The Birds Of Prey Explained | Origins, Team Mem...

The Birds Of Prey Explained | Origins, Team Members, Best Comics And Everything You Need To Know | DC

birds of prey explained team members best comic book stories graphic novels movie plot spoilers break down tv show crisis on infinite earths characters


The DC Superteam is making their way to the big screen for the first time this year and throughout this video’s we’re gonna be discussing everything you need to know about The Birds Of Prey!

There may be some spoilers here so if you don’t want any surprises about the group potentially ruined then I highly suggest that you turn off now. As of making this, we haven’t seen the movie yet so there won’t be any in regards to its plot but we also don’t know if they’ll pop up in the film for that same reason.

Anyway If you’re still here thanks for clicking this, now let’s get into our Birds Of Prey Breakdown.

Birds Of Prey Origins


Birds of Prey made their Debut in 1996 in the one-shot comic book Black Canary/Oracle: Birds of Prey by Chuck Dickson. This storyline featured the two titular members fighting crime throughout the world. It’s an espionage type thriller featuring an Aston Martin and Canary going head to head with a group of assassins that wish to kill an apparent philanthropist named Nick Devine who is building a Dam in Bwunda.

Nick turns out to be the entire thing, Oracle provides intel and the two make a great team-up.

Readers loved it and though initially the core team was made up of Batgirl/Oracle and Black Canary, they would go on to expand their ranks in several ways.

But who is in the team?

Birds Of Prey Team Members


Well though the lineup in the film is made up of Harley Quinn, Cassie Cain, Rene Montoya, Huntress and Black Canary a lot more have joined the ranks over the years.

Predominantly Batgirl/Oracle and Black Canary lead the charge on most missions.

Batgirl

Before her paralysis was retconned, Batgirl provided the intel and technical support behind their missions and predominantly she worked as the voice in their head to guide them through structures.

The launch of the New 52 changed up the severity of her disability after The Joker shot her in The Killing Joke and since donning the cape and cowl once more she has returned to active Duty.

Black Canary

Black Canary, the other founding member, has been a staple of the group since the start all the way up to present day. Canary, real name Dinah Lance, is a martial arts expert and she also has metahuman abilities that have gifted her with the ability to carry out a devastating sonic blast from her vocal cords.

This high pitched shrill can knock characters back and destroy objects if used correctly.

Depending on whether you read the original canon, the New 52 or Rebirth Canary has been in an on-again-off-again relationship with costumed vigilante Green Arrow and the two have helped to build each other’s skills throughout the decades.

Huntress

Next up is Huntress and similar to Canary, depending on what run you read massively changes up her origin story. At one point she was the daughter of Batman and Catwoman and there have actually been several versions of the character in comic book canon.

For this article we’re gonna be predominantly focusing on Helena Bertinelli as this is the depiction that has become most widely accepted and it’s also the one that is being adapted on the big screen.

Helena Rosa Bertinelli to give her her full name initially started off as an incarnation of Batgirl in the run No Man’s Land. Batman distrusts her and forces her to don a new mantle and she picks up the moniker Huntress which she finds criminals more receptive too.

Huntress is the daughter of a mob boss and after watching her family slaughtered in front of her eyes, she vowed to put an end to the mafia.

Huntress is an extremely skilled fighter and she’s also an amazing shot with a crossbow which has made her a strong member of the team.

Harley Quinn

The next member we’ll be discussing is Harley Quinn and boy where do we even start?

Dr. Harleen Frances Quinzel, to give her her full title, first appeared in Batman The Animated Series in 1992. She made the leap to comic books the year after and has been a mainstay since then.

Initially the character was merely The Joker’s girlfriend but in more recent runs she has broken free of the toxic relationship and has turned from a supervillain into a sort of anti-hero.

I was quite surprised that Harley was brought over to The Birds Of Prey as predominantly she is a member of The Suicide Squad and Gotham City Sirens. What may happen is that she could be tied to their origin story but go her own way at the end and leave the others to form the team.

Poison Ivy

One of her best friends, Poison Ivy has been a mainstay in the crew and who knows, the movie could even introduce her as being a part of the group.

Poison Ivy is, of course, one of Batman’s most infamous enemies and though she has also become an Anti-Hero in her more recent depictions she’s still one of the most powerful team members.

Ivy can control plants, create terrifying ones that would make you scared to mow the lawn and hypnotize people into doing her bidding.

Big Barda

Joining her in terms of the most fearful members of the group is Big Barda a former member of the Female Furies of Apokalypse.

Completely lethal, Barda was one of Darkseid’s best soldiers and after straying from her master she has become a defender of the Earth.

Barda makes appearances from time to time and isn’t a mainstay of the group but she still makes an entrance whenever she appears.

Lady Blackhawk

Lady Blackhawk too has been known to join the team from time to time. Blackhawk was hurtled through time after being a part of the World War 2 team and after landing in the presence she’s become a valuable member due to her skills.

Katana

Katana has also made many notable appearances through the years and I was expecting to see her as part of the group especially after her introduction in Suicide Squad.

After first appearing in 1983, Katana has had a countless number of appearances. Katana is a samurai who carries the sword that her husband’s soul is trapped in and she is a master at using the weapon.

Most commonly associated with The Outsiders, she has also jumped across several times to provide The Birds Of Prey with assistance over the decades.

Misfit

There is also Misfit who is a teenage teleporter that idolises Oracle. She joined the group as the youngest member and though not often listed as one of the most important, she definitely deserves her place there.

Hawk And Dove

Hawk and Dove are also big elements of the team and Hawk is actually one of the only men to ever be included in the lineup. The two characters symbolize War and Peace and bring a whole lot with them when it comes to fighting the forces of evil.

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Best Comic Book Stories


Ok so if you’re looking for a place in the comics to start with the team then I highly recommend that you pick up Birds Of Prey: The Death Of Oracle. Although it predominantly centers around Oracle who won’t be in the film and it also doesn’t feature Harley Quinn, this storyline really delves into how the Group Operate and also the psychology behind them.

Everyone gets their chance to shine and the four-parter Gail Simone run does a great job of exploring the trials and tribulations that being a female hero entails.

As you might guess it centres around the ‘death of Oracle’ and I definitely recommend that you pick it up. It’s got pretty much all five stars on Amazon so if the group has piqued your interest and you haven’t read a storyline with them before then this is the best place to start.

If you just want an introduction to them then I also highly recommend beginning at Batman Cataclysm and working your way through the road to no man’s land before tackling no man’s land itself. It’s a massive arc that spans years and should keep you occupied for a long time.

Birds Of Prey TV Series


If you want something a little less weighty then why not give the 2002 TV series a shot. Though very short-lived and only 13 episodes long it’s definitely worth diving into if you want to know more about the characters.

The show brings in Ashley Scott as Huntress and pulls from the origin story in which she was the daughter of Batman and Catwoman. Dina Meyer appears as Oracle and there’s also Rachel Skarsten as Black Canary.

The series had a really interesting premise and it picked up in the midst of Catwoman’s murder and Batman’s disappearance. It featured callbacks to the Killing Joke and a lot more and you may have even seen this world make an appearance in the recent Crisis On Infinite Earths Crossover before their world was wiped out.

I definitely recommend that you give it a watch as it’s quite a short show and it has enough Batman and general DC callbacks in general that it will keep most fans interested I think.

Anyway, that’s everything you need to know about The Birds Of Prey and make sure you stay locked into the channel for our full breakdown of the movie when it releases.

Your Thoughts

Now obviously I’d love to hear your thoughts on The Birds Of Prey as well as which member of the team is your favorite. Comment below and let me know!

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