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The Birds of Prey won the first round against the Shadow Army, but the villain organization is already working on their next move. With the aid of an unexpected ally, the Birds learn important intel about the Shadow Army’s plan and a game called The Unreality. The team must go undercover in the game and neutralize its source before The Unreality causes mass casualties in Gotham. 

Birds of Prey #25 begins by showing how Big Barda is dealing with the aftermath of having her body taken over, which – in true Barda fashion – presents as humorous and scary. Then the team must decide if they can trust the information they’ve received and execute a dangerous plan on multiple fronts to gain access to The Unreality and a method for ending the game.  

Kelly Thompson is nailing it as the writer on Birds of Prey. She is moving the story along with espionage and action, but also making plenty of room for team dynamics. Each character is well represented through her personality and abilities, and the interactions between the teammates are realistic from their teasing each other to the way they challenge each other.  

This issue features art by Cliff Richards and Sami Basri with colors by Adriano Lucas. Their combined efforts are well executed in a variety of page designs and panel angles that shows the story with style. Their work on the last few pages is especially fun. 

–Amanda Sheriff