Review - Superman: The Man of Steel Vol. 1

Raised in the idyllic farming town of Smallville, Clark Kent leaves home to become a champion and protector of innocent lives. Upon embarking on his new endeavor as the superhero known as Superman, he quickly makes enemies in the form of the egotistical Lex Luthor and becomes the singular obsession of the intrepid reporter Lois Lane.

Superman: The Man of Steel Volume 1 collects The Man of Steel #1-6, written and illustrated by John Byrne.

Under John Byrne’s pen, Superman’s world and mythos was redesigned for a then-modern audience following the continuity-altering Crisis on Infinite Earths. The six-part The Man of Steelbegins with Kal-El’s escape from Krypton and chronicles his earliest adventures as Superman. The most significant reinvention Byrne establishes is to Krypton. It’s portrayed as a cold, sterile world where science advancements have devastated the planet so thoroughly that it is on the verge of destruction. It feels like a cautionary tale of what could happen to Earth if we do not protect the environment and the planet’s resources. Aesthetically speaking, Byrne also gives Kryptonians a new look. Jor-El and Lara-El look androgynous, with their hair and bodies hidden behind concealing fabric. It’s an interesting visual choice that compliments the overall themes that Byrne is tugging on. The time spent on Krypton is brief, which is unfortunate since I think Byrne was doing something really unique with it. Instead of spending more time elaborating upon this world and its occupants, we’re quickly taken to Smallville and a feverish jaunt through Clark’s childhood and adolescence. Once more, Byrne doesn’t pace himself properly and it results in a frantic form of storytelling where none of the characters are able to develop properly. It’s possible that this first issue is so poorly paced as he was certain his audience was already familiar enough with these characters and this world.

The rest of this collection is focused on showing readers a few of Superman’s firsts – his first encounter with Lois Lane, his first article for the Daily Planet, his first team-up with Batman, and his first conflict with Lex Luthor. All of these are effective and engaging stories that are self-contained in singular issues. Byrne’s approach is opposite to what Frank Miller and George Perez would do respectively with Batman and Wonder Woman Post-Crisis. He gives readers little vignettes that are easy to digest rather than a full-on arc with a singular villain and primary conflict. This allows him to develop the characters by dropping them into different situations. One of the most interesting issues in the bunch is The Man of Steel #3, where Superman and Batman have their first team-up. They join forces to stop the thief Magpie from committing any more of her violent crimes. The story is full of tension as it explores the different approaches Superman and Batman have to vigilantism. Their personalities contrast quite well and Byrne does a spectacular job of portraying both. In contrast, Byrne’s reinvention of Bizarro (though he’s not called such) is a bit of a letdown. He strips away all of the iconic elements of the character and instead portrays him as a mute science experiment that perishes at the end of his debut issue. There’s also a whiff of ableism in terms of how the subplot involving Lucy Lane’s disability is handled.

The real star of The Man of Steel actually isn’t Superman. Lois Lane is. From the very first time she bursts onto the page, she’s a firecracker whose every piece of dialogue sparks on the page. She’s tough, stubborn, resourceful, single-minded, and funny. No other character manages to be quite as interesting as Lois. She makes Superman seem like a troglodyte in comparison because she’s that dynamic. Her willingness to put herself in danger to secure an interview with Superman and the scene in which she tears into Lex Luthor for not respecting her boundaries are standout moments for Lois. It also helps that Byrne portrays her as an incredibly stylish woman and draws her in such a way that she pulls focus whenever she’s in a panel.

This first volume of Superman: The Man of Steel by John Byrne reads like the first few episodes of a television series. It’s less cinematic than other origin stories for Superman and instead takes a more episodic approach to his earliest adventures. The small-scale conflicts that take place in these issues don’t contribute to any epic event or world-threatening battle. In some ways, this allows for more character development and enables Superman to slowly grow as a hero. It also means that the opportunity for larger conflicts is there, but hasn’t been exhausted. It’s an enjoyable read, but far from being the best Superman origin story out there. If anything, it’s most worth reading for all of the Lois Lane bits.

RATING: B

Birds of Prey: The Battle Within

Oracle sends Black Canary and Huntress on a series of missions to apprehend vigilantes who have crossed the line. First, they must contend with a teenage mage who is picking off criminals in her neighbourhood. Then, they venture to a backwoods town where a mysterious vigilante known as Harvest is meting out punishment against men who have evaded justice for their past crimes. Lastly, they investigate the murder of a metahuman gang member allegedly killed by the disturbed Thorn.

Birds of Prey: The Battle Within collects Birds of Prey #76-85, written by Gail Simone and illustrated by Ed Benes, Tom Derenick, and Joe Bennett.

