In the dark, rain-slicked streets of Gotham City, the line between hero and villain has always been as thin as a razor’s edge. But in the debut issue of DC’s Black Label series, Sirens – Love Hurts #1, that line doesn’t just blur—it disappears entirely under the neon lights of a brunch spot and the grim shadow of a serial killer. Written by Tini Howard with stunning, vibrant art by Babs Tarr, this issue kicks off a gritty, mature-rated tale that brings together Gotham’s most iconic women for a mission that is as personal as it is professional. Here is a page-by-page breakdown of the story, spanning from a tragic birthday to a chilling rooftop cliffhanger.
The Birthday No One Noticed
The story begins with a heartbreaking prologue centered on a young woman named Julie. It is July 20th, and Julie is having the worst day of her life. She leaves a desperate voicemail for her mother, lamenting that her life is in “shambles”. It’s her birthday, yet she is utterly alone; she invited friends out for brunch, but not a single person showed up.
Julie seeks solace in a session with a new therapist, but the experience is “weird”. She feels the therapist doesn’t care about her words, leaving her feeling even more invisible than before. As Julie walks through the city, still venting into her phone, she is suddenly confronted by something terrifying. Her final words are a scream of “What the hell are you?!” before the scene cuts to black. It is a haunting introduction to the “Love Hurts” theme—a reminder that in Gotham, loneliness can be a death sentence.
An Unlikely Alliance at Brunch
Cut to July 21st. The atmosphere shifts from horror to the high-fashion, high-tension world of Gotham’s elite social scene. Dinah Lance, better known as the Black Canary, arrives at a trendy restaurant to meet Selina Kyle (Catwoman). Dinah is already on edge, distracted by sweet but slightly overbearing texts from her fiancé, Oliver Queen (Green Arrow).
When Dinah arrives, she discovers that Selina hasn’t come alone. Sitting at the table are two of Gotham’s most notorious outlaws: Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn. The tension is immediate. Dinah is a hero, a member of the Justice League, while the others are “thieves, criminals, and villains”. However, Selina is quick to point out their common ground: “We’re all just girls from Gotham”.
The banter is sharp and revealing. Harley mocks Dinah’s “hero” status, referencing Dinah’s mother and teasing her about her “sugar daddy” Ollie. Dinah, defensive and frustrated, nearly walks out, but Selina pulls her back. The reason for this meeting is serious: the women of Gotham are being targeted, and they need to look out for each other.
Setting the Ground Rules
Before they can work together, they have to establish a truce. The “Ground Rules” for this temporary alliance are fascinating. Dinah agrees not to talk about their “extracurricular crimes” unless she’s actively stopping them, while the Sirens agree not to use any intel they gather at brunch to score a hit. Harley adds a final, crucial condition: “No loose lips gettin’ the Justice League on our butts,” especially Oliver Queen, whom Ivy distrusts as a billionaire.
The conversation then turns to Dinah’s engagement ring—a four-carat, flawless, ethically sourced rock. While Catwoman admires its clarity and Harley jokes about eating it, Dinah admits she has mixed feelings. It’s “so wedding, so rich girl,” and it actually messes with her left hook. This moment highlights the disconnect between Dinah’s gritty reality as a vigilante and the glamorous, high-society life Ollie wants for her. Meanwhile, the Sirens reflect on their own lives; Selina enjoys being “spoiled” by Bruce Wayne but values her peace, while Harley and Ivy discuss their own complicated romantic histories, including Harley’s “hot girl era” post-Joker.
The First Body in the Alley
The brunch ends abruptly when Dinah takes a call from Ollie. The Sirens, annoyed by the interruption and the “hero” vibes, decide to ditch Dinah with the check and head to a club called “Lights” to do what they do best: rob the place.
While investigating the club’s fake walls and laundered cash, the Sirens stumble into the alleyway and find a horrific sight: Julie Billings, the girl from the prologue, is dead. Just as they discover the body, Black Canary arrives on the scene, having followed them. She finds the Sirens hovering over the corpse with bags of cash in their hands.
