COVER TO COVER: BIRDS OF PREY!

The Birds of Prey are running riot in cinemas everywhere, and whether you're a fan of their big screen antics - or are looking for an antidote to the Hollywood aesthetic - this week's Cover to Cover has got you... covered! Harley Quinn, Black Canary, Huntress, Renee Montoya, Black Mask, and Victor Zsasz are all here -- plus more of your DC Universe favourites!

Clobber the covers below to discover classic comic book battles featuring the Birds of Prey in battle with: Batman, The Joker, Superman, Captain Marvel, Deathstroke, Catwoman, Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Red Hood, Vixen, Hawkgirl, Lex Luthor, Green Lantern, Gorilla Grodd, Cheetah, and more!

Behind The Covers
1. MARVEL FAMILY vs EARTH-ONE ft BLACK CANARY (Crisis on Infinite Earths #6)
2. BLACK CANARY vs GLASS MAN (Secret Origins #32)
3. BAT FAMILY ft BLACK CANARY & HUNTRESS vs VILLAINS (Underworld Unleashed #3)
4. BATMAN vs HARLEY QUINN (Harley Quinn #25)
5. BATMAN & CATWOMAN vs HARLEY QUINN (Batman #613)
6. BATMAN & CATWOMAN vs JOKER & HARLEY QUINN (Batman #614)
7. MISTER ZSASZ vs BATMAN & ROBIN (Detective Comics #796)
8. RED HOOD vs BLACK MASK (Batman #648)
9. DEATHSTROKE vs BIRDS OF PREY (Birds of Prey #90)
10. BATMAN vs JOKER & HARLEY QUINN (Batman #663)
11. RENEE MONTOYA vs RICHARD DRAGON (52 #41)
12. INJUSTICE LEAGUE vs JUSTICE LEAGUE (Justice League of America #15)

RENEE MONTOYA versus RICHARD DRAGON

Miracles & Wonders (DC)
Where: 52 #41 When: April 2007 Why: Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka & Mark Waid How: Giuseppe Camuncoli w/ Keith Giffen

The Story So Far...
Pushed to the edge by her investigations into a corrupt cop, and the related murder of Detective Crispus Allen: Renee Montoya quit the Gotham City Police Department only to descend into a drunken downward spiral.

Montoya found new purpose as a hired agent of The Question, travelling the globe to investigate an Intergang conspiracy, all the while unaware she was being groomed to replace the faceless hero once he succumbed to terminal lung cancer.

Montoya's apprenticeship takes her to Nanda Parbat where the master Richard Dragon will prepare her to become The Question. As Vic Sage exits this mortal coil she fights to live up to his legacy, but soon finds she must live up to herself!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Richard Dragon 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Richard Dragon 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Richard Dragon 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Richard Dragon 4 (Athlete)
Agility: Richard Dragon 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Richard Dragon 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Renee Montoya 2 (Projectiles)
Total: Richard Dragon 27 (Metahuman)

Today's battle is all about student and master, but it's also a double debut for The Comic Book Fight Club! We've somehow missed one of Gotham City's finest, and a renowned master of martial arts. Let's get a quick primer for both!

Renee Montoya was a uniform police officer with the GCPD until she was promoted to homicide detective by Commissioner Gordon, and partnered with Harvey Bullock. They served during the No Man's Land saga that left an earthquake ravaged Gotham cut-off from the mainland, and overrun with criminals like Two-Face, who took a unique shine towards the detective.

When Harvey Bullock was promoted, Montoya received a new partner named Crispus Allen, who was eventually murdered by dirty crime scene investigator Jim Corrigan. This triggered a violent slide that eventually led Renee to quit the force and come to the attention of The Question, who initiated her training.

Richard Dragon studied martial arts under the tutelage of legendary Japanese grandmaster: O-Sensei. Mastering multiple disciplines, he eventually joined the Global Organization of Organized Defense, partnered with friend and fellow student, Ben Turner. They travelled the world thwarting international espionage until Turner was brainwashed by the League of Assassins, and Richard retired.

Dragon had previously counseled rival-turned-ally, Lady Shiva, and applied these skills to the training of new fighters. Among his most noteworthy students have been: The Question, Batman, Nightwing, Oracle, and Huntress.

Given Renee Montoya has come to Richard Dragon for training, there's clearly an inherent disparity between their skill levels. Montoya's a street wise cop who can handle herself, but it would undoubtedly be considered an upset if she were able to outfight a master of karate, kung fu, and assorted other styles.

Montoya has travelled to Nanda Parbat to become the new Question, and has already spent some time under the late Vic Sage's guidance. The end goal is a Renee Montoya who is ready to confront criminals with her wits and fists. When she's ready, she should be able to take a sparring session. So... Is she ready?...

The Tape: Renee Montoya Ranking: Draw (Not Ranked)

What Went Down...
Summoned to the cold of an icy cave, Renee Montoya seeks audience with Richard Dragon. She finds her master's visage refracted in the ice, admonishing her for token efforts of dining with monks, and a change of clothes. He strikes!

