Review by Frank Plowright

The once sparkling Birds of Prey was in a sorry state before DC’s across the line reboots as ‘The New 52’ in 2011, so one of the few titles where refreshing the entire concept had a validity.

Duane Swierczynski’s career writing crime novels supplies a viable background for regenerating Birds of Prey, starting again in a new universe. This time Black Canary is the motivator, recruiting Batgirl, Barbara Gordon able to use her legs again. The remaining members are new to the team, eco-terrorist Poison Ivy an original choice, while the sword-wielding Katana is perhaps more obvious. The team is completed by Sparrow, the tattooed assassin a new creation.

It’s a different dynamic, but a viable line-up, and Sparrow being a very capable unknown quantity supplies questions while Jesús Saiz supplies phenomenal action art. Swierczynski treats Birds of Prey as high octane cinematic action, and Saiz brings that to glorious life in recognisable city backgrounds and futuristic technology. Over the opening chapters that’s armoured suits rendering the wearers invisible, as seen on the sample art, and a second technological advance also enables spectacular art. It’s not quite as good when Javier Piña’s finishes Saiz’s layouts, and then draws a chapter alone, as the breast size of all characters increases, there’s a little stiffness to the poses and he’s not as keen on the shadows supplying the atmosphere.

A single thriller occupies all seven chapters of Trouble in Mind, with Swierczynski’s introduction of a third technological twist being the key to the title. Mystery, energy and deception combine throughout for what’s a page turning action thriller in which Swierczynski shocks until the end, and a great revelation leads into Your Kiss Might Kill.