SHotM - Sebastian von Buchwald's Birds of Prey

Congratulations to Sebastian von Buchwald, winner of the Birds of Prey contest! Sebastian has submitted several times and this is his first win, and it's well-deserved!

Because of the nature of this contest, each character was graded individually, and their scores combined. With eight judges and 20 points available to each, the scores shown represent the combined totals out of 160 available points.

Sebastian von Buchwald's Black Canary & Lady Blackhawk - 141/160

Alex: Let's start with Blackhawk. I always thought her skirt was kind of silly, so I'm glad to see it gone. The pants work really well, and all of the colors work rather nicely together. I also appreciate the Birds symbol on her jacket, it's a nice touch. I really like the upper half of Canary -- that jacket scores a 10 in and of itself.  Personally, though, Canary isn't the same to me without her trademark fishnets, impracticality and all. But credit where credit is due, this is probably the best faux-fishnet design I've seen. These are all-around great designs, and worthy of their win.

Taylor: I really enjoyed the practicality of this design. Both looks would be effective in a combat situation yet are still distinctly feminine, which is nice to see in an all-girl team. This look still pays homage to Canary's fishnets, as well as Lady Blackhawk's origins with the eye-patch and holster. A very sleek and elegant design. Well done!

Dee: I love this. Dinah has all of those elements, the fabric that's reminiscent of fishnets, the black with the canary gold highlights, flat shoes and PANTS! Zinda looks truly BAD A**. Her outfit is still military inspired but there is an edge to her that makes you realise she is definitely dangerous.

Chantaal: I'm in love with both of these redesigns! They're so clearly Dinah and Zinda even with the drastic changes. The netting on the sides of Dinah's pants and jacket bring to mind her previous tights, and it's nice to see her legs covered up. Zinda's new jacket is so fabulous, I want one of my own. Love the white pants and gloves as well!

Angel: I like this one quite a bit. I think my favorite part of it is Dinah's look: the fabric that's reminiscent of fishnets without actually BEING fishnets. And I absolutely adore the gold, especially in her shoes (Ahhh, the shoes are so wonderfully practical that I can't stand it.)

Blair: I love the details on both of these designs. There is almost nothing I could see improved here. Black Canary's twist on motorcycle gear is fantastic. The retro pilot feel of Lady Blackhawk really works well. I would only mess around with her color scheme a bit more. All in all, it's pretty clear why these designs came out on top.

Runners up after the jump!

Johansi's Black Canary & Huntress - 134/160

Blair: These designs are almost too chic. I could almost see Lady Gaga walking out to award shows in either of these. I love Black Canary's big collar paired with the tight and revealing lower half. The best part of Huntress' suit is that its extremely practical and intimidating. A rare case when it comes with her mainstream design.

Dee: Huntress on this completely won me over. The darkness of it, the way the H has been worked in and the fact that it looks very tactical. On the other hand, Dinah still has the high legged bodysuit, but the shape of it is just gorgeous even if it isn't entirely practical.

Angel: I like these two quite a bit, even if Huntress does remind me a little bit of The Punisher. But the ensemble as a whole is undeniably bada**, and it's the kind of thing that I'd actually really like to see in a book. With Dinah, while I always appreciate another heroine not in stilettos, the high neck of the suit seems a bit odd to me.

Taylor: This was one of my favourite designs during this competition. Canary looks bad a** and a totally capable fighter. Its not over the top, or too 'skimpy', as well as keeping the trademark fishnets. I did like the addition of the hood, although it does seem a little bulky. Huntress looks great slimmed down to the bare essentials whilst still keeping with the colour scheme and the cape. Would have maybe liked to see the mask stay with the 'horns' but other than that I really liked this look.

Chantaal: I've never been a big fan of Dinah's tights, but I absolutely love the shape and cut of her new top. The collar seems a little over the top, but it makes an unforgettable shape. Love the boots as well -- and on Helena, too! I like that while the costume's been streamlined and covered up a little, the white H adds a great touch.