Montoya defends against his simple fist and retaliates with a craning palm strike. She insists her intentions are to carry on as The Question intended, but Richard Dragon is not convinced.

He blocks a swinging punch as swiftly as her token indulgence, and accuses her of trading the bottle for a gi to deal with feelings of loss and guilt. Martial arts are just another one night stand to lose herself in in the absence of a woman.

The mournful student throws a kick, insisting she isn't denying her grief, but the master catches her ankle and sees beyond the surface. Feeling and accepting the loss are two very different things. Montoya is exposed, allowing Dragon to easily take her off her feet with a sweeping kick. He challenges his student to face herself!

The takedown puts Montoya on the ground and the master literally forces her to confront her own vision in the reflection of the cave's ice, lifting her head!

The student sees herself reflected many times in the ice. She recoils -- pushing away from the reflections and past the released grip of Richard Dragon.

The master watches sternly as Montoya turns to run from the cave, unready for the challenge of confronting all that is inside her.

The Hammer...
Nothing like a little sparring to shatter your confidence! Richard Dragon remains the unsurpassed master as Renee Montoya meets the obstacle of self - and fails.

It might seem a little bit cliché, but you really can't go wrong with a moment of self-doubt on the path of the hero's journey. It's nothing a little time and quiet contemplation won't solve. In fact, it only took a few issues. Such were the needs of 52: a year-long, weekly series that challenged and excited the market with its anthology of long form, weekly episodes.

It was interesting to see the experiment used to depict the post-modern making of a superhero. The world has seen its fair share of origin stories, but rarely are they told so deliberately, showing selection through to apprenticeship.

Renee Montoya was as good a choice as any, having been a hardened Gotham cop who'd seen adventures in print and animation for a good fifteen years. The only obvious drawback was that it essentially meant losing two great characters to gain one that didn't serve either role quite as well.

The Question is just one of those characters who's undeniably cool.

The visual of a faceless man in hat and trench coat is all you really need. Throw in a swirl of smoke, and the gritty atmosphere of a dark, conspiring modern metropolis, and you've got yourself a recipe for intrigue.

Its a little galling that a character inspired by The Question has challenged his place in mainstream pop awareness. Anything Rorschach can do, The Question could arguably do better.

Talk of a Rorschach revival is always a bit silly when The Question is right there, ready and waiting. He's an icon unburdened by the legacy and vision of Watchmen, or the bitter ugliness that lies inherent in Rorschach.

The strength of the visual is such that re-envisioning The Question as Renee Montoya wasn't the worst idea in the world. Contrary to their current status: DC has been home to some of the best examples of legacy hand-overs in superhero comics! Renee Montoya was a better successor to The Question than Walter Kovacs ever was [that's Rorschach's real name, kids]. For whatever reason, it just didn't seem to capture the same mystique that followed the elusive original, or its Denny O'Neil defined adaptation.

Montoya was her own character. It was equally disappointing to lose an identifiable face on the streets of Gotham.

Given enough time, average everyday mortals tend to fall by the wayside in superhero comics. Renee Montoya was a cop you could identity, with a history and character all her own. She was a mortal presence who hadn't quite suffered an irrevocably hideous indignity, or foul end. A rarity for the times!

Honing Renee Montoya's skills so she can survive and thrive in the crime-ridden streets isn't such a bad idea. It's just nice to have a regular human we care about, too. Somebody to fill out the immortal ranks of the GCPD beside the likes of Commissioner Gordon and Harvey Bullock. With hindsight, we can see there was already a Question. Maybe what the world needs is a Renee Montoya, too.

Renee Montoya is currently appearing on screens everywhere in Birds of Prey.

If you'd like to witness her comic book journey to becoming The Question, you can find today's featured sparring (and much more) in 52 Volume 2. Do your shopping via the Amazon link provided and you'll help support the site at no extra cost!

Discover more from the characters mentioned throughout this article by following links throughout this post, or by diving into the ever-expanding Secret Archive! There you'll find an index of links to every featured fight in order of publisher, series, and issue.

If you like Secret Wars on Infinite Earths and wish to contribute more directly you can help support the project via Patreon. You can also get free daily links to topical battles by subscribing via Twitter and Facebook! Be sure to hit like and subscribe on your favourites!

Winner: Richard Dragon
#333 (new) Richard Dragon
#904 (new) Renee Montoya

DEATHSTROKE versus BIRDS OF PREY

Perfect Pitch Part Five (DC)
Where: Birds of Prey #90 When: March 2006 Why: Gail Simone How: Paulo Siqueira & Adam DeKraker

The Story So Far...
Calculator has become the central nervous system behind unionized villains of The Society. Marshalling a network of criminals, information and intelligence, he helped create the ultimate force in organized crime -- but his online dominion is challenged by one white hat hacker: Oracle!

