The Birds of Prey is a female-centric superhero team with a revolving roster of heroes, antiheroes, and reformed villains. The team was conceived by editor Jordan Gorfinkel and introduced by Chuck Dixon 30 years ago in Black Canary/Oracle: Birds of Prey #1 (1996).

It began as a partnership between Black Canary and Barbara Gordon/Oracle and soon grew to include multiple members. Huntress, Batwoman, Lady Blackhawk, Hawkgirl, Power Girl, Katana, Catwoman, Cassandra Cain, Harley Quinn, Big Barda, and Vixen have all spent time on the team. Black Canary, Oracle, and Huntress are typically the team leaders throughout the multiple ongoing comics and limited series.

The team began by starring in a graphic novel, limited series, and multiple one-shots, before their first ongoing series began in 1999 and ran for 127 issues. The team was pitted against Lady Shiva, they took down a slave ring on an island nation, and fought the Mad Hatter and the inmates of Arkham in early issues. Gail Simone took over as writer in 2003, beginning a period that is considered among the best Birds of Prey issues. In one of Simone’s early stories, Savant seriously injured Black Canary and tried to force the team to reveal Batman’s identity. She introduced the Twelve Brothers in Silk, a martial arts group themed on the Chinese zodiac, that became the Birds’ regular nemeses.

The majority of the stories revolved around the dynamic between Oracle, Black Canary, and Huntress. Their strengths as a team, the ways they complimented each other’s skills, and how they challenged one another were often key moments in the stories. Despite the contentious relationship between Oracle and Huntress, the latter protected the former when the US government tried to uncover Oracle’s real identity. When the original run reached its 100th issue, Black Canary left the team and new members joined, including Judomaster, Big Barda, Spy Smasher, Misfit, and Lois Lane.

The second Birds of Prey series took place during the Brightest Day storyline. Hawk and Dove joined the team, Oracle appeared as a secondary character, Black Canary returned, and Phantom Lady and Manhunter were also in the book.

The title relaunched a year later in 2011 during The New 52 initiative, starting with Barbara Gordon regaining her ability to walk through medical implants. Dinah put together a new team with Katana, former villain turned antihero Poison Ivy, and the gun carrying Starling. Their mission was difficult from the start when one of them is wanted for murder and a reporter threatens to expose the team. They face a terrorist for hire, killers in stealth suits, the Court of Owls, Poison Ivy gets seriously injured, and Starling betrayed the team.

The next incarnation, Batgirl and the Birds of Prey, took place when DC revamped their continuity in 2016’s DC Rebirth. Barbara Gordon as Batgirl, Black Canary, and Huntress were the main trio, who formed a tentative team when an unknown figure started using the Oracle moniker. They faced Blackbird, a woman who could unlock the true potential of people with superpowers and take them for herself. Catwoman, Poison Ivy, and Harley Quinn joined the team as Barbara set out to dismantle the Calculator’s criminal empire, who retaliated by trying to take out Oracle.

The most recent incarnation of the Birds of Prey began in 2023 and ran for 28 issues. Black Canary and Barbara were joined by Cassandra Cain/Batgirl, Big Barda, Sin, Zealot, and Harley Quinn. It started with Canary recruiting the team to save Sin, who was being held by the Amazons, then they faced a conspiracy against the team. They went undercover in the Ninth Day cult and fought the Shadow Army in space and in the fictional realm known as the Unreality.