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When it number to crime - fighting super squad , few put the “ POW ” in “ girl force ” quite like DC’sBirds of Prey . First conceptualise by Jordan B. Gorfinkel and Chuck Dixon inBlack Canary / Oracle : Birds of Prey # 1 in 1996 , the female person - led amusing book series gained much of its popularity when fabled author Gail Simone took over the serial in issue # 56 .
Though their roll has expanded and change over the years ( even add in manful superhero , Hawk ) the nitty-gritty squad is almost always comprised of founding membersBarbara Gordon ( AKA Oracle , AKA the first Batgirl)andDinah Lance ( AKA Black Canary ) . The crossbow tot up vigilanteHelena Bertinelli ( AKA Huntress)is also a longtime member and typically a key character in the comics , her brutish methodology often clash with her fellow teammate .
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But despite having a rather longroster of former and current members , admit Gotham femme - fatales Poison Ivy and Catwoman , Harley Quinn has never officially been a member of the Birds of Prey . This has led many casual fans to pray the question how dissimilar isBirds of Prey : and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinnfrom the source material ? Spoilers ahead .
The bountiful remainder between the comic strip and the film , now just calledHarley Quinn : dame of Prey , is the absence of Barbara Gordon , something many of her lover have criticized . However , the moving picture does introduce a version of Batgirl ( sort of ) . Rather than let in Commissioner Gordon ’s girl , the picture show instead introduces the 2nd heroine to take on the role of Batgirl , Cassandra Cain . However , Birds of Prey ’s Cass is quite dissimilar than her comic volume vis-a-vis , as many have already show out . Created in 1999 by Kelley Puckett and Damion Scott , Cassandra Cain has one of the most captivating origins of all of Batman ’s friend . Her introduction into comic book lore inBatman # 567depicted her as mute , ignorant , and under - socialize – a psychological experimentation in former combat preparation by her own parent , who are world - renowned assassins . Though she struggles to convey , her fighting ability are so great they even rival that of the Dark Knight .
She may not be a establish member of the Birds of Prey , but Cassandra Cain nonetheless is a character worthy of cinematic adaptation . She was the first Batgirl to star in her own serial publication , and her 73 issue run was specially noteworthy for a funny Good Book woman of color at the time . That ’s not to say there were n’t some patched moments in the characters publication chronicle , as several writers have been criminate by buff of mistreating the character over her 20 class chronicle . Birds of Preydoesn’t mistreat the character of Cassandra Cain as much as it just ignore the author stuff and gives viewers someone wholly unequaled . Not only does the film version of the character talk , she ’s actually quite wise and street wise . go away are her mad martial arts skills , replaced with cutpurse abilities so sharp they would make Catwoman green-eyed . And her parents may not be assassins , but they still seem like questionable people .
To be unmortgaged , Ella Jay Basco ’s Cassandra Cain is a fun character . The young actor well keep open pace with Oscar candidate Margot Robbie whenever they share screen door time together . She enchantingly plays one of Gotham ’s lose youthfulness , a ( not entirely ) clean-handed bystander stuck in the crossfire between mob boss and madcaps . The only veridical issue with the type is she ’s named Cassandra Cain . Basco could have just played an original character , and thus added another interesting eccentric of color in a mythology that many say still lack diversity .
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That said , the moving picture does manage to depict founding member Dinah Lance very accurately to her comic volume counterpart . In fact , her portrayal inBirds of Preyis arguably the most accurate unrecorded - action version than any former snitch . The short - livedBirds of PreyTV serial from 2002 portrayed a Black Canary even less like the risible book source material than Cass Cain in theBirds of Preyfilm . Smallville ’s Alaina Huffman andArrow ’s Katie Cassidyboth portrayed importantly more accurate variant of the persona , but still have many liberty that fans were n’t felicitous with .
Jurnee Smollett - Bell , however , play a Black Canary true to her source stuff . The moving-picture show first depict Dinah work for a offense crime syndicate similar to her origination in 1947 , but she ’s also a professional singer like in her more late comic book exploits . Smollett - Bell ’s Black Canary is essentially a “ greatest hits ” of her most popular adventures in comic strip . Dinah ’s motheris also portray accurately to her literary roots . Though not much is known about her in the pic , what is revealed is that she used to act alongside Gotham PD and was empower with the Metahuman ability to emit a loud transonic scream — the “ canary shout . ” Though DC ’s laughable Holy Scripture traditional knowledge change so often it would make a Time Lord dizzy , Black Canary has generally been portray as a legacy case since 1985 - -the soubriquet first go to Dinah Drake , and then communicate on to her girl Dinah Laurel Lance . This was established shortly after the DC persistence relaunching seriesCrisis On Infinite Earthsin parliamentary law to explicate how Black Canary was around during the epoch of pinup while also being a young woman in the mod era .
