Episode 21: Black Canary Goes Hardcore

Reviewing Black Canary (1993) issues #9, #10, and #11. Black Canary takes on Symitar to save hundreds of women from slavery. Guest starring: The Huntress and Rightwing.

These are the final issues illustrated by Trevor Von Eeden.

Flowers & Fishnets is available for download on iTunes by clicking here, or you can check out the show's RSS feed right here.


Sample pages of Black Canary #9, #10, #11 written by Sarah Byam and illustrated by Trevor Von Eeden.

Music this episode:
"Hold Your Head High"
Heartless Bastards
Partisan Records, 2009.

CLICK HERE TO PLAY EPISODE IN ANOTHER WINDOW.

The Origin of Black Canary: 1983 Part 2 - JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #220

I've waited months to review Justice League of America #220, a story that radically reimagines not only Black Canary's history but her whole identity and status as a member of both the Justice League of Earth 1 and the Justice Society of Earth 2.  At last, the time is right to cover this story, because according to the 1976 Super DC Calendar, today, April 10th, is Black Canary's birthday.

Justice League of America #220: "The Doppelgänger Gambit" is written by Roy Thomas with pencil art by Chuck Patton and inks by Romeo Tanghal and Pablo Marcos.  George Perez delivers a cover with not one but two Black Canaries--one corpse-like in a casket beside the late Larry Lance, and the other looking on in horror with members of the Justice Society of America, Red Tornado and Sargon the Sorcerer, all while the Earth 1 Johnny Thunder and the Thunderbolt loom menacingly.  The cover boasts that this issue includes the "true origin of the Black Canary".

Gerry Conway already wrote an amazing origin story for Black Canary with only one noticeable problem that I can see: it dated her.  Conway's story specifically locked Dinah into an era that was becoming evermore recognizable as the past.  The Justice League members were supposed to be young and in their prime, but the math would make Black Canary out to be something like sixty-two years old.

DC needed a retcon to explain this age discrepancy so that Black Canary could have functioned in both eras, on both teams, without qualifying for an AARP card.  And in the late 1980s they would write that retcon and it would work wonders.  But before they got there, Roy Thomas would craft a Black Canary origin story (supposedly inspired by a Marv Wolfman idea) that would make even Hawkman's history look straightforward.

Last time, for reasons unknown and inexplicable to characters who know him, Johnny Thunder's genie-like Thunderbolt attacked the Justice League of America during its annual meeting with the Justice Society.  Barry Allen, Hal Jordan, Firestorm, Elongated Man, and Zatanna were struck down by the mad Thunderbolt and now lie comatose in the JLA Satellite.  Only Black Canary and Red Tornado, both of whom originated from Earth 2, as well as Justice Society members Jay Garrick, Power Girl, Huntress, Hourman, and Starman came through the battle relatively unscathed.

Almost immediately after the attack, pairs of super villains from both worlds launched attacks against ancient temples of worship.  While Starman took Black Canary to the Thunderbolt Dimension to investigate the Johnny Thunder connection, the JSA members went planet side to take on the villains.

Power Girl shows her eagerness to tackle the villains, while Red Tornado advises caution and a strategy session to plan their counterstrike.  (Red Tornado is the worst.)  The unexpected arrival of Sargon the Sorcerer prompts half of the JSA to lash out at the mage.  Sargon mildly flirts with Huntress while magically besting her, Power Girl and Red Tornado, who, seriously, is the worst.

Sargon tells the Flash and Hourman that he was working with the Spectre when the Thunderbolt struck him down in his Earth 1 human host, Jim Corrigan.  The Flash welcomes Sargon's help and sends him out with Power Girl, who sounds less than thrilled.

In the Thunderbolt Dimension, Black Canary and Starman were captured, not by the Johnny Thunder they suspected--the Johnny Black Canary befriended in her very first published adventures--but the Johnny Thunder of Earth 1.  This Johnny Thunder is crazy and vengeful and he's taken control of the Thunderolt.

But far more shocking than their enemy's identity is what he shows them: a glass casket with the bodies of Black Canary's late husband, Larry Lance, and another body that looks exactly like her.  Johnny also holds captive the original and noble Johnny Thunder of Earth 2.

