There’s no business like show business! That phrase rings true when you see the things people will do and/or go through for a taste of the limelight. The feeling can become addictive. Regardless, one should always choose their friends wisely. They can either help you in your time of need, or assist in your downfall.
This month’s Black Canary takes a closer look into the life and mindset of eccentric singer, Bo Maeve. Former lead singer of the band before being replaced by Dinah, Bo decided that she had a taste for revenge and retribution. She quickly snatched up Ditto, the mute guitarist after overhearing a conversation about her between Dinah and Kurt. With Ditto being the youngest in the group, and having numerous people and things come after her already, it’s only natural that Dinah Drake goes on a rampage looking for any whereabouts of their missing member. It really shows how bold and naïve Bo is for crossing D.D., especially at a time such as this.
The issue is very Bo-centric, which I was a little unsure about, but as the story progressed I thought it worked really well. Maeve takes a trip down memory lane to explain her passion for music to Ditto who I’m not even sure realized she was being kidnapped. The story helps bring some life into the world of Black Canary because for the most part, everyone’s history has been a mystery. Well technically, only Canary’s past has been a mystery, but no other character has had their stories examined. Her tale illustrates how she really had to work hard to rise from under her parents’ thumb to make a name for herself. She was very proud of that, and for her to have her success stripped away from her and given to someone else who didn’t work half as hard or perform to perfection like her hurt deeply. Bo was her own worst enemy to her success by being very difficult to work with, but everyone needs a target for their frustrations. Here came this amateur who didn’t move as graciously as Bo did, nor have that natural pizazz that she possessed. Yet, they offered her Bo’s coveted position because of her out of this world talent, the Canary Cry. Once she heard that Canary received her ability from Ditto, Bo saw that as a chance to even the playing field between her and Dinah, and reclaim her spot. Bo’s reminiscent scenes did well to contrast her to Dinah, but also sympathize with the feisty artist, even if only slightly.
The leads Dinah has been following to find Ditto have grown cold as Bo Maeve links up with the co-conspirator of the kidnapping. The arc takes a sharp turn to bring in some more intrigue to a story that presents more questions than answers. These pages really piqued my interest, and got me excited and anxious to try and figure out what’s going on.
I’ve gotten use to Annie Wu’s panels going along with the Fletcher’s writing for this title and I enjoy it a lot now. Guest artist Pia Guerra filled in for Eu this issue, and the results were great. She stayed true to the style that’s been established for the title and knocked it out of the park. I like the liberty that this book can take with the illustrations since it’s not as serious in terms of tone or appearance. One issue that I do have that probably doesn’t bother most others are the the choice of colors throughout each issue. For the most part, they go well with the frames, then all of a sudden, a panel is highlighter yellow or blue. Some of the color choices are weird or unnecessary to me, but I guess they correlate to the mood of the scene.
Recommended if:
- You’re following Black Canary
- You want to find out more about the connection between Ditto and Dinah
- You enjoy a little mystery and intrigue
Overall:
This issue focused on Canary and the band the least, but I felt it was still one of the stronger issues. Getting some background on a character proved to be a nice touch for the story. The events that occurred also set up the book for the long run for some of these loose threads to play out. Luckily for Ditto, she has some great friends that will go to the ends of the Earth looking for her. Miss Tavana aka Bo Maeve might want to look into getting herself a good support system around her because she’s not making the best of decisions. There’s still more questions than answers, but that has me coming back for more. I’m really digging this title and looking forward to it more and more.
SCORE: 8.5/10
