Birds of Prey #20 review

A new story unfolds as we creep into a building with Cassandra Cain. So many bits of information to follow, separating our team and scattering them across the four corners of the planet. Each recon mission is written about in parallel so Kelly Thompson has to not just handle one new story but five! Let’s see how she’s doing so far!

First of all, I want to say that I’m really surprised by the fact that we’re no longer led by Dinah’s point of view. Her inner monologue is missing in this issue which had been something that I was enjoying as it got better with time. There was also the feeling that it was part of the comic’s identity and how Kelly Thompson was making the team’s identity her own. Instead we have Cassandra be our introduction to the story’s newest plot. Which is very similar to the start of a previous story arc where Cassandra had to infiltrate a hipster tycoon’s business.

The execution of this opening with Cassandra is flawless though. I love the fact that we’re treated to these large panels and minimal dialogue to really let this new setting settle in. We breathe in the beautiful colors and swift movements of our heroine. We exhale to see clues and the leftover traces of excitement come into view. It’s restraint in the best way possible.

Cassandra and Barda have always been the most consistent parts of this run for me. But Cassandra really takes the cake now. Her moment with Sin is touching as all heck and she manages to always balance danger with sincerity and respect for her fellow team members. Barda is more of a comic relief with power of cosmic proportions which is still fun to read but no longer has the emotional weight that would sometimes get rubbed off on her through her interactions with Cassandra.

I said that Dinah no longer being the main viewpoint of the comic represents a departure from this comic’s identity but I think about that and realize… what is the identity of this comic? That was like the last vestige of what I was used to and now everything is up in the air. There is nothing consistent in this universe anymore and I have zero expectation beyond being mildly entertained.

Take the art by Sami Basrit for example. I think there’s a lot of really competent pages in this issue to be honest. The opening is incredible and really stood out to me while the rest of the comic is pretty boiler plate in its competence. This issue is a satisfying read in isolation but it’s not participating in the comic’s identity because there is none to be a part of anymore. The inks and colors by Vicente Cifuentes and Adriano Lucas respectively leave me with the same impression. Great start with a decent follow through that has me happy to pick up the issue but nothing that screams Birds of Prey.

The lettering by Clayton Cowles also feels a bit underwhelming though it’s still very well crafted. There are a couple of touches that really stand out here and there like the BOOM sound effects but all in all just shows high levels of competence.