New incarnations of Hellhound and Black Spider failed to bring down Oracle's associates, The Birds of Prey, after torturing Savant, but one of the perks of The Society is having access to a near limitless army of super-villain back-up!

Deathstroke has his sights on terminating Black Canary and Huntress while they attempt to evacuate casualties of their last battle!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Deathstroke 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Savant 5 (Professor)
Speed: Deathstroke 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Deathstroke 4 (Athlete)
Agility: Black Canary 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Deathstroke 7 (Living Weapon)
Energy: Huntress 3 (Explosives)
Total: Deathstroke 26 (Metahuman)

Calculator called in one of The Society's best available mercenaries to provide back-up! Deathstroke showed just how deadly he can be when he impaled Phantom Lady during a Society hit on the Freedom Fighters in Infinite Crisis #1!

Being deployed alone against a group of heroes shouldn't be an issue. He was largely able to manage the X-Men alone when they crossed over in Uncanny X-Men and the New Teen Titans. He also famously and single-handedly set about dismantling the Justice League in Identity Crisis #3!

The Birds of Prey are: Black Canary, Huntress, Lady Blackhawk, Creote, and Savant.

The Identity Crisis battle still hangs over Black Canary in this encounter. He tied an airtight rubber mask over her head to silence the canary cry, and cuffed her to prevent any hand-to-hand reprisals. He utilized thorough tactics to beat the odds and systematically work his way through the likes of Flash, Zatanna, Hawkman, and Green Arrow.

We saw Green Arrow win his rematch with Deathstroke in Green Arrow #62, which highlighted the benefits of knowing the enemy and changing up the play.

Her sonic canary cry remains her best advantages over Deathstroke. We saw its power bring the Marvel Family to their knees in Crisis on Infinite Earths #6, and dissipate Shadow Thief in Justice League of America #15. She also defeated Giganta in the latter issue, using agility, and Cheshire, with fighting technique.

After their last battle, The Canary will know not to rely on her sonic attack. Like Green Arrow, she'll look to use her own tactical and combat skills to match The Terminator as best she can, while working to undermine his meticulous style.

In Underworld Unleashed #3, we saw Huntress help turn the tables against a cadre of super-villains with reckless abandon. Her improvised use of explosives seemingly endangered Black Canary, but it was a calculated risk that also got her out of harm. That ruthlessness could compliment Canary during this fight!

Lady Blackhawk is en route at the start of the fight and could provide air support to clear Deathstroke if things go bad. Savant is wounded from being tortured, and Creote will likely stay with him.

The Tape: Birds of Prey Ranking: Black Canary (#38)

What Went Down...
On a lonely rooftop in Gotham City the Birds of Prey drag their wounded topside to await transport. When they get to the rain spattered roof they soon find The Society had a third man watching over proceedings: Deathstroke!

With a drawn sword already in his hand, Deathstroke offers the Birds a chance to leave the injured Black Spider and go freely. Black Canary spits the offer back in his face and shows him the difference between the last time he humiliated her in combat and now -- this time there aren't any Justice Leaguers in the way!

Huntress fires off three bolts from her crossbow while Black Canary launches into a leaping kick that catches Deathstroke by the side of the head.

Internally, Canary knows she was allowed to strike first so Deathstroke could show he won't be so easily hurt. She keeps him busy, talking trash about finding a way to beat him after their last encounter. In her mind, she remains trained on one thought: the three seconds of distraction that will allow her victory.

Deathstroke fires back with an uppercut that sends the Canary airborne and reminds her just how hard his super-soldier enhancements can hit!

Huntress jumps back into the fray, but Deathstroke blocks her punch and effortlessly swats her away with the backhand of his sword-wielding fist! The deals are off the table. Now he's playing for keeps!

Without warning -- Creote rushes across the rooftop at Deathstroke!

With no regard for his own life, the Russian special forces soldier attempts to grapple with Deathstroke. He seeks only to hurt the mercenary for the pain he and The Society inflicted upon his beloved Savant!

The impassioned assault tangles Deathstroke up for a moment, but is soon remedied with a backwards rolling judo toss.

Black Canary takes the opportunity to rush in and feint for the canary cry, allowing Deathstroke a pre-emptive strike that snaps the bone in her arm. It would've choked the voice in her throat -- if that were her true intent...

The gambit was merely providing distraction while Huntress snuck up from behind and attacked his vertical base with a low strike! The low blow provides the three seconds needed to extend two fingers, cut across Deathstroke's blind side, and thrust her digits into his good eye!

Blood spurts from The Terminator's mask and he recoils, swinging his sword wildly to push Black Canary back! She dedicates the strike to Phantom Lady.

Deathstroke pivots toward the edge of the rooftop and resumes a prepared stance. Canary's eye poke of doom didn't puncture the eyeball. It will heal -- not that he needs to actually see to kill any of them. Canary knows it, too.

Canary threatens to blast Deathstroke from the roof with her canary cry if he goes for his gun, but he's not convinced she'll be fast enough. The stand-off is suddenly interrupted by Lady Blackhawk, who appears on the fire escape behind Deathstroke with pistols drawn. She under estimates his ability!

