Birds of Prey: Of Like Minds

Author: Gail Simone
Illustrators: Ed Benes, Alex Lei, Rob Lea

Title:Birds of Prey: Of Like Minds

Publication: March 1, 2004

Publisher: DC

Genre: Graphic Novel, Comic Book

Pages: 144

Audience: 16 and up

Rating: 5 out of 5

Source: Purchased

Synopsis (from the cover): After being paralyzed from the waist down, former Batgirl Barbara Gordon took on the persona of information cyber lord oracle and began a successful crime-fighting partnership with the Black Canary.
But when the two femmes fatales are confronted by Savant, a villain whose physical and mental abilities equal their own, they become drawn into a deadly and elaborate trap. Now with the madman holding Black Canary hostage, Oracle- who reluctantly enlists the aid of the Huntress- must choose between revealing Batman's secret identity to her captor and saving the life of her friend and partner.

My thoughts:
Gail Simone is one of my favorite comic book writers. I also follow her on Twitter and she is hilarious and extremely opinionated. Either way, the lady can write. I'm not sure if this is volume three, or if she took over and made it her own. Amazon claims it is volume 1, Goodreads says volume 3. I feel like it could be a continuation of Chuck Dixon's story, but starting in this graphic novel, Black Canary knows who the Oracle is. Either way, I believe this is where the story really picks up. I gave the other two a 4 out of 5, but I could not put this book down! I was taking a 15 minute break at work, and accidentally took a longer break because I was reading. 
This story adds a more human aspect to the characters. Even though they are superheroes, they are still  human and can get hurt. It also deals with relationships- business, romantic, friendship. It just made the storyline more rounded. No matter what number in the timeline, this graphic novel falls in, it is a perfect stand alone graphic novel and I highly recommend it!

 

Birds of Prey Volume 2: Old Friends, New Enemies

Authors: Chuck Dixon, Greg Land, and Drew Geraci
Illustrators: Greg Land and Drew Geraci

Title:Birds of Prey Volume 2: Old Friends, New Enemies

Publication: February 22, 2011

Publisher: Vertical

Genre: Graphic Novel, Comic Book

Pages: 224

Audience: 16 and up

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Source: Purchased

Synopsis (from the cover): 
Recruited by the mysterious Oracle to act as her agent, former justice leaguer Black Canary now travels the globe fighting injustice and forcing the guilty to pay for their crimes. Through their adventures an odd friendship has developed, even though Black Canary has never even seen Oracle face to face.

But their friendship and their lives could be cut sort when Black Canary finds herself. in the middle of a deadly hunt being led by the ruthless cult leader Kobra for a long forgotten piece of Russian technology, and as Black Canary fights for her life, Oracle has her own troubles when the U.S. Army begins tracking down the person hacking into their systems, There's no rest for anybody here, wicked or otherwise.

My thoughts:
This comic was action packed. My husband loves Chuck Dixon and I can see why! He is a great writer and I just love him for spawning The Birds of Prey storyline. Black Canary is still doing what she does best- kicking bad dude's butts. Oracle is still utilizing her librarian skills and finding the bad guy's hideouts. They make a great team, which in turn is a great read. I found the individual stories intertwined, but not as closely as volume 1. The last story in the book was kind of crazy and involved time travel and a lake in Minnesota. It was just really odd. Even though, the last story kind of threw me for a loop, the entire book is worth reading!

 

Li'l Gotham Volume 1

Authors: Derek Fridolfs and Dustin Nguyen
Illustrator: Dustin Nguyen

Title: Li'l Gotham Volume 1

Publication: February 25, 2014

Publisher: DC

Genre: Graphic Novel, Comic Book

Pages: 128

Audience: 10 and up

Rating: 5 out of 5

Source: Purchased

Synopsis (from the cover): Life in the big city just got crazier with this year-round all-ages holiday fun, featuring Batman and all of his adorable allies and adversaries! Crimefighting and celebrating go hand-in-hand in Gotham with Batman, Robin, Nightwing, Catwoman, Mr. Freeze, The Penguin, The Joker, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, and more!