At Evil Johnny's command, Thunderbolt tells the story of how he and Good Johnny fought crime in the '40s on Earth 2, how Black Canary joined them in their crusade for justice, and how Thunderbolt was injured during one of their adventures, explaining why Johnny Thunder's monthly adventures went away in favor of Dinah's solo stories.

Good Johnny took off, devastated that the woman he fell in love with favored Larry Lance over him.  In subsequent years, he stayed out of her life while she grew closer to both Larry and the Justice Society.  Until, of course, the day the Justice Society of America quit fighting crime by refusing to divulge their real identities before Congress.

The Wizard... "the greatest super criminal in the history of the planet"?!!  That's a helluva stretch, but I will concede after this story he might be Black Canary's greatest villain.  Maybe.

A desperate Dinah and Larry Lance bring their infant baby to Johnny Thunder, who summons Thunderbolt.  The genie offers to take the baby to the Thunderbolt Dimension where her destructive sonic powers won't harm anyone.  The caveat being, of course, that once there the child can never leave.  If Dinah and Larry send their child with Thunderbolt, she'll be safe, but they'll never see her again.

Approximately ten years after this story is published, the X-Men's Cyclops and Jean Grey would face a similar dilemma when their infant was infected with a virus and needed to be sent into the future to save his life, resulting in their child becoming the militaristic leader of X-Force, Cable.  And that scenario makes only a little bit more sense than what Roy Thomas will offer up later in this issue.

Dinah and Larry agonize over the decision--I would think--but finally surrender their baby to the protection of Thunderbolt.  He brings the baby to the Thunderbolt Dimension and keeps her in suspended animation, but then he goes a little off-script and wipes the memory from Dinah, Larry, and Johnny Thunder.  He convinces them that the baby died... because it will be easier for them to deal with...  Yep.

Black Canary, much like any attentive reader, is full of questions.  But Evil Johnny interrupts the story to draw attention to the ensuing battles on Earth 1 between the heroic and villainous pairings.

In Mexico, Chronos and the Fiddler have seized an ancient pyramid.  Jay Garrick and Hourman rush to intervene but they're thwarted by a time-holograph created by Chronos, and then the Fiddler plays a little ditty causing the heroes to keep dancing until they die.

Meanwhile, Dr. Alchemy and the Icicle have taken over one of the Great Pyramids of Egypt when Huntress and Red Tornado come liberate the place.  Reddy drops Huntress off on the sloping face of the pyramid, but Icicle freezes the side, causing Huntress to slide down.  But being the daughter of Batman and Catwoman affords Huntress a healthy amount of agility and preparedness.  She manages to throw a batarang that knocks out Icicle even as she's sliding down.

At the same time, Red Tornado is battling Dr. Alchemy, who maneuvers the android into position so that Huntress slides off the pyramid and crashes right into him.  The result is that Huntress and Red Tornado are both knocked out, spoiling all of the good will Huntress gained by swatting Icicle.  God, Red Tornado sucks.

And at Stonehenge, we find the last duo, Power Girl and Sargon squaring off against the wicked mages, Felix Faust and the Wizard.  The bad guys use their magic to fool Power Girl and Sargon into striking each other, knocking each other unconscious.  Then, naturally, Wizard and Faust bicker amongst each other, because that's what villains do.

Back in the Thunderbolt Dimension, Evil Johnny taunts his hostages and brags of the devious goings-on that he's fostered down on Earth 1.  Unbeknownst to Evil Johnny, some of the electric sprites of the dimension have come to started rescuing Good Johnny from his bonds.  Just when Evil Johnny is ordering the genie to murder Black Canary and Starman, Good Johnny breaks free and shouts out the magic words that put Thunderbolt back in control.

Freed of Evil Johnny's influence, Thunderbolt races to the JLA Satellite to revive the Leaguers he hurt last issue.  And before long, the heroes of Earth 1 snap back into action.

Elongated Man and Barry Allen help Jay and Hourman take out Chronos and the Fiddler.  Firestorm and Hal Jordan help Huntress and Red Tornado take out Dr. Alchemy and the Icicle.   And Zatanna helps Power Girl and Sargon take out Felix Faust and the Wizard.

In the Thunderbolt Dimension, Evil Johnny is captured though still trying to regain control over the genie.  Black Canary is overwhelmed by the image of what looks like herself and her dead husband.  Is it a daughter she never knew or something even stranger, she wonders.

Oh, it's stranger.  And it's the kind of story that only Bob Haney Superman and the Spectre could tell.

