A review by meepelous
Birds of Prey, Volume 4: The Cruelest Cut by Vicente Cifuentes, Christy Marx, Romano Molenaar, James Tynion IV

2.0

Pretty average really, probably. I don't really know seeing as I generally only read really well done super hero comics. I actually found myself wishing I was reading something by Frank Miller... Despite our rather strong differences in opinion. Anyway, pretty much encapsulates everything I don't like about superhero comics.

1) Tie ins that aren't explained in the series. Not having read too many of the new 52, I felt myself getting steadily more and more annoyed as the court of owls became more and more involved in the plot.

For all of their supposedly trying to draw in new reads, and my working knowledge of the original Birds of Prey team, I felt like I still had a lot of homework to do. While this complaint is certainly not unique to me or this comic series, it is something about the big two that really annoys me.

2) Guys who think with their ****. How many times was Black Canary randomly kissed in these volumes? Or had guys making random comments about her or Sterling? Is this what guys like to read? Because it makes them look incredibly rude and entitled.

Are they aiming for super angry man hating feminists who want to show that all men are scum? And don't actually exist... Mostly. I'm a pretty die hard feminist and I thought they were doing mankind a huge disservice.

3) Soup Oprah style drama. Moping around about being betrayed, betraying your friends, people coming back to life, people falling in love, revenge and crotch shots - this comic series has it all! I just couldn't not get over how dumb and childish everyone was.

This is why I stopped watching Arrow! I like characters who deal with their emotions and have richly developed personalities. I do not like reading about a bunch of emo high school punks who are trying to pass as adults.

On top of that, it really undercuts whatever kind of empowered female action I might have found in this comic series. Canary especially spends so much time worrying about her powers and angsting about her dead husband that she just takes up space.

Batgirl isn't much help either. Her support for Canary and Strix is touching at times but mishandled to the max. There is simply Waaaaay too much drama going on and I just can't work up enough energy to care about any of it.

4) Random male character joins all female team and saves the day. Need I say more?

5) Bitch tries to steal romantic interest from the "good girl".

6) Only other female character to be nearly as sexual aggressive as the guys turns out to be a bad guy as well.