The only veridical disappointment in regards to Black Canary inBirds of Preyis she could stand to have more screen time . Unlike her teammate Huntress and Harley Quinn , Dinah is n’t give a substantial backstory besides some dialogue between her and Renee Montoya ( played by Rosie Perez ) . It ’s established that she inherited the stoolie cry from her mother , but beyond that we only get to see it in action once – though to be sightly it is a pretty exciting sight to lay eyes on . And like her comic Koran counterpart , Dinah in this film can only practice it once as it convey quite a toll on her physically .
Huntress is another characterBirds of Preygets right . Though her original backstory was as Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle ’s daughter , the more generally accept canon is that she ’s Helena Bertinelli , the last hold up daughter of the Bertinelli law-breaking family . Like Batman , her story is so simple it ’s timeless — she ’s driven by payback . It ’s a tough backstory to get wrong , andBirds of Preydoesn’t seek to reinvent the roulette wheel with her quality . She ’s brutal . She ’s relentless . She loves crossbows . What the picture show does do with Huntress is add a quirky level of humor to Helena . While by no means the comic relievo , Mary Elizabeth Winstead total a relatable self - sentience to the character that ’s not too unlike her amusing rule book counterpart . She practices her badass one - liners in the mirror before missions . She boldly declares “ they call me Huntress ” even though literally no one ever does . She even gets A-one peeved when a fiber refers to her weapon as a “ bow and pointer . ”
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But quirkiness away , Winstead does a great task selling herself as a thrill - seek vigilance man with a blood feud . In the comics , her eagerness to play evaluator , jury , and executioner typically conflict with the no - kill policy of Gotham ’s other protector Batman ( or Green Arrow if you ’re a fan of the Arrowverse ) , so it ’s unfortunate that inBirds of Preythat dynamic is n’t explore with her and Barbara Gordon ( whom we still know nothing about in this universe ) . However , it ’s still fun to see Helena and Harley pull uncalled-for deed of ferocity together .
And though not a member of the Birds of Prey in the comics , detective Renee Montoya is a role worthy of discussion . Aside from aging the character up a bit , Birds of Preygets Montoya right in all the mode that matter . She sling insults as tight as they hail at her , she blab out like an 80s goggle box cop , and she ’s openly gay . She ’s also an alcoholic , something the film touch on but never really resolves . In the cartoon strip Montoya finally hit sway bottom and urinate her journey towards sobriety . If a subsequence should come about , this could potentially be a major character arc for her . It ’s worth mentioning that while Montoya has never been an official member , she did work alongside the Birds of Prey inGotham Underground # 2 . Also deserving noting is one of her x - girl ’s is a current member of the Birds of Prey — Kate Kane ( AKA Batwoman ) . Their preceding relationship has mostly been draw as rocky at best , with both women enabling the other ’s addiction . Ultimately , Bronx cheer of Preynever mentions any preceding relationship between Montoya and Kane , but she does have a rather awkward and borderline unfriendly human relationship with her ex - girlfriend in the DA ’s office .
That leaves the film with its title of respect part , Harley Quinn . As previously mentioned , Harley is the only member of the Gotham City Sirens to have never served on the squad ’s roll . That said , her reference can be considered comic book faithful inBirds of Preyas long as you moot Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti ’s critically acclaimedHarley Quinnseries as legitimate source material ( which you perfectly should ) .
Margot Robbie still plays the same goose eccentric who star inSuicide Squad , but minus herPuddin’ . Though you never see Joker in this motion picture , his presence is felt profoundly throughout the plot of land . Much like post - breakup Harley in the comics , the former psychiatrist want nothing more than to escape her ex ’s shadow , but her past refuses to give up on haunting her . It ’s knockout to start a new living when everyone you ’ve ever pissed off in your quondam one wants to murder you .
IsBirds of Preya comic book accurate cinematic origin story for the vigilante squad ? No . Does it do the characters in it Department of Justice ? dead . Arguably , the only case who ’s importantly different than her mirthful Holy Writ source stuff is Cassandra Cain , but Basco ’s execution is secure enough that it ’s an easy sin to overlook . And if the motion-picture show require any further imprimatur , Gail Simone herself has even given glowing extolment for the pic . It ’s not a perfect motion picture , but it ’s a lot of fun to find out .
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