So... Superman thought it best that Black Canary swap bodies and memories with her own daughter who lived a decades in suspended animation.  Dinah Drake effectively dies with her husband, while her consciousness takes over the dormant body of her daughter.

Aside from Red Tornado totally being the worst, what can we gather from this issue?

This ending is so, sooooo $@#%ed up!  I guess at this point Black Canary is considered to be the daughter of the original Black Canary, but she's full of her mother's memories and experiences.  What happens to her now will shape her life as though she's a different person, but couldn't that be said of any character.

The whole motive for this retcon was to de-age Black Canary.  And Roy Thomas did so by putting the character in the identical body of a child she never remembered having.  But the tale ends with her crying and being carried off--happily--in Superman's arms, so I guess it's a wash.  After all, that's how issue #74 ended when her husband died right in front of her.  Maybe that's one of Superman's untapped powers; he can make Black Canary get over any traumatic event.

The action scenes with the Justice Society versus the dastardly duos is mostly underwhelming.  The way the heroes fail to stop their adversaries is forced and lame, but the timely arrival of the Justice League heroes is pretty exciting.

Black Canary has never had much of a Rogues' Gallery; her list of personal foes makes Aquaman's look like the Society of Evil.  This story, however, puts two common foes of the JSA and JLA firmly in Dinah's stack of super villains.  Johnny Thunder of Earth 1 never achieved much on the page or off, but his schemes and his connection to her personal history make him an interesting enemy for later stories.  Likewise, Black Canary now has a personal, maybe the most personal beef with the Wizard.  He cursed her own freaking child and condemned it to suspended animation for life until she took over the body.

Well, Happy Birthday, Black Canary!  You get a new body and a new history, one that will last about five years before cooler heads think of a better idea for post-Crisis on Infinite Earths.

The Origin of Black Canary: 1983 Part 1 - JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #219

Because I can't help myself when it comes to these little segues, today, April 3rd, is the birthday of the original Flash, Jay Garrick, at least according to the Super DC Calendar from 1976.  That's why I've saved my reviews of Justice League of America #219-220 until now.  The story spanning these issues doesn't just radically revise Black Canary's origin, but also prominently features Jay Garrick and the Justice Society of America.

Justice League of America #219: "Crisis in the Thunderbolt Dimension" is cowritten by series regular Gerry Conway along with Roy Thomas, who'd been writing All-Star Squadron at the time and pretty much owned anything related to the Golden Age heroes.  Pencils and inks on the issue are provided by Chuck Patton and Romeo Tanghal respectively.  The cover, depicting a familiar-looking genie called Thunderbolt attacking the Justice League while their Earth 2 counterparts look on in horror, is drawn by none other than George Perez.  The story came out in October of 1983.

The story begins with a group of heavily armed terrorists taking hostages in a public park in Central City.  While the terrorist leader announces their demands to the police, however, an unseen force begins taking down his cronies and henchmen.  See, in all their scheming, this group didn't count on two scarlet speedsters to interfere with their plans.

Both Barry Allen and Jay Garrick, each known as The Flash, the Fastest Man Alive in their worlds, race into action in a title page that pays homage to the original Flash of Two Worlds story.

Jay and Barry take turns redirecting the terrorist's machine-gun spray so that it spells JSA and JLA on the wall.  The Central City spectators and police are a bit slow to recognize Jay, who they mostly know as a fictional superhero appearing in Flash Comics.  'Cause, y'know, that made sense at the time.

After saving the day, the Flashes run to the Justice League Satellite transporter.  Jay lends voice to a concern that I've had for years about the proper naming for Earths 1 and 2.

As they speed up the side of the building and prepare to teleport to the League's orbital headquarters, the two reflect on their annual meetings and how enjoyable it is for them.  However, as they're about to leave, the weather abruptly turns stormy.  And a crackling spike of pink lighting arcs down from the sky toward the speedsters.

Jay recognizes the energy source too late.  The lightning grazes him but turns its full force on Barry.  Even the Flash of Earth 1 can't outrun the bolt that seems to strike him dead.

The Thunderbolt gives no reply.  Jay tries to attack, but it effortlessly knocks him back with a low-level blast.  He looks up just in time to see the Thunderbolt fade away.  Jay crawls over to examine Barry and finds the other Flash barely clinging to life.

