By Cat Wyatt

Issue number 18 for Batgirl and the Birds of Prey is more a single issue story than the start of a new plot. This one happens to be titled Eco-Deadly (got to love the environmentally conscious points of this series). Joining Batgirl on this adventure (because Batgirl is obviously involved) are Black Canary and Huntress. Which is pretty standard, as the rest of the ladies tend to be pretty busy.

Ironically Huntress is the reason for this mission; a contact back from when she was Matron (love that name) asked for a pretty huge favor, as Barbara Gordon was one of the only contacts they knew of that had an into a certain event they needed to get into. As it turns out, the target is Zin Bast, and he’ll be attending an exclusive Energy Event, one which Barbara had been requested to speak at, pretty convenient, huh?

Obviously Huntress has reason to be concerned about this whole set of events – for one thing it’s pretty obvious that Spyral (her old team) has been intercepting Barbara’s mail, and likely doing much more than that. That’s concern enough, if you ask me. Additionally they were clearly hoping to use Barbara as bait. Oh, and did I mention how creepy it is that they clearly know that Barbara Gordon and Batgirl are one and the same? (Maybe I missed her revealing/being ok with them knowing, but still).

Our three heroes all split up to do what they each do best. Batgirl obviously has to be the one on the stage, as her alter ego is the only reason they’re even here. Dinah loves going undercover, so she’s tracking down Bast (and a couple croissants while she’s at it), and Huntress is providing backup and eyes from above. So a pretty typical mission, all things considered.

What I really love about this team is how much banter they manage to get in, while also actually dealing with the mission at hand. Granted, they’re a step behind in this particular case, as Bast manages to get the item he was looking for (and they still don’t know what he even wants to do with it). Cue a dramatic chase through Paris! Okay, not really. They actually know where he’s heading, thanks to Canary dropping a tracker on him (while he was being a massive creeper, I’d like to add).

Bast has holed up in a hotel room with both the machine he wants, called a Hap E, and the creator of said device, Yenokida. The man is a genius; he was able to develop a longer living battery, with a higher capacity. Unfortunately Bast wants to combine that tech with Weather Wizard’s tech, and really, need I say more? The guy is a class a jerk, and a class c villain.

Naturally this story being based in Paris, the authors couldn’t resist having a fight on the Eiffel Tower. And I mean - I can’t really blame them for that. It does make for a dramatic backdrop. Also it’s a logical place for a villain to go, when he wants to get up high to further affect the weather of the area.

What surprises me more is how Yenokida really manages to keep his cool throughout everything, even proving to be useful a time or two, which considering he’s a non-combatant in a superhero/villain battle royal. I almost wish he was set to become a bigger character in the series (as it is, I’m pretty sure that Spyral is going to snatch him up, not that I blame them there).

On the whole this was a pretty decent short story in the Batgirl and the Birds of Prey series. It would have been nice to see Catwoman or Poison Ivy, but that’s totally my bias showing. These three were really all that was needed to complete this specific mission. I think the banter is more natural when it’s just Batgirl, Black Canary, and Huntress anyway.

The artwork is a bit different than I’m used to for this series. I’m not sure if this is a new and permanent change, or if it’s just part of the one-shot nature of this issue. While I didn’t dislike the style, it was a little bit jarring to jump into it (especially after having just read the second most recent issue, but that’s my bad for being so far behind). It’s choppier on the whole, and I don’t really love the way Batgirl (or more specifically Barbara Gordon) is portrayed. The rougher nature makes it all look more comical (no pun intended), which is fine for a lighter issue like this, but I would be concerned should this art style be used alongside a heavier plot.

Score: 3/5

Batgirl and the Birds of Prey #18
Publisher: DC Comics