Birds of Prey #77
DC Comics
Writer: Gail Simone
Pencils: Tom Derenick
Inks: Bob Petrecca
Colors: HI-FI
Letters: Jared K. Fletcher
Price: $2.50

Rating: 3 stars

Birds of Prey is a solid title that I greatly enjoy reading. It never hits the top of my pile, but it fills out the respectable middle each time. I love the concept of Oracle and Black Canary working together on cases that have some personal meaning to them. I also like the addition of the Huntress as a wild card character. My favorite part of the book is the moments the ladies interact with each other on their personal time. Gail Simone has captured the dialogue perfectly, and has an excellent feel for the characters.

As much as I like Birds of Prey, there has been a lack of something since Chuck Dixon left. Simone has done an admirable job of filling his shoes, and has in fact made the book synonymous with her name. The dilemma I have had is the interference of the Bat titles in the past which never allowed for as much character building as I would have liked. Also, the return of Oliver Queen interfered with building plotlines, sending some back to zero. The recent turn of events leads me to believe Simone will have an opportunity to get the ladies back on track.

As a result of War Games, the Birds have left Gotham City. They have also added a peripheral character in the form of Lady Blackhawk, which is the coolest thing to happen to the book for a long time. Being headquartered in a private jet with the latest technology to their disposal, and Barbara being free of Bat intelligence should bring a whole new level of intrigue to the game.

Issue #77 finds the team on the road looking for an oddity that is taking the lives of people in Kansas. Dinah and Helena are dispatched to find out what they can about the wraith like creature named Harvest, with Lady Blackhawk along for the beer. In what is a hilarious bar fight, the Birds find that there is a deeper secret then they had anticipated. Back on the jet, there are definitely strange things afoot with Barbara that is sure to have repercussions for many issues down the road. Ending on a cliffhanger, the Birds have their hands full once again.

This issue has a guest art team of Tom Derenick and Bob Petrecca. I was a bit disappointed with how muddy Derenick?s work looked here, and am hoping there isn?t a reteaming of the two gentlemen. After reading the first three issues of WorldWatch and seeing Derenick?s work there, it was a bit of a let down. Petrecca?s style would be more suited for a less strong penciller, as he uses strong line work. I enjoyed the art for the most part, and am looking forward to seeing regular penciller Ed Benes back on the book next month.

Birds of Prey is a great read month after month. I especially love the concept of such strong female characters not needing to be enhanced by their relationships, but rather dictating them. Simone does a wonderful job of writing the book, and I hope to see her and Benes on the title for as long as they stay fit to continue. While this book doesn?t have the in your face hype of some titles, it is a solid, consistent read. I recommend it to all my fellow female readers and to the men that love them.

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