"That was one of my best men," says a crime boss the Birds of Prey are protecting as a witness. "Maybe you should start hiring women," Black Canary replies. The mainstream comics industry is progressing in that direction, at least. The latest evidence: this new title in DC's Rebirth initiative, which is written by women, illustrated by a woman, and stars three interesting, complex, highly competent, and action-ready women. Motivated by someone's theft of one of her former identities, Batgirl teams up with Black Canary to track the culprit down, only to run headlong into the revenge-fueled agenda of the Mafia-hating Huntress. The group dynamic as the trio learns to work together is the book's strongest point, serving both the realism of difficult relationships and the entertainment of buddy action stories. The crime-thriller elements, meanwhile, run smoothly if unremarkably by the numbers, including some climactic revelations of identity that pave the way for future arcs. Roe, who handles roughly half of the art, beautifully balances gritty atmosphere and action with delightfully quirky and distinctive character performances.

During a typical night of caped crime-fighting, Barbara Gordon (aka Batgirl) discovers that an imposter has claimed her former moniker, Oracle, and started selling information to Gotham-s Mafia families. To uncover the culprit, she recruits metahuman Black Canary, her former Birds of Prey partner, and-after a car chase, an exchange of fists and kicks, and witty banter-they convince the vengeance-hungry Huntress to join their cause. The past and present for each of these Birds come to the forefront along with identity issues and family drama, in between exploding server farms, snake-like adversaries, and unlikely underworld criminals. There are some implausible in-the-nick-of-time escapes and rescues, plus three kooky surprise twists, but the Benson sisters (TV-s The 100) provide a snappy script, and the artwork and coloring are expressive and action-filled. Those who like their superheroics super-dramatic will enjoy this spirited entry into the oft-grim world of Gotham. (Apr.)