We’re here at the tail end of Divide & Conquer which only had two parts but still managed to be a really enjoyable read! I’ve criticized Kelly Thompson for being much weaker at these shorter stories but this is definitely an exception! So while our super heroines are split apart and finishing their battles we get to see why their battles pack such a punch!
Kelly Thompson starts this issue right where we left off as Dinah and Sin’s trap nabs the ninjas who think they’re about to ambush them. Dinah’s internal monologue gives us a great feel for the incoming danger and plays with the theme of this issue as we wonder what the toll of violence is on each character’s psyche. Who’s really in charge? The character we’re reading about or their internalized bloodlust? There’s pride in being able to defend yourself and the people you care about but there’s also anxiety and disgust at the idea of needing to do this in the first place. This duality is also represented in how Sin and Megaera become linked emotionally and physically as you’ll see later.
In another realm completely we have Big Barda handling her fight in a really fun and creative way that helps to remind me why I love seeing her interact with any problem. Cassandra Cain has to deal with a demon who’s really poorly written in my opinion. All of the demon’s attempts to manipulate are bottom of the barrel ideas and I guess you could argue it’s to make the demon look really pathetic but then why does Constantine need their help if the demon is so lame? A simple line from the demon being like “I’m not used to having to talk my way out of things” would’ve worked way better than having us hear about how the demon will try anything to be released. A change in line like that would also show us that the demon is really powerful in other ways that would explain why Constantine desired backup. I will say that Cassandra’s test for the demon and Constantine melted my heart. Something so simple but speaks volumes about her character.
Juann Cabal has taken up the art for the series and everything feels completely out of place. Well not everything. I love that Juann Cabal continues the panel composition craziness of the magical realm and the massive fight scene spread with Dinah and Sin. Cabal clearly has a great eye for layouts and carries that torch onwards. Sidenote I also found it really funny and charming how there was just this random painting of a guy holding a massive fish in the background of a really intense fight. The fisherman was so proud of himself and I couldn’t stop smiling whenever I’d come across it. 
Back to the irregularity though! I feel like Juann Cabal has transformed this into a webcomic with an art style that just does not fit the previous aesthetic of the issues at all. This is just a general gripe I have with these kinds of series that change artists all the time. When I look at a page in general I feel ok but the more I try to focus on specific elements, especially character designs, the more I just feel completely alienated by the art style.
Adriano Lucas continues to do a competent job with the colors of this comic. They’re fine, not really inspiring. It’s hard to write a lot about it each time because there are tiny fragments like the sunset at the end that are actually beautiful but in general I’m just like… whatever… you know, it’s fine. I really miss the nostalgic tint of the previous issues, dare I say, I’m nostalgic for them! At least there’s Clayton Cowles’ lettering. The variety is crazy with so many different sounds jumping at you from the page. Especially on the double page spread where the warm glow of the red and orange fireplace gets broken apart by a bunch of amazing sound effects. An instance where the coloring and lettering are working together really well!
Recommended if
- Big Barda’s antics are amusing
- Cassandra’s big heart leaves you heartwarmed
- You’re excited to see Dinah and Sin bond some more
Overall
This issue was a nice exception in that it was a fun and short addition to Kelly Thompson’s Birds of Prey series. I still am not that wowed by the art anymore and I haven’t been for a long time. There are moments that wow me but all in all I’m just generally positive with nothing in me to really go out of my way to tell people to jump into this series. The writing is getting better and the art is kind of keeping it afloat so for the regular readers I can imagine things are going well!
Score: 6
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English (US) · 