Desperate, Jay knows he must get Barry up to the satellite, currently orbiting the Earth at a distance of 22,300 miles above the surface.  There the combined members of the Justice League and Justice Society of America mingle like friends at a company picnic.

I love Black Canary's half-conversation with Huntress and Power Girl.  There's so much innuendo delivered in her line before Power Girl clears up the matter.  And speaking of Power Girl, Firestorm is pining over her like a classic teenager with a crush.  And why wouldn't he?  It's Power Girl!

Green Lantern and Starman talk about boring cosmic stuff, while Elongated Man pulls Firestorm aside so that he, Zatanna, and Hourman can give the kid some dating advice.  Unfortunately, just before Firestorm asks Power Girl to visit the Trophy Room (wink wink), the frivolity is spoiled by the pink lightning bolt crashing into the room.

Black Canary and Starman recognize the energy signature of the lightning bolt, but Firestorm doesn't much care.  Unwilling to be ****-blocked by a light show, the Nuclear Man rushes to confront the lightning.  It promptly shocks him, knocking the life out of him.  Then the lightning takes the familiar form of Johnny Thunder's genie, the Thunderbolt.

Hourman pops a pill and charges the Thunderbolt with his newfound super-strength, but is easily batted away.  Green Lantern attacks with his Power Ring and Starman with his Cosmic Rod (wink wink, wait, that's not a euphemism!)  Thunderbolt absorbs the energy and redirects it, striking Green Lantern with all the power.  The Thunderbolt next turns its attention on Red Tornado, knocking the android across the room, demolishing some of the satellite's dimensional transporter in the process.  It strikes at Power Girl, Elongated Man, and Zatanna before the Mistress of Magic can cast a spell against it.

As the heroes still standing check on their wounded and ask questions, the transporter tube opens to reveal Jay Garrick carrying the unconscious Barry Allen.  The Flash, Green Lantern, Zatanna, Firestorm, and Elongated Man are all taken to the medi-lab, where they remain in critical condition.  It doesn't take long for the survivors to realize what they all have in common: Black Canary, Power Girl, Huntress, Hourman, Starman, and Jay Garrick were all born on Earth 2, and Red Tornado was first assembled there.  The next question, of course, is why does that matter?

For newer readers who might have thought Black Canary was always a native Leaguer, she recounts her story of coming to Earth 1.  It started when Starman crashed through the roof her home with Larry Lance, her husband on Earth 2.

Dinah goes on to remember how on her first day with the Justice League she let slip a tremendous blast of sonic energy.  Batman had explained that her proximity to Aquarius' energy when Larry died and mutated her, granting her a new metahuman power, her Canary Cry.  Dinah admits that Batman's explanation never quite made sense to her (or to Gerry Conway and Roy Thomas, I'd bet).

While she's daydreaming about the past, Power Girl and Red Tornado use the satellite's surveillance equipment to confirm that Superman and Wonder Woman have also been rendered unconscious by the Thunderbolt, and Aquaman, Green Arrow, Hawkman and Hawkgirl may also have been taken out like the other League members.

Huntress speculates that the problem might not emanate from a rogue Thunderbolt but from Johnny Thunder himself.  Black Canary refuses to believe her old friend could have betrayed them like this.  At that point, Power Girl reveals that pairs of super villains from both Earths are attacking ancient temples on the planet below.  From Earth 1, Chronos, Dr. Alchemy, and Felix Faust are each partnered with The Fiddler, Icicle, and the Wizard from Earth 2.

The heroes speculate that these combined villains are behind the Thunderbolt's attack on the League.  They quickly jump into action.

I'm going to say it right here, a big part of me has and always will prefer Black Canary and Starman as a couple over Black Canary and Green Arrow.  That these two had a brief but passionate affair was the best retcon James Robinson ever contributed to the DC Universe.  I just love the way these two interact, and you can see the love Ted has for her in the last panel.

Black Canary agrees to Starman's plan to track the Thunderbolt and get answers directly from the source of their problem.  He uses his Cosmic Rod (tee-hee) to transport them through space and into the alternate dimension of the genie: the Thunderbolt Dimension!

While struggling to get their bearings in the topsy-turvy alternate world, they spy someone watching them from a lofty throne.  Before they can react, the Thunderbolt attacks Starman.  Black Canary lets loose a sonic cry, but it has no effect on the genie this time.  Dinah is immobilized and the two are brought before their captor: the Johnny Thunder of Earth 1!

