Episode 11: Conway's Corner Crossover

Reviewing the Green Arrow and Black Canary stories from World's Finest Comics #245 featuring the menace of the Man-Bear! Both stories are written by Gerry Conway, with art by Mike Nasser and Terry Austin.

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

This episode is part of the Conway’s Corner Crossover, a celebration of the work of comics writer Gerry Conway, and an effort by the podcasting community to bring greater attention to the issue of DC Comics and Creator Equity.

To read Gerry Conway’s thoughts on the subject, check out his Tumblr post right here:

http://gerryconway.tumblr.com/post/117619743363/who-created-caitlin-snow-on-theflash-according

And to follow other shows participating in Conway’s Corner Crossover, check out the following podcasts:

The Fire & Water Podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fire-and-water-podcast/id463855630?mt=2&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

The Superman & Batman Podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/superman-batman/id789100199

Two True Freaks Presents: The Vault of Startling Monster Horror Tales of Terror Podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/two-true-freaks-presents-vault/id652570784?mt=2&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

Comic Book Time Machine: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/comic-book-time-machine/id901477333?mt=2&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

The SuperMates Podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/super-mates-podcast/id817576889?mt=2&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

The Hammer Podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/two-true-freaks-presents-hammer/id849969760?mt=2&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

Task Force X Podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/task-force-x/id896494965?mt=2&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

Head Speaks Podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/head-speaks/id892246899?mt=2&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

The Quarter Bin Podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/relatively-geeky-network/id683818575?mt=2&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

The LanternCast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/lanterncast-green-lantern/id313671156?mt=2&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

Pop Culture Affidavit: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/two-true-freaks-presents-pop/id917106813?mt=2&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

King-Size Comics Giant-Size Fun: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/king-size-comics-giant-size/id947711402?mt=2&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

Hey Kids, Comics!: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hey-kids!-comics/id426120036?mt=2&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

Superman Forever Radio: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/superman-forever-radio/id542955036?mt=2&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

From Kid to Flash: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/mythmaking-etc/id741690897

Sample pages from World's Finest #245:

Music this episode:
"Respect"
Aretha Franklin
Atlantic Records, 1967.

"Lawyers, Guns and Money"
Warren Zevon
Asylum Records, 1978.


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Episode 10: Slingshot

Reviewing the Black Canary story "Rainbows of Doom" and is Green Arrow-focused sequel "Slings and Arrows" from World's Finest Comics #244. Two great stories with art by Mike Nasser and Terry Austin that add two more rogues to Black Canaries Jailbirds.

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

Sample pages from World's Finest #244.

Music this episode:
"Jump (For My Love)"
The Pointer Sisters
Planet Records, 1984.

CLICK HERE TO PLAY EPISODE IN ANOTHER WINDOW.

Episode 9: Going to the Dogs

Reviewing backup strips from Action Comics #440 and #441 featuring Green Arrow, Black Canary, and a mysterious "super dog".  Also, listener feedback from Episode 8.

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

You can read along with this story and see all covers and pages by checking out my reviews of Action Comics #440 by clicking here and #441 by clicking here.

Sample pages from Action Comics #440-441.

Music this episode:
"Hang Down Your Head"
Tom Waits
Island Records, 1985.

CLICK HERE TO PLAY EPISODE IN ANOTHER WINDOW.

Action Plus: ACTION COMICS #444

In the early 1970s, Green Arrow joined the "Action Plus" feature of Action Comics.  Black Canary made numerous guest appearances in her boyfriend's strip, sometimes in her costumed identity, and sometimes as civilian florist, Dinah Lance.

Action Comics #444 is cover dated February 1975 and hit the shelves on November 28, 1974, according to Mike's Amazing World of DC Comics.  The lead Superman story is written by Cary Bates with art by Curt Swan and Tex Blaisdell and a cover by Nick Cardy.

The ominous-sounding Green Arrow strip called "The Black Canary is Dead" is scripted by Elliot S. Maggin based on a story by Mike Grell who also provided the art.  The story begins with Green Arrow arriving at Star City Police Headquarters where the cops play a recorded message for him.

