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…
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).
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.
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.What was the name of the flower shop before it was called 'Sherwood Florist'?
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,
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.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 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.