Black Canary’s most recent arc ends on a high note. Literally.* Brenden Fletcher’s story takes Dinah in a new direction, and instead of beating up bad guys as Black Canary, she’s been recruited as the lead singer of a band and beats up bad guys as the mysterious D.D. Black Canary #7 ties up most loose ends and answers questions that have been hanging over the reader’s (and Dinah’s) head.

Black Canary isn’t the deepest or most involved story, but Fletcher’s story and Annie Wu’s art result in an incredibly fun comic about friendship and family. Dinah originally says she’s touring with Black Canary mostly for the paycheck, with the end goal of rebuilding her personal life: her family, friends, and dojo. However, recent events seem to hint that this may no longer be the case. Black Canary #7 brings closure to Ditto’s story without revealing too much about where Dinah is heading in her personal life. It also sets up the focus for the next arc, which appears to be the white ninja that has been following Dinah since the band’s gig in Byron and Paloma’s hometown, Wainfleet.

The end of this storyline is satisfying. It doesn’t leave readers hanging or string them along. It reveals only enough about the next arc to tease the story, and to keep readers guessing. Fans won’t have to wait too long, though–Black Canary won’t skip a beat in its publishing schedule, and #8 is slated for release on February 10, and Black Canary: Kicking and Screaming, collecting issues 1-7, will be released in March.

Both Brenden Fletcher and Annie Wu will return for #8. They work well as a team, and Wu’s art lends distinctly human and modern qualities to the characters. Their facial expressions are incredibly realistic (especially when fighting) instead of passive. Dinah and Bo Maeve both wear fashionable, popular clothing, a detail which is lacking in so many other popular comics (save for, perhaps, Babs Tarr’s Batgirl art.)

Black Canary is a fun comic to read, and will hopefully continue in this punk but enjoyable direction in the future.

*I’m only kind of sorry for the terrible pun.

Story: Brenden Fletcher Art: Annie Wu
Story: 7.7 Art: 9.5 Overall: 8.6 Recommendation: Read