One of my favorites of the Rebirth titles! Perfect both for new fans and Marvel enthusiasts

Well I didn't see the twist coming, but here's a list of things I didn't see…

Any decent artwork – really, some of it was shonkingly bad, and who the hell could draw Oracle/Batgirl/Babs to look like a drowned hermaphrodite, when she was so fit in the real Birds of Prey titles? This fugly girl is not the character we know.

Any decent balance between the Birds – there was stupid in-fighting, needlessly padding out the story, and delaying the bits where newbies get the back-story. I guess the authors thought the delaying was so we were invested in the story before we cared enough for the background, but nobody can be invested in crud.

Any of the old magic – this is nowhere near the simple yet dramatic stories of old. Rather it's childish, retrograde and poorly composed – like much of the Rebirth titles. I didn't mind reading this, but heck – I was easily diverted by changing my goodreads email opt-outs instead.

Much hope for the future – the new character here is going to be painfully poor, you just know it. The Birds don't need one of them to be singled out in the title of the book, either, so you just get the impression Batgirl will be prominent, and probably still fugly, and still whingeing on about trust issues, for time to come.

I’m really starting to think this whole Rebirth thing isn’t for me. Actually, I really liked the New 52 A LOT, so I wasn’t all that excited about Rebirth anyway. But I thought I’d like it better than I have so far. And Batgirl and the Birds of Prey is the latest book to leave me wondering why DC did this.

Here the Birds of Prey (Batgirl, Black Canary, and Huntress) get back together to discover what criminal is using Babs old Oracle alias to spread crime across Gotham City. Not only are the criminals causing terror around town, they are also smearing Oracle’s good name, which really upsets Batgirl.

On the good side, this book actually introduces each of these characters. The origins of Batgirl, Black Canary, and Huntress are explained so that new readers (like me) understand who these guys are and why they are together. And, I guess, the story itself was pretty easy to follow, did get better as it went forward, and had an okay twist at the end. So this graphic novel isn’t horrible, and I’m sure lots of people will find it a good read. But I didn’t like it.

To start with, I never liked the artwork. All the characters looked strange, seemed out of proportion at times, and had some serious Anime facial expressions going on. I know other people loved it, saying it was gritty, or something. Maybe, it was. I don’t know. All I know is I hated it. Guess we all like different things.

As for the characters, I guess they just were not for me. Batgirl and Black Canary had no real personality; Huntress wanted to kill everyone all the time; and the trio spent the whole time arguing about different things. I mean, okay, I can see Batgirl and Huntress not liking one another cause they both have “dated” Nightwing, but all the bickering and stuff got old. After a while, I really wanted them to stop trying to be a team and kick Huntress out already, since they couldn’t get along.

Batgirl and the Birds of Prey: Who Is Oracle? is a graphic novel many fans of the team might like. It has a decent story, keeps the action (and arguing) going from the first page to the last, and ends at a high point. While the art wasn’t for me, others seem to like it. So if you are a fan of this team, this book might be exactly what you are looking for. As for me, I tried it, but I just didn’t like it.

I received an advanced reading copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. I’d like to thank them for allowing me to receive this review copy and inform everyone that the review you have read is my opinion alone.

Well, I hope you liked this review, and if you are on Goodreads, friend me any time to talk about my reviews or comic books.

This is my first story I've read with the real Birds of Prey, and Rebirth is the best place for that to happen. This story took a look at all the characters and made sure they were represented well, and even the ones less popular received excellent backstories. The art was well done, and I fully recommend this story.

I really enjoyed this but I'm completely new to these characters. I did enjoy the art, some of the facial expressions were a bit silly but it was something I enjoyed reading and looking at. There were flash backs for our 3 main characters which I appreciated because I didn't really know them. I think they interacted with each other really well and I can see this story line continuing.

This this volume we have Batgirl teaming back up with Black Canary to find out who Oracle really is because BG was Oracle and needless to say she's a bit pissed about being hijacked. On their trail to find this person they meet Huntress who eventually joins them. Through out this story we learn more about the three women and find who the true identify of a few rather important people. Of course there is a nice cliffhanger at the end that makes me want to read the next volume.

