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Recently announced by DC Comics, Tom King is teaming up with superstar artist Ryan Sook on a six-issue mini series focused on Black Canary to determine who is the best hand to hand fighter in the DC Universe. From the press release below we can see that her primary foe will be Lady Shiva.
It comes as no surprise that Shiva will be the antagonist as she has long been regarded as one of the best fighters in the entirety of the DC Universe. Black Canary on the other hand, is not generally in the top five most formidable fighters if you ask most DC fans. Perhaps if you are only talking about females, her name might be mentioned. I think most DC fans familiar with these characters are much more likely to mention Cassandra Cain or the aforementioned Lady Shiva.
I think this preconceptions when it comes to Black Canary are exactly the reason she is a great choice for King and Sook. Rather than the expected, they have a chance to surprise and provide growth and context to Dinah.
At various times in the Gail Simone run of Birds of Prey, the concept of Black Canary as an extremely skilled fighter was definitely put forth, so this idea isn’t unheard of. Though DC did go out of their way to point out that this new series will not be a part of the All In continuity. The presumption being that this will be a Black Label book, much like many of King’s past works with various artists.
Titles such as Mister Miracle, Strange Adventures, Human Target and the soon to launch Jenny Sparks mini series are all out of continuity Black Label titles that allow King more freedom to tell well-received stories. With the exception of Jenny Sparks, which has not had the chance for fan feedback yet, the titles have all been met with commercial and critical acclaim. With the incredible art of Ryan Sook, the expectation is that this Black Canary series will be similarly received.
The question does remain however, if the assertion of Canary as one of the best hand to hand fighters generates controversy, this series may not be as well-received as some of King’s previous out of continuity work. As the saying goes, there is no such thing as bad press, so it is entirely possible that any online discourse about presenting Canary as possible the most formidable fight in the DCU rivaling Lady Shiva, will only have a positive effect on sales. There may be people that pick up the series just to see how the claim that Canary could best Shiva could possible me true. Only time will tell and you can decide for yourself starting on November 27th, when issue #1 hits comic shops. The full DC press release can be seen below.
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Black Canary: Best of the Best – Tom King and Ryan Sook Go All In to Create A Brand-New Series Featuring
DC’s Bare-Knuckle Brawler!
Available for Preorder Beginning Friday, August 16
Debut Issue Available at Comic Book Shops and Participating Digital Retailers
Wednesday, November 27
Black Canary has earned a reputation as one of the most lethal hand-to-hand fighters in the DC Universe. Combined with her trademark Canary Cry, she’s a force to be reckoned with. This November, award-winning writer Tom King and artist Ryan Sook are preparing Black Canary for the match of the millennium in an all new six-issue series, Black Canary: Best of the Best.
“I’ve been wanting to tell this story for a few years, and I’m really excited for fans to see what Ryan and I have planned for Dinah,” said King. “He’s got the perfect art style for this series, and fans will feel every punch and kick thrown from the first issue to the finale.”
Black Canary faces her toughest opponent yet, Lady Shiva, in a battle to determine who is the single greatest hand-to-hand fighter in the DC Universe. To make it to the final round, Black Canary will need all her fighting skill and ability, plus additional training from some of DC’s most accomplished fighters, including Batman, Wildcat, and even her mother, the original Black Canary!
This action-packed series features a main cover by series artist Ryan Sook, plus an impressive roster of variant covers, including a striking wraparound cover by Otto Schmidt (DC vs. Vampires, DC vs. Vampires: World War V), spotlighting various versions of Black Canary from across the DC Universe. Additional variant covers are provided by David Nakayama, Chrissie Zullo, and Dan Hipp. Contact participating comic book shops for availability and preordering. Black Canary: Best of the Best #1 arrives at comic book shops and participating digital retailers Wednesday, November 27.
For the latest updates on Black Canary: Best of the Best and everything DC, follow @DCOfficial on social media, and check out the official DC website at https://www.dc.com. Readers on the go can experience a vast selection of DC stories featuring Black Canary, as well as fantastic stories from Tom King and Ryan Sook at the DC Universe Infinite digital subscription platform (DCUI). For more details and a free trial, visit the DCUI website at https://dcuniverseinfinite.com. DCUI is not available in all countries and is not intended for children.
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