My thoughts:

 I have been waiting since September or October for the trade of this graphic novel to come out! It was sooooo precious! I'm not sure every character stays in the "li'l" format, but this is the cleanest novel I have ever read. I would share it with a younger audience. It is really perfect for all ages. I love corny jokes and puns, and this comic was filled to the brim with them- I laughed through the entire book. The artwork appeared to be done in watercolor, which was beautiful, but at times lacked in detail or was a bit faint. However, when you are making all your characters little, I guess small details can be forgiven.
If you are looking for a clean read or a place to jump start into comics, this one is perfect!

Black Canary/ Oracle Birds of Prey Volume 1 by Chuck Dixon

Author: Chuck Dixon, Jordan B. Gorfinkel, Gary Frank
Illustrator: Stefano Raffaele, Matt Haley, Jennifer Graves, Sal Buscema

Title:Black Canary/Oracle Birds of Prey Volume 1

Publication: February 1999

Publisher: DC Comics

Genre: Graphic Novel, Comic Book, Super Heroes.

Pages: 208

Audience: 15 and up

Rating: 4 out of 5

Source: Purchased

Synopsis (from the cover): Alone, they are driven vigilantes...together they are a force to be reckoned with. 
Name: Barbara Gordon 
Alias: Oracle
 The former Batgirl, she now serves as information broker to the super-hero community-all the while searching for something beyond the limitations fate has forced upon her.
Name: Dinah Lance
Alias: Black Canary
A master of judo, aikido, karate, and several other martial arts, this ex- Justice Leaguer now finds herself searching for a new direction, a new outlet for her talents.

My Thoughts:
I am a huge fan of Barbara Gordon, who is Batgirl/Oracle. I am also a fan of the Birds of Prey, mainly thanks to Babs. I started the New 52 Birds of Prey and decided I wanted the entire original back story. My husband lovingly spent months, time, and money on helping me collect the original story. The art in this book is marvelous as well as the writing. Granted, the art is a little dated looking. I thought it looked a bit like the 80s or 90s. It is from 1999, so that could explain it, but it is worth the read. Chuck Dixon is one of my husband's favorite comic book writers, and he hasn't let me down on any story I have read by him so far. 
The story is essentially how Black Canary and Oracle come together to create this team of heroines to save Gotham and the rest of the world. The story throws in some details that are probably explained in other comics or hopefully in the future comics of this series. Some of it is kind of understood, like everyone should know that the Joker shoot Barbara Gordon and paralyzes her. She then uses her knowledge and technology to help the super heroes fight the bad guys, and she turns into the Oracle. Occasionally other questionable ladies are thrown into the mix like Catwoman, Lois Lane, Lady Shiva, and the Huntress (I REALLY hate her, especially since the show Arrow had her on there.). Even though there are other characters mixed in, Black Canary proves time and time again she can take care of herself, with a little help from Oracle. If you are interested in the series at all, I strongly recommend this "origin" story.

Batwoman Volume 2: To Drown the World

Author:J.H. Williams III, W. Haden Blackman

Illustrators: Amy Reeder and Trevor McCarthy
Title:Batwoman Volume 2: To Drown the World

Publication: January 22, 2013

Publisher: DC Comics

Genre: Graphic Novel, Comic Book

Pages: 144

Audience: 16 and up

Rating: 2 out of 5

Source: Purchased

Synopsis (from the cover): Murder. Madness. Monsters... Medusa. Taking its name from the horrifying creature of myth, this global conspiracy of crime has taken its war against goodness to Gotham City. 

There, its sinister agents prey upon Gotham's children, using the guises of urban legends. Ghosts in the mirror searching for bloody retribution. Monsters in the sewer hungering for innocent lives. Crazed specters spreading their pain in a  tide of blood. Brutal killers wielding death with a hook bladed hand. 

At Medusa's dark heart stands the Mother of Monsters. Her goal is to drown the world in darkness.  

But the Mother isn't Gotham's only dark spirit.

Batwoman's mind, body, and soul have been battered as never before. But she's emerged from her trials stronger than ever. Now on a collision course with Medusa, no one- not the GCPD, not the shadowy Department of Extranormal Operations, and not the men and women who care about her the most will stop her from seeking justice for the lost....