The Battle Within contains two arcs. The first, “Hero Hunters,” features Black Canary and Huntress investigating morally corrupt vigilantes Black Alice, Harvest, and Thorn for their alleged involvement in criminal activity. Within this first arc, writer Gail Simone plays with genres and continues to push her characters to their limits. Black Alice’s introductory issue presents itself like a magic-themed teen drama a la The Craft, the Harvest issues are horror-tinged and read like an homage to Jeepers Creepers, and the Thorn investigation is gritty and noir-esque as it deals with a corrupt police force. Beyond the entertainment factor, I love that Simone uses this trio of stories as a means of having Huntress reflect on her past and reputation as one of the most infamously unorthodox vigilantes. She also uses it to create a rift between two characters, which leads to a rather explosive exchange.

The second arc, “The Battle Within,” sees Black Canary venturing to Singapore with Wildcat in order to orchestrate the takedown of a major drug running organization. Meanwhile, Huntress is acting independently to destroy Gotham’s mob scene from the inside out and Oracle is battling a cybernetic infection brought on by her past encounter with Brainiac. It’s very much a quintessential Birds of Prey storyline involving international intrigue and plenty of action. In addition to taking on a drug lord, Black Canary must face off against the Twelve Brothers of Silk, a band of martial artists whose abilities could very well rival those of Lady Shiva. It’s a neat addition to the narrative and reminds readers of just how much of a badass Black Canary is. Of course, we also get some great character moments as well. The dynamic between Black Canary and Wildcat is really fun. As her unofficial uncle, Wildcat fills the role of father figure without being portrayed as overprotective. He trusts her and allows her to be in charge. We also get some poignant scenes between Black Canary and Oracle while the former battles her Brainiac-induced illness. These exchanges are always very important and help to showcase what makes Birds of Prey such a special comic. It’s a reminder that their sisterhood is at the centre of all the hacking and Canary Cries.

Ed Benes returns to pencil some of the issues in this collection. He handles the art chores on the Black Alice and Thorn issues in the “Hero Hunters” arc. As mentioned in my previous reviews, I enjoy his artwork and feel it suits the series well. Tom Derenick provides the art for the Harvest issues in “Hero Hunters.” Sandwiched between Benes’ work, Derenick’s art comes across looking lazy and uninspired. It’s passable, but the characters are mostly unattractive and lack distinction. Their anatomy is also wonky, but not even in a way that feels deliberately stylized. Joe Bennett takes over the reins for the rest of the issues in this trade. While his art isn’t quite as electric as Benes’, it pairs well with Simone’s writing. He particularly excels in scenes that require a bit of comedic flare and he really injects a lot of vitality into Black Canary while drawing her.

From a purely biased perspective, Birds of Prey: The Battle Within holds a special place in my heart. It was one of the first Birds trades I owned and I’ve re-read it countless times. I really appreciate the way that Gail Simone employs a variety of genres to tell her stories. I love that she’s not afraid to go a bit dark, but always manages to find the funny when tension needs to be broken. The Harvest and Thorn issues are especially memorable to me, as are the scenes of Black Canary and Wildcat in Singapore. While the art varies in quality, the writing remains top notch and it really highlights why Birds of Prey is such a seminal comic book series.

RATING: A-

Review - Birds of Prey: Between Dark & Dawn

After three teenagers commit suicide while dressed as fallen superheroes, Oracle sends Huntress to investigate a religious cult that they were affiliated with. The crossbow wielding vigilante soon learns that the cult’s followers are under mind control, including a group of powerful metahumans that are unleashed on her to prevent her from leaving the compound. Huntress must use her wits and resources to break them free from their psychic bondage in order to survive.

Birds of Prey: Between Dark & Dawn collects Birds of Prey #69-75, written by Gail Simone and illustrated by Ron Adrian, Ed Benes, Eric Battle, Jim Fern, and Eduardo Barreto.

Between Dark & Dawn is a Huntress-centric arc that focuses on her first official solo mission for Oracle. It’s an admittedly twisted and dark storyline, further enhanced by moody artwork, which sees Huntress infiltrating a religious cult known as Second Heaven. Its leader, Mr. Brusaw, has instilled the belief that metahumans are angels and demons in his followers. Huntress’ objective is to prove Second Heaven’s role in the suicides of three of its followers, but she may not live long enough to do so as Mr. Brusaw tasks one of his superpowered charges with eliminating her. Given the setting and the use of a religious cult as the primary antagonist of this arc, Gail Simone employs a lot of intriguing themes that pair well with Huntress. Faith is integral to the overall storyline, with Simone smartly contrasting religious zealotry (Second Heaven) with religious antipathy (Huntress). As someone who was raised Catholic and subsequently turned her back on God, Huntress’ placement within a setting of religious extremism is truly riveting as it forces her to confront her beliefs. Simone also touches upon the unique vulnerability of teenagers and how easily they can be preyed upon during their formative years by authority figures. Though it’s not as fleshed out as I’d have preferred it to be, this aspect to the narrative is crucial and actually makes the case personal for Huntress (she is a teacher, after all!).

