Batgirl and the Birds of Prey | |
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Publication information | |
Publisher | DC Comics |
Schedule | Monthly |
Format | Ongoing series |
Genre | |
Publication date | September 2016 – July 2018 |
No. of issues | 22 + Rebirth one-shot |
Main character(s) | Batgirl Black Canary Huntress |
Creative team | |
Written by | Julie Benson Shawna Benson |
Penciller(s) | List
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Inker(s) | List
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Letterer(s) | List
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Colorist(s) | List
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Editor(s) | List
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Collected editions | |
Who is Oracle? | ISBN 978-1401268671 |
Source Code | ISBN 978-1401273804 |
Full Circle | ISBN 978-1401277819 |
Batgirl and the Birds of Prey is an ongoing American comic book series published by DC Comics and written by Julie Benson and Shawna Benson, starring the eponymous team. A one-shot was initially released in July 2016 as part of the DC Rebirth relaunch, before beginning publication as a monthly series in August. The series ran for 22 issues until May 2018.
Announced as part of DC Rebirth, the title debuted in July 2016 with the one-shot Batgirl and the Birds of Prey: Rebirth #1, before being released monthly. The first story arc follows Batgirl, Black Canary and the Huntress as they battle the Snake Men and Oracle, a villain using Batgirl's former codename. [1]
The series is written by Julie Benson and Shawna Benson. Claire Roe illustrated the Rebirth one-shot and the first three issues of the monthly series. Roge Antonio took over illustration duties beginning with issue #4, finishing the art for the remaining of the first story arc. Issue #22 was listed for release in May 2018 as the final issue, in which the team finally confronts Calculator. [2]
Title | Collected material | Pages | Format | Publication date | ISBN |
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Volume 1: Who is Oracle? | Batgirl and the Birds of Prey: Rebirth #1; Batgirl and the Birds of Prey #1–6 | 168 | Trade paperback | April 5, 2017 [3] | 978-1401268671 |
Volume 2: Source Code | Batgirl and the Birds of Prey #7–13 | December 6, 2017 [4] | 978-1401273804 | ||
Volume 3: Full Circle | Batgirl and the Birds of Prey #14–22 | 216 | July 18, 2018 [5] | 978-1401277819 |
The initial one-shot received an average score of 6.9/10 based on 32 critic reviews according to review aggregator Comic Book Roundup, [6] while the overall series had a score of 6.9/10 based on the average of the 22 issues. [7]
The Birds of Prey is a superhero team featured in several American comic book series, miniseries, and special editions published by DC Comics since 1996. The book's premise originated as a partnership between Black Canary and Barbara Gordon, who had adopted the codename Oracle at the time, but has expanded to include additional superheroines. The team name "Birds of Prey" was attributed to DC assistant editor Frank Pittarese in the text page of the first issue. The group is initially based in Gotham City and later operates in Metropolis and then relocates once more to "Platinum Flats", California, a new locale introduced in Birds of Prey in 2008.
Black Canary is the name of two superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. As one of the earliest female superheroes in the DC Comics universe, the character has made numerous appearances in prominent team-up titles, including the Justice Society of America and Justice League of America. The Black Canary persona has been adopted by two individuals, portrayed as a legacy heroes with a mother-daughter relationship between the two. Following DC's New 52 initiative, Black Canary was briefly alamalgamated as a single character before the mother-and-daughter dynamic was restored to continuity, the history formerly established retroactively added as part of the second Black Canary's history.
Gary Frank is a British comics artist, notable for pencilling on Midnight Nation and Supreme Power, both written by J. Michael Straczynski. He has also worked with author Peter David on The Incredible Hulk and Supergirl. He had a creator-owned series, Kin, which he wrote himself, published by Top Cow Productions in 2000.
Batgirl is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, depicted as female counterparts and allies to the superhero Batman. The character Betty Kane was introduced into publication in 1961 by Bill Finger and Sheldon Moldoff as Bat-Girl, and was replaced in 1967 by Barbara Gordon, who became the iconic Batgirl. The character debuted in Detective Comics #359 by writer Gardner Fox and artist Carmine Infantino, introduced as the niece/adoptive daughter of police commissioner James Gordon.
