Birds of Prey is a
comic book published by
DC Comics that features the adventures of the superhero Oracle and her group of
superheroines. The group is initially based in
Gotham City and later operates in
Metropolis and then once more to "Platinum Flats",
California, a new locale introduced in
Birds of Prey in 2008.
The series was conceived by
Jordan B. Gorfinkel and originally written by
Chuck Dixon.
Gail Simone scripted the comic from issue #56 to #108.
Sean McKeever was originally to replace Simone
[1][2], but McKeever has since decided to leave the project, and will only write issues #113-117;
Tony Bedard, who wrote issues #109-112, will become the title's regular writer starting with issue #118.
[3]. Artists have included
Butch Guice,
Greg Land,
Ed Benes, and
Joe Bennett;
Nicola Scott began a stint as artist with issue #100.
Despite the title of the series being
Birds of Prey, the phrase is not mentioned in the book until issue #86, when one of the group's members,
Zinda Blake, suggests that it might be a fitting name for the team. However, the other characters get sidetracked and do not respond to her suggestion.
Oracle, the team's leader, refers to the group by that name in a conversation with the new
Blue Beetle,
Jaime Reyes,
[4] and later within the series.
[5]
The team's greatest strength comes from Barbara's connections to other heroes across the
DC Universe from her tenure as
Batgirl, ranging from
Batman,
Superman, and
Wonder Woman to specialized rosters adapted to best suit her present mission. After
Black Canary's departure,
Huntress remains as the staple member and field leader, alongside new "core members." Despite the all-female central roster, male allies of Barbara such as
Nightwing,
Wildcat,
Savant, and
Creote frequently assist missions.