Picking up immediately as the previous issue closed this second, and closing, installment of Hostile Takeover – No Sentence Shall be Commuted – opens with Huntress urging Oracle – Helena Bertinelli and Barbara Gordon – to abort the Birds of Prey's latest mission: unfortunately due to a breakdown in communication with Black Canary and Dove, Babs explains that isn't going to be possible.   From the tunnels deep below Gotham City Huntress, accompanied by The Question Renee Montoya, explains that whoever 'Junior' is…

Tags: alexa deborah merkel, barbara gordon, birds of prey, black canary, catman, creote, dawn granger, diego olmos, dinah lance, dove, gail simone, gotham city, hank hall, hawk, helena bertinelli, huntress, junior, kord tower, lady blackhawk, nei ruffino, oracle, question, renee montoya, savant, thomas blake, zinda blake

'The Death of Oracle' continues with the third installment of this four-part story-arc. 'The Soul and the Sacrifice' opens with something of a surprise: Dinah 'Black Canary' Lance's late mother – Dinah Drake Lance – greeting her daughter from the headquarters of the JSA. When her mother asks why everything she loves dies and, as only a mother can, why she won't wear her hair differently, Dinah understandably becomes emotional.   Moments later she finds herself in the company of her father -…

Tags: barbara gordon, batman, birds of prey, black canary, bolt, bruce wayne, calculator, current, dawn granger, dinah drake lance, dinah lance, dove, gail simone, gotham city, green arrow, hank hall, hawk, helena bertinelli, huntress, inaki miranda, justice society of america, kord tower, lady blackhawk, mammoth, mortis, oliver queen, oracle, penguin, red arrow, roy harper, savant, sin, stanley lau, zinda blake

"The Death of Oracle" continues with the second part of this four-part story-arc entitled "The Gauntlets and the Guillotine". Having smashed their way into the nightclub where the Birds of Prey were enjoying a girls night out, Mortis – the self-proclaimed "Goddess of the Forgotten Dead" – accompanied by Mammoth and the "newbie" villain known as Current confronts the Birds demanding, for the final time they are told, to know which of them is Oracle.   Zinda Blake – Lady Blackhawk – steps…

Tags: ardian syaf, barbara gordon, batman, birds of prey, black canary, bruce wayne, calculator, current, dawn granger, dinah lance, dove, gail simone, guillem march, hank hall, hawk, helena bertinelli, huntress, iceberg lounge, kord tower, lady blackhawk, mammoth, mortis, oracle, oswald cobblepot, penguin, savant, stanley lau, zinda blake

'The Cape and the Cadaver' – first of the four part 'Death of Oracle' story-arc – opens at the window of a fairly anonymous looking Gotham City high-rise. At the window stands a man – The Calculator – surveying the city before him, wondering aloud just why Gotham's villains choose to make the city their home, the scene of their crimes.   Interrupted by one of his associates, Calculator is introduced to a visitor: Brian Durlin aka Savant. Comfortable that Savant isn't carrying…

Tags: aleksandr creote, ardian syaf, baran flinders, barbara gordon, batman, batman incorporated, birds of prey, black canary, brian durlin, bruce wayne, calculator, creote, dawn granger, dinah lance, dove, gail simone, gotham city, hank hall, hawk, helena bertinelli, huntress, kord tower, lady blackhawk, leslie thompkins, mammoth, mortis, nei ruffino, oracle, savant, stanley lau, vicente cifuentes, zinda blake

The second part of this two-part story-arc is entitled 'Two Nights in Bangkok' and starts immediately as the first part ended: Huntress and Lady Blackhawk – Helena Bertinelli and Zinda Blake – coming face to face, face to fist even, with their friend Black Canary – Dinah Lance – and a group of bodyguards loyal to White Canary.   Aware that their confrontation will likely endanger onlooking members of public and at the same time conscious that the authorities are on their way…

Tags: adriana melo, alina urusov, alvin lee, barbara gordon, birds of prey, black canary, creote, dawn granger, dinah lance, dove, ed benes, gail simone, gotham city, hank hall, hawk, helena bertinelli, huntress, lady shiva, oliver queen, oracle, savant, sin, white canary, zinda blake

Issue #5 of Birds of Prey, entitled Aftershock, the first of a two part story-arc, continues straight after the end of the previous issue, with Barbara Gordon, Savant and Creote atop the rain soaked viaduct. With Savant openly apologizing for his actions Barbara reassures him that she – and they – will be okay as she at the same time asks an equally repentant Creote for some help getting up from the ground and into her wheelchair.   With Savant still on his knees Barbara promises…

Tags: alina urusov, barbara gordon, batman, birds of prey, black canary, creote, dawn granger, dinah lance, dove, gail simone, gotham city, hank hall, hawk, helena bertinelli, huntress, kord tower, lady blackhawk, penguin, savant, sin, white canary, zinda blake

After a little disappointment with issue #3 the latest issue of Birds of Prey – issue #4, the forth and final part of the Endrun story-arc – felt much more satisfying.   'Impact Fracture' opens with a prologue set 19 years ago along the Silk Road of Asia. As thunder cracks and lightning illuminates the night sky an old man stands alone in the rain.   From a house behind him cries of help can be heard as the old man looks to dismiss a woman who is…

Tags: adriana melo, alina urusov, barbara gordon, birds of prey, black canary, creote, dove, ed benes, gail simone, hawk, huntress, jp mayer, lady blackhawk, nei ruffino, oracle, penguin, savant, white canary

The first story-arc of the returning Birds of Prey series continues with part 3 of the 4 part 'Endrun: Whistling Past the Gravestones'.   Opening at The Iceberg Lounge the Birds, minus Hawk!, are being very … 'attentive' towards Penguins – it seems that Black Canary, Huntress, Lady Blackhawk and Dove are prepared to go to fantastic lengths to please Oswald Cobblepot.   As quickly as we've began to comprehend the behavior of the women we discover that 'fantastic' is indeed the right word – we are witnessing…

Tags: barbara gordon, batcave, birds of prey, black canary, cliff chiang, creote, dove, ed benes, gail simone, hank hall, hawk, huntress, lady blackhawk, oracle, penguin, savant, white canary

Following my enjoyment of the first issue of the relaunched Birds of Prey series – not to mention the critical acclaim that the issue received – I had extremely high expectations when I picked up and started reading issue #2: not only were my expectations met they were most definitely exceeded.   Picking up where issue #1 left off, 'Endrun', part two of this four part story-arc, opens up in the Gotham City retail district, where Dinah and Helena – Black Canary and Huntress – have,…

Tags: barbara gordon, birds of prey, black canary, creote, ed benes, gail simone, gotham city, huntress, oracle, penguin, savant, white canary