Blackhawk's warning gave Deathstroke a location. He expertly twists his body around, disarming her with a twisting kick that carries him from the roof edge, onto the target and iron ledge. In seconds his hand is around her throat, dangling the pilot precariously over a multi-story drop!

The pouring rain tests his gloved grip and Black Canary has no choice but to concede to Slade's leverage. "Dammit. He wins. He always wins", she thinks spitefully. He commends her for almost beating him. Then: the unexpected!

Gunfire sprays the air, catching Deathstroke by surprise! The discharge sends him falling backwards over the fire escape rail with Lady Blackhawk!

The Canary throws herself forward to pull Lady Blackhawk back to the safety of the rainy rooftop. There, Savant sits worse for wear wielding one of Black Spider's smoking pistols. A favour to end his association with Oracle.

The Hammer...

It looked like a done deal when Deathstroke literally had them on their knees, but Savant managed to exploit the hard work of the Birds of Prey to pull out a slightly dubious last minute win!

This is essentially one of the follow-up battles to Identity Crisis #3, which drastically increased the stock of Deathstroke, and set up about a half a dozen legitimate rematches with various heroes.

Green Arrow in particular came out of Identity Crisis poised to become one of Deathstroke's new arch-rivals (or vice versa). This consequently made their rematch in Green Arrow #62 all about GA taking the master mercenary down. It established the pair as equals by flipping the script on Deathstroke's tactical foresight, showing Green Arrow could match him in planning and execution.

Not so in Birds of Prey #90, which delivers Deathstroke to Black Canary in overlap with events already unfolding in the series, and DCU at large. Primary is Calculator's obsession with besting Oracle, while the expanding influence of The Society also plays out, as it was in various other titles.

Both issues do a good job of juggling the lead protagonist's credibility against the newfound status of Deathstroke, but Birds of Prey dares to allow its hero to all but fail in service of the villain. Black Canary took him to the very edge, but with a broken arm and her allies in peril, she was forced to tap out.

For the purposes of our record: Savant will go down as victor, but he functions more like an exit strategy for the story. His eleventh hour gun spray credibly takes Deathstroke off the board without undermining his win. It was a fluke, but at least nobody got hurt (or killed).

It probably would've been more satisfying to just see Black Canary pull off the win, and really get justice for Phantom Lady's death in Infinite Crisis #1, but there's something to be said for the tenacity of the hero who comes up short, and keeps trying. They had a much toothier fight a year later in the Green Arrow & Black Canary Wedding Special, but that's a battle for another day.

Late last month we saw Black Canary and Huntress fighting together in Underworld Unleashed #3, but this is the first time looking specifically at the Birds of Prey series. A pretty ingenious way of getting the most out of a group of Gotham adjacent characters like Black Canary, Huntress, and Oracle.

A callous summary might have called it DC's answer to Charlie's Angels, but that doesn't capture the texture of the series, helped in part by the storied history behind leads Black Canary and Oracle, and the growth of the series. It isn't really 'the chick book' either, although it might be a fashionable compliment to say that it is. There's a fairly natural congregation of female acquaintances that makes good use of the platform, incorporating the likes of Lady Blackhawk, and building logical relationships between various heroes. Good stuff.

The world is now discovering a version thanks to the theatrical release of Birds of Prey featuring Harley Quinn. If you'd like to discover the comics, you can check out today's featured fight in Birds of Prey Vol. 5: Perfect Pitch. Use the Amazon link provided and you'll help support the site at no extra cost!

You can find more from the characters featured by following links throughout this post, or by diving into the Secret Archive for a complete index of featured fights by publisher, series, and issue number.

You can also get daily links to fights by following Secret Wars on Infinite Earths on Twitter and Facebook. If you like what Secret Wars on Infinite Earths is about and want to see it prosper you can now support the project via Patreon.

Winner: Savant (w/ Black Canary, Huntress, Creote & Lady Blackhawk)
#332 (new) Savant
#38 (--) Black Canary [+1 assist]
#180 (+151) Huntress [+1 assist]
#574 (new) Creote [+1 assist]
#575 (new) Lady Blackhawk [+1 assist]
#78 (-7) Deathstroke

BATMAN versus HARLEY QUINN

Once More, With FEELING! (DC)
Where: Harley Quinn #25 When: December 2002
Why: Karl Kesel How: Craig Rousseau

The Story So Far...
For four weeks Harley Quinn has staged a minor crime spree on the streets of Gotham City. Three times Batman has attempted to stop her -- and three times she and her Quinntets have managed to give him the slip!

It all started around the same time The Joker busted out of Arkham Asylum, but no one has seen hide nor hair of the so-called Clown Prince of Crime!