The dialogue, as should be expected from something written by Gail Simone, is impeccable. The thing that struck me with this arc in particular was just how funny Huntress is. Her sarcasm and penchant for throwing shade practically challenges the reader not to laugh out loud. What I love even more than that is that she meets her match in the storyline’s special guest star – Vixen. The pair trades some playful jabs and it’s quite entertaining. It’s a bit catty, but it’s done in a very light-hearted way. On the subject of humour, there are a couple instances where Black Canary pokes fun at Batman. They’re small and seemingly disposable, but it helps to emphasize her personality and illustrates how little she buys into the mythologizing of him as a hero. There are other great character building moments, particularly in relation to the subplot regarding Oracle being affected by a malicious force after hacking into Second Heaven’s website. She experiences an intense seizure and then begins acting strange once she’s recovered from it. During this time, we see Canary step out of her role as Oracle’s comedic foil and into big sister mode. We know that she’s an excellent caretaker and as someone who is incredibly empathetic, but it helps to emphasize just how deep and meaningful her friendship to Oracle is. It’s poignant and adds a touch of humanity to all the action.

Artists Ron Adrian and Ed Benes are the primary contributors to the issues collected in this trade. Adrian’s art style attempts to mimic Benes’, likely in order to maintain a sense of consistency across the arc. As such, you can bet that the action is full of energy and the characters are all gorgeous. However, Adrian does struggle to keep the work uniform. At times, the characters faces look a bit off and the Benes-esque aspects drop away to show something a bit more generic. The issues that Benes illustrates show a slight shift in his work. His anatomy has improved, but the lines are heavier and sketchier. Still, I’m really drawn in by his art. There’s a sequence in issue 75 that I find really evocative. It opens with Canary and Huntress consoling Oracle as she gazes upon the ruins of the Clocktower (it was destroyed outside of this series in the massive Batman event War Games). It’s pretty much devoid of dialogue and relies upon Benes’ ability to really convey the sense of grief and mourning through the body language of these characters. Eric Battle and Jim Fern also contribute art, but I’m not what you’d call a fan of their output. Eduardo Barreto pencils a Lady Blackhawk vignette that serves as a bit of a prequel to the events of issue 75. His art is more typical of the genre, but it suits the narrative since it’s centered on a character like Lady Blackhawk.

As a fan of Huntress and as someone who loves Vixen, Birds of Prey: Between Dark & Dawn was a really enthralling read for me. I thoroughly enjoyed the dynamic between Huntress and Vixen, so much so that I wish there were more team-ups between them. The set-up and overall thrust of the story is pretty standard (going undercover at a cult), but writer Gail Simone puts a neat superhero twist to it and makes the story relevant to its lead protagonist. The two standalone issues that proceed the primary arc serve to wrap up loose ends and do so effectively, particularly with issue 75. It begins amidst the aftermath of a major crossover and pivots that into a new beginning for the characters. Between Dark & Dawn is an excellent collection that I recommend highly. It’s not quite as suspenseful as Of Like Minds or as epic as Sensei & Student, but it’s an impressive arc nonetheless.

RATING: A-

Review - Birds of Prey: Sensei & Student

Black Canary and master assassin Lady Shiva travel to Hong Kong to visit their ailing martial arts teacher. When he and his students are abruptly poisoned, the clues lead the pair to the venomous villain Cheshire. She claims she’s being framed by an American senator that she’s determined to eliminate, which prompts Canary and Shiva to investigate the veracity of her claims. Then, Oracle is seemingly kidnapped by government agents on charges of terrorism. With Canary out of the country, it’s up to Huntress to find and rescue Oracle.

Birds of Prey: Sensei & Student collects Birds of Prey #62-68, written by Gail Simone and illustrated by Ed Benes, Cliff Richards, Michael Golden, and Joe Bennett.

Sensei & Student is one of my all-time favourite comic book storylines and is one that I’ve re-read many times over. Writer Gail Simone and artist Ed Benes take us to the colourful streets of Hong Kong, where Black Canary and Lady Shiva form an unlikely alliance in order to locate Cheshire. Though they’re reluctant to believe that she’s innocent, they allow her to lead them towards the evidence that will allegedly absolve her of the crime. Meanwhile, Oracle is held captive by individuals claiming to be with the US government. She’s one of nine women they’ve kidnapped in an attempt to determine the true identity of Oracle. Without her usual partner to help her out, everyone’s favourite redheaded hacker has to rely on Huntress to save her. As with most of her work, Simone blends together seemingly disparate genres to craft an action-packed story that’s filled with intrigue and plenty of interesting twists. She’s gives us a bit of Hong Kong action cinema mixed with political thriller and a bit of film noir. It’s beautifully layered and quite brilliant.

