Birds of Prey #126

Overall- I'll start with the story here and then get to the editorializing. The Calculator decides he wants to take over the Silicone Syndicate and begins to enact a plan that will not only eliminate the most powerful member of the Syndicate, Kilg%re, but give the Calculator access to Kilg%re's powers.

This comic basically details the way the Calculator goes about manipulating the members of the Syndicate, to the point that they think all think that Kilg%re himself is secretly working for Oracle. Calculator masterfully moves all of the Syndicate members where he wants them to be, before making it look like the Kilg%re was attacking the Syndicate on the orders of Oracle. During the fight, the Calculator manages to merge himself with the essence of Kilg%re, who is basically a sentient computer program.

Now merged with Kilg%re, Calculator can control any and all computers, as well as transport himself anywhere there is a computer active. The issue ends with the insanely powerful Calculator/Kilg%re transporting himself into Oracle's inner layer. Luckily for Oracle, Calculator seemingly hasn't put the fact that Oracle and Barbara Gordon are one and the same together as the penultimate issue of this series comes to a close.

First off, let me admit that I like the Calculator. He's kind of like the everyman villain. All he has is his smarts and his desire. No superpowers(well, until this issue)or expert fighting abilities. Calculator is just a smart bad guy, who's good with a computer. I can respect that. This issue basically dealt solely with the Calculator manipulating his Syndicate partners, and Oracle and the Birds only appear at the very end of this comic.

Even though I would have liked to have seen more from the Birds in this comic, I did enjoy watching the Calculator go to work. It's like I've always said, the villains who appeal to me the most are the smart ones... Those are the most dangerous villains of all, and as this series comes to its premature end, at least we are getting to see just how much a villain(the Calculator)can accomplish on smarts alone. For a score, I'll give this comic a 7 1/2 out of 10. While I enjoyed the focus on the Calculator here, I would have liked to have seen Oracle show up in her own book for more than just a page or two.