When Harley leads her boys on a jewelry store robbery it's another opportunity to score big and blow wind up The Batman -- or is it? All is not as it seems as Harley ups the stakes in an effort to become Batman's #1 arch-nemesis!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Batman 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Batman 5 (Professor)
Speed: Harley Quinn 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Batman 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Harley Quinn 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Batman 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy: Batman 4 (Arsenal)
Total: Batman 29 (Metahuman)

The Tape paints a fairly one-sided picture, so what could a screwball psycho with a jester hat possibly do to the dominant Dark Knight Detective? Plenty - if you make the mistake of under estimating Harley Quinn!

Dr. Harleen Quinzel may have surrendered herself to a life of criminal abandon, but this lapsed psychologist isn't as spaced out as she may seem!

In fact, so far her record against Batman is dead even, with a victory over he and Catwoman in Batman #613, and an unlikely team-up win with Batman against her beloved Joker, in Batman #663!

Being under estimated can be one of Harley Quinn's great tactical assets, helping upset her homicidal pseudo-hubby "Mistah J" and The Batman in equal measure. Her tenuous tether to the side of angels means switching sides is always an option, and it's also seen Batman exercise slightly more lenient methods when putting a stop to her misdemeanors.

Along with an arsenal of novelty weapons that includes canon-sized pistols and an oversized mallet; Harley Quinn is a physically gifted gymnast capable of out maneuvering opponents with speed and agility -- provided her mind stays on the job.

A tendency toward frivolity and madcap antics can quickly see Harley Quinn come unstuck, especially against superior fighters like Batman. Her comic mallet may pack a genuine wallop, but it did her no good in the service of protecting Joker from a highly-motivated Dark Knight in Batman #614!

History: Draw (1-1-0)
The Tape: Batman Ranking: Batman (#1)

What Went Down...
A shadow is cast over BT Jewelers as The Batman descends upon a robbery in progress. Frozen in the shade of his looming presence are the culprits: Harley Quinn and her two goons - Kenny Two-Bear and Buster!

Glass shatters. A black boot descends upon the back of Buster's head. A dark fist collides with Kenny Two-Bear's face at breakneck speed. It's all in a day's work for The Dark Knight Detective until a bag of loot smashes against his back!

Harley Quinn steps up to Batman with fists raised, and dares him to take on someone half his size! He lets out a sigh, underwhelmed by the vision of her daring dukes and the stolen tiara sat crookedly over one half of her jester's hat.

A dark glove glides past Harley Quinn's face as she side-steps the straight, workmanlike punch. A "cool, refreshin' breeze", she calls it, completely failing to guard herself from the elbow effortlessly snapped into her waiting jaw.

The chin check tells Harley he means business, but The Dark Knight isn't coming as hard as he would against The Joker. Harley rubs her sore chin and takes full advantage of the soft approach, reaching for a close bystander.

The barrel of her deadly pop gun rests at the frightened man's jaw as she asks Batman who his number one archenemy is. Even after Harley evaded him for three previous encounters, he still answers Joker. Harley is unamused.

While Harley's been putting the screws to Batman, her best guy Joker has been MIA. With her gun finding its way to the hostage's mouth, she asks Batman again: "Who'd you say is he biggest pain in your bat-behind right now?"

The Dark Knight answers through grit teeth that it's Harley Quinn and lets her go. All part of a plan to lure The Joker out of hiding by collaborating with Harley on a series of public stunts that dare him to come out of hiding!

The Hammer...
So, did you catch all that? It was a case of the ol' switcheroo as Batman and Harley Quinn went through the motions to stage an elaborate sting. In cahoots!

In exchange for Harley Quinn's co-operation she'd be spared jail time. All she had to do was stage a series of public crimes that culminated with her claim to be Batman's new #1 arch-foe. A challenge that would surely lure The Joker out of hiding, and allow Batman to shut down his inevitably violent return to crime.

Of course, we all know Harley gets a little weak at the knees when she's around "Mistah J". The plan quickly turns a corner when Joker does make contact, and Harley agrees to feed clues to Batman that'll play directly into Joker's plans.

It becomes a double-bluff when Batman anticipates the turn, but agrees to give Harley 72 hours to tease more clues out of The Joker in the hopes of stopping his big return scheme. The gag being that Joker doesn't actually have a big return scheme! The obscure clues he feeds through Harley Quinn are completely off-the-cuff, and in attempting to deduce his archenemy's next crime -- Batman unwittingly devises it for him!

Harley Quinn #25 is a great done-in-one plot that reads a lot like an episode of Batman: The Animated Series. Apropos, given Harley had only joined the DC Universe proper a few years prior, making the crossover from animation.

As most will know: Harley Quinn debuted with little explanation in the 1992 animated series episode The Joker's Favour. Tie-in comics featured more of her cartoon-universe adventures, before she made her first canon print appearance in the 1999 Batman: Harley Quinn special. A solo series soon followed in 2000.

The mid-nineties seemed to carry the burden of live-action Batman influences, but by the new millennium, the mainline Bat-books were drawing more from an iconic distillation found in early series of the Batman cartoon. Even the simplified Bruce Timm art style seemed to infiltrate into an increasingly present house style, which can be seen somewhat in Craig Rousseau's pencils here.

