As a huge supporter of Gail Simone's run on Wonder Woman, it was a disappointment for me to learn that she'd be leaving the book this summer; but that disappointment was quelled when DC announced a new Birds of Prey ongoing. Many comics fans know that Simone's previous stint with the Birds was highly acclaimed, and there are undoubtedly some huge expectations going into the first issue of this new series.
Does it deliver as a worthy replacement to Simone's Wonder Woman? Honestly, it's too early to tell. One fact is undeniable though, it's a hell of a thing to have these characters back in their own series. While all of them have been active elsewhere - Oracle in Batgirl, Huntress in Streets of Gotham, and Black Canary in JLA - there is an undeniable joy in seeing these three as a team, let alone written by Gail Simone. Thankfully, that's a feeling that Simone picks up on in issue #1 in a great scene towards the close of the book that sees the three leads realizing how important this team is to them and trying to come to terms with their emotions about being reunited.
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It's the great character moments like this that always lace Simone's work, and while Birds of Prey #1 is significantly more plot driven than I expected, it still holds the potential for the evolution of these great characters. It's also worth mentioning that Simone has given herself a broader cast to have some fun with, including Lady Blackhawke, Hawk, and Dove. The aforementioned plot itself is fairly intriguing, and gives the Birds a legitimate reason to re-team. The pacing of the issue is a little strange, the front end being very textually heavy and the back end speeding up significantly with shorter dialog and plenty of action.
Also returning to the new Birds of Prey is fellow Birds alumni in Ed Benes, whose work in Birds of Prey Simone has been touting as some of the best he's ever done. I have to say, upon opening this issue it took me a little bit to point out the Benes trademarks. Birds of Prey #1 definitely feels like an evolution for the artist, from layouts and composition to the way the inker and colorist enhance his pencils. He still excels most when illustrating an action scene, but there is great improvement in the scenes where much less is happening. It's tough to make talking heads interesting, and while he doesn't succeed fully, Benes has made a great leap forward.
The re-debut of Birds of Prey is exciting for me. There's definitely not enough strong female characters written by female writers, and I'm glad that Gail Simone is continuing from Wonder Woman to Birds. Even with other great books currently under her pen, it's hard to deny that Birds of Prey #1 doesn't feel like a homecoming.