One of the detectives agrees with Green Arrow that the tape's assertion that Black Canary is dead must be a lie, because it was sent to the cops with evidence--a lock of blonde hair.  But the cops have identified the blonde hair as coming from a wig, which they think proves the Canary must be alive.  Only Ollie knows the truth, that Black Canary is naturally dark-haired and wears a wig in her crime fighting guise.

Green Arrow storms out of the police station and thinks back to a moment in the recent past when he was approached by an elderly Italian immigrant named Mr. Genetta who begged the Emerald Archer to save his grandson Tommy from losing his life to drugs like so many other teenagers these days.  But when Green Arrow visits Tommy, the boy tells him to get lost and boasts about the head of the drug trafficking syndicate, Max Looker, is so successful.

Ollie leaves Tommy, reflecting on his awful track record for not dealing with junkies in a mature, patient manner and thinks back to his ex-sidekick Roy Harper.  His attention is diverted, though, when he sees a well-dressed man getting out of a fancy car in the poorest, most dangerous part of town.  He follows the man down the street to a vacant lot.

Surrounded by street toughs, Green Arrow cuts loose, taking out half a dozen punks in the alley.  In the process, though, he loses track of the man in the suit.

Green Arrow goes to the police and describes the well-dressed man to the police sketch artist.  One of the cops identifies the mystery man as Peter Lazenby, one of the "Four Horsemen" known to control all drug trafficking across the globe.  The cop says they have identified three of the four drug kingpins, and believe the fourth one is Max Lucker, the man name-dropped by Tommy the Junkie.  The cops tell Green Arrow they don't have anything concrete on Lucker, but he runs a casino outside of Star City.

Ollie needs help roping in Lazenby and Lucker, so he goes home and recruits his lover, Dinah Lance.

Green Arrow busts into Max Lucker's office and demands to know if he's responsible for flooding the streets with drugs.  Lucker calls security into his office and Green Arrow disarms them easily.  He fires a couple arrows that pin Lucker to his chair, and as Ollie leaves, Lucker vows vengeance.

Is Black Canary really dead?  You'll have to come back next week to find out... but (spoilers) she totally isn't.

I'm loving Mike Grell's art on these backup strips lately.  It's definitely more of a DC house blend then his later stuff with these characters, so the transition from Dicks Dillin and Giordano isn't so jarring, but he throws in some personal flourishes with the action and the facial expressions.  And his Dinah, even in one panel, looks as sexy as ever.

Come back next Monday for another tale of Green Arrow and Black Canary in Action Comics...

Action Plus: ACTION COMICS #441

In the early 1970s, Green Arrow joined the "Action Plus" feature of Action Comics.  Black Canary made numerous guest appearances in her boyfriend's strip, sometimes in her costumed identity, and sometimes as civilian florist, Dinah Lance.

Action Comics #441 is cover dated November 1974 and hit the shelves on August 29, according to Mike's Amazing World of DC Comics.  The lead Superman story is written by Cary Bates with art by Curt Swan and a cover by Nick Cardy.

The Green Arrow strip called "The Mystery of the Wandering Dog" is written by Elliot S. Maggin with art by Mike Grell.  Like the first chapter in this story that I posted yesterday, I'm such a big fan of this story I'm just going to post the pages below and offer my commentary afterward.

Were you able to solve the mystery before Ollie and Dinah?  The mystery dog was Krypto all along!

I shared my love of dogs and Mike Grell's art in yesterday's post.  Both are just as applicable to this part of the story.  As far as that story goes, it's a little on the thin side considering that two out of the six pages are devoted to recapping what happened in the previous chapter.  It's a little silly that Green Arrow has to free Professor Steelgraves from police custody in order to find out where all his mad-sciency equipment was being stored.  The police ought to be able to get that information themselves.