When Harley first meets with Joker sometime after the fight, the reunion literally starts out looking like the New Adventures of Batman & Robin. A romantic filter over the reality of a down-and-out Joker who's hiding away in a bunker unshaved and undressed. A fun reference to the good ol' days, for Harl'.

Those little details further enhance a great looking issue driven by its high-concept plot. Case in point: I like that one of Harley's new Quinntets is simply named Bob. This may or may not be a playful nod to Jack Nicholson's "#1 guy" Bob The Goon in the 1989 Batman movie. I like to think it is.

The early 2000s were a pretty great time to be reading Batman comics. I daresay the combination of classic and modern influences was approaching the definitive. I certainly think these were some of the best years for the Harley Quinn character, who offered another variation on the Gotham-bound flavor that was so good. Vivacious in costume, before it all went spring break gone wild.

We don't actually see the parting of combatants in today's featured fight. Given their secret alliance, it hardly seems to matter. This one will go on the books as a slightly complicated inconclusive result. Worth it to finally revisit a fun stand-alone issue from a great time.

If you'd like to experience this issue in full, and more from the era, you can check out the collected edition of Harley Quinn: Welcome to Metropolis via Amazon! By using the purchase link provided you'll help support the site at no extra cost to you!

You can find more featured fights by following links throughout this post, or by diving into the Secret Archive for a complete index of battles in order of publisher, series, and issue number.

You can also get daily links to fights by following Secret Wars on Infinite Earths on Twitter and Facebook. If you like what Secret Wars on Infinite Earths is about and want to see it prosper you can now support the project via Patreon.

Winner: Inconclusive (Draw)
#1 (--) Batman
#112 (+9) Harley Quinn
#570 (new) Bob (Quinntets) [+1 assist]
#571 (new) Buster (Quinntets) [+1 assist]
#572 (new) Kenny Two-Bear [+1 assist]

THE CONTEST: BLACK CANARY versus DAREDEVIL

It was only a matter of time! The Grandmaster has watched the Secret Wars on Infinite Earths for many years and now comes with a challenge: I must select 12 heroes & villains from the DC Universe to do battle against his Champions of the Marvel Universe! Grandmaster's team competed in the first Contest of Champions and set an allowance of 5000pts based on Fight Club Ranking. Battles will be decided by you in fantasy fight polls on Twitter, Facebook and Patreon!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Daredevil 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Daredevil 3 (Straight A)
Speed: Daredevil 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Daredevil 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Daredevil 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Daredevil 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy: Black Canary 3 (Explosives)
Total: Daredevil 26 (Metahuman)

The Grandmaster is coming at me hard in this first battle, but I think I've got the perfect ace up my sleeve to take care of his high-ranking champion!

The fundamental threat of Daredevil is his mastery of martial arts. In Daredevil #87 we saw his skill perfectly demonstrated when he went blow for blow with Iron Fist during a case of mistaken identity. He's arguably a superior fighter to Black Canary, although her extensive training in hand-to-hand combat with experts like Richard Dragon, Wildcat, and Wonder Woman should keep her plenty competitive.

Daredevil is blind and relies on his keen senses to maintain awareness of his surroundings with enhanced accuracy thanks to a radar-like perception. In Daredevil #7 it helped him see through the fog of Mysterio's illusions, and in Daredevil #75 he could even detect demonic possession within The Jester! It's a factor in every one of his victories -- but my fight is gonna make it work against him!

Black Canary has a super-power of her own and it's her deafening sonic canary cry!

In Crisis on Infinite Earths #6 her scream was strong enough to rattle Captain Marvel Jr and Mary Marvel to the core. In Justice League of America #15 it literally blew Shadow Thief away -- causing his shadow form to completely dissipate. The canary cry also blasted Giganta and her giant-sized eardrums into submission after Canary showed some deft acrobatics and fighting against Cheshire.

I'm spending a lot of points on this first fight, but I wager the sonic assault of #38 Black Canary is going to be the perfect weapon for taking #12 Daredevil out!

The Verdict (Updated February 6th)...

In the first contest against The Grandmaster I put all my chips on Black Canary and her ability to sonically disrupt Daredevil's senses. It was a plan to disorient and disarm, and I was feeling pretty good about my chances. Indeed, the vocal majority seemed to agree it was a sound strategy!

Jason Pakota gave Daredevil props, but saw the canary cry as the game changer, "Guy with super sensitive hearing ability vs. woman with hyper sonic scream? Matt gets in a few solid combos, but then Canary levels him with the scream and leaves DD in a crumpled heap with blood pouring from his ears."

Xzenova looked closely at the martial arts prowess of the two characters, drawing the conclusion that Daredevil might be more skilled, but the canary cry clinched it: "Dinah isn't as skilled as Matt, but her scream will def. hinder his abilities and potentially even cripple him".

