Happy Holidays

Christmas with the Superheroes #1, art by John Byrne.

Black Canary Cosplay: Anna Psylocke Sheldrick

The online gossip magazine Bleeding Cool recently posted a series a photos of cosplay model Anna Sheldrick dressed as Black Canary.  Why I don't know, but honestly, I don't understand why they publish half of the "articles" they do.

But it's Black Canary, after all, so... enjoy!

Anna Psylocke Sheldrick as Black Canary.

Playdate #7: Black Canary & Bat-Mite

Out of Context #6: Get Her Rocks Off!

From Justice League of America (vol. 1) #22, art by Mike Sekowsky.

Every Thursday, Flowers & Fishnets provide a panel that--when taken out of context from the rest of the page--may be funny, suggestive, or just dumb.

Playdate #6: Black Canary & Batgirl vs. Killer Moth

Click image to make bigger, funnier.

Black Canary by Chris Bachalo

One of my favorite comics in the '90s was Marvel's X-Men spinoff Generation X.  I fell in love with Scott Lobdell's idiosyncratic characters, and the equally idiosyncratic artwork of Chris Bachalo.  He's always been one of my favorite artists, so I was thrilled when a Google image search landed this Bachalo drawing of the Black Canary demonstrating her "Canary Cry".

Trauma Tuesday #4

From Flash Comics #92, art by Carmine Infantino.

Disclaimer:  While reading my copy of The Black Canary Archives Volume 1, I discovered the ridiculous trend that Dinah got knocked unconscious every single issue.  Now, I've been knocked cold before, and that $#@% is really dangerous.  Kanigher and Infantino either didn't realize how unhealthy it was, or they didn't care, because Black Canary would have been reduced to a drooling vegetable by her third solo adventure.

I dedicate a regular blog update to the panels showing these injuries to spotlight the ridiculousness and repetitiveness--and laziness--of the kind of storytelling common during this era of comic book publishing.  In no conceivable way do I endorse any sort of violence against women (or men).

Playdate #5: Black Canary & Team Green

Click to make bigger.

Out of Context #5: Black Turkey

Thursday is regularly reserved for Out-of-Context updates, but in lieu of the major holiday that we Americans know as Thursday-Before-Black-Friday I decided to offer the full page from the panel above.  Savor it!

From Birds of Prey (vol. 1) #56, art by Ed Benes.

One of the many, many, maaaannny things I love about Gail Simone's work on BoP is that she infused her characters with an authentic love of life and pleasure and, yes, food.

As a connoisseur -- as an aesthete -- as a glutton, I am thankful for this comic!

Black Canary, Her Best Friends, and Five Other Women by Ed Benes

Ed Benes draws some good looking women, as evidenced by today's Whatever Wednesday entry.  Black Canary was a subject of Benes' talents for years as he drew Birds of Prey and Justice League of America and then Birds of Prey again.  However, for this ensemble image of DC's most prominent female heroes of 2008, he must have worried that Dinah wouldn't stand out enough in the company of Wonder Woman, Power Girl, Zatanna and others.  So he drew her--noticeably--without a bra.

Click image to embiggen.

Hers is the most covered up torso of the six women depicted, and yet her nipples are the focal point of picture.

Trauma Tuesday #3

From Flash Comics #91, art by Carmine Infantino.

Disclaimer:  While reading my copy of The Black Canary Archives Volume 1, I discovered the ridiculous trend that Dinah got knocked unconscious every single issue.  Now, I've been knocked cold before, and that $#@% is really dangerous.  Kanigher and Infantino either didn't realize how unhealthy it was, or they didn't care, because Black Canary would have been reduced to a drooling vegetable by her third solo adventure.

I dedicate a regular blog update to the panels showing these injuries to spotlight the ridiculousness and repetitiveness--and laziness--of the kind of storytelling common during this era of comic book publishing.  In no conceivable way do I endorse any sort of violence against women (or men).

N'Rama Interview with Ladies of ARROW

For today's Media Monday, we're going back a couple weeks to a Newsarama interview with the ladies of CW's Arrow, Willa Holland and Katie Cassidy.  Holland plays Thea Queen, sister of the heroic Oliver Queen, I think (I haven't watched any of the series yet, though I'm told it's pretty good and that I would enjoy it).  More germane to this blog, however, is Cassidy, who is credited--in the interview, at least--as Dinah "Laurel" Lance.

Having not seen the show, I don't know anything about the Dinah character in this series.  I don't know if she has any vigilante tendencies, or whether we'll see her become the Black Canary during the run of the show or what.  I don't even know why the name "Laurel" is in quotation marks in her credit.  Does she go by the name Laurel?  Would that possibly leave the name Dinah free to to be used by her mother, Dinah Drake?  I guess time will tell.

Look at all the pretty people...

Playdate #4: Black Canary & Hawkwoman

Click image to embiggen.

Out of Context #4

From Green Arrow/Black Canary Wedding Special #1, art by Amanda Connor

Every Thursday, Flowers & Fishnets provide a panel that--when taken out of context from the rest of the page--may be funny, suggestive, or just dumb.

JLA by JLGL

For today's "Whatever Wednesday", a classic piece showing all my favorite DC heroes (and Red Tornado) done by the master of stock and merchandizing art, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, Praise Be His Name!

click to embiggen