Regardless, there are two highlights in this story for me.  First, Dinah actually suits up as Black Canary for the first time in a while in these backup strips.  What's more, she looks damn good drawn by Grell until she's made to look old and ugly when Steelgraves uses the aging ray on her and Ollie.  The other standout part of the story is that Krypto saves the day.  I know how destructive dogs can be, so I got a kick out of him ripping the lock off of Dinah's flower shop door, and then smashing into Steelgraves' crazy contraption.

It was cool to see Clark Kent make a cameo in the final panel.  I haven't read the story where Krypto's amnesia is explained or resolved, but I know it all works out.

Come back next Monday for another tale of Green Arrow and Black Canary in Action Comics...

Action Plus: ACTION COMICS #440

In the early 1970s, Green Arrow joined the "Action Plus" feature of Action Comics.  Black Canary made numerous guest appearances in her boyfriend's strip, sometimes in her costumed identity, and sometimes as civilian florist, Dinah Lance.

Action Comics #440 is cover dated October 1974 and hit the shelves on July 30, according to Mike's Amazing World of DC Comics.  The lead Superman story is written by Elliot S. Maggin with art by Curt Swan and a cover by Nick Cardy.

The Green Arrow strip called "Little Dog Lost" is written by Maggin with art by Mike Grell.  I love this story so much that I'm not going to summarize it.  I'm going to post the six pages below and offer my commentary afterward.

I believe this issue marks the first time Mike Grell drew Green Arrow and Black Canary.  He would continue to chronicle their adventures in Action Comics and World's Finest before taking them to unparalleled places (both heights and depths) with The Longbow Hunters and beyond.  At this early point in his career, Grell's work looked pretty similar to the DC House Style that Giordano and Dillin used on earlier Green Arrow and Black Canary stories.  But you can definitely see where Grell provides a flourish with facial expressions and body language in some of the close-ups.

As for the story, it grabbed my heartstrings immediately.  I'm a dog lover.  I have two dogs and I love them more than some of my family members.  I'm Facebook friends with people who run animal rescue shelters, so my wall is filled with heartbreaking videos of dogs being rescued and reunited with returning veterans.  All that is to say when I opened this comic for the first time, I fell in love with Grell's rendering of the mystery dog's curiosity-filled eyes.

The action in this story is terrific.  Maggin does a great job of creating three villains with distinct personalities in such a short amount of time; Professor Steelgraves--why hasn't this guy come back to haunt Star City more often?  Large Maxie--who doesn't love a hired goon who talks in the third person?

As with so many Green Arrow backups in Action Comics, Dinah Lance only appears in her civilian identity, not as Black Canary.  And the most action she gets is hallucinating and judo chopping a dog. That I didn't care for, but the storytellers make it clear she didn't hurt the dog seriously (as if she could), so I kind of let it slide.  I'm not wild about her naming the dog Demian.  Such a weird, unlikely dog name except for a vicious snarling guard dog, perhaps.

Of course, this story is only the first chapter of a two-parter.  Where did this mystery dog come from?  What could explain its unusual abilities?  What will Ollie and Dinah do with the mad science device retrieved from Steelgraves' boat?  These answers and more will be revealed tomorrow when I review Action Comics #441.  See you then!

Action Plus: ACTION COMICS #436

In the early 1970s, Green Arrow joined the "Action Plus" feature of Action Comics.  Black Canary made numerous guest appearances in her boyfriend's strip, sometimes in her costumed identity, and sometimes as civilian florist, Dinah Lance.

Action Comics #436 is cover dated June 1974 and hit the shelves on March 28, according to Mike's Amazing World of DC Comics.  The lead Superman story is written by Elliot S. Maggin with art by Curt Swan and Vince Colletta and a cover by Nick Cardy.

The Green Arrow strip called "Young Man with a Drum" is written by Maggin with pencils by Dick Dillin and inks by Tex Blaisdell.  The story opens with Black Canary handing an unsolved mystery off to her boyfriend, Green Arrow.  Two panels on the first page are the only appearance Dinah makes in this story, but oh well...

Green Arrow changes into civilian clothes and, as Oliver Queen, checks out a band called Great Frog that's playing in the park.  Great Frog just arrived in Star City after touring the country, so maybe they're involved in the case.

