DC Comics has published variant covers giving readers their best look yet at the stars of the upcoming Birds of Prey movie. With Birds of Prey scheduled to release in February 2020, marketing for the upcoming DCEU movie is still in its early stages. Warner Bros. has released an official Birds of Prey teaser alongside horror movie IT Chapter Two, providing Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn an opportunity to declare that she's so over clowns, but that hasn't even been officially released online.
The film will see Robbie reprise the role of Harley Quinn, which she played in 2016's Suicide Squad, and she'll be joined by Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Jurnee Smollett-Bell as the Huntress and Black Canary. So far, only a handful of images have actually been released online, and viewers have been eager to get a better look at the stars.
DC Comics has just published its December 2019 solicitations (via Comic Book), and they've announced three brand new trade paperbacks collecting a run of comics dedicated to one of the stars. Each features a new, movie-centric cover created by fan-favorite artist Tula Lotay, and they give the best look yet at the three central characters.
First up is Jurnee Smollett-Bell as Black Canary. The theater-only trailer saw Black Canary taking on thugs in a street-fight, and - in another shot - singing in what may be the Black Mask's club. It looks as though the DCEU's Black Canary is a street-level, tough-as-nails superhero who's infiltrated the Gotham City underworld. The artwork references Black Canary's sonic Canary Cry, which she can use to devastating effect. The Black Canary TPB collects Brenden Fletcher's Black Canary #1-12 and Black Canary Sneak Peek #1.
Next up is Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn, who's being visually redesigned after David Ayer's Suicide Squad. That film was heavily criticized for treating Harley Quinn as little more than eye-candy, with the camera taking every opportunity to linger on her body. It's clear that Birds of Prey will avoid this male-gazey approach, instead allowing Harley a chance to be a far more complex character, and even giving Harley a new mode of transportation. Harley's troubled relationship with the Joker is finally over, as well. The Harley Quinn TPB collects Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti's Harley Quinn #1-7, Harley Quinn: Future’s End #1, and a story from Secret Origins #4.
Finally, there's Mary Elizabeth Winstead's Huntress, who looks absolutely lethal. It's interesting to see that the artwork doesn't give Huntress a mask; in the comics, and even in the Arrowverse, her masked identity is a core part of her appeal. This may suggest the DCEU's Huntress doesn't care about secret identities, and is instead a publicly-known vigilante. Alternatively, it's also possible Birds of Prey will see Huntress become the vigilante of the comics, and ultimately don a costume. The Huntress TPB collects Greg Rucka's Batman/Huntress: Cry for Blood #1-6.
Source: Comic Book
