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Last Updated: Jan 1, 2009 - 6:19:39 PM

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Birds of Prey #109 By Hervé St-Louis Aug 22, 2007 - 9:34:26 PM

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DC Comics
Writer: Tony Bedard
Artist: Nicola Scott
Inker: Doug Hazlewood

Barbara Gordon, the Oracle, wants to dissuade her best friend, Black Canary from accepting the marriage offer of Green Arrow. Barbara goes to length to show that Black Canary should not trust Green Arrow ever again. Meanwhile, someone is chasing New Gods, killing them one after the other. Is Big Barda, who comes from Apocalypse safe?

Bedard is the type of writer whose work looks good and concise after a first reading but which reveals all its weaknesses upon further reading. Here, I didn’t have to read the story a second time, before I figured that I should stay away from this comic book series, and others written Bedard. Trusted with the mantle of writing the Birds of Prey, and the upcoming Green Arrow and Black Canary wedding, puts Bedard in a sensitive position and gives him the opportunity to shine and show that he could be an A list writer.

But he fails totally to get past the obvious tricks of the trades. The only reason I picked up this issue, was because it was advertised as the tough talk that Black Canary should hear before marrying Green Arrow. Instead, it was lip service. Bedard, mentioned a few instances where Oliver Queen, Green Arrow cheated, but it did not feel like this was coming from Black Canary’s best friend. Instead, Barbara was like a bad actress reading a script and remembering what line to deliver next.

Many readers have opposed the union of Black Canary and Green Arrow. In the hands of a great writer, the voices and opinions of these readers would have come from the dialogues and advice of Barbara Gordon. The delivery was weak and without any conviction. Worse, it was difficult to understand why Black Canary was even mad at Gordon’s comments.

A proof of how Bedard’s writing does the minimum of work and effort in trying to convey a story, he mixes up the parentage of Oliver Queen’s sons. He mentions that Shado (that ninja chick) is the mother of Connor Hawke, Green Arrow’s eldest son. Shado is the mother of Oliver’s second son, not his first. Connor Hawke was born before Green Arrow was involved with Black Canary. Mike Carlin, a long time DC Comics’ editor who should know about things like that, let the mistake go uncorrected.

Scott is a good artist, except when it comes to drawing adult female faces. They have heavy cheekbones that make them look like men. The saving grace here, is that the two children in this story looked like girls.

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