Things jump up to the next level for the notorious band named Black Canary as they continue rambunctious tour across the country. With tar aliens, government agencies, mysterious ninjas, scorned lead singers, and rabid fans causing hell for the band, any moment of rest and relaxation is welcomed by them with open arms. However, wherever Black Canary goes, trouble is sure to follow.
It’s nice to see that the band can get through their sets without destroying the venue. Black Canary continue their traveling tour amidst all the chaos that has plagued the band since their formation. Kurt, Dinah’s former lover/partner stuck around so he could help provide protection for the group. It appears that the band had found some sort of normalcy lately, but Kurt’s not so sure. There’s still quite a lot going on concerning Dinah and Ditto I’m sure we’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg.
I’d like to take this moment to clear up something or at least get something clarified. I really thought the Black Canary’s drummer, Lord Byron was a male. Byron’s face appeared feminine in a few panels here and there, depending who drew him and at what angle. He wears eyeliner, but a lot of rock stars have as well. Byron did kiss a male fan who came to see them so I assumed that he was proudly gay. That still may be the case, but I’m pretty sure that Lord Byron is actually female. Dinah closes the show stating how much she admired the ladies in her band, not to mention, Byron’s mom and sister show up when they visit her and Paloma’s hometown. On Byron’s mom’s shirt is an old picture of Byron (with long pigtail braids) in her high school band and the shirt reads “LORD BYRON FAN CLUB”. Now I could be wrong because the shirt doesn’t exactly look like Byron, but I doubt that her mother would just have some random teen on her shirt that’s meant to celebrate her daughter. Either way, I just wanted to clear that up, because I’ve most definitely referred to Byron as a guy and apparently, that’s not the case. So, sorry about that.
One thing that’s notable in this issue is how tight knit the group has become. The constant threats to their safety and their time on the road sure has brought them all together. They even share a few laughs over a campfire as they spend the night under the stars (the funds the label gave them for travel expenses have run out). But, as I mentioned above, trouble always follows Black Canary. The mysterious white clad female ninja appears again, this time sticking Dinah with a needle. The ninjas appearance is very interesting because she never states what her business is, and as the reader, we’re just as confused as to where her allegiance lies. She saved Ditto when she was taken by Bo and tells Dinah that she took something out when she stuck her with the needle rather than injecting something. Dinah was pretty surprised by the ninjas moves which leads to her being caught off guard, allowing the ninja to escape. Putting together some context clues and relying on my detective skills that I’ve picked up from the Bat & Co., I’ve formed a bit of speculation about a few things going on in Dinah’s world.
Pia Guerra is still tasked with the pencils for the issue and they look great. The expected style that was initially set up by Annie Wu is still there and fits the tone of the title, and Pia makes the panels look great, especially on close ups. Pia receives some help for two pages towards the end from artist Sandy Jarrell. I imagine it was to get the pages done quickly because the panels are mostly from a far off point of view with some detailed facial expressions on the last page that Jarrell does. The quality slipped a little bit here, but not too much and definitely isn’t off putting. There’s a cool moment that I picked up on regarding Dinah and her foes. There’s a fight sequence that shows the ninja pulling off these quick fancy moves. That same type of sequence is shown when singer Bo Maeve takes the stage with her new band. These two women are basically Dinah’s foils and may be her equals in terms of moves and capabilities. Great to see that type of storytelling through visuals.
Recommended if:
- You enjoy the band aspect because it’s really being used great here
- Youre curious about Dinah, Ditto, and the white-clad ninja
- You’re interested in more character development
Overall:
The title is very fun and has a few comical moments throughout. I wasn’t sure how the book would fare when it was first announced, but I look forward to the issue whenever it’s released. This issue did well at keeping my attention and having me guessing as to what will happen next. There’s definitely something fishy going on, and as of now, it could be linked to a number of people. Kurt seems to be protective over Dinah, but there’s still an air of suspicion around him. Of course, Bo is going to be a problem, but I think her part in all of this is straightforward. I’m waiting to see more about the ninja, Ditto, and surprisingly Paloma. She’s always had a few snarky comments to say about the entire situation, plus she didn’t seem to bothered that no family or friends showed up to their recent gig in her hometown. Very suspect. Also, the band aspect is making things interesting. With next issue’s Battle of the Bands occurring, socks and skulls are bound to be rocked.
SCORE: 8 / 10