As with Of Like Minds, there’s a dynamic energy to how Simone portrays her characters. She’s truly one of the best in the industry when it comes to character building and writing dialogue that sparks to life. I love the way her characters interact, especially in this arc. The relationship that Canary and Shiva has is absolutely riveting to me. They’re positioned in the story as seemingly two opposites –one is an apprentice and hero who cherishes life, the other is a master assassin who dishes out death like a grandma gives out Werther’s Originals. Despite this, they’ve managed to form a sort of kinship through their shared grief over the loss of their former mentor. It’s very poignant and helps the reader to see Shiva as a three-dimensional character, which is admirable since most other writers portray her as a stereotypical dragon lady. Shiva is actually my favourite character from this arc. I find it really neat that Simone is able to add a comic element to her character without actually making her funny and I’m obsessed with just how much of a boss she is overall. You really don’t want to mess with this woman. Of course, there’s no shortage of great women worth rooting for and laughing with. Oracle shows off just how resourceful she is, Huntress comes to the table with bravery and some fantastic quips, and Black Canary remains as clever as ever. We even get some cameos from Catwoman, Katana, and Cindy Reynolds. With that said, there’s some uncomfortable dialogue in issue 68. Oracle and Canary both make mean-spirited comments that come across as judgmental towards Huntress’ sexual activities. Though both characters later acknowledge that they’re being harsh and unfair, the fact that they use her penchant for casual sex as a weapon to chastise Huntress is not a good look for either character.

Ed Benes continues to excel as Simone’s partner in crime with this arc. He pencils the majority of the issues collected here, which contributes a lot of vitality to the story. It’s really neat to see how his compositions help affect the overall tone, especially when it comes to adding humour or heightening drama. There’s a sequence on an airplane that’s fairly memorable, as well as a bar brawl that takes place early on in the arc. Part of what makes these sequences so memorable is how he uses Shiva’s expressions and body language to both convey how badass she is, as well as get a little comedy out of it. Truthfully, I’m really fond of his Shiva. She’s very striking visually due to her sternness. Of course, it wouldn’t be Benes without a bit of cheesecake. There’s a rather gratuitous sequence where Canary and Cheshire duke it out in a pool while the latter is wearing a flimsy nightie. Its inclusion is odd and quite jarring. Benes is aided by Cliff Richards in some issues. Richards drew Oracle’s abduction and interrogation scenes. They’re pretty standard and don’t quite match the energy of Benes’ panels. Michael Golden provides the art for the flashback issue (66). Ordinarily I’d criticize the style, but it suits the tone of the issue. It’s set in the past and is stylized as if it were taken place sometime within the ‘40s or early ‘50s. It’s not quite as polished as the art in the other issues and has a slight muddy quality to it, but it really works in its favour. My one issue is that I wish that the scenes set in the present that bookend the issue had been done by Benes. The final issue in this collection is done by Joe Bennett. His style differs from Benes’, but still pairs well with the story. It’s an epilogue of sorts that deals with Huntress’ date with a parking attendant, as well as Canary sparring with Wonder Woman to work through her issues with Huntress joining the team and Oracle getting some advice from her father. It’s a quiet issue that requires Bennett to get creative with drawing the reader in via expressive character interactions and some low-stakes sparring. Overall, I quite like his style.

Birds of Prey: Sensei & Student is an absolute must-read. From its art to its punchy dialogue, it’s an engaging arc that challenges its characters on many levels. There’s some really intriguing interpersonal drama between the series’ heroines, which helps to show us that they’re far from perfect. Writer Gail Simone also engages with morality, particularly with whether murder is ever justified. Even on a superficial level of action, this arc delivers that in spades. Honestly, Sensei & Student perfectly illustrates why Birds of Prey is so frequently cited as a gateway comic. Gorgeous art? Check! Dynamic character interactions? Check! A twisty, turny plot? Check! Action galore? Check!

RATING: A+

Review - Birds of Prey: Of Like Minds

When Black Canary is kidnapped during a mission gone awry, she is used as leverage in an attempt to get Oracle to divulge one of the most precious secrets in the world. Canary’s captor – the handsome yet dangerous Savant – wants the hacker supreme to tell him what Batman’s true identity is or he will kill her partner. With time running out and Savant’s patience wearing thin, Oracle enlists the help of the unpredictable Huntress to find and rescue Black Canary before she is executed.

Birds of Prey: Of Like Minds collects Birds of Prey #56-61, written by Gail Simone and illustrated by Ed Benes.

