Birds of Prey getting a tie-in trade paperback this year

As crazy as it may seem, it's already time to start thinking about the marketing of Birds of Prey. Kicking things off, DC will have a trade paperback hitting the shelves this fall to introduce newcomers to all of the characters.

DC has started teasing a trade paperback coming out this holiday season entitled Harley Quinn & the Birds of Prey. Not much information has been shared yet, and what little is out there certainly isn't clearing much up when it comes to the contents.

Harley Quinn & the Birds of Prey (Mass Market TPB)
$12.99 13 oz | 24 per carton On sale Nov 12, 2019 | 168 Pages | 978-1-4012-9483-0 Movie Tie-In Edition
This anthology features stories based on the movie Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn): Harley Quinn, Black Canary, the Huntress Renee Montoya and Cassandra Cain.
Set after the events of Suicide Squad, the film follows Harley Quinn as she joins forces with Black Canary, the Huntress, and Renee Montoya to save Cassandra Cain from Gotham City crime lord Black Mask. This book will spotlight stories featuring each of these badass Ladies of DC.

It certainly leaves you guessing if this is original content or repurposed old content to introduce the characters to new fans. Our guess, however, is this will be repackaged content. It's difficult to imagine that DC would market new content in this format, or without explicitly saying so in the earliest press materials.

We'll keep an eye on it, but it's still interesting to see DC is already prepping for the Birds of Prey.

The trade paperback hits stores on Nov. 12, 2019, while Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) hits theaters on Feb. 7, 2020.

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6 comments

kingcrim84

March 13, 2019

So, the future of the comic industry?

I, personally, think all of the movies we've had since Marvel made comic characters mainstream-cool will contribute to the death of comics - at least, the single issues. Kids are/will be more interested in watching the characters instead of reading the characters. As far as digital is concerned, sadly, I think there's gonna have to be a crackdown on library-related comics; because why buy an issue or trade when you can just read it for free? Collectors will obviously still buy single issues, but I don't believe there will be enough in the future to sustain the comics business. The generation that's kept the books alive are gonna start to die off soon.

I also think trade paperbacks should be the focus of publishers. Create six issues all at once for release every 6 months (instead of a single issue every month), and that might keep some interest alive.

It'll be interesting to see how the publishers try to stay alive with Hollywood slowly gobbling up readership.

All of that said, I hope I'm wrong.

kingcrim84
March 13, 2019
I have no idea what video you're referencing. I've had my opinion for a while now.
OptimistPrime99
March 13, 2019
Looks like they're just gonna rebrand the Birds of Prey, to incorporate Harley Quinn. The Harley haters will LOVE that!😂
Batman '66, Batman '89, and Batman: The Animated Series, are the three main sources of Batman's overall popularity. Adaptations allow you to really get to know, and experience these characters in a way, that 24 pages per month, simply can't. Especially now with so many amazing shows available to binge-watch, people are trying to consume as much content as possible.
Even with a bimonthly Batman title, you don't really get to see him do a whole lot, or have any real sense of what his personal life is actually like. Because God forbid, comic book writers give Bruce Wayne an F-ing personality, and make him relatable. You're basically paying $8.00 per month, for small little chunks of a Batman story. Trade paperbacks seem like the much more satisfying option.
ZaQueerdo
March 13, 2019
I really don't think Hollywood factors into the problem. The biggest hurdle comics have never been able to overcome is they're really cost ineffective compared to virtually any other form of media, which has only gotten worse in recent years.
Who on Earth wants to pay 5 dollars now for 20 pages of story? That's insane. Now go look at any popular manga collection and see that you get a trade paperback of around 200 pages for 10 dollars. American comics can't compete. They've priced themselves out of the market.
Tabris
March 13, 2019
I think you're right. Thing is, for someone like me who doesn't live in the US and doesn't have a comic shop nearby (and even if I would, the comics wouldn't be in english) my only option are trades. And I think a lot of people are in a similar situation.

Mark

March 13, 2019

I was looking at AT&T's new Annual Report. DC Entertainment doesn't even get a mention. I assume they're buried in the "Games & Other" segment which contributed a whopping $1 million to the bottom line in the second half of 2018.

Really, though, discoverability for comic books is poor nowadays. I started as a little kid buying Bugs Bunny and Disney comics at the drug store; that's no longer an entry path for today's kids, and you have to look hard to find comics shops that are kid ( and in some cases girl-) friendly. If you read some of the things that Dan DiDio says, it's only getting more difficult to make the business case for individual comics.

kingcrim84
March 13, 2019
So, the future of the comic industry?
I, personally, think all of the movies we've had since Marvel made comic characters mainstream-cool will contribute to the death of comics - at least, the single issues. Kids are/will be more interested in watching the characters instead of reading the characters. As far as digital is concerned, sadly, I think there's gonna have to be a crackdown on library-related comics; because why buy an issue or trade when you can just read it for free? Collectors will obviously still buy single issues, but I don't believe there will be enough in the future to sustain the comics business. The generation that's kept the books alive are gonna start to die off soon.
I also think trade paperbacks should be the focus of publishers. Create six issues all at once for release every 6 months (instead of a single issue every month), and that might keep some interest alive.
It'll be interesting to see how the publishers try to stay alive with Hollywood slowly gobbling up readership.
All of that said, I hope I'm wrong.
1. kingcrim84
  March 13, 2019
  I have no idea what video you're referencing. I've had my opinion for a while now.
2. OptimistPrime99
  March 13, 2019
  Looks like they're just gonna rebrand the Birds of Prey, to incorporate Harley Quinn. The Harley haters will LOVE that!😂
  Batman '66, Batman '89, and Batman: The Animated Series, are the three main sources of Batman's overall popularity. Adaptations allow you to really get to know, and experience these characters in a way, that 24 pages per month, simply can't. Especially now with so many amazing shows available to binge-watch, people are trying to consume as much content as possible.
  Even with a bimonthly Batman title, you don't really get to see him do a whole lot, or have any real sense of what his personal life is actually like. Because God forbid, comic book writers give Bruce Wayne an F-ing personality, and make him relatable. You're basically paying $8.00 per month, for small little chunks of a Batman story. Trade paperbacks seem like the much more satisfying option.
3. ZaQueerdo
  March 13, 2019
  I really don't think Hollywood factors into the problem. The biggest hurdle comics have never been able to overcome is they're really cost ineffective compared to virtually any other form of media, which has only gotten worse in recent years.
  Who on Earth wants to pay 5 dollars now for 20 pages of story? That's insane. Now go look at any popular manga collection and see that you get a trade paperback of around 200 pages for 10 dollars. American comics can't compete. They've priced themselves out of the market.
4. Tabris
  March 13, 2019
  I think you're right. Thing is, for someone like me who doesn't live in the US and doesn't have a comic shop nearby (and even if I would, the comics wouldn't be in english) my only option are trades. And I think a lot of people are in a similar situation.
Mark
March 13, 2019
I was looking at AT&T's new Annual Report. DC Entertainment doesn't even get a mention. I assume they're buried in the "Games & Other" segment which contributed a whopping $1 million to the bottom line in the second half of 2018.
Really, though, discoverability for comic books is poor nowadays. I started as a little kid buying Bugs Bunny and Disney comics at the drug store; that's no longer an entry path for today's kids, and you have to look hard to find comics shops that are kid ( and in some cases girl-) friendly. If you read some of the things that Dan DiDio says, it's only getting more difficult to make the business case for individual comics.

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Birds of Prey getting a tie-in trade paperback this year

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