Batgirl and the Birds of Prey #3 Review – Taco Tuesday is Sacred
I’m curious if Babs know that snakes eat birds, because having the Birds of Prey go up against snake people just seems like a bad move. No many snakes will eat birds of prey, but snakes this big would definitely try. Now that Batgirl and her Birds of Prey have found the snakes, what will they do next? Get in a fight and break up, apparently.
The girls have decrypted what they stole from the server farm, and they’re fairly certain they know where Oracle has led Fenice and the snakes to their next hit. Although considering Oracle has stayed one step ahead of them every time, why would they think decrypting this info would be so easy? Or that it wouldn’t be a trap or distraction?
What’s that thing about hubris? If you think you’re smarter than everyone, you will make a mistake? Instead of letting Oracle fall into such hubris, Batgirl has fallen into that hubris. I mean, who could be smarter than the former Oracle, who used to help BATMAN, the world’s greatest detective, do detective work? Spoiler alert: it’s the new Oracle.
Oracle sends the girls to the wrong place for the lulz. They interrupt a crime family dinner, thinking that the snakes will hit one of the mobsters there. But as that wasn’t the actual target, they find themselves in the embarrassing situation of interfering with Taco Tuesday. That is pretty sacred.
The real target was Santo at the safe house with Commissioner Gordon. They don’t save Santo from the snakes, but Huntress does save Gordon from being eaten by one. However, all Batgirl saw was Huntress putting down a snake with deadly force. Instead of analyzing the situation and seeing why she might have done that, she lashes out at her with all of the possible reasons she has for mistrusting Huntress in the first place. Ever have an argument with someone and they bring up all possible reasons why you are a crappy friend or significant other? That’s pretty much what Batgirl did to Huntress. But when she sees her father crawl out from under the dead snakeman, she realizes her mistake way too late. She and Black Canary both beg for her to stay, but she’s done with Batgirl’s high-and-mighty attitude.
Know what? I can’t blame her at all. She’s proven a number of times that she can be a team player and follow their no-kill rules. Yes, she did kill a villain, but she did so in order to save another man’s life. Maybe the end doesn’t justify the means, but it wasn’t as if Huntress killed him just to do so when I simple take-down would have sufficed.
The highlight of this issue, other than Babs’ face above when she realizes they goofed, is a rare glimpse of Black Canary’s back story. She tells Ollie in Green Arrow that she grew up on the streets, alone and poor, but in this issue, we see exactly how Dinah lived her childhood and when she first developed her powers. It’s both sad and sweet, and as a mom myself, it broke my heart to read her origin story.
I really hope that Dinah is able to bring Huntress back to the fold, because I really enjoy these three together. That and I’m ready for the super awkward crossover between Batgirl, Huntress, and Nightwing. I’ll have to bring out the popcorn for that issue.
Batgirl and the Birds of Prey #3
Authors: Julie Benson and Shawna Benson
Artists: Roge Antonio, Claire Roe, and Allen Passalaqua
Publisher: DC Comics
Publish Date: 10/12/16
Acquired via Purchase