The trust they attempted to build at brunch immediately shatters. Dinah is horrified by the death of a young woman who “just had a birthday,” while the Sirens are defensive, insisting they found her that way. In the chaos, the Sirens flee with their loot, leaving a heartbroken Dinah to stay with Julie’s body and wait for the police.
Investigation and the Gotham PD’s Failure
By July 25th, the news has taken hold of Julie’s case, but the narrative is typical for Gotham. The police are writing her death off as a suicide, citing her history of depression and her job as a “bottle girl” as reasons to dismiss the case. This sparks a fire in both the Sirens and Dinah.
The group reconvenes, and Poison Ivy reveals that she used her medical credentials (as Dr. Pamela Isley) to gain access to the hospital database and the X-rays of Julie’s body. The findings are grim: Julie had deep, deliberate puncture wounds all over her torso—stabs that were “deliberate,” not “frantic”. It was definitely murder.
Harley adds her own investigative flair, having broken into Julie’s apartment to “see her real life”. She learned that Julie loved pottery, had a pet bird, and was very close to her mother. The realization that Julie was a real person with a life and dreams makes the murder even more personal for the team.
The Birthday Pattern and Calendar Man
Catwoman brings the final piece of the puzzle. She met with Batman (whom she refers to as someone who “spoils her”) and learned about a disturbing pattern. There was another young woman killed on her birthday in June. This M.O.—murdering women on their birthdays—points to one specific, eccentric villain: Julian Day, the Calendar Man.
Records show that Calendar Man was released from Arkham Asylum in early June, perfectly aligning with the start of the killings. While Harley is skeptical, calling him a “bald-headed loser,” the evidence is mounting. They decide to return to the club “Lights,” suspecting that the owner is laundering money for Calendar Man, which explains why Julie’s body was found in that alley.
Backstage Tension and Ollie’s Exit
Back at “Lights,” Dinah is performing a set under her stage name, Black Canary. Backstage, she meets with the Sirens once more. She admits that the police are failing and that she needs the Sirens’ help to get justice for these girls.
However, a major complication arises when Oliver Queen shows up to support Dinah. The Sirens are adamant: they cannot work with Dinah if “Billion Dollar Baby” is around. They fear he will report them to the Justice League or Superman. In a moment of significant character growth, Dinah chooses the mission over her fiancé, telling a confused and hurt Ollie that he has to leave. She explains that the Sirens are from a “different world” and don’t trust heroes, and she needs to do this her way. With Ollie gone, the “Sirens-plus-Canary” team is officially ready to hunt.
The Climax at Bill and Bob’s
The trail leads them to “Bill and Bob’s,” a gentleman’s club where Julie used to work. The Sirens and Dinah enter undercover, dressed to blend in. While inside, they spot a high-roller game ending, and emerging from the room is none other than Julian Day—Calendar Man.
The tension spikes when they realize Calendar Man is being followed by a waitress who mentioned it was her birthday. The team tracks them to the VIP lounge on the roof. They set up a surveillance perimeter in a nearby parking structure, each taking an “eye line” to ensure Calendar Man doesn’t get the girl alone.
But Gotham is never that simple. Suddenly, a scream rings out—but it’s not from the waitress they were watching.
The Cliffhanger: A New Ritual
The team rushes to the source of the scream and finds another victim. The murder style is the same: brutal, deep puncture wounds. But there is a new, chilling detail. Carved or drawn beneath the body is a massive symbol: a circle divided into twelve segments, resembling a calendar.
Calendar Man has vanished into thin air, leaving the team baffled as to how he escaped their watch. Ivy begins to doubt if it even was Julian Day, given how the killer seemingly disappeared. As the police sirens wail in the distance, the team retreats into the stairwell of the club.
As they move through the building, a voice echoes from the shadows. “You’re too late to stop me, Sirens,” the killer whispers. He vows to make this his “most powerful year yet” and Gotham’s too.