As the introductory arc to Gail Simone’s seminal run on Birds of Prey, Of Like Minds is a tense and tightly crafted story that is entirely character-driven. It begins with Black Canary in the middle of a mission. After Oracle gains intel that a CEO is intending to cheat his employees out of their retirement funds, she assigns Black Canary to scare him straight. Everything appears to go well until the target goes home and sends suicidal messages to Oracle. Before Oracle can talk him down, Black Canary goes to his house to intervene. When she arrives, she discovers that the whole thing was a set-up. She is attacked by the criminal Savant and his assistant Creote, then held hostage at another location. This initiates an anxious tête-à-tête between Savant and Oracle as the pair negotiate for what they want – Batman’s secret identity and Canary’s safe release, respectively. Unwilling to give away such an important secret, Oracle recruits Huntress to save Canary from Savant’s clutches.

Despite the simple set-up, this story arc is absolutely gripping. Simone has such a firm grasp on who these characters are and teases out their personalities in a way that makes them very palpable to readers. Black Canary and Oracle are presented as near polar opposites. The former is impulsive and thinks with her heart, while the latter is methodical and incredibly rational. This causes friction, particularly in the aftermath of Canary’s capture, as Oracle fears that her partner’s rashness could get her killed. The reason this is such a riveting conflict is not simply because these characters are opposites, but because of how much they love one another. This sense of sisterhood permeates this arc (and the rest of Simone’s run) and makes Canary’s captivity that much more distressing. Of course, while the situation may be distressing, our girl Canary is never a damsel in distress. Unlike in Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters, her kidnapping is intended as motivation for the male character. Here, Canary is actively working towards rescuing herself by manipulating her captors and slowly freeing herself from her bonds. Simone makes it very clear that Canary is not a passive victim.

While there’s a lot of strong character work done on Black Canary and Oracle (and the villain Savant), the true standout for me was Huntress. I absolutely love her voice as a character. Her dialogue drips with sarcasm and wit, while her unpredictable nature makes her an incredibly dynamic and engaging heroine. The banter between Canary and Huntress is especially hilarious. The way they playfully make fun of one another is really cute and displays a certain level of comfort between them. She isn’t all sass either. There’s a lot of heart behind her stomach-less outfit. Simone does something really neat with Huntress’ introduction that really shows the vulnerability of the character. When Oracle contacts Huntress, she’s tracking down a kidnapped baby. Oracle helps her out and Huntress successfully rescues the baby. We get an adorable scene where Huntress takes off her glove and gives it to the baby to play with. It’s a seemingly innocuous moment, but it shows her soft spot for kids. We see a lot of her tenacity as well. Huntress is not the most skilled fighter, a fact even Canary points out, but she’s unwilling to admit defeat and won’t give up until Canary is safe. She’s a boss.

Ed Benes’ art is really stunning. His characters are absolutely gorgeous – men and women alike. I like the slight anime influence to his work and the effort he puts into musculature, facial expressions, and hairstyles. He also really knows how to draw fantastic action sequences (of which there are a few rather memorable ones in this collection). In fact, his art from this arc has become so ingrained within me that those images still pop up in my head when I think of the Birds. However, his art is not without its flaws. The women all seem to have the same face, there’s some awkward perspective here and there, and there are some strange things about characters’ anatomy (Black Canary’s torso seems overly long and her waist far too thin). Aside from that, Benes’ work is also known for its cheesecake-like quality. There are a lot of butt shots and we see Canary’s derriere hanging out of her costume a little too often.

Of all the comic book runs I’ve read (and re-read!), very few fill me with joyful exuberance quite like Gail Simone’s Birds of Prey tenure. Her opening arc is clever, emotional, and filled with a lot of fantastic character moments. Simone really knows how to make you love the characters she writes by giving readers electric dialogue and relatable interpersonal interactions. Ed Benes makes for a great creative partner for Simone (despite his T&A tendencies) as his attractive and vibrant art really enhances the story. Birds of Prey: Of Like Minds is a stellar read and is an essential trade for anyone’s collection.

RATING: A

Review - Birds of Prey Volume 1

A series of horrific attacks on projects fronted by the charismatic industrialist Nick Devine prompts Oracle to hire Black Canary to investigate. With the terrorist group known as the Green Brotherhood claiming responsibility, Black Canary is charged with finding out why they’ve targeted Devine and stopping them before they can cause any further harm.

Birds of Prey Volume 1 collects Black Canary/Oracle: Birds Of Prey #1, Showcase '96 #3, Birds Of Prey: Manhunt #1-4, Birds Of Prey: Revolution #1, Birds Of Prey: Wolves #1 and Birds Of Prey: Batgirl #1, written by Chuck Dixon and Jordan B. Gorfinkel with art by Gary Frank, Matt Haley and Greg Land.

