Packing glitter bombs and shot glasses, Margot Robbie and Cathy Yan brought the Birds of Prey to the big screen, albeit in a different way to how comic fans might have envisioned. Even if it is a bit of a departure from the source material, Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn has undoubtedly awoken a new wave of curiosity for DCs deadly femme fatale super team, their comic book origins, and with it, questions about where to start reading.
Unlike Margot Robbie’s explosive Harley Quinn lead troupe, the team made its debut in Showcase 96 #3 (March 1996) as a series of collaborations between Oracle (Barbara Gordon) and Black Canary (Dinah Lance). Though it wasn’t until Chuck Dixon’s Birds of Prey: Black Canary/ Oracle one shot that the name would be used for the first time. Arguably the most infamous lineup would be Gail Simone’s 2003 Birds of Prey run, with Oracle, Black Canary and Huntress, while Cathy Yan’s team drops Oracle in favour of Harley and adds Gotham City Detective Renee Montoya – who notably became the Question in the comics continuity.
With Gail Simone taking up writing duties, the series balanced kickass action (courtesy of Ed Benes) while developing the relationships between the team members. It’s a series that found strength in the way it’s core members complimented each other, with each character bringing different skill sets, and by the time DC rebooted in 2011, there were some 20+ members and allies for the Birds to potentially call upon.
In the comics, they would clash against the likes of the Calculator – very much the villainous counterpart to Barbara’s Oracle – and arguably one of the most dangerous assassins in the DC Universe, Lady Shiva. In the Birds of Prey movie, meanwhile, the main antagonist is the violent Gotham City kingpin, Black Mask – an adequately named mobster known, shockingly enough, for wearing a “mildly” disturbing black skull mask. Might as well live up to the name if it describes your preferred attire. Besides his eccentric personality and preference for spooky fashion, Black Mask is known as being one of Batman’s most ruthless adversaries and certainly not on friendly terms with Catwoman. Besides which, he’s prone to angry outbursts, and responsible for committing some of the most gruesome forms of torture and violence in Gotham, a place not well acquainted with niceties and wellbeing. To put it one way, you do not want to get on his bad side – that is to say, he hasn’t really shown much of a strictly “good” one, either…
It’s fair to say the cinematic team takes a few creative departures from the source material to tell its own story, though the Birds of Prey movie does live up to the badassery of DCs most kickass team of superheroines. For one thing, Harley Quinn was never a member, though she was part of the Gotham City Sirens (with Catwoman and Poison Ivy), and neither was Renee Montoya. Notably, Cassy Cain’s depiction differs a great deal from her comic book counterpart. In the comics, she underwent traumatic childhood conditioning to train to become a world class assassin, leaving her mute and socially inept, before becoming the third Batgirl, and the first to have her own ongoing series. While this version of the character would make for an undoubtedly intense addition, it seems we likely won’t see her take up the cape and cowl – at least, not in the same way. With no Oracle in sight, Cain isn’t the only ex-Batgirl to join Margot Robbie’s team: Helena Bertinelli (Huntress) also took up the mantel for a period, though this doesn’t seem to be the case in the DCEU continuity. Her tragic story and struggle to exact her vengeance is consistent, however, as is her penchant for shooting things with a crossbow…
That being said, what this film and the comics do share in common most of all is that they are an empowering celebration of DCs rich roster of kickass crimefighting heroines – plus Harley Quinn, of course – in a genre prominently lead by hyper masculine heroes. The Birds of Prey were certainly recognisable even before the cinematic treatment, as bright colourful posters and the creative use of explosive glitter brought them more mainstream attention, though perhaps not as recognised as other teams like the Justice League, or even the X-Men and the Avengers. Writers like Gail Simone have used the team to explore some lesser-known characters, with the likes of Manhunter (Kate Spencer), Vixen (Mari Jiwe McCabe), Black Alice (Lori Zechlin), and Lady Blackhawk (Zinda Blake). But most importantly, the team celebrated these characters as diverse individuals.
Getting into new comics and long-running series can seem intimidating. With the Birds of Prey, there are plenty of newcomer friendly ways to get better acquainted with the team itself, or any of its members specifically. With that in mind, here’s a few essentials to check out and add to that ever-growing backlog:
1. Birds of Prey Vol. 1: “Of Like Minds” and Vol. 2: “Sensei & Student”
The Gail Simone and Ed Benes run introduced arguably the most infamous core lineup, with Oracle, Black Canary and Huntress, and really cemented Gail Simone as one of DCs best writers – especially during the 2000s. It explored the relationship between the Birds and frequently introduced other popular, as well as more obscure, DC characters throughout the series.
Oracle may have been aiding various heroes in the background for several years by this time, but Simone’s Birds of Prey makes a point of exposing her value as a team player, leader, and member of the DC universe, while giving ample time to explore a hefty catalogue of other characters. Generally speaking, this run is potentially the best – and in some ways most obvious – starting point for anyone wanting to explore the Birds of Prey comics, with plenty of drama, action, and engaging narration to pull new and veteran comics readers in alike.