My thoughts:
What an utter and total disappointment.  I love the character Batwoman/ Kate Kane. She is a wonderful character and I believe there are so many (good) things the writers could do for her. However, this story was complete garbage in my opinion. The graphic novel was split up by people and their individual time lines that occurred over what appeared to be about a few weeks or so. It would jump from various character who were not Kate or Batwoman and the time line would jump around also. It was a complete jumbled mess. Also, the story is full of mythology and along with the timeline it was just incomprehensible. I was able to understand some of the basics of what was going on. It was like the graphic novel was a filler meant to tease the reader. It actually makes me angry that the storyline and the flow was such a mess. I'm actually trying to decide if I want to purchase the next graphic novel or not. Most fans do not question their loyalty, but I will unless a writer steps up to the task of sorting the chaos that the Batwoman plot is at the moment and sculpt it in a beautiful, well thought out story.

As for the art, it seems to have diminished a bit. She isn't as shiny or as detailed as I remember, which I can forgive. I do appreciate the artists attempts to bring Kate Kane's complexion to that of the living and less like a dead corpse. She is still pale, but she looked healthier and better than before. The art is still great even if the story is completely lacking.

I will read the next one, but I may wait for it to arrive at the library first.

 

Batgirl Volume 2: Knightfall Descends

Author: Gail Simone

Illustrators: Ardian Syaf,Ed Benes, Vicente Cifuentes
Title:Batgirl Volume 2: Knightfall Descends

Publication: February 12, 2013

Publisher: DC Comics

Genre: Graphic Novel, Comic Book

Pages: 192

Audience:  17 and up

Rating: 5 out of 5

Source: Purchased

Synopsis (from the cover): Gotham city can be dangerous. No one knows this more than Barbara Gordon. Recovered physically but not emotionally, Batgirl is back on patrol. Unfortunately, others have their own ideas about how but to safeguard the city. These vigilantes will execute every criminal they find, down to the pettiest offenders. They answer to a maniac named Knightfall, a masked woman who wants to save Gotham, but not before drowning it in blood. Smart and skilled, she is every bit Batgirl's equal. But right now, Batgirl isn't who she used to be. Can Barbara find the strength within her to defeat Knightfall? Or will crime in Gotham finally be wiped out- brutally, lethally and permanently?

My thoughts:
Batgirl is back and kicking butt! She is trying to protect the people of Gotham from the villain, Knightfall. However, Knightfall has paired up with someone from Batgirl's past who may know her better than she knows herself. This graphic novel really delves into  her back story. It explains why her mother is back and why her mother left. Barbara is just not ready to patch things up with her mother though. She is still very bitter about their relationship. So to soothe that wound, she turns to fighting the bad guys. The story becomes a bit of a mess when Batwoman appears in the picture. I have the new Batwoman comic that I need to read, but there is apparently some disagreement between the two ladies. This makes for an interesting story line. This comic was a bit longer than most and it covered a lot of Barbara's back story while setting up a continuing storyline. Things are a little convoluted because there is a lot going on, but it isn't too hard to follow. I cannot wait for the next trade to come out because to me, this one left me on a cliff hanger. I want to know what happens, but I'll have to wait until the trade comes out- dang it! 

 

Superman: Red Son

Author: Mark Millar
Illustrators: Dave Johnson and Kilian Plunkett

Title: Superman: Red Son 
Publication: February 1, 2004

Publisher: DC
Genre: Action

Pages: 160

Audience: 13 and up

Rating: 5 out of 5

Source: Bought

Synopsis (from Amazon):
From acclaimed writer Mark Millar (Ultimate X-Men), and artists Dave Johnson (100 Bullets) and Kilian Plunkett, comes a revolutionary alternate reality for Superman! It's an American nightmare! What if baby Superman had crashed on the wrong side of the Iron Curtain and grew up to become Stalin's right-hand man? And what if insane genius Lex Luthor was employed by the US government to develop their own countermeasure against the Man of Steel, turning the Cold War hot?! Alive with historical figures and starring a host of familiar superheroes, including Batman and Wonder Woman as you've never seen them before, this superb graphic novel takes the arms race and infuses it with the thrilling powers of Kryptonite!

My thoughts:As I stated before im not a big Superman fan, but if a Superman story comes highly recommend, I'll give it a try. Now love him or hate him, Superman is an American icon, and that's why I found an alternate storyline where Superman, as a baby crashes in Russia during the Cold War rather than America so interesting. He is The Man of Steel raised on Communist ideas, but he is still Superman. He still wants to help people and do what he thinks is right. I highly recommend this book to any comic book fan. Comrade Superman wont let you down.