After how much I enjoyed "Sensei & Student," it's fair to say that I was looking forward to Simone's next big story arc on Birds of Prey, and she doesn't disappoint with the first issue. She's come up with a pretty neat balance between Huntress, Black Canary and Oracle, turning an effective partnership into an interesting threesome, and it doesn't hurt that she writes the most interesting version of Huntress this side of Greg Rucka. Her last story took the interesting conceit of pairing her agent with a pair of assassins and a mystery, and this one starts with murdered children and a mysterious cult and takes off from there. It's an intriguing plot with plenty of questions, it features the same solid characterization and touches of humor I've come to expect from Simone and if the art still isn't quite what I'd ideally like, it's certainly passable enough for the book.
I used to think of Birds of Prey as more of an espionage/adventure book than a superhero tale. Simone has shifted that balance somewhat, but this still isn't really a straight superhero book, but more of a genre blend, mixing superheroes, mystery and a touch of girl power that walks the uneasy balance between making these women sexy and smart. I love that the story starts with an old-fashioned briefing, a quick rundown of exposition before sending the agents out on their field assignments. I also very much enjoyed the opening page, which very quickly establishes what's going on and why it's a bad thing. Simone has written this book in long arcs, but there's no sense that she's wasting time or pacing slowly here, there's always plenty going on and a quick hook to get the reader involved.
What surprises me most about Birds of Prey under Simone is how much she's got me liking Huntress. I've always had a certain fondness for the character, but I've gotten so used to her being written badly, as little more than a thorn in the side of Batman, that I sometimes forget why I liked her. Simone reminds me why, giving the character's renegade attitude something of a legitimate target, and making her cockiness and smart mouth an asset that keeps her balanced in dangerous territory. She doesn't come off as a loose cannon who is dangerous, but like a free agent who might occasionally be a little too independent for her own good. Having her recognize this aspect of herself enough to join with Oracle and Black Canary shows off the intelligence that the character has always had. And at the same time, Simone doesn't lose the fun aspects of her saracastic, even bad tempered nature, which provides some terrific moments this issue when she has her first run-in with the cultists' "recruiters."
I've grown to appreciate the work of Ed Benes on the book as his style has changed a little and he seems to have grown into the role, and so of course it's time for a change-up in the artwork. Adrian's work is very similar to Benes in many ways, carrying a touch of manga sensibilities, but he seems less inclined to the "boobs, butt, legs" shots that Benes favored, except where it seems called for in the script to highlight one of the characters using their sexuality as a weapon. His style isn't exactly my cup of tea, and some of the action sequences are a little more crowded than I'd like, but I see touches of Chris Bachalo and Mike Wieringo in his artwork, and he's certainly a talent to watch. At any rate, while I'm still pining for a realist like Dave Ross or Ivan Reis or one of those guys on the book, Adrian does a good job with the storytelling and makes a nice seamless transition for fans of Benes.
Birds of Prey has quickly moved up to become one of my favorite books, and given that I'd sort of lost all hope for it when Dixon left, that's saying something. Simone has turned the book into something different from what Dixon made it into, she has made it her own, but has maintained the important core relationship between Black Canary and Oracle and has come up with some terrific plots to go with her stellar characterization. And though she's not in Vaughan territory yet, this issue has a pretty good cliffhanger, and makes me glad that this series is going biweekly for the summer.