2. Harley Quinn “Preludes and Knock Knock Jokes”
Now out from being under the Joker’s shadow, Harley Quinn stands out as a fully-fledged character in her own right, with her own successful on-going series and a dedicated fandom to boot – even more so now thanks to Margot Robbie! Not to mention more merchandise than you can throw a Batarang at…
While she’s starred in various stories all over the DC Universe, her own series’ have been consistently popular, with plenty of spin-offs and one shots that are easy enough to dive into. Though personally the Karl Kessel and Terry and Rachel Dodson run would be my favourite – “Preludes and Knock Knock Jokes” in particular. At times it feels like an expansion of the Animated Series version of the character, with appearances from the likes of Poison Ivy, Big Barda, and plenty of Bat-bearing do-gooders.
3. Black Canary Vol. 1: “Kicking and Screaming”
Spinning out of the pages of Batgirl, writer Brenden Fletcher and artist Annie Wu offer a fresh take on Black Canary, beginning with Vol. 1: “Kicking and Screaming”. As an ex-crime fighter, she struggles to make ends meet as the lead singer of the four-piece rock band, “Black Canary” (wonder what inspired that name…?). However, her gigs take a somewhat complicated turn as her shows tend to end in large scale scraps, threatening the future of the band as she fends off bar brawlers, secret agents, shadow monsters, and ninjas! Annie Wu’s stylish art also brings an edgy punk style making this a must read for a more modern take on Black Canary!
However if you’re more interested in her past iterations, as a regular in the Green Arrow comics, you’re better off catching some of the classic Green Arrow/ Black Canary team ups. Starting with Green Arrow: Longbow Hunters, the Mike Grell Green Arrow comics feature prominent story arcs involving Dinah and her relationship with Oliver Queen, though these stories are often darker than what you might find in Brenden Fletcher and Annie Wu’s run of Black Canary.
4. Batman/ Huntress: Cry for Blood
From Greg Rucka (Batwoman), Batman/ Huntress: Cry for Blood is an intriguing mystery following the murder of Mafia capo, found shot by a crossbow wielding assailant. Having previously earned the approval of Batman, these events lead him and his allies to question Huntress’s motives. With the Question as an ally, Huntress evades Batman while trying to prove her innocence and find the real culprit behind the crime. It’s a story that hinges on vengeance with a deep mystery thriller style, exploring the Huntress’s dark past set to the adequately gritty Gotham underbelly.
5. Gotham Central
While Batman: The Animated Series may have introduced us to the character, Renee Montoya has made frequent appearances in Batman related stories – notably as a main character in Gotham Central, 52 (2006-2007), and the epic No Man’s Land story. Gotham Central focuses more on the GCPD and the lives of its officers in Gotham City, reputed in the DC Universe as crime ridden and dangerous. The series splits between the day shift, written by Rucka, and the night shift by Brubaker, earning an Eisner Award nomination in 2003. While the series has multiple protagonists, Montoya features prominently in “Half a Life” (#6-10), which sees her life turned upside down when she is publicly outed as a lesbian and framed for murder by Two-Face. The events of this story would prominently define her character, and the chaotic downward spiral of her personal life play into her appearance in the 2006-2007 52 crossover, where she becomes an alcoholic ex-cop. Though she is not commonly known for being associated with the Birds of Prey, remembered more for taking on the role as the vigilante, the Question, her DCEU counterpart places more focus on her history with the GCPD. Hopefully there’ll be time for her to evolve into her vigilante role in the future…
6. Batman: No Man’s Land “Mark of Cain”
Although Cassandra Cain is played by Ella Jay Basco, the character never really worked officially alongside the Birds of Prey. However, she did work under the wing (so to speak) of Oracle as the new Batgirl. She debuted in Batman #567 (July 1999), created by Kelley Puckett and Damion Scott. The cataclysmic No Man’s Land event – which levelled Gotham to the ground – not only put Cain in her own Bat-suit, it introduced the “Mark of Cain” story arc which revealed her childhood upbringing under David Cain, a deadly assassin. The story introduces key aspects of her background which are later expanded upon in her own 2001 solo series, simply titled Batgirl, which is also worth checking out and requires little background knowledge of the character to enjoy.
7. Batman: War Games
Roman Sionis is without a doubt one of the most dangerous villains to terrorise Gotham – and that’s a big call, considering Gotham’s wildlife includes psychotic clowns, toothy crocodile mutants, inquisitive green-themed tricksters, and steroid-induced muscle mountains. The “War Games” storyline follows an out of control gang war, resulting in the tragic death of one of Batman’ allies and Black Mask’s dominance over Gotham’s underworld. As if Batman didn’t need more reasons to hate his toothy skull-face, it makes for a great case study for why Black Mask is such a sadistic villain.
8. Gotham City Sirens Vol. 1: “Union
In a slightly chirpier mood, Gotham City Sirens (another upcoming DCEU project) joins Harley Quinn with her best pals, Catwoman and Poison Ivy! It’s a deadly team-up that’s clearly no good for anyone, but sure is a heck of a lot of fun! It follows in the wake of Batman: Reborn, which saw the relaunch of all Bat-themed titles.
In this volume, Harley, Catwoman and Poison Ivy band together when a villain named Boneblaster attempts to take them down. Though things get somewhat more complicated – as if this union isn’t problematic itself – when Hush kidnaps Harley, requiring the help of her fellow Sirens…! Harley may not have been a member of the Birds of Prey, but Gotham City Sirens is the closest you’re likely to get to a comic book super team-up. Even if they are more on the anti-hero/ villain side, preoccupied with looking out for themselves than saving Gotham…
