DC Comics released Birds of Prey #24 today with the cover featuring Black Canary, Batgirl, Big Barda and Sin. Vixen, Harley Quinn and John Constantine also appears. Here's the official summery: "The Shadow Army has had the upper hand from the jump, but the jump is long past, and the Birds are ready to get their people back and throw down like it’s personal. And yeah, it is."
This issue also features a three-page Worlds Collide chapter with Batgirl, Wonder Woman, Catwoman and Nightwing.
Out now is New History of the DC Universe #1 from DC Comics: "Learn the definitive history of the DC Universe! In celebration of 90 years of DC, super fan and writer Mark Waid turns back time to the very beginning of the DC Universe in a four-issue miniseries drawn by some of DC’s greatest artists and told by the newest chronicler of time, Barry Allen, the Flash! In our debut issue, Barry takes us from the very birth of the DC Universe to the rise of the Justice Society. The Golden Age of heroes begins here!"
Just look at all the superheroes on the wraparound cover that includes Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Unknown Soldier, Sandman, Wildcat, Green Lantern, Flash, Black Canary, Dr. Fate, Vigilante, Zatara, Aquaman, Spectre, Amazing-Man and Hawkgirl.
Happy Mother's Day and we continue with a look at the Black Canary: Best of the Best mini-series from DC Comics. Issue four has a great cover featuring Dinah Lance aka Black Canary kissing Oliver Queen aka Green Arrow. The issue starts with Hal Jordan aka Green Lantern talking and having a beer with Oliver. The fight between Lady Shiva and Black Canary continues with round four. Ted Grant aka Wildcat is taken away in an ambulance after being beaten by Lady Shiva. There is a flashback with him introducing a young Dinah to Oliver in his gym and it did not go smoothly. In another flashback, Dinah is having shots with her mom as they talk about Ollie.
Both Black Canaries are in their costumes on the cover of issue five. This issue starts off with a flashback of the mother in a hospital bed with her daughter sitting nearby in a chair. In the present, found five of the battle between Lady Shiva and Black Canary starts. Flashback to both Black Canaries in costumes talking after taking down a purse snatcher. There are some great flashback scenes at the hospital. The first being Dinah and Ollie hugging in the waiting room. The second shows her hugging her mom in the hospital room.
The sixth and final issue of Black Canary: Best of the Best mini-series starts with Vandal Savage visiting the young Dinah in the hospital. She tells him that her mother is dying. They talk about his cure for her and how she has to take a dive in the sixth round. The fight between Lady Shiva and Black Canary continue with the former pulling the blonde wig off the latter. There is a flashback of young Dinah talking to herself and losing it. The end of the fight is epic but so is the aftermath.
DC Comics released Black Canary: Best of the Best in November 2024. The following ad was in that issue and promised Lady Shiva vs. Black Canary.
Lady Shiva does start fighting Black Canary in the first issue. What surprised me the most was that the original Black Canary also appears.
Issue two continues the fight between Lady Shiva and Black Canary with flashbacks of the latter being trained by her mother. There are also flashbacks of a young Dinah when her mother was active as Black Canary. We also get to see her dad, Larry Lance, who is a cop.
Issue three opens with Ted Grant aka Wildcat being interviewed ringside. He has also been in Black Canary's fight with Lady Shiva. Batman pops up in a flashback and becomes Dinah's sparring partner. Green Arrow and Vandal Savage appears in another flashback. In the present day, Ted Grant attacks Lady Shiva in the ring when Black Canary goes down.
Fire & Ice: When Hell Freezes Over #1 from DC Comics is a sequel to Fire & Ice: Welcome To Smallville. The issue starts in New Kooey, Kansas, which is "a landlocked tropical island five miles from Smallville." The hair saloon called The Mane Event is on fire thanks to Ice Sneezing. Fire tries to put it out with her ice powers but the robot, L-Ron, shows up with a fire extinguisher. Yes, you read that right for the Amazo robots had switched their powers. Zatanna, Black Canary, Doctor Light and Martha Kent also appear. If you enjoyed Fire & Ice: Welcome To Smallville then you will like Fire & Ice: When Hell Freezes Over.
The cover of DC vs. Vampires: World War V #3 features Damian Wayne as vampire Robin fighting vampire Captain Marvel with the help of Batman, who is supposed to be dead. The issue opens up with vampire Scott and Barda then shifts to vampire Wonder Woman fighting Green Lantern Alfred. We then see vampires Aquaman and Gorilla Grodd having their discussion interrupted by a mysterious woman. The scene shifts again to Green Arrow and his merry band consisting of Zealot, Killer Croc, Wildcat and Black Canary capturing starving vampires and trying to question them. The scene shifts to Ghost-Maker reporting in as he tries to find Mister Miracle. Then we shift back to Green Arrow and friends as the questioning goes south.
Finally, we get to Robin and his army of vampires attacking a semi-truck. They get a big surprise as vampires Wonder Girl, Captain Marvel and Raven fly out of the truck's trailer and attack. They are joined by vampire Batwoman, who sacrifices herself. There is an interlude with Black Canary talking with John Constantine. We then switch back to an injured Damian as he is joined by Batman, who unmasks and reveals who he really is. Unfortunately, we have to wait until next issue to find out who is wearing the Batsuit this time. Yeah, there is a lot going on in this issue and it's pretty fast paced.
