“Megadeath” – Part Two
Artist: Leonardo Romero
Color Artist: Jordie Bellaire
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Review by Fay Clark
Who’s excited? I know I am!!! The first issue of this new series was a mind-boggling thrill ride, so, let’s see what chaos, mischief, and bonding Birds Of Prey #2 brings us.
You have bad guys. We have Batgirl, Big Barda, and Harley Quinn. You get the picture?
Kelly Thompson is amazing at writing sarcasm. Of course, anyone who has this cast of characters to write for has to be good at being sassy. There are several notable comments and one-liners in Birds Of Prey #2, that I’ve repeated a few times in conversations with friends since reading them. That’s how awesome Thompson is. We’re only on issue two, and I’m already quoting her writing.
Although Black Canary’s the leader of our little girl gang, the other characters have so much to give. It must be so hard to not make every issue 50 pages long, just to give everyone the same amount of panel time. I mean… I would read it, but that’s beside the point.
Kelly Thompson has a knack for giving everyone clear motivation and enough lines to connect us with their point of view. The clever (and hard) part is that she does all of this without losing the main thread of the plot, or making it clear that Black Canary’s in charge. That’s some talent right there. Even characters that don’t say much, like our lovely Cassandra Cain, still get all the love and scenes in this issue that remind you they are an integral part of the team.
Space Buns
Once again, I’m enamored with a comic book character’s hairstyle. This might be becoming an issue! Leonardo Romero has caught me as the tiniest details are the ones I fall in love with the most. Giving Harley Quinn space buns is such an amazing choice. There are also small refinements in the larger images that I’ve noticed; small additions that add so much more to the page, when you take a second to lean in and look. Birds Of Prey #2 had that old-style sepia color tone to it again and Jordie Bellaire is smashing it. You can see the undertones of color, with a level of grit on top that lets you know that it this is a hard-hitting comic that you’ve stepped into.
Conclusion
This is single-handedly one of the easiest comics to write about. Birds Of Prey #2 is just as good as the first issue and I can only see it getting even more mad and amazing from here on out. Kelly Thompson’s always been someone to watch out for, and issues like these are the reason why. I have a feeling something heart-wrenching is coming soon!
Images Courtesy of DC Entertainment