DCU Comic Book Reviews

BIRDS OF PREY #108

Whitewater, Epilogue:  Swan Song

September 2007

Written by Gail Simone

Pencils by Nicola Scott

Inks by Doug Hazelwood

Cover by Stephane Roux

Synopsis

After successfully rescuing Tora Olafsdotter (aka Ice), the Birds of Prey, under the control of Katarina Armstrong (aka Spy Smasher) return to Oracle’s headquarters.  When they get there, Babs tells Katarina they are going to physically fight for the right control the Birds of Prey.  Although Katarina fights with Oracle, she decides to leave before it is over, claiming she will take over, regardless.  However, when she makes her exit she is confronted with dozens of Oracle’s operatives, including Black Canary, who tells Katarina she better forget about the Birds of Prey or she will feel the wrath of Oracle’s friends.  Later, Black Canary and Huntress want to celebrate with Oracle, but Babs has somewhere else to go.  She goes down to a run down part of town, where she finds Misfit, who is homeless after a fire killed her family and destroyed her home.  Oracle decides to help her.

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

I have a little good news and bad news with the issue.  The bad news is that the Spy Smasher storyline ended way, way too soon.  I would have liked to have seen more of Katarina, especially fighting with Babs for control of the Birds Of Prey.  The good news is that Simone handles the end of this storyline perfectly with Katarina getting her comeuppance in the form of Babs’ friends coming to help her (plus, she got the crap beat out of her!).  Simone perfectly highlights the difference between the two women.  Katarina was always was shown as a mean bitch (if you forgive the use of the word) and this issue reinforces that once more.  Moreover, it sets the stage for the ending in which Babs decides to help Misfit.  The narration reinforces that she wants to be different than Batman (not a loner, but surrounded friends) and this issue did a wonderful job showing that to us. 

I wish DC would’ve printed the huge four-page spread like they did with the batcave in All-Star Batman and Robin about ay ear ago when the entire thing was printed on one page and folded out like a centerfold.  Even with it spread over two splash pages, Scott and Hazelwood did a great job with all of the former Birds coming to Babs’ aide.

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