The Sentry & The Void - Nazar agreed the odds were in Black Canary's favour, "Probably BC because of her voice". Echoed by Wayward, who saw Daredevil uniquely vulnerable to the Black Canary's scream: "Most other fighting focused heroes DD has the advantage on otherwise."

So that's it, right? Chalk it up as a win? Not quite... A late rush in voting on Twitter kept the poll results close, but in the end Daredevil secured a narrow 52.2% win after snatching the lead from Black Canary early on. The story wasn't much better on Facebook, with low voting turning out a 60% majority for Daredevil in a closely contested poll.

Sadly, nobody made a case for exactly how Daredevil would pull it off. It could boil down to his renown as a hand-to-hand fighter, seen as slightly superior to Black Canary, who's certainly no slouch when it comes to busting a move learned from her extensive training with DC masters.

Another option is that some may've felt Black Canary's sonic cry would be more of a hindrance than a boon! It's clearly a call that invites debate, but when Daredevil clashed with sound-based villain Klaw, he was able to take advantage of his noisiness, using it to vividly keep track of him in the alleys of Hell's Kitchen. Perhaps the aggregate 53.6% thought that's how it would go!

It was a close call, but Round 1 goes to The Grandmaster! I'm not dejected yet, though.

We'll be back for Round 2 later this month! Keep your eyes on The Contest for the next battle via the link provided, Twitter, Facebook, and Patreon. You can also tell me how you think today's fight should've gone by posting in the comments, or on social media. I'd love to hear from you!

Winner: Daredevil

The Grandmaster - 1

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths - 0

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GOTHAM HEROES versus BLOCKBUSTER, METALLO & GORILLA GRODD

Seduction of the Innocent (DC)
Where: Underworld Unleashed #3 When: Late December 1995 Why: Mark Waid How: Howard Porter

The Story So Far...
Hell has a new ruler and his name is Neron. This powerful devil comes baring a simple offer to those who will take it: great power in exchange for their immortal soul!

The demon's temptation lures many whose heart is darkened by desire. Roland Desmond receives the power of Blockbuster with the retention of a brilliant criminal mind; John Corben accepts the ability to summon a new Metallo body from nearby metals so he'll never be crippled again; and Gorilla Grodd enhances his powerful mind with the knowledge to take control of Gorilla City.

While the most powerful members of the Justice League enter the underworld on a mission to stop Neron -- his army of villains spread chaos and terror across a troubled Earth. The remaining heroes of Gotham City must scramble to stop the enhanced villains as they attempt to hijack nuclear weapons!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Metallo 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Batman 5 (Professor)
Speed: Gorilla Grodd 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Metallo 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Robin 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Batman 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy: Metallo 4 (Arsenal)
Total: Batman 29 (Metahuman)

The Gotham City heroes are: Batman, Robin, Black Canary, and Huntress.

A formidable foursome for the streets of Gotham, but today they face a trio of freshly supercharged super-villains who sold their souls to the demon Neron in exchange for greatly enhanced super-powers!

Blockbuster is Roland Desmond: criminal mastermind and brother of Mark Desmond. Like his brother, Roland possesses greatly enhanced super-human strength, but thanks to his pact with Neron, he no longer suffers the reduction in intelligence associated with the Blockbuster formula!

Metallo is John Corben: mortally injured criminal turned into a cyborg powered by kryptonite. Along with super-human strength and durability, his cyborg body could fire radiation beams from his kryptonite heart. Neron's offer granted Metallo the added ability to adapt and construct a body from any metallic objects in his vicinity -- meaning he could never be stopped!

Gorilla Grodd is an ape of Gorilla City who possesses incredible strength, intellect, and vast telepathic abilities. His deal with Neron restored lost psionic powers and granted him knowledge of the whereabouts of an ancient talisman that would allow him to challenge King Solovar for rule over Gorilla City.

All three villains possess strength levels that put them in a weight class above their mortal opponents. They usually contend with the likes of Superman and The Flash, but their enhanced durability also means the Gotham City heroes can utilize some of the most powerful weapons in their arsenal!

Batman used high explosives to defeat the robotic menace of Amazo in Batman #637, and slow a possessed WayneTech Rescue OGRE in Batman Confidential #2. We saw Metallo inadvertently destroy one of his post-Neron bodies in Steel #21 when he absorbed plastic explosive into his body.

Gorilla Grodd used The Heart of Darkness talisman to bring Supergirl into his ape-tribe in Supergirl #3, and telepathically turned the entire Ultramarine Corps against the Justice League in JLA: Classified #3. The latter issue also showed that Batman was able to overcome Grodd with guile and bat-weaponry!

With their combined strengths and intellect, the bad guys should have the advantage here, but all three have shown a propensity for losing in the end.

All four Gotham heroes have acrobatic abilities that should keep them out of harms way. Black Canary is arguably the ace in the hole, with her sonic canary cry shown to be powerful enough to vex the Marvel Family [Crisis on Infinite Earths #6], and Shadow Thief & Giganta [Justice League of America #13]!

