DC Forgets Key Info in New Series Promotion

DC December 2019 Previews

DC is promoting the start of a new title, Harley Quinn and the Birds of Prey, which launches February 12. (It’s a four-issue miniseries.) They’ve given it the cover of their ordering catalog, as shown here, as well as a short interview with writer/artist Amanda Conner and co-writer Jimmy Palmiotti inside.

It sounds interesting, and it’s well-timed, with a movie coming and a new animated series on the DC Universe streaming service. However, as a potential new(ish) reader, I found myself very confused on one key point. (I read some of the previous Harley Quinn comic by the same creative team, with additional artists, but I gave it up since I found the humor too Deadpool-like.)

DC December 2019 Previews

Nowhere in this promo material do they identify the members of the Birds of Prey. They seem to assume that we all already know the characters. Based on the image, I know the Huntress and I’m guessing that that’s Black Canary and maybe Renee Montoya, but who’s the kid in the hoodie with the arrows? I think dropping the character names somewhere into the promotion — particularly since they manage to mention the Joker and Poison Ivy — would have been a good idea for plugging a supposed starting point.

My assumption may be undercut by a comment of Palmiotti’s, though:

This book is a direct continuation of our last issue on the monthly Harley Quinn series.

Oh, well, never mind, then. The #1 numbering is just a sales gimmick, it appears, so no need to think this would be a good read to try as a starting point.



3 comments

  • Reminds me of the time I picked up FF (Fraction/Allred) Volume 1, opened it up, and the first page is a recap of what’s happened so far.

  • James Schee

    Guessing it’s Cassandra Caine since she’s in the movie. But the arrows made me wonder if it was a character related to Green Arrow.

  • That is a good guess. I think you’re probably right, given the obvious media tie-in interest.

    Thad, I’m seeing that happening in various places, as comic publishers prioritize universes and fake jumping-on points over truth in advertising.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *