Episode 15: Boston Con 2015 and Listener Feedback

Ryan Daly recounts his short time at Boston Comic Con 2015, meeting Anj for the first time, and getting a signed Black Canary band poster.

Also, listener feedback from episodes 13 and 14.

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

Check out Anj's Supergirl blog, Comic Box Commentary by clicking here.

Below, Black Canary poster by Annie Wu

Music this episode:

"Shipping Up to Boston (live)"

Molly Ramone

Self-published, 2012. 

CLICK HERE TO PLAY EPISODE IN ANOTHER WINDOW.

Black Canary in Crisis on Infinite Earths Part 1

The historic, line-altering magnum opus, Crisis on Infinite Earths written by Marv Wolfman and drawn by George Perez, featured almost every DC hero yet established by that point, and even created a couple of new ones.  Naturally, Black Canary appeared in the pages of Crisis, but she wasn't an important part.  She was little more than a cameo in a few issues, although she had a bit of action in issue #6.  Since an in-depth review and analysis of the whole twelve-part event could take up entire book, I won't cover all of Crisis on this post.  Instead I'm going to spotlight Black Canary's few appearances in the series.

Black Canary does not appear in Crisis until issue #6, when she's among several other heroes trapped on the Monitor's satellite as it begins to crumble around them.

She witnesses Harbinger fly into the satellite's core before it explodes...

The next we see of Dinah, she has been transported to the Captain Marvel Earth along with Supergirl, Wonder Woman, and Changeling.

Unfortunately, Captain Marvel and the Marvel Family are more-or-less brainwashed.

Captain Marvel mistakenly believes that his world is coming to an end because of the sudden appearances of Supergirl and the other heroes and he lashes out at them...

Black Canary realizes that Psycho-Pirate is alive and manipulating the Marvel Family.  When Mary Marvel and Captain Marvel, Jr. team up against Wonder Woman, Canary finally does something useful and directs her sonic scream against the Marvels.

After that, Black Canary appears two more times, essentially as a background character with no dialogue.  In issue #7, she's still with Supergirl's team and the now right-thinking Marvel Family.

And she appears in one panel of issue #9, where she and Green Arrow take on some sixth-rate super villains.

That's it.  Black Canary didn't play a significant part in Crisis on Infinite Earths, although perhaps I should be grateful she didn't die.  Tomorrow, though, I'll be reviewing Justice League of America Annual #3, a Crisis tie-in where Black Canary actually does stuff.

Black Canary Sketch by Mike McKone

My best friend, Anj, of the Supergirl blog Comic Box Commentary, alerted me to this superb sketch of Black Canary by Justice League United artist Mike McKone.  The sketch was commissioned for a lucky fan at Heroes Con in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Check out more of Mike's work at DeviantART and follow him on Twitter @Mike2112McKone.

Adventurous Woman: ADVENTURE COMICS #419

Continuing from yesterday's entry, the second part of "The Canary and the Cat" by Dennis O'Neill and Alex Toth originally published in Adventure Comics #419 in May 1972.

Once again, I haven't read this entire issue.  Black Canary's strip was published in the Black Canary Archives hardcover collection.  As such, I haven't read the Supergirl, Zatanna or other stories in this issue.  Maybe Anj from the Supergirl blog at Comic Box Commentary has read them.

If you didn't read the first part of the story, go back and check it out.  In case you browser is acting up or there's something wrong with your ability to click a link or homepage icon, I'll give you the short rundown.  A restless and unemployed Dinah finds work teaching Judo to the radical Women's Resistance League.  But not long after teaching them how to fight, they ambush her and she realizes their leader has some nefarious plan, the first part of which involves killing the Canary!

Now, the complete second part of O'Neill and Toth's story!

Oh man, even a glimpse of Toth's Catwoman is breathtaking!

Adventurous Woman: ADVENTURE COMICS #418

Throughout the '70s and a good chunk of the '80s, Black Canary appeared in backup stories of her own or with Green Arrow in the pages of World's Finest Comics, Detective Comics, and in a few notable cases, Adventure Comics.

In April 1972, Dinah appeared in Adventure Comics #418 in a story written by Dennis O'Neill and drawn by Alex Toth.  The story is reprinted in the Black Canary Archives hardcover collection.  I don't have the actual print comic, which sucks because I would love to read the Supergirl and Doctor Mid-Nite stories included.  Maybe Anj from Comic Box Commentary is familiar with the issue.

The story was untitled when first published in Adventure, but credited as "The Canary and the Cat" in the Archives collection.  Here now, the first part of O'Neill and Toth's story.  I've included the whole thing because, well, because I can't deprive anyone of Toth's luscious depiction of the character.

Come back tomorrow for part 2!

Black Canary by Amy Reeder

I have never been fond of Black Canary's post-Crisis sweatsuit costume from the Legends and Justice League.  I think she looks like a rejected body double from Flashdance.  And the chest plate thing--what is that supposed to be?

Some artists, though, can make diamonds out of any crappy mineral, and from the looks of this sketch, I'm thinking Amy Reeder is one of them.

I wish I could say this sketch was done for me, but sadly, I just grabbed it from Google images.  Whoever "Jamie" is, he/she is one lucky fan!

Incidentally, I met Amy briefly at the last Boston ComicCon.  While we talked about her work on Batwoman and Supergirl, as well as Halloween Eve and Rocket Girl, it became obvious how super cool she was.

Like a fool, of course, I was so caught up in talking to her that I didn't think to ask for a Black Canary sketch or even how much it would cost.  What makes me feel even dumber is that she was working on a sketch during our conversation!  (I didn't get a good look at it, but for all I know she was sketching Supergirl for Anj over at Comic Box Commentary.)

DC Women in Step by Dick Giordano

Just one bottle of black cherry vodka away from a Sex and the City homage.

This Dick Giordano piece came from the Super DC Calendar for 1976.  As well as the major national and religious holidays (except Talk Like a Pirate Day--Arrrgh!), DC's calendar celebrated the birthdays and milestone events in the lives of its heroes and villains.  For instance, our very own Black Canary's birthday is designated April 10th.

Along with the days and weeks and usual calendar stuff, each month of the year had an accompanying pinup picture.  Nearly all of the images were drawn by Neal Adams with inks by Dick Giordano; the above image for the month of September, is one of the few drawn by Giordano himself, and I freakin' love it!

Black Canary, Mary Marvel, Supergirl, Lois Lane, and Hawkwoman locking arms and looking lovely--makes me want to read a comic starring these Wonder Women every month.  Marvel has their all-female X-Men book.  I don't see why DC can't publish a double-x chromosome Justice League squad.  Put Gail Simone and Amy Reeder on the title and it would always be at the top of my reading list!

You can view scans of the calendar dates here and scans of the rest of the pinups here.

Canary Merchandize from SDCC 2013

This weekend, at Comic-Con International in San Diego, DC Collectibles unveiled a bunch of brand new statues, action figures, and whatever the Scribblenauts count as.

They've also revealed the latest addition to their Bombshells line, which, conveniently enough for this blog, happens to be Black Canary!

Photo courtesy of tomopop.com

Previous characters featured in the Bombshells line include Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, and Batgirl.  I don't own any of them, but I adore the retro costume design and style of the entire line.

As for this Black Canary piece: making her a burlesque singer is perfect!  It touches upon her Golden Age roots, the modern Dinah's sonic abilities, and her well-deserved sex appeal without stripping her down to a thong bikini.  I can't imagine putting down a hundred dollars for this piece, but damn, it sure ought to make some collectors very happy!