Each Friday, we'll be letting a different DC.com writer share what they'll be reading over the weekend and why you might want to check it out. Here's this week's suggestion for a perfect Weekend Escape!
 

The DC Universe keeps action fans well fed. Between the warriors of Themyscira, to the Bat-Family, to Richard Dragon and Lady Shiva, to Midnighter, to whatever the heck Deathstroke is doing at any given moment, there’s a plethora of fighting styles in DC Comics. There’s no “right” way to take on your enemies, there’s only discipline. As if to prove this point, Birds of Prey: Megadeath by Kelly Thompson, Leonardo Romero and Jordie Bellaire is here to show off the talents of some of the fiercest ladies in the DC Universe.
 

The Premise:

Black Canary recruits a new lineup for the Birds of Prey team so they can launch a rescue mission for her sister, Sin, on Themyscira. She brings on Cassandra Cain’s Batgirl, who she describes as the best hand-to-hand combatant on Earth, the sword-wielding Zealot, the towering New God Big Barda, Maps Mizoguchi, and of course, Harley Quinn. With such a powerful team assembled, this should be a piece of cake, right? There’s only one catch: none of Themyscira’s Amazons can notice that Sin has been rescued.
 

Let’s Talk Talent:

Writer Kelly Thompson is THE master of writing comic book action sequences, and this isn’t her first time writing Harley Quinn. She captures a solid balance between Harley’s psychiatrist background and her nature as a wild card all throughout this first volume of her currently ongoing Birds of Prey series. Thompson is also the writer for one of DC’s most anticipated new titles, Absolute Wonder Woman, where Diana from the Absolute Universe was raised in Hell and wields a gigantic sword. Seriously, you can’t get more metal than that and Thompson brings just that kind of energy to Birds of Prey: Megadeath. (It’s right there in the name!)

Artist Leonardo Romero has a remarkably beautiful and classic art style that is always a treat to see, whether it’s interior work or cover art. Romero nails every beat of Thompson’s action-heavy script, while also creating moments of physical humor on the page only achievable through the comic book form. The clean lines in Birds of Prey: Megadeath accentuate the stellar character designs of everyone on the team.

And, of course, it would be a crime to not talk about Jordie Bellaire’s gorgeous coloring on this book. If you’ve read single issue comics from the 1980s and earlier, you’ll remember the texture that the paper and printing process gave to the colors on the page. With Birds of Prey, Bellaire has rendered each panel with gorgeous, tangible texture and color that is some of her best work yet. Bellaire uses color to sculpt depth out of Romero’s beautiful lines, and it’s truly a sight to behold. This is an artist at the top of her game!
 

A Few Reasons to Read:

• The creativity in Megadeath is boundless. Thompson and Romero cleverly play with the dimensions of the comic book form. There are some Looney Tunes-esque moments in this book and it’s wonderful to see.
   
• I’m of the opinion that most teams aren’t complete without a New God on it, and if you don’t believe me, then let Birds of Prey: Megadeath show you why.

• Speaking of New Gods, Big Barda and Cassandra Cain are my new favorite dynamic duo. Barda calls Cass “small bat” or “little one,” and it’s adorable. It’s clear that Barda is impressed by Cass’s fighting abilities, so she calls her these nicknames purely out of respect. If you’ve read stories with Cass before, you’d know that she’s a young woman of few words, and subtlety is the name of her game. Barda, on the other hand, has always been down to cause a ruckus at a moment’s notice. Watching these two work together is an absolute delight.
   
• Even if you’ve never read a book with any of these characters before, Thompson’s writing cuts to the heart of each member of the Birds of Prey, making this an accessible comic for new readers. It’s clear why she chose every member of this team, and the book provides a solid introduction to each Bird’s stories.
   

Why It’s Worth Your Time:

There’s no other book on shelves right now quite like Birds of Prey. Thompson, Romero and Bellaire are a dynamite creative team and their collaboration feels special. For me, Birds of Prey: Megadeath is the type of book I’ve wanted to see for years, but didn’t realize it. From start to finish, I didn’t know what the next page was going to bring me and that’s the type of creativity I value most as a reader. Even if you only want to keep up with one ongoing series at a time, there’s plenty in Birds of Prey to keep you fed.
 

Birds of Prey: Megadeath by Kelly Thompson, Leonardo Romero and Jordie Bellaire is now available in bookstores, comic shops, libraries and digital retailers. It can also be read in full on DC UNIVERSE INFINITE.

Jules Chin Greene writes about comics, TV, games and film for DC.com, and his work can also be found at Nerdist, Popverse and Multiverse of Color. You can follow him on Twitter and Bluesky at @JulesChinGreene.

NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Jules Chin Greene and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.