Barbara Gordon is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. The character was created by television producer William Dozier, editor Julius Schwartz, writer Gardner Fox, and artist Carmine Infantino. Dozier, the producer of the 1960s Batman television series, requested Schwartz to call for a new female counterpart to the superhero Batman that could be introduced into publication and the third season of the show simultaneously. The character subsequently made her first comic-book appearance as Batgirl in Detective Comics #359, titled "The Million Dollar Debut of Batgirl!" in January 1967, by Fox and Infantino, allowing her to be introduced into the television series, portrayed by actress Yvonne Craig, in the season 3 premiere "Enter Batgirl, Exit Penguin", in September that same year.
Gail Simone is an American writer best known for her work in comics on DC's Birds of Prey, Batgirl, Dynamite Entertainment's Red Sonja, and for being the longest running female writer on Wonder Woman to date. Other notable works include Clean Room, Secret Six, Welcome to Tranquility, The All-New Atom, and Deadpool.
Charles Dixon is an American comic book writer, best known for his work on the Marvel Comics character the Punisher and on the DC Comics characters Batman, Nightwing, and Robin in the 1990s and early 2000s.
The Secret Six is the name of three different fictional comic book teams in the DC Comics Universe, plus an alternate universe's fourth team. Each team has had six members, led by a mysterious figure named Mockingbird, whom the characters assume to be one of the other five members. The third, anti-heroic incarnation of the Secret Six was rated by IGN as the fourth Best Comic Run of the Decade in 2012.
Batman is an ongoing American comic book series featuring the DC Comics superhero Batman as its main protagonist. The character, created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, first appeared in Detective Comics #27. Batman proved to be so popular that a self-titled ongoing comic book series began publication with a cover date of spring 1940. It was first advertised in early April 1940, one month after the first appearance of his new sidekick, Robin the Boy Wonder. Batman comics have proven to be popular since the 1940s.
Nicola Scott is a comics artist from Sydney, Australia whose notable works include Birds of Prey and Secret Six. In 2016, she and writer Greg Rucka relaunched Wonder Woman for DC Comics Rebirth and created the comic series Black Magick, which was published by Image Comics.
The Huntress is an antiheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She is the third DC character to bear the name Huntress. Originally introduced as a new interpretation of Helena Wayne, no longer depicted as the future daughter of Batman and Catwoman as part of DC's post-Crisis on Infinite Earths relaunch, she was later established to be the modern-day equivalent, namesake and predecessor of Helena Wayne.
Misfit is a fictional character in the DC Comics Universe. She first appeared in Birds of Prey #96 as a wannabe Batgirl, before taking on her own identity as Misfit.
Originally created in 1967, the fictional comic book character Barbara Gordon has been adapted into various other forms of media. The character has appeared in both live action and animated television series and films, as well as in video games in her alter-egos as both Batgirl and Oracle!.
Brightest Day is a 2010–11 crossover storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of a year-long comic book maxiseries that began in April 2010, and a number of tie-in books. The story is a direct follow-up to the Blackest Night storyline that depicts the aftermath of the events of that storyline on the DC Universe.
Fernando Pasarín is a Spanish comic book artist.
The New 52 was the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic books. Following the conclusion of the "Flashpoint" crossover storyline, DC cancelled all its existing titles and debuted 52 new series in September 2011. Among the renumbered series were Action Comics and Detective Comics, which had retained their original numbering since the 1930s.
DC Rebirth is a 2016 relaunch by the American comic book publisher DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic book titles. Using the end of The New 52 (2011–2016) initiative in May 2016 as its launching point, DC Rebirth restored the DC Universe to a form much like that prior to the 2011 "Flashpoint" storyline while still incorporating numerous elements of The New 52, including its continuity. It also saw many of its titles move to a twice-monthly release schedule, along with being released at US$2.99.
Doomsday Clock is a 2017–2019 superhero comic book limited series published by DC Comics, written by Geoff Johns with art by penciller Gary Frank and colorist Brad Anderson. The series concludes a tangential story established in the New 52 and DC Rebirth, and is a sequel to the 1986–1987 graphic novel Watchmen by Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons and John Higgins, making it the first official crossover between Watchmen and the mainstream DC Universe.
Black Canary is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Lance is one of two women under the alias Black Canary within the DC Universe; she is Dinah Drake's daughter and successor of the superhero mantle in the post-Crisis narratives. She is commonly affiliated with the Justice League of America and the archer superhero Green Arrow, professionally and romantically. She is also a founding member of the Birds of Prey.
"The Joker War" is a comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics in late 2020, featuring Batman and his family. Primarily written by James Tynion IV, the arc is his first major arc on Batman in DC Rebirth. The main story was from Batman #95–100, while 16 other issues were tie-ins.