Birds of Prey: Blood and Circuits

Birds of Prey: Blood and Circuits

By Gail Simone, & various (DC Comics)
ISBN 1-84576-564-8

The team of crime-fighting super-women regroup only to go their separate ways in this volume (collecting issues #96-103) of adventures from the monthly DC comic-book. Black Canary has returned from her sabbatical bringing with her a young girl named Sin who was being trained as the next Shiva (a martial arts super assassin) and for whom she intends a “normal” life. However she and the rest of the team are soon drawn into a battle with troubled teen Lori Zechlin (whose alter-ego Black Alice has the ability to steal the power of any magic user on Earth) when the criminal alliance known as The Society attempts to recruit her.

Team-leader Oracle has her own problems as a new Batgirl (Oracle’s previous heroic persona, before she lost the use of her legs) is interfering in her operations, but the real threat is the vengeance-crazed gun-freak Yasemin who wants the team dead.

Eventually the pace forces the Canary to resign in order to raise Sin, so after a highly entertaining retelling of her career she leaves and Oracle redefines the team and the methodology for the anniversary 100th issue. Henceforth she will call on a broader range of female agents, defined by the missions themselves.

The first of these is to rescue seventeen year old Tabitha Brennan from a Mexican prison, where she’s being held to exert influence on her mobster turned supergrass father. This time the “Mission Impossible” team comprises Big Barda, Judomaster, Manhunter, Lady Blackhawk and Huntress but even as the plan goes typically awry a new more dangerous adversary is preparing to act against the Birds, in the form of US Government spook Katerina Armstrong – Spy Smasher, who wants the team to work for her, and who always gets what she wants…

Consistently superb, Gail Simone’s scripting (assisted here by Tony Bedard) has made this title one of the best superhero series on the market and when coupled with the wonderful artwork of such talents as Nichols Scott, Paulo Siqueira, James Raiz, Doug Hazlewood and Robin Riggs, these funny, sassy, sharp thrillers never ever disappoint.

© 2007 DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.