10 Best Comic Storylines Featuring The Birds Of Prey Characters

Last month, Warner Bros. released a teaser trailer for Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn), but in truth it was more of a sizzle reel showcasing their outfits than it was a teaser of any note. Most likely, it was a teaser before the teaser before the full trailer, because that’s how marketing works these days.

For obvious reasons, the movie will just be referred to as ‘Birds of Prey’, although the exceedingly long title does seem to confirm the popular theory that Margot Robbie will get even more spotlight than she received in Suicide Squad.

With that in mind, some movie fans might not know the backstories and arcs of the other characters involved, and that’s where this list comes in. On the other hand, the die hard comic book fans might be racking their brains to recall just which stories are worth a revisit before the film comes out in 2020.

As well as Harley (who’s not actually a Bird Of Prey in the comics), the characters confirmed are Victor Zsasz, Black Mask, Huntress, Renee Montoya and Black Canary, and their best tales are catalogued here.

Obviously this mysterious tale features Huntress, but the Question (admittedly pre-Renee Montoya) is heavily involved too, so if you’re looking to read up on the Birds of Prey stars before the movie comes out next year, this is a great place to start.

The general plot is intriguing without being particularly groundbreaking: Huntress has been framed for murder and needs to find the real culprit before it’s too late. As with a lot of Greg Rucka stories though, it’s the way he tells ‘em that often makes them so special.

The murder causes a rift between Batman and Huntress, with Helena upset that he doesn’t immediately believe her innocence. This is where the story really thrives, because it’s about Huntress’ place in the world and within the Bat family as much as it is about the murder at all.

Without spoiling the mystery, the murder case plays out like standard comic book fare, including a few twists and turns with Huntress innocent all along. However, the examination of Huntress’ past - and much more importantly, how she feels about it - is what makes this book so compelling.

Renee Montoya features later so if you want to see her mentor as The Question, Cry For Blood offers two birds for one stone.