Review - Batgirl and the Birds of Prey Volume 1: Who is Oracle?

When a series of correspondences are attributed to Oracle, Batgirl teams up with Black Canary to uncover who is using her former moniker. Along the way they must contend with the interference of the enigmatic Huntress, who is hunting down the mobsters that Oracle appears to be helping.

Batgirl and the Birds of Prey Volume 1: Who is Oracle? collects Batgirl and the Birds of Prey #1-6 and Rebirth #1, written by Shawna and Julie Bension with art by Claire Roe and Roge Antonio.

Shawna Benson and Julie Benson do an impeccable job capturing the essence of what makes the Birds of Prey such an enduring comic book. Batgirl and Black Canary’s friendship is front and center. The dialogue features playful jousting between the two women throughout, but there’s a constant sense of sisterhood and trust between them. When Huntress is thrown into the mix, it adds a new dimension to their dynamic. With Batgirl on one end of the morality spectrum and Huntress on the other end, Black Canary fits in neatly in the space between them. The Bensons really understand these characters and they write them well, which is largely what makes this such an enjoyable read.

Where the book misses its mark is in its execution of its storyline. It follows two plot threads – one being the investigation into who is using the name Oracle and the other being the pursuit of the criminal mastermind Fenice. As we learn fairly early on, Fenice is a mobster who is chipping away at the competition in a bid to seemingly become the top boss in Gotham City. These two narratives are what link Batgirl and Black Canary to Huntress. The former two are searching for Oracle, while the latter is going after Fenice. Everything that’s done in relation to Fenice is well done and is quite intriguing, even if it was a little predictable, as it helps to add depth to Huntress’ character. Conversely, the reveal of Oracle’s identity left a lot to be desired. After all of the work put into Frankie Charles’ character in Batgirl, it was bound to be a disappointment to see anyone other than her using the name. Spoiler alert: it’s not Frankie and it is a huge disappointment. To add insult to injury, there’s a profound misunderstanding of what Oracle stands for and what that identity means to people. When it’s revealed that Oracle is not only a dude, but also an able-bodied person, it was a severe misstep in terms of acknowledging why Oracle was such a meaningful character. Regardless of whether this Oracle is meant to be a villain or even stick around very long, his placement in this book was unnecessary. The Bensons could have stuck with the Fenice plotline and it would have been just fine.

The art throughout is consistent and helps to match the often light-hearted dialogue. As such, there’s an expressiveness that each character has. I’m especially fond of seeing how Black Canary’s sass and snark is conveyed visually through her expressions. Similarly, there’s a semi-poignant sequence of panels where Batgirl is being introspective about her identity. She questions whether she is Batgirl or Oracle. It’s a standout in this collection, largely in part due to the art that accompanies it. Additionally, the action scenes are rendered really well. There’s an especially memorable sequence that features Black Canary and Huntress on motorcycles. It’s badass. My one point of contention is Huntress’ design. For one thing, her new outfit is not cute. It seems heavy and looks cobbled together (which I suppose matches Black Canary’s rather uninspired Rebirth ensemble). The cut is unflattering and the lack of a belt certainly doesn’t help matters either. There also seems to be a lack of consistency with her ethnicity, which still requires some definition given how she appears to have gone from black in the pages of Grayson to being racially ambiguous here.

Who is Oracle? truly feels like a return to form for DC’s iconic all-female team. The camaraderie that made the Birds so compelling is on full display and the level of action matches that dynamism. Overall, I enjoy the direction that Shawna and Julie Benson are going in as I feel they have a firm grasp on who these characters are. What would push this book from being pretty decent to being stellar would be if they brought Frankie Charles in as the new Oracle and if Huntress was given a bit of a makeover since what she’s wearing now doesn’t come close to matching her personality.

RATING: B

Review - Titans Volume 1: The Return of Wally West

Having been removed from existence, Wally West has mysteriously returned. He and his friends must work together in order to find the person responsible for his erasure. In the process, he must come to terms with his relationship (or lack thereof) with his one-time love Linda Park and face off against one of his oldest foes.

Titans Volume 1: The Return of Wally West collects Titans: Rebirth #1 and Titans #1-6, written by Dan Abnett and illustrated by Brett Booth.

Put simply, Titans is a deceptively titled series that presents itself as a team book, when in reality it is in fact a Wally West-starring comic with the rest of the Titans in supporting roles. While this is unlikely to be a problem for fans of the Flash, it’s a problem for anyone looking for something that features the Titans in more substantive roles. Wally is front and center in a narrative that sees him confronting classic Flash foe Kadabra, who is responsible for erasing all traces of him from the timeline. While it would stand to reason that the book would primarily deal with the Titans’ various perspectives on this event, it instead focuses primarily on Wally’s complicated relationship with Linda Park. He still remembers a point in time when they were lovers while she has no memory of him whatsoever. The overall thrust thus becomes about whether the pair will fall in love again. Anyone hoping for any kind of depth or development added to any of the other Titans, especially characters like Donna Troy or Lilith who don’t appear in any other books, will be sorely disappointed. They’re merely set dressing, useful only for when the male characters need to flirt or to fill up the panel during action scenes. Sadly, the focus on a rather silly villain and a lack of attention paid to the female members of the Titans did nothing to endear me to this book.

Perhaps a more egregious fault with The Return of Wally West is the cringe-worthy art by Brett Booth.  I wasn’t a fan of his work on the New 52 Teen Titans and I’m still not a fan here. His proportions are wonky and he often gets lazy the smaller characters appear on a panel. As others have mentioned before, his work has a ‘90s quality to it. In fact, I find it to be very reminiscent of Rob Liefeld’s style (just with fewer pouches and shoulder pads).

With a mediocre storyline and subpar art, it’s hard to find a reason to like The Return of Wally West. Perhaps I’d have a sunnier opinion of it were I a fan of Wally West, but unfortunately this book does nothing to make me one. Instead, I find myself frustrated that there’s so little attention paid to the other characters present (all of whom I tend to like more). I’m hopeful future arcs remedy this situation, especially since I rather love the line-up presented here. Lilith, Donna Troy and a sprinkling of Bumblebee? Yes, please! As is, I’d only recommend this one to the Flash fans.

RATING: D+