Unexpectedly, Ollie recognizes his former kid sidekick Roy Harper playing drums for the band.  He hasn't seen Roy since the boy headed out on his own after the historic events of Green Lantern #85 and #86 where Ollie discovered Roy was addicted to heroin.  Now he figures Roy has infiltrated the band as part of an unknown undercover operation, y'know, rather than a teenager just living every kid's fantasy of touring with a rock and roll band.

Ollie then changes back into his Green Arrow duds and snoops around the band's dressing room.  He finds false-bottoms built into the band's instrument cases and stolen cameras and merchandise inside. He theorizes that someone is concealing the stolen goods inside the band's equipment so that Roy and the others are unwittingly transporting the contraband throughout the tour.

I'm not sure why he doesn't suspect the band themselves; I guess he just really trusts Roy, who, as we mentioned earlier, has a drug problem.  Green Arrow assumes Roy knows about the stolen goods and is about ready to close the case.  After the gig, Roy comes back into his dressing room and finds his old mentor there.

Damn, Roy, we all want to smack Green Arrow now and then, but dude!

Archie, the manager who walked in the room, is suitably impressed that Roy seemed able to take out a costumed vigilante with one punch.  He pulls Roy aside and confides in him the secret that the music tour is really a nationwide smuggling and fencing operation.  As they walk out of the room, Roy tosses a small object that lands next to Ollie, who opens his eyes, alert but not ready to give that intelligence away to Archie.

Later, a pair of goons come into the room to dispose of Green Arrow's body, but he springs up and effortlessly takes them out.

Meanwhile, upstairs, Archie takes Roy to see Mr. Aubrey, the man who books the band's cross-country tour and the man who runs the criminal operation.  He tells Roy he could have a bright future in fencing and drug trafficking, which is just want Roy wanted to hear.  At that moment, Green Arrow swings through the window and kicks Aubrey across his desk.  Ollie fires off two arrows that pin Archie to the wall and plug the barrel of his gun.

Aubrey confesses to the whole criminal enterprise and the police take him and his goons away.  Green Arrow chides Roy for the impractical use of the radio transceiver he threw down in the dressing room after pretending to know Arrow unconscious.  Roy tells him he would have had the case solved and the bad guys taken out whether Ollie showed up or not.  Ollie tells him not to be so headstrong and to ask for help once in a while.

Sorry to say, Roy, but I don't think Great Frog has a very bright future.  Also, you must not have been a very good drummer, because Darwyn Cooke pegged you for a bass player on his variant cover for Teen Titans #5 this December.  I mean, you do seem more like a strings guy, right?

We don't get much of Black Canary in this story, but it's still a pretty enjoyable tale, and Maggin makes nice use of continuity by extending the tension between Ollie and his ex-partner.  Green Arrow acts like he wants to it out, like he expects Roy to come back and everything will be the same, which was always Ollie's problem when it came to Roy.  When it came to any of his friends and family, actually.  For all his pretense about social activism and progress, Oliver Queen doesn't handle change to his personal life well at all.

Come back next Monday for another tale of Green Arrow and Black Canary in Action Comics...

Justice League #37 Variant by Darwyn Cooke

In December, a whole lot o' DC comics will ship with covers illustrated by Darwyn Cooke.  By then, Birds of Prey will be long dead and I have no idea if Black Canary is slated to end up in another book because I haven't paid attention to the solicits since, um, April...?

However, Cooke included Black Canary in the background of his cover for Justice League #37.

That's her way back behind Superman and Batman.

I wondered if there was any reason for this specific assemblage of of heroes.  Cooke expertly depicts a nostalgic sense of whimsy in his covers, so it makes sense that he uses the seven original members of the Justice League of America--Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, The Flash, Green Lantern, and J'Onn J'Onzz.  But he also includes Cyborg, a founding member of the New 52 Justice League.  But what about Green Arrow and Black Canary?  I can't imagine this is the lineup of the team in issue #37 since J'Onn and Ollie are in Justice League United and for some reason I think Hal Jordan is still off the team playing space cop.

