Comics / Comic Reviews / DC Comics

Review: Batgirl and the Birds of Prey #13

By Philip Schweier
August 29, 2017 - 11:03

The conclusion of the current story arc, as the Birds team up with bat-villains Poison Ivy and Catwoman to take down a corrupt eco-products company. Not only is it indirectly poisoning the environment, it’s also kidnapped the wife and children of the Calculator. He’s a bad guy, but clearly his family is unaware. But will Ivy’s passion for eco-terrorism prove to be the Birds undoing?

It’s not a bad story, though I am rather skeptical of how much the voice of reason influences the outcome. My experiences in recent months tell me otherwise. Fanatics will continue to argue their point in anger and bitterness, with little attention paid to a differing viewpoint. And let’s face it, Ivy is NOT on the side of the angels; she doesn’t straddle the line the way Catwoman does.

Antonio’s artwork is good, but that of Tamura was rather jarring, being so significantly different. It’s impossibly to discern of he simply ran out of time or there was a different strategy to prompt Tamura’s involvement. Regardless, I don’t believe it serves the book well, but if it made a difference in getting the book out on time, so be it. Plenty of opportunity to polish things up for the trade version.

Again, Paquette’s cover seems too photo-influenced. I’m sure it’s something that has been done for decades, but here it appears to be painfully obvious. As an art director I used to work for once told a client, “If you want something photo-realistic, then take a photo. Leave the drawing out of it.” Unfortunately, Marvel beat DC to the cosplay cover idea.

Rating: 5/10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12