Written by: Kelly Thompson
Art by: Javier Pina, Sophie Campbell, Gavin Guidry
Colors by: Jordie Bellaire
Letters by: Clayton Cowles
Cover art by: Skottie Young (cover A)
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: August 7, 2024
Birds Of Prey #12, by DC Comics on 8/7/24, continues the fight-or-flight against the godlike Maia when the team leaps through a portal into a cartoon world, leading to an inkling of a plan.
Is Birds Of Prey #12 Good?
At the risk of delivering a backhanded compliment, Birds Of Prey #12 is not terrible. Oh, don't get me wrong. It's dumb silliness, brimming with constant verbal validation, a complete lack of dramatic tension, and an outright nonsensical plot. But I can at least acknowledge this is the least bad issue so far, which is better than nothing.
When last we left the Birds of Prey (BoP) in Birds Of Prey #11, the team jumped through the next pocket dimension reskin to find themselves in a prehistoric world populated with dinosaurs. Somehow, Vixen got her powers back to help the team when the maker of their current nightmare, Maia, attacked. Meanwhile, Vixen and Meridian (Stamps from the Future) enlisted Constantine in the real world to help, with poor results.
In Birds Of Prey #12, Vixen continues to fight Maia solo, where the rest of the BoP scamper up the cave wall to an opening near the next portal. With some quick maneuvering and a canary cry, Sin takes the first leap through (Why?!?) to land the BoP in... Cartoon Land.
The opening scene alone confirms why this plot execution is dumb silliness. Sin landed the BoP in dinosaur land because she thought of something on the fly when she entered the portal first. Rather than learning from that mistake, the BoP intentionally repeat that mistake, lowering the perceived competence of everyone on the team.
Everyone is furious with Sin, especially Barda. Cartoons are notorious for over-the-top violence. Regardless, the cartoon BoP hears Barbara calling from a nearby building, and they move to reunite with their lost friend. The reunion is brief but heartfelt, and the complete BoP heads to a nearby bar for non-alcoholic beverages and strategizing.
Kelly Thompson doesn't make it clear why it was so difficult to find Barbara in the previous issues but so easy to find here, but it's better not to try to make it work. Just go with it.
The BoP discusses the pros and cons of fighting Maia, particularly what would happen if they kill her while still in the pocket dimension. Cela gets upset when Barbara callously suggests Cela should kill Maia, her sister, so she can take her powers and set everything right. Cela heads into the back alley to cool off, and Cass joins her after a brief period to smooth things over.
After a round of sharing and caring, Cass comes up with a plan to clean up Maia's mess. The issue concludes with Megaera joining the fight, holding hands, and Xanthe arriving with a concerning observation.
What's great about Birds Of Prey #12? Kelly Thompson delivers a script that rises to serviceable by keeping the plot simple and adhering, albeit loosely, to the rules of the world she created. The path and destination come into focus, and Xanthe's arrival could be a game-changer for the series.
What's not great about Birds Of Prey #12? For all the danger that Maia represents, the BoP sure does take its sweet team, thinking, sitting, drinking, and chit-chatting. When confronted with a godlike character who wants you dead, wouldn't you be acting with a little more haste and concern?
In typical Thompson fashion, caring, sharing, and concern for everyone's feelings take utmost priority over the murderous threat waiting right around the corner. In a Justice League-level threat scenario, this team wouldn't last two minutes, which makes this title feel utterly disposable.
How's the Art? If there's a word for this style, I don't know what it is. Would you call it Powerpuff Girl Chic? Regardless, the art team accomplishes what it set out to do by reimagining the BoP into cartoon characters, so kudos for getting the job done.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
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Final Thoughts
Birds Of Prey #12 is a silly yet serviceable issue that sends the BoP into Cartoon Land(???). Kelly Thompson's setup makes little sense, and this issue lacks dramatic tension or urgency, but this issue may have the clearest and most purposeful plot yet. Plus, kudos to the art team for making the most out of a bizarre assignment.
6/10
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