What's with the glass coffin holding Larry Lance and a double of Black Canary?!!  I guess you'll have to wait until next Thursday for my review of issue #220.

This is a great issue, and as one of the annual crossovers with the Golden Age heroes of Earth 2, it's a real treat to see characters like Jay Garrick, Hourman, and Starman get such a worthy place in the story.  True it's at the expense of the titular members of the Justice League, but even they get moments to shine, however briefly.  Everyone gets to use his or her power, mostly to little effect, but it still looks cool.

But naturally my favorite part of the story is the emphasis on Black Canary's pre-League roots.  She originally debuted in the Johnny Thunder strip in Flash Comics, so it's thrilling to see that history play out as her friends are stalked by Johnny Thunder's wayward djinn.  Everyone questions the culpability of Johnny Thunder, but Dinah refuses to believe her old friend could have gone bad like this.  It is more dramatic and powerful then at the end when she learns that a Johnny Thunder is behind her woes, just not the Johnny everyone suspected.

Conway and Thomas' script is impeccable in this issue, filled with nice character beats, like the dialogue between the Flashes and the cops in the first scene; and Firestorm's angst over Power Girl; and Starman coming to Black Canary alone, giving her a chance to resolve this personal conflict for herself.  All perfect moments.  Patton and Tanghal's art, too, is beautiful.  The tension and terror on the characters' face have never seemed so dramatic.  Brilliant stuff here.

In the end, though, this issue is mostly a set-up for the greatness--and wonkiness--that will come with issue #220.  That issue is full of a ton of action and a whole new origin story for Black Canary.  Come back in a week to check out my review!

Black Canary on ARROW S2 E17

Once more, I defer to the website GreenArrowTV for their in-depth reviews and spoiler-filled summaries of Arrow episodes.  Head over there to check out the review for the season 2 episode, "Birds of Prey"!

My Commentary

This episode certainly wasn't what I expected.  Based on the title, I assumed we would see Huntress, however reluctantly, working alongside Green Arrow and Black Canary.  Instead, she is the villain of the episode, and they take her to extremely dark territory.  She's basically psychotic.  Her motives aren't to punish criminals and gangsters; they're fiercely personal.  She wants to murder her father and she's willing to kill innocent people to do it.  I don't know if they can ever bring the character back, but in my opinion she's beyond redemption.

Considering Sara Lance trained with the League of Assassins for years, the first Black Canary vs. Huntress fight should have been a lot more one-sided.  As their scuffle goes down, though, Canary gets the drop on Helena, who still manages to fight her off and throw her out a window.  I didn't care for that bit of action choreography.  The only way Huntress ought to be able to take Black Canary in a real straight-up fight is if Helena was trained by Bruce Wayne.

When the ladies scrap for the second time, Sara "doesn't hold back" but it still takes her a little too long to get the edge.

The other major hangup in this episode is Roy Harper.  Ever since he was injected with the superpower serum, he has struggled with this insatiable rage building inside of him.  Unfortunately, neither Ollie nor the producers of the show will let him vent that rage.  So all that happens with Roy most of the time is him shaking his fists and looking mad but not doing anything.  It's effectively ruining his character slowly but steadily.

Beyond those complaints, this episode had as many faults in logic as any episode of the series.  There were fun, entertaining parts, but the problems were too noticeable for me to favor this one.

This Week in Black Canary

I spent a whole lot of last week traveling and only managed to post my reviews of Action Comics Weekly and Flash Comics because I wrote them in advance.  As such, I don't have a review for what would be today's "Pretty Bird" installment.

But, hey, there is plenty of Black Canary news to appreciate this weekend!

First, there's this little bit of info that comics gossip publication Bleeding Cool ran last night, alleging that Black Canary's face will be grafted to Frankenstein's chest during Future's End!  As I tweeted, if this rumor turns out to be true, it's still not the worst treatment Black Canary's been given in the New 52.  Should I review those old Duane Swierczynski issues again?

Next, if you're able, check out the most recent episode of Arrow entitled "Birds of Prey" for the first meeting of Canary and Huntress!

Finally, if you read digital comics, or even if you just want to support Black Canary, her solo books are finally up on ComiXology--and for the next couple days, they're only 99 cents each!!!  There are also tons of great Green Arrow, Suicide Squad, Huntress and other books in the sale that goes for the rest of the month!