The Tape: Gotham City Heroes Ranking: Batman (#1)

What Went Down...
A Gotham City bridge plays host to nuclear warheads while city-wide gridlock interrupts the government convoy. Their position was expertly predicated and planned by Major Disaster, whose associates are on site to topple the truck!

Blockbuster, Gorilla Grodd, and Metallo appear moments from success when Batman and Robin descend upon the bridge to spoil their plans!

Robin drops onto Blockbuster with a boot to the back of the head, sending him hurtling towards the waiting feet of a grounded dark knight. Batman lets momentum and gravity do the work, launching Blockbuster off the bridge!

While that's happening, Black Canary joins the battle with a swift flying kick to the face of Gorilla Grodd! Its a short-lived advantage, lost as Grodd unleashes a violent telepathic assault that sends her recoiling with a cry of agony!

Huntress swings across the bridge, surprising one of the convoy drivers by snatching his belt of grenades. She glides above the battle and pulls the pin, sending half a dozen explosives plummeting towards the villains!

Metallo spies the heroine swinging overhead, but fails to take her attack seriously enough to avert disaster. The grenades hit their target, blasting Metallo and Grodd -- and catching Black Canary in the shockwave!

Robin has Black Canary's wellbeing covered, calling for her to go limp so he can catch and break her fall. No such luck for the bad guys, who were blown clean off the bridge and disappeared into the waters below!

The Hammer...
It was a risky play on a populated bridge, but Huntress' grenade gambit won the day for the heroes in the end. It was even good enough to get a rare compliment out of Batman!

The battle is an otherwise easily overlooked, quick three-page episode that shows some of what's happening on Earth while the Justice League are descending into the depths of Hell.

Underworld Unleashed #3 more famously contains a battle between the corrupted JLA and Captain Marvel, as well as the ultimate confrontation with the arch-villain Neron. Nice battles from a mid-nineties DC event, but sometimes it's the small, forgotten moments from these big crossover events that can be the most fun to revisit!

Underworld Unleashed was an event with a grand purpose. Neron was essentially the demonic personification of the publisher's intent to revamp and refurbish some of their pantheon for the extreme nineties. Branded crossover issues turned a spotlight on jazzed up foes who'd sold their soul for new and improved powers, setting them loose on unsuspecting opponents.

By keeping the core event title to a tight three issues, and letting concise tie-ins exploit revamped villains in sometimes unexpected match-ups, Underworld Unleashed had some of the charm that made Acts of Vengeance a good time.

Gorilla Grodd didn't change too much, but the featured trio are a nice sampling for what it was all about. Metallo and Blockbuster were a couple of the updates I remember enjoying at the time. Both found their way into unlikely interactions with Steel, who was a character I was pretty enthusiastic about. We've covered Metallo's appearance in Steel #21, and I'd like to get to Blockbuster as well.

This is the first time the Roland Desmond incarnation of Blockbuster has found his way onto Secret Wars on Infinite Earths. Thanks to Neron, he fulfills the question of what it would be like for Blockbuster to retain strength and intellect.

Mark Desmond served a purpose as a super-strong villain who could run into Batman for cheap thrills. He was a serviceable stand-in for Marvel's Hulk, but it was fair to say the character was running its course. Using his brother to change things up gave DC a surprisingly fun twist, unleashing a powerful mastermind who'll be best remembered as the Kingpin to Nightwing's beleaguered vigilante.

Today's fight also marks the ranking debut of Huntress, who herself is a twist on an old idea. Helena Wayne made sense as the daughter of Batman & Catwoman in a pre-Crisis Earth-Two that showed the second generation coming into their own, but once DC rebooted there was cause to retool.

Helena Bertinelli is undoubtedly my preferred Huntress. Daughter of Gotham City mobster Franco Bertinelli, she witnessed her family's murder by hitman as a child, and vowed to dedicate herself to the fight against organized crime as an adult. She's a semi-inversion on the Bruce Wayne story with her own quirks.

Huntress would become a frequent collaborator with Black Canary as part of the Birds of Prey, who you'll probably know are headed to theatres on February 7th.

With any luck we'll be talking more about Huntress and the Birds of Prey in upcoming featured fights. For now, we record a debut win for the purple bird.

If you'd like to find more from the characters featured today you can follow links throughout this post, or dive into the Secret Archive for a complete index of featured fights ordered by publisher, series, and issue number!

You can also subscribe on Twitter and Facebook to get daily links to superhero smackdown inspired by the topics of the day. If you like Secret Wars on Infinite Earths and want to see it prosper you can now support the project via Patreon.

Winners: Huntress, Batman & Robin (w/ Black Canary)
#331 (new) Huntress
#1 (--) Batman
#23 (+10) Robin (Tim Drake)
#38 (--) Black Canary [+1 assist]
#400 (-10) Gorilla Grodd
#896 (new) Blockbuster (Roland Desmond)
#936 (-18) Metallo