I would be happy if Black Canary joined the main Justice League team.  I think she deserve a shot at it, but it might take a creative team shift to get me interested in reading the comic again.  I like most of what Geoff Johns does, but I don't think he ever had a firm grasp on the League like he did with Green Lantern, the Flash or Justice Society.

Action Plus: ACTION COMICS #434

In the early 1970s, Green Arrow joined the "Action Plus" feature of Action Comics.  Black Canary made numerous guest appearances in her boyfriend's strip, sometimes in her costumed identity, and sometimes as civilian florist, Dinah Lance.

Action Comics #434 is cover dated April 1974 and hit the shelves on January 31, according to Mike's Amazing World of DC Comics.  The lead Superman story is written by Cary Bates with art by Curt Swan and Vince Colletta and a cover by Nick Cardy.

The Green Arrow strip entitled "Zatanna's Double-Identity" is written by Elliot S. Maggin with art by Dick Dillin and Frank McLaughlin.  The story opens with Green Arrow recounting the most recent frustration in his terribly burdensome life.

Dinah Lance is hella pissed that her Justice League teammate, Zatanna, is locking lips with Oliver Queen, Dinah's boyfriend.  But what pisses her off even more is how Zatanna acts like she is Ollie's lover and Dinah is a total stranger.  Dinah storms off letting Ollie sort out the situation.  Maggin makes a point of referencing Dinah's judo mastery; she leaves to maintain discipline over her mind and body.

Ollie assumes that Zatanna has been the victim of some kind of magic spell that screwed wit her memory and perceptions, but instead of concocting a practical way of solving that problem, he takes Zatanna with him to the public demonstration of a bank's new super security system.

There's some not-too-sublte jab at the anti-Communist witch hunts in Washington, D.C. before a pair of armed robbers bust in and try to rob the place.  Ollie changes into his Green Arrow costume and he and Zatanna spring into action.

Except, as Green Arrow notices, Zatanna isn't fighting the way she normally would.  She's fighting the way Black Canary does!

Zatanna slowly comes to her senses and remembers her own identity and powers.  She changes the robber from a wolf back into his human form.  That's lucky for him, because remaining in animal form for too long could be disastrous and permanent, as Zatanna explained to Black Canary in the Bloodspell graphic novel.

Back at Ollie's office, Zatanna reveals what happened to make her behave so strangely.

Ollie is relieved that Zatanna's attraction to him was all part of an accidental spell, or so he would think.  Zatanna doesn't want Ollie thinking it was entirely an accident and she pulls him in for another kiss before she leaves.

Green Arrow slumps into his chair to dwell on this latest revelation.  That's when Dinah--who had left to calm down, if you remember--comes back dressed as Black Canary and kicks Ollie's door down!

First, how awesome is Nick Cardy's cover to this issue!  Forget Kryptonite, Superman's real weakness is the threat of tooth decay!!!  As for this story, like oh-so many Silver and Bronze Age adventures, it was silly and somewhat nonsensical but so much damn fun.

Zatanna looks great in her classic stage magician costume, so much better than either of the costumes she would wear as a member of the Justice League of America in the late '70s and early '80s.  Dinah, too, looks sexy as always regardless of what outfit and hair she's sporting.  I'm not always a fan of Dick Dillin's work, but I have no real complaints about it in this story.

Even though Dinah is shunted off to the side for this story and only appears as Black Canary after the action is over, she does have an unexpectedly large role in this story.  It's flattering, as a fan of the character and her physical prowess, to see how highly Black Canary's martial arts skills are thought of by Zatanna and Green Arrow.  It's a nice validation of the character who hasn't had much to do in the Action Comics backups so far that Dinah is a master hand-to-hand combatant and that a real super-powered magic user would try to emulate that in battle.

The one lingering question I have, though: Why the hell did Zatanna turn one of the robbers into a wolf?  Wolves can still be freaking dangerous if scared or threatened; why not turn him into a rabbit or a guinea pig?

Come back next Monday for another tale of Green Arrow and Black Canary in Action Comics...