Birds of Prey #24 Review

Written by: Christy Marx
Art by: Romano Molenaar and Robson Rocha
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: October 16, 2014

It Finally Gets Personal

When we last saw the Birds of Prey things weren't going so well.  The team were trapped in dream sequences for most of last issue and then Black Canary and Condor were taken by Basilisk terrorists.  Batgirl barely managed to escape with the help of Strix and the two have no way of following the Basilik aircraft and their captured teammates.

Christy Marx has not been on a good run.  The title has stalled a bit in the last few issues and Villain's Month interrupted the series completely.  Fortunately, I can say that issue #24 is one of the better ones in a while.  First off, it's a decent jumping on point for new (or returning) readers.  The Team's recent history is recapped enough to get the reader up to speed.  There are also a couple of early reveals that make the situation Black Canary is in very interesting.  Plus, you get the fact that Condor is back with his ex(?) team which really puts his motivation and loyalties to the test.  Condor was due for some character development and this issue puts him on that path.

The Villain reveal also provides a better conflict for the team.  He has a past with them and his plan is one that would effect the whole DC Universe.  He is a bit generic, but at least there is some good setup for future trouble.

The art of Romano Molenaar and Robson Rocha doesn't fare as well.  Their faces and bodies just seem a little off.  Also, a couple of panels have characters with just whites for eyes.  It may be a minor quibble, but it freaks me out.

Bits and Pieces:

Christy Marx has given us her best issue of Birds of Prey yet.  The story sets the team up for future conflict that is sure to be interesting and personal.  Unfortunately, the art is not very good, but the way things are going for this title I won't ask for too much.  Hopefully, being sandwiched between Villain's Month and next issue's Zero Year tie-in doesn't make readers just give up on the story and the book for good.

6.9/10