BLACK CANARY #3
Written by Brenden Fletcher
Art by Annie Wu and Lee Loughridge
Published by DC Comics
Release Date: August 19, 2015
Find yourself a chair. Sit down. Read Black Canary #3. If you do things in that order, you might be okay. But if you forget step one or two, you might just fall over stunned at how big of an issue Black Canary #3 is. In fact, this issue is so big, it’s hard to believe it’s only the third issue in this new series. The ramifications for this new installment will leave fans, both new and old, clamoring for issue four. Even without the big plot developments, this issue has rock and roll, epic fight scenes, and moving moments – there’s a little something for everyone.
Black Canary #3 finds Dinah and Co. on the road protecting the youngest bandmate, the mysterious Ditto. Dinah is reunited with an old flame as a group of baddies tries to take Ditto and Dinah. No matter how much Black Canary cries in this issue, things are so utterly bad by the last page, there might not be happy ending for the group.
There’s no denying that Brenden Fletcher exploded into the DCU with his army of hard-hitting, emotionally crushing, and oh-so-wonderful new series. What Fletcher’s doing here in Black Canary, however, just shows how versatile his style really is. Black Canary is all about bone-crushing smack down fights, written with a page-turning speed to match any high profile super-brawl. But Fletcher also manages to capture some incredibly tender moments, like Dinah’s flashbacks and her compassion for those around her. On top of that, he presents some incredible plot movement that begs a constant “what happens next?” The dialogue is frequently captivating; there’s something to be said when the words can pull you from the action, and set you right back in with ease. With that being said, the ending felt a little abrupt, and the last page loses a little bit of the steam the rest of the book does such a great job building up.
While the flow of the story is breath-taking, it’s hard to imagine this book given life by anyone other than Annie Wu. I fell in love with Wu on her Hawkeye-not-the-hawkguy issues of Fraction’s Hawkeye series, and what she does here is somehow even more incredible. This book requires so much movement and yet, Wu captures every step and punch with a magical grace. Her open style leaves room for so much emotion, often provided by Lee Loughridge’s vivid colors. Wu and Lee let the characters move themselves around a page, creating a gorgeous progression and kinetic energy. Just pay attention to how beautifully Dinah’s hair flows in this book, and you’ll understand just how thoughtful their work is. However, perhaps because this book is so fast-paced, some of the characters get lost in the scenes, and consistency between panels is sometimes disjointed. It’s not enough to break the flow of the book, but makes tracking background characters a little more difficult.
Black Canary #3 is a book not to be missed. If you haven’t been reading this series, now might be a great time to pick it up, right as the plot shifts into high gear. The concept in this book is so incredibly fitting, it’s hard to imagine a world in which Dinah wasn’t the lead singer in a band, superheroing along her tour. Everything about this book works, and my biggest complaint is that it isn’t long enough.
The Verdict: 8.5/10