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A review by tshepiso
Birds of Prey Vol. 2 by Gloria Vasquez, Chuck Dixon, Drew Geraci, Peter Krause, Greg Land, Dick Giordano, Nelson DeCastro
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
Birds of Prey Vol. 2 treads similar waters to Vol. 1 and because of that, it had similar highs and lows. I like a fun action-adventure story so while its plots were predictable I didn’t mind being swept along the ride. I especially loved the villain-centric Ravens arc and its time-travelling shenanigans. This series’ plots are best when they’re team-centric and lighthearted.
However, I’m still not fond of the white saviour narrative implicit in a lot of the stories in this series. The geo-politics of this book in general are pretty iffy and the issue dedicated to humanizing a brutal dictator is symbolic of the problems I have with the framing of the series.
Despite that, Barbara and Dinah's relationship continued to be a treat. These two have fantastic chemistry and their friendship is delightful. I did hope for more texture to their dynamic given the ups and downs of their relationship in Vol. 1 but what I got wasn’t all that disappointing.
Like in Vol. 1 Barbara was given some of the best character moments in the volume. Birds of Prey is very good at doing introspective exploration of the ways Barbara’s life and relationships have changed since to took up the mantle of Oracle. The issue dedicated to Barbara and Dick was a standout in this regard. However, the time and care Barbara gets highlight the comparative lack Dinah has been given so far in this series. While Barbara’s life outside of crimefighting gets significant page time Dinah is rarely given those moments making the series feel unbalanced.
The biggest improvement for this series was without a doubt the art. There was a much more consistent and appealing art style throughout this comic. From what I can tell illustrators Greg Land and Drew Geraci and colourist Gloria Vasquez consistently put out my favourite art in this volume and their style was mimicked pretty well when they weren’t on the creative team.
Birds of Prey Vol. 2 was more of the same, but I had fun with it. The characters were well-realized and the action was a treat.
However, I’m still not fond of the white saviour narrative implicit in a lot of the stories in this series. The geo-politics of this book in general are pretty iffy and the issue dedicated to humanizing a brutal dictator is symbolic of the problems I have with the framing of the series.
Despite that, Barbara and Dinah's relationship continued to be a treat. These two have fantastic chemistry and their friendship is delightful. I did hope for more texture to their dynamic given the ups and downs of their relationship in Vol. 1 but what I got wasn’t all that disappointing.
Like in Vol. 1 Barbara was given some of the best character moments in the volume. Birds of Prey is very good at doing introspective exploration of the ways Barbara’s life and relationships have changed since to took up the mantle of Oracle. The issue dedicated to Barbara and Dick was a standout in this regard. However, the time and care Barbara gets highlight the comparative lack Dinah has been given so far in this series. While Barbara’s life outside of crimefighting gets significant page time Dinah is rarely given those moments making the series feel unbalanced.
The biggest improvement for this series was without a doubt the art. There was a much more consistent and appealing art style throughout this comic. From what I can tell illustrators Greg Land and Drew Geraci and colourist Gloria Vasquez consistently put out my favourite art in this volume and their style was mimicked pretty well when they weren’t on the creative team.
Birds of Prey Vol. 2 was more of the same, but I had fun with it. The characters were well-realized and the action was a treat.