The backup story features Bat-Mite as Geo-Force's new sidekick. That doesn't last long and he searches for a new superhero to annoy. He ends up being Afred-Mite.
Wonder Woman #11 is out today from DC Comics and is an Absolute Power tie-in. The issue starts with Wonder Woman playing Go Fish with Billy Batson, Mary Batson, Bobo the Detective Chimp, John Constantine, Jim Corrigan and Madam Xanadu. When an Amazo robot shows up, Billy turns into the Captain (yes, he's still Captain Marvel to me), Mary turns in Mary Marvel and Jim turns into the Spectre. The back up feature is part 8 of "World's Finest" that finds the Super Sons, Damian Wayne aka Robin and Jon Kent aka Superboy, going to see a Black Canary concert with Lizzie Prince aka Wonder Girl. No, I haven't been following this feature, but I might have to now.
Yes, I saved this DC Comics Ooshies Black Canary Classic pencil topper for this week's Women Wednesday post. She does have the blue fishnet stockings and half-jacket. Not surprisingly, she is the only female pencil topper that I have found so far. Might be time to get more mystery bags.
Christmas may be over but Batman/Santa Claus: Silent Knight #4 is now out from DC Comics. The cover features Batman, Robin, Santa Claus and Krampus. Black Canary, Batgirl, Nightwing, Green Arrow, Blue Beetle and Miss Martian help Batman and Santa Claus battle a possessed Superman and banished monsters. Meanwhile, Krampus has Robin locked in a cage in a place called the Gnome Hall. Wonder Woman, Green Lantern Jo Mullein and Hawkgirl arrive to help Batman and the gang. This is the last issue of the mini-series and the ending was great.
Hawkgirl and Wonder Woman are on the cover of Batman/Santa Claus: Silent Knight #3 from DC Comics. This makes for a great Women Wednesday post for Christmas. The issue starts with Hawkgirl, Green Lantern Jo Mullein and Wonder Woman fighting Harpies in London. Then the scene switches to Blue Beetle meeting up with Superman, Batman, Nightwing, Batgirl, Black Canary, Green Arrow, Robin and Miss Martian. Yes, this is starting to feel more like a Justice League book at this point. They are expecting Santa Claus to show up but Peppermint Jon, a Huldufolk aka an elf, shows up instead. He takes them to Norway via a portal where Santa is fighting a sea serpent named Gandr. Superman punches the beast but is excited to meet Santa. He helps him lead the beast to the secret valley while Peppermint Jon teleports the other superheroes to Greenland ahead of them. They find Krampus and attack before Santa and Superman arrive. Superman gets possessed and attacks the others before Krampus teleports away with Robin. More monsters show up thanks to Superman destroying a glacier. This sets up the next and final issue due out next week.
Don't forget that Batman/Santa Claus: Silent Knight #2 will be released this week from DC Comics. The cover features Batman, Santa Claus and Krampus. Miss Martin, Green Arrow and Black Canary appears to help Batman, Robin, Batgirl and NIghtwing fight the vampire-like Draug. Zatanna is still in a coma-like state and Santa's helpers are still looking for a special flower. A surprise guest star also shows up to help at the end.
I didn't pay much attention to the new Birds of Prey #1 that came out in September from DC Comics. Maybe it was because the new team consists of Black Canary, Batgirl (the Cassandra Cain version), Harley Quinn, Big Barda and Zealot (you remember her from WildC.A.T.S. right?). Dinah gathers the women together in order to find her sister, Sin. John Constantine shows up in Birds of Prey #2 to help out Dinah and King Shark shows up towards the end. What really drew me into the series is the cover of #3 because it has that very worn and used look to it plus the Birds look to be facing Wonder Woman. She does appear within the issue along with Green Arrow, who was last seen at the beginning of the first issue.
Birds of Prey #3 came out today and I realized that I had not posted about the Birds of Prey since 2014.
DC's Terrors Through Time is this year's treat from DC Comics. The cover features Deadman, Swamp Thing, Phantom Stranger, Poison Ivy, Robin and Superboy. Inside are eight tales of traumatizing time-travel. First up is "The Longest Night" featuring the Phantom Stranger followed by "Trick or Treat featuring the Super Sons (Damian Wayne aka Robin and Jon Kent aka Superboy). The Gotham Sirens (Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn and Catwoman) are featured in "The Pueo Promise" set in 1995 while Swamp Thing is featured in "Half-Life". Surprisingly, the Justice Society of America (Dr. Mid-Nite, Dr/ Fate. Black Canary, the Atom, Green Lantern, Hawkman and the Flash) appears in "The Midnight Hour" set in 1944 while the Green Lanterns (Kar-Von and Jan) appears in "A New Darkness" set in 2447. "Blood Lost and Found" features the Demon Etrigan while Damian Wayne returns with Deadman in "The Haunting of Wayne Manor".
