more than one casual reader feeling confused. The flip side to this is that it’s refreshing to see a writer acknowledge the continuity that’s been previously established, as all too often a writer will ignore canon in favour of doing their own thing.

Calling End Run a sequel has double-meaning too. The first being the narrative and its characters, but the word itself also brings film to mind. If there’s one thing Simone achieved here, it’s that she’s crafted a truly expansive cinematic experience for her readers. From the icy mountains of Europe to the crowded street of Thailand, the Birds traverse the globe in their quest to stop the White Canary. What follows is one glorious fight sequence after another. These action scenes are tightly choreographed and wrench the tension up, as they leave our heroines with little time to rest. After all, Black Canary goes the entire final act with broken bones and Lady Blackhawk is in recovery for a stab wound. One of the most memorable sequences sees Huntress taking on Lady Shiva in one hell of a bloody brawl. Huntress is outclassed and outmatched against the master assassin, but her determination to last as long as she can makes for an extremely intense fight.

Aside from the issue of accessibility, the one area where End Run stumbles is in its moments of downtime. A particularly awkward scene occurs early on when Black Canary reunites with Oracle and Huntress. The narration sees Canary telling herself not to cry, only to see Huntress burst into tears moments later. This sentimentality feels a little forced and out-of-character for this particular group of women. It’s almost as if it’s been wedged in so that readers are reminded that these three are a true blue Sex and the City group of BFFs. Another odd moment occurs when the Penguin fantasizes the Birds stripping down and waiting on him. It’s a scene that’s wholly unnecessary and feels as if it’s there in order to provide some gratuitous cheesecake.

All in all, End Run wasn’t quite the reunion it should have been. With Simone and Benes teaming up to tackle the team that made them superstars, it’s not unreasonable to have high expectations going into it. The art is indeed beautiful, but is inconsistent due to Benes splitting art chores with Adriana Melo. Simone’s writing shares a similar fate. She manages to balance the arc amazingly well, crafting some of the most stunning action scenes and plot twists. However, there are small blips here and there that are more than a little awkward. Nevertheless, End Run is like a heartfelt love letter to Simone’s legendary run on the original Birds and should not be missed by anyone who is a fan of these characters. At the end of the day, there’s nothing quite like seeing this band of badasses kick some bad guy butt. From Huntress’ tough girl routine to Lady Blackhawk’s penchant for drinking, it’s always a rip-roaring good time when the Birds of Prey are involved.

RATING: B+