Alex: This was hands-down my favorite piece of the contest, and received my highest score (10 for Canary, 9 for Huntress). Dinah is pitch-perfect, sticking to her popular bodysuit-and-fishnets design, but the revisions to the suit are all ones that work brilliantly. The hood concept works, and I think the inclusion of yellow in Dinah's suit is rather clever. Huntress looks appropriately threatening. She lost a point only because it was a bit hard to see everything going on with her design. I'm fine with her colors being this dark, but I'd love to see a lighter version, where it's easier to catch all the detail that appears to be obscured by the blacks and deep purples in the suit. I'd also fix or remove that belt -- it's placement cuts right into that fantastic, stylized "H".

Lee Chen Fang's Batgirl & Black Canary - 132/160

Dee: Dinah in this one has undergone a considerable change, but there are still elements that make it recognisably her. I love the longer jacket, that her bodysuit is shorts. Batgirl is streamlined but I have to admit I wish the boots her flat heeled.

Blair: Both of these designs really shine because of the little details in each. From the bat symbols in Batgirl's boots to Black Canary's almost cape-like coat, they're filled with great touches.

Chantaal: I love, love, love the idea of Barbara's costume having a back brace support if she's going back in after the shooting and trying to work up to the strength she used to have. The yellow, blue and grey coloring is really well done, and if the boots had to have heels, at least they're small. And if Dinah has to have short shorts on, then I say YES to this look. She looks like she could walk the runway and still kick some butt afterwards.

Taylor: Probably my favourite design in the competition this month, Batgirl looks really good with the yellow trim showing that she isnt as dark as Batman, and yet a superhero in her own right. Its close enough to the original to be easily identified, yet new and exciting. I really like the back brace inspired design too. Canary looks really good in her high fashion costume; it still looks like her but with a lot more class. Also, I could easily see Canary kicking butt in this.

Angel: I like the color redesign on Batgirl so much here that I think I can overlook the heel on the boot being impractical. The torso of the costume is my favorite part of this. And with Dinah, while I'm not a fan of the excessive cleavage, the cape is fantastic, and the boots remind me a bit of the fishnets without actually BEING fishnets. And SHORTS. I love them.


Alex: I actually gave this Batgirl a 10, too. I'm going to be honest: I hate the New 52 Batgirl design. Passionately. It bothers me when immediate members of the Bat-family are dressed in suits darker than the Dark Knight himself, so Chen Fang's brighter design makes me happy. It also makes sense that Barbara would wear some sort of back brace integrated into the suit. Bruce does, and his spine was snapped. Barbara had a freaking bullet go through hers. The design choices are all really nice, and make for a better Batgirl. Dinah looks great, but while I like the stockings, I miss the fishnets. I do like the ides of the somewhat looser, less restrictive shorts, though.

Comickergirl's Batgirl & Black Canary - 131/160

Angel: While I didn't like this version of Dinah as much, this may be my favorite Batgirl of the bunch. I'm a big fan of the idea of Barbara integrating technology with the suit, and this does that while still retaining a lot of the classic Bat costume.

Dee: The addition of the futuristic touches on Batgirl's outfit is great, and the move toward integrating that technology just makes sense. Her colour scheme does, too. Dinah's outfit is practical but doesn't resonate with me quite as much.


Alex: My feelings on non-fishnet Dinah are, I think, pretty clear by now. She definitely looks like a brawler here, but a bit too far removed from the traditional Canary, for my tastes. I really like the Oracle integration into this Batgirl, though. It makes sense that Barbara wouldn't just leave her past as DC's information broker behind, and this is a nice blending of both worlds. While not (obviously) part of the concept, this looks like a progression towards the Batman Beyond suit, which is personally something I think it pretty cool. I'm not really digging the rectangular eyes, though.