Birds of Prey Volume 1 chronicles the earliest adventures of the eponymous Birds of Prey, the superhero duo consisting of hacker supreme Oracle and then-former Justice Leaguer Black Canary. The issues collected consist of a variety of mini-series and one-shots that eventually led to the now-iconic ongoing series later made famous by Gail Simone. These initial stories are largely written by veteran Batman scribe Chuck Dixon, with assistance from editor Jordan B. Gorfinkel. Though the narratives vary from story to story, the overall common thread linking these comics is the blossoming friendship between the two lead characters. Through these stories, we’re able to track the evolution of their partnership from its uneasy beginnings to a place of mutual understanding and respect. Specifically, the rigidly logical Oracle learns to accept Black Canary’s impulsiveness and vice versa. It’s an unusual through line for an era that was admittedly light on friendships between women characters.

The quality of the stories themselves varies widely. The opening one-shot, Black Canary/Oracle: Birds of Prey #1, sees Black Canary acting as a bodyguard for businessman Nick Devine while he is being targeted by the Green Brotherhood. It’s an excellent introduction to the duo of Black Canary and Oracle, effectively establishing who they are, where they were at that point in their lives, and gives them a global crisis to address. This storyline presents Black Canary as a down-and-out superhero with mounting bills and a personal life that’s in the toilet. Oracle gives Canary the opportunity to pull herself out of this situation and go back to being the hero she was meant to be. This character work is quite smart and speaks to the resilience of Black Canary. With that said, there are some ickier elements to the story as well. Canary ends up going to impoverished countries, which are primarily populated by people of colour, and it taints the narrative with the whiff of the white saviour trope. We also get Lynx thrown into the mix as an antagonist and the Green Brotherhood are clearly coded as East Asian. As such, it feels like it’s pushing some kind of notion of Yellow Peril. This trend will continue with successive stories in Birds of Prey, especially since we get a lot of Dragon Lady-esque villains and international adventures where Canary is placed in a role of helping impoverished (mostly non-white) nations.

For the most part, the one shots collected in this trade are fairly unremarkable. Revolution sees Black Canary investigating a human trafficking ring based out of Santa Prisca. While the storyline itself tackles a very real problem in the world, it does so by framing white people as the victims at the hands of Latinx-coded individuals. Given that it takes place on Santa Prisca, the fictional island nation that is characterized by the worst stereotypes associated with Latin American countries, it should be expected that the narrative is going to be problematic. Wolves, by contrast, doesn’t even attempt to delve into real world issues. Instead, the entire thrust of the story is that men are trash (which is true) and that both Oracle and Black Canary needed to be convinced of this in order to bond as friends. Black Canary’s ex-husband comes back into her life and attempts to con her into helping him after he steals money from some gangsters. Meanwhile, Oracle gets targeted by a scam artist who seduces her with the intention of burgling her apartment. Wolves fails to feel like its story is of any import due to its day-in-the-life approach and uses men as the catalyst to the cementing of the characters’ friendship. Batgirl is the most engaging one-shot (aside from the opener). In it, Oracle is kidnapped by the illusion-casting villain Spellbinder in an attempt to manipulate her into giving away Batman’s hideout. As a villain, Spellbinder is dynamic and her motivation is quite clear. We also get to see Oracle’s determination and resourcefulness when the time comes to physically take down Spellbinder. However, the story hasn’t aged well particularly due to the evolving language around disabilities. There’s this pervasive obsession with Oracle being disabled in this one-shot. She’s consistently referred to in ways that aren’t appropriate by today’s standards and it’s really uncomfortable to read.

Amidst the one-shots in this volume, there’s a four issue mini-series (Manhunt) that sees Black Canary teaming up with Huntress and Catwoman. Canary forms an alliance with the anti-heroines due to their shared desire to take down the criminal Archer Braun. Canary and Huntress want to ensure that he is brought to justice for his misdeeds against women, while Catwoman is adamant about retrieving the money he owes her from a previous caper. At first glance, this is the kind of story that would appeal to me on every level since it’s starring three of my favourite DC Comics heroines. Unfortunately, the execution of the storyline is all wrong. First of all, the initial impetus for Canary and Huntress chasing down Braun is that he ghosted them after briefly dating them. Even the way they learn that he’s a criminal is pretty flimsy (they recognize his butt on security footage – really?). There’s even an inconsistency that doesn’t quite make sense. Namely, Canary and Huntress act as if they’re meeting each other for the first time even though they’d actually worked together before (in the 1993 series Black Canary #9-12). Manhunt otherwise features a ridiculous amount of incredible action and highlights just how mighty the trifecta of Canary, Huntress and Catwoman can be. I love their dynamic as a group, particularly how they act as a kind of gradient scale of morality. Under a better creative team, this would be an amazing trio whose adventures would be stellar.

