A comiXologist Recommends

Black Canary #9, by Matthew Rosenberg and Moritat

Have you heard of the most dangerous band in the world? Against all odds Black Canary has reunited! Following a perilous debut tour, the band has brought their unique flavor of post-punk-pop overseas. Mysteriously, lead singer D.D. is missing in action & has been replaced by the band’s original lead singer, Bo Meave. Can the band still pack the same punch without her? Berlin is about to find out. But be warned concert goers, their stateside gigs all ended in broken bones and bloodshed. Expect appearances by aliens, ninjas and/or government black ops. All ticket sales are final.

The deep love I have for this series cannot be understated. Writer Brenden Fletcher & artist Annie Wu’s inspired reimagining of Black Canary has been met with critical acclaim. Their fresh take reintroduces readers to one of DC’s fiercest and most beloved heroes: Dinah Lance. Issue #7 saw the conclusion of the first story-arc and the temporary departure of Annie Wu. Brenden Fletcher continues as writer for Issue #8, diving headfirst into a new arc intent on exploring Dinah’s murky past and the band’s shaky future. Issue #9, released on Wednesday, is a stand-alone story set in the past. Written by Matthew Rosenberg with art by Mortar, it is a welcomed break from the relentless pacing of the arcs so far. Although this tale does not propel the main-storyline forward, it provides us with another small glimpse into the pre-super-stardom life of Dinah Lance & crew.  

This series it not to be missed. Do yourself a favor and pick up Black Canary Vol. 1: Kicking and Screaming to see how this rock-and-roll adventure began. But before you do head over to Black Canary’s bandcamp page and pick up their official EP. It rocks just as hard as you’d imagine it would, channeling some serious 80s new-wave/punk vibes and doing Siouxsie and the Banshees proud. Long live the new queen of rock and roll.

Michael Crowe is comiXology’s master of digital assets.