Blair: For these two designs, the Batgirl's suit really impresses me. I love that the base colors are monotone and almost brown. It's perfect backdrop to the Tron-like, green highlights. The only thing I would change is Black Canary's gear. It's extremely practical and sensible. Sadly, the downside is that it makes her look more like a "normal" biker, and less like a superhero.

Taylor: For me this design was a bit dark. I enjoyed the highlights on the Batsuit as it reminds me of Oracle, but the black-on-black doesn't really work for Babs. The eyes on the mask was a nice touch. As for Canary, there wasnt enough to set her apart from the average 'joe blow'. I appreciate that it's practical and would probably work for both being on a bike and crime fighting, but there is nothing that really stands out.

Chantaal: One thing I've enjoyed while judging these is how people have been merging the Oracle and Batgirl ideas, and it's done really well here. It's still obviously Batgirl, but the green circuitry brings Oracle to mind, and it's a great melding of the two identities. I'm not so much a fan of Dinah's look here, however. It's definitely functional, but it doesn't seem so much a superhero costume as something she threw on.

Michelle Sciuto's Black Canary & Starling - 130/160

Taylor: A nice little redesign to Canary here, nothing has changed much other than the colour scheme, which does work, and the addition of the symbol to both characters is a nice way to show off the team. I like Starling in this redesign. Practical, slimline and a fitting colour scheme.

Angel: I love the logos on these, I love the boots. I can even get behind keeping the fishnets because I love Canary's costume so much. There girls are showing a bit of skin without making it seem gratuitous or fanservice, and more importantly, it's in a way that just seems to make a lot of sense. I love how Starling has one long glove to emphasize her tattoos on the other arm. I mostly just love this redesign a LOT.


Alex: Hello, fishnets. This doesn't stray far from the version we saw in the Gail Simone/Ed Benes run(s), but the inclusion of yellow really takes this design to another level. The only thing I'd have like to see would be some more yellow at the top of the boots; they kind of just blend into her legs, to me. Starling looks great. I love how she only wears the one long glove, really showing off that sleeve tattoo. The rest of the design works, but what really ties this (and all of Michelle's Birds redesigns) together is the logo that's been included with each uniform. It really gives the Birds a cohesive team identity that should, in fact, be canon. The only downside to all of Michelle's redesigns is that only one could make it to the Top 5!

Blair: Both of these designs just scream "fun" to me. I just imagine quips being blurted out at rapid speeds when I see these. I'm in love with the new Starling character, and I wasn't sure if I would be happy with any redesigns of her. This design proved me wrong. The asymmetrical suit that highlights her tattoo sleeve works perfectly. It's a simple twist that highlights her uniqueness.

Chantaal: I love Dinah in this so much! Converting her original costume into shorts really goes a long way if she has to keep the fishnet tights and legs showing. The yellow piping is fantastic, and I especially love the yellow gloves. As for Starling, I love love love the asymmetry here. It breaks up the monochromatic color scheme enough to make it interesting, and I like that she has one arm free to show off her tattoos.

Dee: This was actually one of my top scores. I love the fact that these are recognizably Canary and Starling but that the outfits have been modernized and are clean, flattering and way more practical. Love the flat boots, that Canary's high cut bodysuit is gone and the use of the Birds logo on both. To me it goes a long way to showing they're a team.

And there you have it! Another contest done, this was one of the most fun I've had. I'd like to thank everyone who participated, and give a huge thanks to the Girls Read Comics crew -- Dee, Chantaal, Angel, and Lina -- for their support and input into this contest! We'd also like to excuse Lina from judge commentary, but are grateful for her helping with scoring the Top 5. Mitch's comments will be added as soon as possible.

What did you all think of the Top 5? And what did you think of this month's contest pairing characters together? Something you'd like to see us do again in the future? Sound off in the comments and let us know!

Remember, the next contest, the Avengers, won't start posting results until May due to the dynamic of the contest. Check out the Official Contest Announcement for details. Until then, stay tuned to Superhero of the Month for redesigns of various characters sent to us throughout the month!