Netgalley provided an early copy of this volume. I was veering away from requesting it, because I'm not all that familiar with Batgirl in comic books (have read about her, but not read any of her comics). But I thought to give it a shot.

It's an action-packed mystery as Barbara Gordon, now back to donning her Batgirl uniform thanks to an implant that lets her walk again, seeks out an unknown online assailant going by her former codename Oracle. She enlists the help of an old friend, Dinah the Black Canary, on this case. It's not long before they find themselves at loggerheads with another unknown vigilante. Huntress is on a mission to kill, but they have to stop her if they want to get to the bottom of the mystery.

It's not very convoluted, this story. Mostly a look at Barbara's new life. She is drawn and written as more goofy than serious, which makes her very endearing. I didn't much care for the Canary's ridiculous outfit - how she gets in and out of it still baffles me, but I like that, as she's the brawn, she's drawn with plenty of well-proportioned musculature on her. Batgirl, though, looks a little too young and small - she could do with some muscle.

The primarily female team on the page is brought to life by a majority female team behind the scenes - and you can tell the difference. No leering, lewd characters or angles, and no unnecessary condescension either. I was disappointed that they wrote Jim Gordon as untrustworthy of Batgirl; he wanted Batman on the scene. Perhaps there's some history behind that explained in other issues of different comics, but it was frustrating in this one. Thankfully, when Bats appears on the scene, he doesn't talk down to Batgirl; he gets her point of view and then leaves. And we go back to the awesome threesome.

The primary narrative voice is funny - the narrator changes partway, apparently, which is a bit confusing. I also think Batgirl and Black Canary had very similar speech patterns and sense of humour - they could have been differentiated a bit more.

There's a strange bit partway through the book that talks about online behaviour towards women. It's important, but so preachy and on-the-nose, it sort of digressed from the main story. I suppose the writers were trying to make a point with that, but it detracted from the story a bit for those few pages.

The Birds of Prey are written as fun, rounded and competent individuals, which is always a rarity in comics. They don't need saving. Which is why the ending was a bit of a disappointment. Despite evidence to the contrary, Batgirl and team decide to trust someone who really doesn't deserve it. And, 'lo and behold, that person appears to be working for someone else in the final panels.

I would love to know how all this pans out in the end. It would be great to get my hands on Volume 2.

This one has its moments, but it's a little hard to get into. Some if it may come from my stance as a reader: knowing enough about the old Birds of Prey teams to not want too much backstory but not being fully caught up on recent versions. It's a slow-moving getting-the-team-together story, although the including of Helena doesn't make much sense (especially if it feels like she should already be there). It's a point where Rebirth only makes sense (since the New 52 and Rebirth both seem to have shifted just enough for sales and storylines without any great reasoning).

The characters are written well enough, with distinctive voices, even if Helena's a bit one note. Even so, the banter's not enough to carry the pacing, and the odd choices made throughout (or the “because computers” plot points). The eventual reveal of Oracle is a bit of a let-down, and seems to have missed the chance to do some sort of metacommentary if that was the intent (settling instead for a couple jokes).

It's not a bad story by any means. It's just...there. There's enough reason to hope the book will pick up now that the beginnings have been told. At the same time, there's not enough reason to make me expect to read volume 2, unless readers manage to convince me I'm missing out.

This is the second comic I've read in the Rebirth series, and this is slightly better but I'm still not blown away. I'm not sure why they are adding all these ridiculous elements (not mentioning due to major spoilers). This one had more elements of a classic DC comic, and I did enjoy Black Canary and Huntress.

Yes, yes, yes, yes, YES!

Very much like the previous arc of Birds of Prey comic book series, I absolutely loved this one. Not just because it’s a female-centered group of kickass women, but because they are some of the best comic book characters I have ever read and they compliment each other really well.

Of all the DC women, Wonder Woman and Batwoman have always been my favorites, with Batgirl a bit further down the list. This first volume of the new Rebirth line, however, might have just changed that. Batgirl is a surprisingly strong leader while both Canary and the ‘Purple Girl’ (I won’t reveal her name as it’s a spoiler) play equal important roles to her Alpha image.

