Black Canary/Oracle: Birds of Prey #1
“Revolution”, 1997, written by Chuck Dixon, pencilled by Stefano Raffaele, inked by Bob McLeod, colored by Gloria Vasquez, lettered by Albert de Guzman, edited by Jordan B. Gorfinkel, cover by Gary Frank, John Dell, & Gloria Vasquez
Finally! After months and months and several intervening issues, we get the story we were promised at the end of “One Man’s Hell” — that of the Black Canary’s visit to the notorious island of Santa Prisca (birthplace of Batman ultra-baddy Bane) where she takes down a slavery ring! You go girl! There is a nice little in-joke twist on the Canary’s be-wigged past (we first see her undercover in a black wig). The little cracks which have been developing in Oracle & Dinah’s relationship since its beginning in “One Man’s Hell” (and were particularly noticeable throughout the “Manhunt” miniseries) turn into fissures by the end of this one and their future as partners-against-crime looks uncertain. A solid story.
Black Canary/Oracle: Birds of Prey #1
“Wolves”, October 1997, written by Chuck Dixon, pencilled by Dick Giordano, inked by Wayne Faucher, colored by Gloria Vasquez, lettered by Albert de Guzman, edited by Jordan B. Gorfinkel, cover by Gary Frank, John Dell, & Gloria Vasquez
We join Black Canary in medias res fighting quite a battle, but that isn’t the story we’re in for. “Wolves” is more interested in Barbara Gordon & Dinah Lance than in Oracle & Black Canary, but by the end of the story — during which they take a sabbatical from each other and find even more trouble separately than they do together — our heroines have learned they’re really more alike than they know and stronger working together than apart. And we meet Craig Windrow — Dinah’s ex-husband!
Black Canary/Batgirl: Birds of Prey #1
“Birds of Prey”, February 1998, written by Chuck Dixon, pencilled by Greg Land, inked by Drew Geraci, colored by Gloria Vasquez, lettered by Albert T. de Guzman, edited by Jordan B. Gorfinkel, cover by Gary Frank, John Dell, & Gloria Vasquez
Pity poor me! I’d been away from comics for so long that I didn’t know until most of the way through this story that Batgirl was no more and that I was supposed to have been stunned by her teaming up with the Black Canary! But this is the story that made me a rabid Birds of Prey fan. I went in search of the rest of the their team-ups and then in search of the stories which would explain to me what had happened to Barbara Gordon and THEN I discovered the Crisis on Infinite Earths and then I borrowed my brother’s Batman comics… let’s just say the rest is history. This was the story that catapulted me from my fresh rediscovery (equally startled by it, I must say) of the new Supergirl (whom I love!) to full-fledged Batman milieu fanatic.
The Black Canary appears in this story, but it’s really all Barbara’s game and deals in a very interesting way with her past as Batgirl and her present as Oracle. I love this variation on the Canary’s costume, too, and hope they use it more often (is it just me, or does anyone else worry about short-panted superheros’ legs getting cold and bruised?). I hope we get some follow-up to the dark hints dropped in this terrific story once the monthly series starts. I for one can hardly wait.
Birds of Prey: The Ravens #1
“S.I.M.O.N. Says Armageddon”, June 1998, written by Chuck Dixon, pencilled by Nelson DeCastro, inked by Drew Geraci, colored by Gloria Vasquez, lettered by Tim Harkins, edited by Jordan B. Gorfinkel, cover by Leonard Kirk
You want an origin story? I got yer friggin’ origin story right here! Under the (slightly annoying) teaser title “Birds of Prey” we actually are given the origin of a mercenary supervillain gang called the Ravens. Assembled and led by Cheshire, Arsenal’s ex-honey (and the mother of his daughter Lian), the Ravens include Termina, Vicious, & Pistolero. Cheshire is presented as a bad girl with BIG regrets about her past which she’s chosen to ignore. Oh, and Oracle and Black Canary only appear in one panel each. Ah, well. Really cool story. Nice to see Gunbunny — oops! — I mean Pistolera back in action after having left her longtime companion Gunhawke some time ago in the Bat-books. Overall, it’s an excellent, mysterious setup for the inevitable first contact.