Also, according to the 1976 Super DC Calendar, today is the birthday of Ray Terrill...

Happy Birthday, Ray!

Black Canary Digital Sale on ComiXology

ComiXology is having a seven-day sale on DC comics related to Green Arrow and the characters appearing in the CW Network's Arrow this season.  This includes current and past Green Arrow comics, Roy Harper stories from Secret Origins and Titans, Deathstroke miniseries, the first Huntress series featuring Helena Bertinelli, some Suicide Squad issues, and, of course, a ton of Black Canary books that previously were not available digitally.

For the rest of the week, you can pick up Black Canary's "New Wings" miniseries from 1991, her twelve-issue ongoing from 1993, and her miniseries from 2007 that led up to her marriage to Green Arrow.  There are also a couple of issues of Birds of Prey and The Brave and the Bold included in this sale.

This sale is awesome because it means DC have finally gotten hip to the fact that Arrow is making Black Canary a high(er) profile character than she has been in forty years.  I've spent months tracking these comics down so I can blog about them in the future--and I will--so I was a little mad that now they're all cheaper and easier to buy digitally, but this will at least save me the time of scanning the pages I want to use for my reviews.

Anyway, quit reading this post and click over to ComiXology and go shopping!

Black Canary Poster by Steve Garcia

My best friend, Shag Mandelbaum from Firestorm Fan, recently alerted me to the artwork of Steve Garcia, whose Deviant Art page is filled with mock posters of DC hero and villain silhouettes.

I love this image of the Black Canary.  I love the outline of her leather jacket and her gloves.  I love how Garcia uses white to line her fishnet stockings and her choker and locket, as well as the inner silhouette of Dinah Drake or Dinah Lance inside.

Garcia headlines each character portrait with a word that's supposed to embody some aspect of the character.  I think by the time he got around to Black Canary, most of the good words were taken because progression isn't all that interesting or applicable.  I suppose it could be in reference to the passing of the heroic identity from mother to daughter, but that's stretching a bit.

Here, too, are Garcia's posters for Green Lantern...

...and Batgirl/Oracle...

...and Huntress.

But these three are hardly the only silhouettes designed by Steve Garcia.  For even more iconic DC heroes and villains, check out the veritable Justice League of Bloggers listed below.

• Firestorm and Killer Frost at Firestorm Fan!
• Aquaman and Mera at Aquaman Shrine!
• Wonder Woman at The New Wonder Woman!
• Wonder Girl at The New Wonder Woman!
• Batman, Robin, Alfred, Nightwing, Batgirl, Batwoman, and Villains at Riddle Factory!
• The Flash and the Rogues at Speed Force!
• Green Lantern at Indigo Tribe!
• Martian Manhunter at Idol-Head of Diabolu!
• Black Lantern Martian Manhunter at Idol-Head of Diabolu!
• Supergirl, Lois Lane, and Vibe at Comic Box Commentary!
• The Atom at Power of the Atom!
• Hawkgirl at Power of the Atom!
• Zatanna at Justice League Detroit!
• Captain Marvel at DC Bloodlines!
• Steel at DC Bloodlines!
• Plastic Man at Eeyow! It's Plastic Man!
• Red Tornado at Red Tornado's Path!
• Blue Beetle (Jaime Reyes) and Blue Beetle & Booster Gold at Kord Industries!
• Booster Gold at Boosterrific!
• Captain Atom at Splitting Atoms!
• Ambush Bug, Beast Boy, Metamorpho, Power Girl, and Deadman at My Greatest Adventure!
• Cyborg at S.T.A.R. Labs Detroit!
• Swamp Thing at The Blog from the Bog!
• Daredevil, Hulk, and Captain America at Daredevil Podcast!
• Thor at The Hammer Strikes!
• Strange Tales at Comic Boxxx Trot!

You can see Steve Garcia's work at his Deviant Art page, his Facebook page, his Tumblr page, and his Instagram page.

Unjust Panel of the Week #11

From Injustice: Gods Among Us Chapter 25.
Art by Bruno Redondo.

Black Canary to Debut on Tonight's ARROW

I was under the impression that Black Canary would not appear until the end of Arrow's second season, but I guess I had her confused with The Flash.