The storyline is gripping with just enough action and drama to keep me fully entertained. I wasn’t expecting things to take an emotional turn towards the end but I am glad for it nonetheless as I think it made me like ‘Purple Girl’ out a bit more.

I am DYING for the next volume already.

The Birds Of Prey have relaunched with Batgirl, Black Canary, and a mysterious Huntress. When a person calling themselves Oracle leads the group into trouble – Barbara must find out who’s using her moniker. The villains in this storline were a bit hokey. Though, there was a nice twist at the end. And I really liked how Huntress was handled – she’s a bit standoffish and not as trusting as the other team members. And the Oracle was a fun twist too, though [Spoilers ahead] there’s something a bit disappointing about a man being a part of the Birds of Prey. I really prefer the all-female team to remain all-female – that’s what makes them unique and awesome. Granted, the Oracle is a behind-the-scenes partner, so I can see that angle too. I’ll probably keep reading, but hope for another female Oracle in the future.

I have to say I enjoyed this comic. I enjoyed that you got to see a little bit of backstory from all the main characters. I like learning about them and understanding why they decided to be superheros in the first place. There was also a lot of action in this one which made it really fun and exciting. I will be checking out the next volume to see what these girls get into next.

I have to say I did enjoy this graphic novel. I liked the story and in most parts I did enjoy the illustrations. I am not a fan of the look of Batgirl in some of the panels other than that I found this book entertaining and I might buy it in a physical copy at some point.

I give this 4 out of 5.

Batgirl and the Birds of Prey vol 1 Who is “Oracle”

By Shawna and Julie Benson
Art by: Claire Roe, Roge Antonio, Yanick Paquette
Variant art: Kamome Shirahama

Story: Barbara Gordon is enjoying life with the use of her legs again catching bad guys but one night she catches one group and after opening his phone she discovers an email from “Oracle” selling information from her own Oracle top secret files. Wanting to get down to the bottom of this she tracks down Dinah, who has been in a rock band, to help find this new Oracle. Following the trail of the gangsters who have been getting information they run into Huntress whose mission is running parallel with theirs. Reluctantly Huntress joins forces with Batgirl and Black Canary.

Art: I’m torn, I didn’t care much for Claire Roe’s issues the art seemed very sketchy and dark the contrast between the black shading seemed overpowering over the color. The ones with Roge Antonio were much more balanced the color and shading with cleaner lines. I just preferred the latter half of the volume to the beginning half. I really loved the anime style variant art by Kamome Shirahama.

Characters

Oracle/Batgirl (Barbara Gordon) I love Batgirl, she is an amazing fighter, she has incredible skills on the computer and with any tech and she remembers everything. In this one she is coming to terms with who she is; having three identities is wearing on her especially since someone has stolen the Oracle identity and using for evil. Having her friend Dinah around is not only helping her solve the mystery but helping her sort things out. With guest appearances by her father and Batman.

Black Canary (Dinah Lance) With the dissolution of the Birds of Prey Dinah went on her own, happy in her way, and in need of very little convincing to help Barb. You see the wild side of Dinah but throughout you also see how loyal she is to her friends.

Huntress (Helena Bertinelli) The reintroduction of Huntress picks up while she is closing in on her revenge. Crossing paths with Batgirl and Black Canary who are at first just getting in her way but they need the gang members alive in figure out who “Oracle” is and to try and track this person down. Huntress agrees to a temporary truce to work with them. I like this incarnation of Helena better than the Batman/Catwoman love child.
Review: This was a great story! I loved it. It’s one I would have no problem reading over and over again. I really liked how it was divided into main sections each from the POV of the characters. It really is a great starting point for new readers.

Uh oh. THere's a new Oracle in town? And she or he doesn't seem to be doing it the same way that Barbara did.

At the beginning, there was a really nice explanation of the original Oracle and the Birds of Prey.

