Birds of Prey: Of Like Minds

Rating:
Summary: Great Story for an Underappreciated Part of the Bat-world
Review: A strong first outing for Gail Simone and Ed Benes on this title. Simone injects a wry sense of humor and everyday, real-life details (like where to eat dinner) into a skillfully plotted and BEAUTIFULLY DRAWN book. The twists of story are compelling but character-driven, like how far Oracle is willing to go to protect Black Canary from further harm. I especially enjoyed the way Simone brought Huntress--the Bat family's resident outsider--into the fold and gave readers some wonderful and unexpected moments where we see her as more than just a callous enforcer.
The book also includes some brief but illuminating appearances by Nightwing and Batgirl, and though you never see him, the shadow of Batman looms large over this book, which is I think an appropriate homage to the character, but also reveals how central to the lives of all his allies he must be.
The villain Savant is an excellent foil for both the brains (Oracle) and the brawn (Black Canary and Huntress) of the Birds of Prey. His sociopathy and short-term memory loss make him unpredicatble enough to be scary, though I would like to know more about his past--which I assume will be revealed in subsequent books.
My one complaint is not specific to this book but rather the Bat-world in general: why do they bother to put people in Arkham Asylum if they ALWAYS escape?
A great read. BUY THIS BOOK.

Rating:
Summary: Spectacular! Dazzling writing and art!
Review: This trade paperback compiles issues 56 through 59 of the "Birds of Prey" comics series. But don't be afraid to pick this book up if you have never read a "Birds" story before: writer Gail Simone provides a thought-provoking, smart, humorous ride into the world of Oracle (formerly Batgirl), Black Canary and Huntress in such a way that you don't need to know the specific history to appreciate this collection. While I won't go into the whole story of the book, I will state that if you appreciate smart, beautiful, competent superheroes and EXCELLENT writing and art, this book is for you! Highly recommended!!

Rating:
Summary: Spectacular! Dazzling writing and art!
Review: This trade paperback compiles issues 56 through 59 of the "Birds of Prey" comics series. But don't be afraid to pick this book up if you have never read a "Birds" story before: writer Gail Simone provides a thought-provoking, smart, humorous ride into the world of Oracle (formerly Batgirl), Black Canary and Huntress in such a way that you don't need to know the specific history to appreciate this collection. While I won't go into the whole story of the book, I will state that if you appreciate smart, beautiful, competent superheroes and EXCELLENT writing and art, this book is for you! Highly recommended!!