Art-wise Birds of Prey Volume 1 is all over the place. The opening one-shot is illustrated by Gary Frank, as are the covers for each subsequent one-shot and the Manhunt mini. His work is absolutely breathtaking. His composition is amazing, the costuming he provides Black Canary with is memorable, and the action sequences practically pop off the page. Matt Haley’s pencils for Manhunt are nearly just as gorgeous as Frank’s. There are plenty of fantastic panels worth remembering, chief among them a rather menacing Lady Shiva grinning while surrounded by flames. I’m also very enamoured with his Catwoman. I love how he draws her hair and the attention to detail on her mask. Beyond that, he seems to really inject a lot of dynamism into her presence and expressions. That said, Haley does include some rather unnecessary butt shots. Greg Land is one of the other artists who handle art chores in this collection. This is from an earlier point in his career, prior to his descent into infamy for his apparent tracing. I’m a bit embarrassed to admit that I really quite enjoy his work here. It’s not noticeably trace from anywhere and the women don’t all look like their waists are little more than toothpicks (they’re still small, but not as bad). Land actually appears to put effort into his art here. The other artists whose work is included are Dick Giordano (Wolves) and Stefano Raffaele (Revolution). Their art is mediocre at best here and doesn’t quite match the quality present in the other issues. Raffaele also has some issues with anatomy and includes unnecessary shots of Canary’s posterior.

Birds of Prey is one of those series that I grew up loving as a kid. I collected back issues like candy and remembered those stories through the lenses of rose-coloured glasses. In reading their earliest adventures via this collection, it’s easy to see the many cracks in the foundation of this series. There are a lot of great ideas present, especially when it comes to the development of Oracle and Black Canary’s friendship. Sadly, there are a lot of questionable elements that drag down the overall quality of the work. It should be a surprise to no one given who wrote these stories. Even from a narrative standpoint, Birds of Prey Volume 1 is inconsistent due to the fact that it is mostly one-shots and has no set artist on board. It’s worth a read for the sake of understanding how the team and series came to be, but there are still far better Birds of Prey trades out there.

RATING: C+

Review - Black Canary and Zatanna: Bloodspell

While infiltrating a ring of thieves, Black Canary reluctantly partakes in a blood magic ritual that binds her to the group. When the ringleader of the operation dies during the mission, she returns as a ghost to kill Canary and the surviving members of the group. To overcome the blood magic and stop the ghost, Canary reaches out to the one person she knows who can help – Zatanna Zatara, the mistress of magic.

Black Canary and Zatanna: Bloodspell is a graphic novel written by Paul Dini and illustrated by Joe Quinones.

Bloodspell is a cute little tribute to one of the lesser known friendships in the DC Universe. As members of the Justice League during the iconic Satellite era, Black Canary and Zatanna have been friends for decades. Despite this, very little has been written to reflect this. Paul Dini and Joe Quinones reimagine the pair as having met years before becoming superheroes, with Black Canary becoming somewhat of an older sister figure for the mistress of magic. We see their friendship grow over time through flashbacks, which punctuate the main storyline. This is especially useful as a developmental tool for Zatanna as it shows her going from an apprentice (to her parents and later to the League) to a confident sorceress. Given his affection for the character, it should be no surprise that Dini puts everything he has into portraying Zatanna as a multi-dimensional individual with insecurities and showing her growth. With that said, Black Canary ends up being the standout. She has more attitude than Zatanna, so her dialogue is punchier and has more humour to it. Dini seems to really “get” her voice and understands how she should be portrayed. The contrast between the two characters is evident and it really works for this graphic novel. Although, it is irksome that Dini seems a little too comfortable having his characters call each other bitches. With many male writers, the usage (or over-usage) often straddles the fence between “this is how women speak” and “this is how men think women speak.”

While I enjoyed the storyline and found the dialogue to be incredibly entertaining, what I fell in love with about Bloodspell was its art. Joe Quinones is an absolute master of expressions and dynamic layouts. I appreciate the effort he puts into ensuring each character is distinctive in how they’re portrayed visually. Black Canary and Zatanna don’t just look like the same character with different hair – consideration was put into their facial features and their body language in a way that readers understand their personality even if there isn’t a line of dialogue present. The action sequences are top notch as well. There are two major sequences, the first involves a chase between Black Canary and the ringleader of the group of thieves and the second is a showdown between Black Canary and Zatanna as they’re fighting off the ghost of the ringleader. The chase scene is actually quite campy as it features Black Canary duking it out with the ringleader as she attempts a getaway on a jetpack. It takes place in the skies above Las Vegas, so Quinones has to get creative with how he sets the scene. The end result is effective and engaging, but also kind of dark given how it ends. The other big sequence sees the ghost alternately possessing both Zatanna and Black Canary, forcing them to fight each other. It’s a neat narrative device and it gives Quinones a chance to pit these two iconic characters against each other. I also wanted to give props for Quinones’ homage to Mary Jane Watson’s famous introductory panel from her first appearance. Zatanna places a glamour on Black Canary, which turns her into a buxom redhead. There’s a joke about how she looks like Power Girl, but there’s a visual wink to Mary Jane when we see a character open a door to see the disguised Black Canary on the other side.