We also meet a different Huntress than in the New 52, or rather, back to the original Huntress from before New 52 I think. She's back to being Helena Bertinelli, not Helena Wayne. At first, I wasn't a great fan of this Huntress, but throughout the TPB she grew on me. And her story had some really interesting twists.

On the other hand, even before the end of the TPB, I didn't like Faux Oracle and still don't. Barbara Gordon is Oracle and Oracle has had a point, has always had a very specific point, and what this Faux Oracle is doing is so far past the point that I just.... no. Ugh, just no.

I got this ARC through Netgalley on behalf of DC Entertainment.

Oh Rebirth, you are so boring! Batgirl and the Birds of Prey (emphasis on Batgirl I guess because people like Babs and don’t give a fuuuuuck about Black Canary and Huntress – to be fair, I don’t either!) is another pile of wanky, tedious comic sludge.

The Birds of Prey go looking for someone going by Babs’ old secret identity, Oracle, while fighting snake-themed baddies (cos birds and snakes are natural enemies, geddit?) and mafia goons. It’s so ordinary, uninteresting, and overall blah I was never once entertained.

The sisterly writing team of Shawna and Julie Benson, writers of TV shows Emma Approved and The 100 (never heard of either), drearily go through the motions of a typical superhero team comic. I suppose the story is clear, which is something given that it’s an Afterbirth book, and each of the characters’ origins are retold for new readers’ benefits making this a decent jumping on point for them. For guys like me though who already know all that jazz, re-reading it all made me want to blow my brains out from boredom. And the answer to Who Is Oracle? is underwhelming to say the least. More like Who Fucking Cares?!

Claire Roe and Roge Antonio’s art is dogshit. The first panel we see Babs, I thought she was in the middle of sexual reassignment, she looks so manly! And when did she get so unattractive? She’s suddenly got a weird horsey, Secretariat Jessica Parker face. And, Christ, that stupid mask – it conceals nothing! I can’t buy that Jim Gordon doesn’t know that Batgirl’s his daughter when they’re face to face in a lit room! I would’ve loved it if at the end of their conversation he turned away and said “By the way Babs, get a better fucking mask, you clueless dope – only a complete retard wouldn’t know it’s you under there.”

Batgirl and the Birds of Prey is uninteresting, uninspired drivel. All it did was remind me that I liked Barbara Gordon better when she was Oracle. I’m starting to think DC stands for Dire Crap!

The Birds of Prey, after Gotham City Sirens, are possibly my favourite girl gang. I can't wait to get back into their story with this fresh iteration!

Julie and Shawna Benson's Rebirth Batgirl and the Birds of Prey Vol. 1: Who is Oracle? fits right in with Birds of Prey comics of the past, with especially funny interplay between Batgirl Barbara Gordon and Black Canary Dinah Lance. They take on Barbara Gordon's Oracle identity with love and humor, including some jabs at fandom itself. Artists Claire Roe and Roge Antonio bring both drama and comedy to their depictions.

I am yet to be notably impressed by any of DC's Rebirth titles, and this continues the streak of "meh."
The story is actually half-decent: somebody is using the Oracle moniker, but for crime, and that means Batgirl and Canary are pissed and want to do something about it. That said, I felt like the story often was too silly, and that really detracted from things in general. The Snakes are really some of the worst villains to fight, especially multiple times in a volume. Huntress's revised backstory relative to the overall plot should have drawn me in-- but Huntress is constantly an interesting jerk and so I didn't really care about the emotional core of her story. Then, the "new" Oracle was also pretty silly, especially considering how much more interesting a more serious approach to the character could be in terms of story.
The art was pretty cheaply done, which definitely was a drawback of the book. The characters didn't have consistent appearances at all.

Awesome illustrations, awesome story, and even greater characters.
Sadly this new universe in DC isn't doing it for me completely.

I am newer to Batgirl and completely new to Birds of Prey (but was hopeful for it given my love for female heroines in comics), but this volume wasn't very accessible for newer readers. I spent a lot of time confused on who the others were besides BatGirl. The art style/story/character development wasn't as appealing as the solo Batgirl Rebirth adventures, and the lettering was difficult to read. 2.5 stars rounded to 2 for the difficult lettering.