Review – Birds of Prey #22: Possessed
Ray: This book has taken us around the universe since the start, but I don't know if there's been an arc that was quite as high-octane as this one. So far, we've seen the Birds scattered around the world, only for Barda's mission in the UAE to turn into a deep-space deathtrap that blew her up, sent her rocketing back down to Earth – and then left her vulnerable to being taken over by Inque, who is using her as a puppet and functioning like a symbiote. Barda is now missing in action, and tensions are high. Black Canary and Oracle are fighting, Cass is obsessively single-minded about getting her friend back, and Sin's other half is a little too interested in Barda's weapon when they find it on site. Everything is coming together into a disaster for the Birds at the worst possible time – because the villains are gathering for another big play, and this time Oracle herself may be the target. Recovery. Via DC Comics.
Kelly Thompson has done a great job of expanding the Birds through original characters over the course of this run, with Megeara joining the team full-time and sole survivor Cela being an occasional guest-star. That can make the roster a little chaotic at times, but it's great to see all these characters interact. Cela's outsider status actually makes her a very good choice for this issue, as someone for Barbara to bounce off as she's discussing her issues with the rest of the team and her growing rift with Dinah. The two original Birds have always been a bit at odds in this run because of how Dinah had to keep Barbara in the dark in the first arc, but it's never affected the team until now. But as this issue ends, it becomes clear just how close to home these villains can strike – and the stakes are raised yet again as we head into the penultimate issue of this arc.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
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