Black Canary and Zatanna: Bloodspell is a fun, self-contained read that’s sure to please new and old fans. If you grew up reading the old Justice League of America comics from the Bronze Age, there are neat little references to that particular era throughout. If you grew up watching Young Justice, there are elements that feel familiar to that world (such as Zatanna being four years younger than Canary and there being a Miss Martian action figure featured in one scene). I enjoyed the fact that Dini and Quinones placed character above all else. Yes, there’s a lot of great action, but the friendship between these two characters is front and center. Between the gorgeous art and the impressive character work, Bloodspell had been wishing it were an ongoing series.

RATING: A-

Review - Aquaman Volume 4: Underworld Part 1

Aquaman is dead and the throne of Atlantis has been usurped by the terrorist Corum Rath. After imposing an isolationist and extremist regime on Atlantis, Corum has targeted the poorest and most vulnerable Atlanteans in order to further homogenize the kingdom. With his dictatorial reign in full effect, small contingents of rebels have formed to oppose him. Former royal advisor Vulko, the disgraced Mera, and a mute Atlantean named Dolphin each work towards ending Corum’s regime.

Aquaman Volume 4: Underworld Part 1 collects Aquaman #25-30, written by Dan Abnett and with art by Stjepan Sejic.

After a stellar introductory arc on his Rebirth run on Aquaman, Abnett and his creative team stumbled with a collection of mediocre stories that culminated in the Crown of Atlantis trade. While the series started out with a political tinge by tackling the subject of diplomacy, Abnett and co fell back on a more traditional approach to superhero storytelling for a handful of issues. Underworld brings readers back into the world of political intrigue. Abnett and artist Stjepan Sejic immerses readers in an Atlantis that is in the midst of a dictatorial reign as a result of a coup by the terrorist Corum Rath and his followers. It feels very topical, especially considering how classism and racial discrimination become central themes in this story arc. Abnett and Sejic re-introduce classic Aquaman supporting character Dolphin as a mutated Atlantean who lives in the poorest section of the kingdom. It is through her narrative that we see the danger that the Atlanteans live in under Corum’s regime. Those who live in the Ninth Tirade, like Dolphin, are mutated and live in severe poverty, thus becoming scapegoats for those in power. Dolphin must not only survive the crime in the Ninth Tirade, but she must also deal with the persecution she faces from Corum’s followers. It contrasts starkly with characters like Mera and Tula, whose adjacency to the throne afforded them certain privileges that Dolphin does not have.

This arc is filtered through the perspectives of four primary characters – Corum Rath, Mera, Vulko, and Dolphin (and her very familiar companion SPOILER ALERT - it's Aquaman). Corum is desperately trying to hold onto his power, barking orders at whoever will listen. Meanwhile, Vulko strikes an alliance with an unlikely benefactor and sets out to undermine Corum’s rule. Mera returns to Atlantis with the aid of Aquaman’s one-time sidekick Tempest to destroy the magical barrier that surrounds the kingdom. Finally, Dolphin convinces a vigilante operating in the Ninth Tirade to oppose Corum. The plot is structured in such a way that each character’s narrative never gets lost in the shuffle, though Corum does seem to be the most inessential character to be following (despite his important role in the events). The pacing works quite well as Abnett and Sejic perfectly manage to balance action sequences with character building exchanges. One of my favourite moments blends both of these together. While Mera and Tempest attempt to destroy the barrier around Atlantis, Tempest confides in Mera by telling her the reason why he gave up using magic. It’s a poignant moment that adds to the impact and high stakes of the action occurring around them.

One of the most impressive elements of Underworld is its art by Sejic. There’s a storybook-like quality to his work that elevates the material outside of the traditional superhero aesthetic. The painted style truly suits the underwater setting and gives readers some of the most beautiful backgrounds possible. I’m also incredibly impressed by the appearance of the female characters. Mera and Dolphin are especially striking. Both Mera and Dolphin are rendered in a very elegant way. Additionally, the mutation on Dolphin’s legs and arms has a certain level of realism that provides a kind of tangibility to her appearance. With that said, the quality does tend to vary from panel to panel. The colours are applied imprecisely in some spots and Sejic seems to be less consistent with men than women when it comes to proportions.

Aquaman Volume 4: Underworld Part 1 is a satisfying return to form for the Rebirth Aquaman series. Abnett’s refocusing on the intrigue of Atlantean politics gives this trade a unique quality in comparison to other superhero books. There’s a ton of action, but there’s some substance there as well. Abnett and Sejic give us plenty of touching moments between the characters, for instance, while also adhering to a set of topical themes that feel relevant to what’s currently going on in the world. Though I’ve never considered myself an Aquaman fan (like others might), Abnett’s run has impressed me and this collection in particular is worth a read.

RATING: B+