Black Canary Appreciation 2021

[Primal Slayer]

I don't think Dinah needs a secret identity, per se, but it would be nice to see her (and pretty much every other hero these days) off the clock once in awhile. It seems like every DC character is in costume 24/7 these days, and has been for a long time.

Like Tzigone said, I miss seeing Dinah work a 9-5. And Ollie making chili for the JL, and Kyle Rayner having coffee at Radu's, and... well, the list goes on and on.

Id be fine with her not having a secret identity but I feel like that story potential of seeing how they interact with the public is a squandered storyline.

[Hypo]

DEATHSTROKE INC. #2
Writer: JOSHUA WILLIAMSON
Artist: HOWARD PORTER
Cover: HOWARD PORTER
Variant Cover: FRANCESCO MATTINA
$3.99 US | 32 PGS | $4.99 US VARIANT (Card Stock)
ON SALE 10/26/21

Deathstroke in…SPACE?!
The secret organization T.R.U.S.T assigns Deathstroke’s new team an over-the-top mission: head into deep space and stop Cyborg Superman from spreading his consciousness to every machine in the Multiverse! But as they battle the dangers of space, Black Canary begins to uncover the truth about T.R.U.S.T and exactly why they want to control Deathstroke…

[Tzigone]

Yeah that's always boring to me with DC. I like my heroes to have civilian lives.

Me too. I mean, there are a few exceptions (Elongated Man, for example), but as a general rule, I like secret identities. Sometimes now, they feel like they aren't a part of the world anymore, but some separate, parallel society that does stuff to or for the population, but doesn't actually interact with them. Like they operate in "our" world, but don't live in it. I like them to have friends and families and go to movies and football games and parties (for fun, not for a cover) and have jobs and pay bills and buy bread and for ordinary individual people to matter to them in a personal sense (family and friends).

[John Venus]

What was the name of the flower shop before it was called 'Sherwood Florist'?

I think Dinah definitely needs something to ground her. If she is not with the Birds of Prey or Justice League or hanging off of Ollie's shoulders, she's just this 'fighter chick'. A secret identity and day job she can call hers can definitely add to the character. Nobody remembers that she is a detective either.

[Tzigone]

What was the name of the flower shop before it was called 'Sherwood Florist'?

Early on it was just "Dinah Drake Flowers" (the Flash #95). In Action Comics #421/#426 (1973), it's Pretty Bird Flower Shoppe. Not sure if she's ever used another name for any of her shops.

[MajorHoy]

Early on it was just "Dinah Drake Flowers" (the Flash #95).

From the story originally in Flash Comics #95, courtesy of the diversionsofthegroovykind.blogspot site,


However, in the story that was in the previous month's Flash Comics #94 they showed:


And in case you missed it,

[Tzigone]

Has Dinah ever had any civilian friends? I mean, totally out game, no heroics? Not love interests, just friends. Especially any that don't know she's Black Canary? Any era.

[Robanker]

I miss the flower shop.

In my head, she still runs it with her band being a weekend thing she does sometimes.

The more we push these characters to being superheroes 100% of the time, the less interesting they are.

[MajorHoy]

In my head, she still runs it with her band being a weekend thing she does sometimes.

The more we push these characters to being superheroes 100% of the time, the less interesting they are.

I think one of the problems is that in "modern" comic book writing styles, there's less space/time to devote to characters private lives unless they're a solo title character like Batman and Superman. When you're a character like Black Canary who's a team member that doesn't even have her own solo feature anywhere, when do you explore that character's private life? And who on the team loses exposure while you focus on another character's private life?

[Primal Slayer]

I think one of the problems is that in "modern" comic book writing styles, there's less space/time to devote to characters private lives unless they're a solo title character like Batman and Superman. When you're a character like Black Canary who's a team member that doesn't even have her own solo feature anywhere, when do you explore that character's private life? And who on the team loses exposure while you focus on another character's private life?

I think in those cases, you create the story where it involves multiple characters interacting in their civilian lives. How do Oliver/Dinah get along with the likes of Clark/Lois as regular people as opposed to super hero teammates? Are Oliver/Bruce competitive in the lifestlyes of the rich and famous? Do Dinah/Kendra grab coffee? What does Hippolyta do in her downtime now that she is in Mans world and not governing over her people? Is that a lonely life? Is she visiting friends?

[Tzigone]

I think in those cases, you create the story where it involves multiple characters interacting in their civilian lives. How do Oliver/Dinah get along with the likes of Clark/Lois as regular people as opposed to super hero teammates? Are Oliver/Bruce competitive in the lifestlyes of the rich and famous? Do Dinah/Kendra grab coffee? What does Hippolyta do in her downtime now that she is in Mans world and not governing over her people? Is that a lonely life? Is she visiting friends?

While that's all well and fine for giving access to private lives, it's still so very insular, with heroes having their own separate, parallel society instead of interacting withe muggles. I really want to feel like the heroes are part of our world, not just living in it. I don't like how far they've grown from the people, from having ordinary lives, etc.

[Robanker]

I think one of the problems is that in "modern" comic book writing styles, there's less space/time to devote to characters private lives unless they're a solo title character like Batman and Superman. When you're a character like Black Canary who's a team member that doesn't even have her own solo feature anywhere, when do you explore that character's private life? And who on the team loses exposure while you focus on another character's private life?

You're right, but with Dinah in particular she's often the co-lead of the Green Arrow book and that's easily done by having her dialogue moments take place while she's tending to the flower shop. Ollie drops in to visit, buys her some flowers because he thinks he's being charming but is more of a dork doing so, maybe he drops off some chili and they discuss whatever the arc requires. I think she's one of the few who could realistically have a civilian life back given how heavily she features in books with smaller casts (GA, at times BoP).

Someone like Alan Scott running his radio broadcast company or being an engineer in his youth will get perhaps a panel or two at best. Dinah's an exception, as she always has been.

[Tzigone]

Ollie drops in to visit, buys her some flowers because he thinks he's being charming but is more of a dork doing so,

I'd rather an Ollie who comes by to be charming and is charming. He can be awesome, too. He doesn't need to be diminished (lord knows I have problems with the things that have often been done with him). I'd like to see the character get back to being awesome instead of being Dinah's pity boyfriend. He's not a buffoon (at least at his best), and I don't like seeing him diminished anymore than I'd like dork Dinah, who think she's sexy but isn't. Neither one is "settling" - they're both awesome. At least, when written as I like. A lot of people seem to want to make the men with strong women a little bit losers, who just don't deserve said woman's attention, and I don't like it.

I get not shipping them - plenty of reason for that. But I don't get wanting them to be together and her to be doing him a favor by being with him.

[MajorHoy]

You're right, but with Dinah in particular she's often the co-lead of the Green Arrow book and that's easily done by having her dialogue moments take place while she's tending to the flower shop. Ollie drops in to visit, buys her some flowers because he thinks he's being charming but is more of a dork doing so, maybe he drops off some chili and they discuss whatever the arc requires. I think she's one of the few who could realistically have a civilian life back given how heavily she features in books with smaller casts (GA, at times BoP).

But when did she last get good exposure like that?

She's in Justice League and in Deathstroke Inc. these days.
Does Ollie have his own book or at least feature these days? Does Dinah?
What you're suggesting won't work in her current situations.

[Robanker]

But when did she last get good exposure like that?

She's in Justice League and in Deathstroke Inc. these days.
Does Ollie have his own book or at least feature these days? Does Dinah?
What you're suggesting won't work in her current situations.

Sure, but the solution is simple! Green Arrow/Black Canary launches in November. I'm willing it into existence!