According to an article on Bleeding Cool, Black Canary will appear in tonight's season 2 premier episode.  The article also discusses the possibility that a version of The Birds of Prey could appear on the show, but a lot of that depends on the availability of the woman who played Huntress in season 1.

This is the right show, yeah?

Birds of Prey by Justin Orr

This beautiful Birds of Prey pinup was done by Justin Orr.  I love this image, and all of his other comics and pop culture-inspired pinups and posters, though I have absolutely no idea how I would describe his art style.  It's like a crazy mashup of The Boondocks-style manga and Tim Burton's Frankenweenie and The Nightmare Before Christmas.  Or Bruce Timm fused with Skottie Young.  Whatever.  I don't know what to call it, but I like it.

You can find tons more pinups, posters, and sketches of Orr's at his website.

UPDATE: Canary Cosplay from SDCC 2013

The San Diego Comic-Con is upon us--and by "us" I mean people in the entertainment industry, in and around San Diego, California.  So, not me.

Anyway.  I doubt we'll get any Black Canary-specific news out of SDCC this weekend, but we can always depend on the cosplay community to fill that particular void.  Bleeding Cool already has over a hundred pictures from the first day, and sure enough, Black Canary is represented between Superman and Aquaman!

Click to enlargicize.

And here's another pic of a Black Canary alongside Robin and Huntress!

Click to big.

Birds of Prey: Manhunt #4 (Dec 1996)

Review: Birds of Prey: Manhunt #1.

Review: Birds of Prey: Manhunt #2.

Review: Birds of Prey: Manhunt #3.

What Happened Before…

• Black Canary was captured by master criminal Archer Braun and taken to his base of operations in Kazakstan.
• Canary's partner, Oracle, enlists the help of Huntress and Catwoman, both of whom were looking for Braun for their own reasons.
• Braun's base is a haven for terrorists, criminals, and assassins, including possibly the deadliest woman alive: Lady Shiva!

Birds of Prey: Manhunt #4 - "Ladies' Choice" was written by Chuck Dixon, but the art team changes yet again for this final issue.  This time, series penciller Matt Haley draws over Sal Buscema's layouts and Wade Von Grawbadger, the inker for issue #1, is back.  I don't know why Buscema was brought in but his inclusion isn't that noticeable.  This still looks and feels like Matt Haley's book.

We open with Dinah and Archer Braun being held at gunpoint by a group of mercenaries and thugs.  Apparently, Braun doesn't run the show at Katchik 9-9 as much as last issue suggested; the real power here seems to be a big man named Serge.  Serge is angry with Braun for failing to deliver a large score of American money in exchange for a percentage of Serge's Afghan heroin operation.

I don't know where any of this is coming from.  Serge here has never been mentioned before this scene.  We know that Braun did pull off a large robbery score, because that's what sent Black Canary and Huntress and Catwoman all after him in the first place.  We've never heard any clues about a bigger plan Braun might have.  Chuck Dixon's failure to establish Braun as a fully realized villain in the first three issues is put on display in this final chapter.  This opening scene sounds like it was written for a different series as what precious little we know of the villain seems completely flipped around.  What's more confounding is none of this is going to matter, because Serge, his plans, and everything he and Braun discuss in the first few pages is dropped and never again referred to later in the chapter.

The only part of the issue that is relevant is Lady Shiva.  She vetoes Serge's kill order, claiming she wants Black Canary alive.  To test her.  Braun intervenes, so Lady Shiva strikes, but her attack is easily deflected.  Braun's defense is beyond impressive--it's astonishing.  Oracle, who has been eavesdropping on Dinah's captivity, suspects that Braun may have a metahuman ability they didn't know about and does some digging online.

On the road leading to Katchik 9-9, Huntress and Catwoman's car breaks down.  Years ago, the city was exposed to a man-made virus that devours plastics, making the place uninhabitable to all but the most desperate and infamous of supercriminals (a "wretched hive of scum and villainy" basically).  The virus eats the ladies' engine, forcing them to proceed with their rescue on foot.

Back in the city, Dinah is taken to her holding cell in what passes for the local jail.  She rebuffs his advances, so he hits her, displaying an ability to predict not only her moves but her thoughts and words, as well.

Huntress and Catwoman have arrived and begin making their way across the rooftops.  Oracle gives them as much direction as she can based on the sounds she's overheard from Dinah's transmitter.  She also fills them in on the missing part of Braun's history, that he was subjected to KGB experiments and granted precognitive abilities which make him an expert combatant.

