When it comes to heroines, this is one interesting one.
The release of the recent DC movie has us thinking Black Canary would be the perfect heroine to focus on this month and share our thoughts on her.
For starters, we will not be discussing the character from the new Birds of Prey. We will focus the origins of her in the comic book world as Dinah Drake.
Brief History
She first appeared in Flash Comics #86 in August 1947 and was created by Robert Kanigher and Carmine Infanitino as a supporting character in the Johnny Thunder backup story. Readers were under the assumption she was a villain until it was realized she was undercover. She earned her first title series in 1948 where her background was fleshed out.
Over the years, fans would see her pair up with numerous heroes, like Batman and the Justice league. One of her more successful series were the Birds of Prey where she teamed up with Oracle.
Over her history, the character had a history with Green Arrow that was filled with ups and downs. But the most intriguing story arc for her was in the Bronze Age: Earth One – Snowbirds Don’t Fly. It centered around her taking care of Roy Harper as he battled his addiction to heroin. It brought a real world situation into the comic world.
Positives
Sure she has various martial arts skills and the Canary Cry but the biggest thing we like about her is the personality. From the way she took care of Roy to how she dealt with others in her life. Each time she showed she was strong enough to move forward as her own women.
Negatives
The costume. Yes, while we do like the original design, it feels off. We do like the small changes they have moved in recent years but we know how some fans react. Perhaps we can continue to see her uniform evolve.
Best Villain
We took our time sifting through the story arcs and landed on the villain Prometheus. He continually pops up in Star city and causes havoc in her life. Whether it is severing Roy Harper’s arm or killing his daughter, he has an impact on her life. Eventually his life is ended by Ollie but he left a lasting impression on her.
Overall
At times the heroine may had been treated more as a backdrop. We feel she had a lot more to give the comic world and could become a bigger part of it. Perhaps with the new Birds of Prey movie, we will see this take place.