Huntress and Catwoman make it to Dinah's cell, but by then, Dinah has already freed herself and fled the jail.  The ladies aren't left alone, though, as Braun and Lady Shiva arrive at that moment.  As match ups go, our ladies are severely outmatched.

Catwoman has zero chance against Lady Shiva, and they both know it, but Selina Kyle may be the universe's ultimate opportunist.  She takes the fight outside where distance and environment may give her some leverage.

Huntress is left to fight Braun in the holding cell, which is now burning thanks to Catwoman's whip toppling over a kerosine lamp.  This is the fight Huntress--and we readers--have been waiting for, as once, long ago, Braun broke Helena's heart by being a lying douche bag.  It would be cathartic to get her revenge by pummeling him into unconsciousness.  The problem is, Braun's psychic ability makes him the superior fighter.

In the streets outside the jail, Lady Shiva stands ready to kill Catwoman when Black Canary returns.

Back in the blazing Bastille, Huntress is getting her ass handed to her by Braun.  Oracle tells Huntress that she cannot beat him because his precognition allows him to anticipate her attacks before she moves.  To overcome this, Huntress clears her mind and instinctively responds to Oracle's attack commands--in a sense, Oracle fights Braun using Huntress as a physical surrogate, negating his powers.

Okay, this does look like Sal Buscema.

As Huntress defeats Braun, the fire burns away enough of the building that it collapses.  Oracle orders her to save Braun, telling him that no matter what he has done, she cannot simply leave him to die.  But that's what happens.  Could Huntress have saved him?  The art makes it a little ambiguous, but it seems like she doesn't make the best effort to pull him out of the fire.

Huntress is a different type of vigilante thanOracle.  She doesn't have the same philosophy of crime fighting that Batman's family has, and that difference will continue to divide them for years to come.

As the jail burns, Dinah and Catwoman fight Lady Shiva to a standstill.  Even though it looked like there were dozens, if not hundreds, of mercenaries and killers in Katchik 9-9, they are nowhere to be found when things get hot.  Seriously, where is Serge?  Where is everybody?

Huntress reunites with Catwoman and Dinah, who recommends they make use of the destruction to escape without prolonging the fight with Lady Shiva.

The three women mount horses and ride off.  Dinah is finally verbally reunited with Oracle, who asks if this entire adventure was worth the pain and expense.  Dinah doesn't even have to think about it.

As a concluding chapter, this issue does a decent job of drawing the characters back together and bringing the action.  It's not perfect.  The threat of Lady Shiva is never fully realized, in part because she was introduced too late into the story, and in part because her status is quickly undercut by Braun's metahuman defense technique.  The obligatory conflict established in issue #1 is Huntress and Braun, and their fight is a satisfying climax.  Huntress relying on Oracle to command her end of the fight like a marionette in the hands of a puppeteer is exciting and smart.  It reminds me of the Star Wars novel The Last Command, where a blinded Mara Jade is mentally guided by Leia Organa-Solo during a lightsaber duel.

Overall, Birds of Prey: Manhunt was a superficial adventure story.  The plot was laughably thin from the onset--Dinah and Huntress are both gunning for a man who romantically toyed with them and sort of casually happened to be a criminal.  Archer Braun seems to get more dangerous with each chapter, but the mounting threats never feel organic, never feel like layers of his character are being pulled away.  Instead, it feels like Dixon is just throwing stuff at him, making it up on the fly as the situation calls for it.

What works in the series is the women, who all look good, talk tough, and act authentic, insofar as they stay true to their character established in previous stories.  But I don't believe anything was really achieved by this story.  I don't know that this event has built upon the Black Canary, Oracle, Huntress and Catwoman we've known before.  Despite getting top billing, Dinah and Oracle are limited for good chunks of time.  Dinah's a hostage for an issue and a half, and Oracle talks to nobody for about as long.  Huntress and Catwoman take most of the spotlight and the series feels crowded.  I think either one of them could have been cut from the story and it would have felt tighter, more personal, and more significant.

If this title is about Black Canary and Oracle, I'm not sure they're in any different place emotionally or personally than they were at the end of the Birds of Prey one-shot that brought them together.  But… as I said, though the story may not be deep or meaningful, it's a fun ride and any fan of Dinah or the Birds of Prey should give it a read!