Black Canary is Dead. Sort Of. Okay, Not Really.

In Wonder Woman 309 we discover that the Black Canary is dead… sort of. Okay, not really. The first splash page makes this blatant claim by a woman in Black Canary’s body and wrapped in Wonder Woman’s lasso (which forces people to tell the truth) but then we turn the page and, as expected, it was a lie. She saw someone take her away and she just assumed that she was dead. I expected more from DC. At least in the older Superman comics, they would wait until the end of the story to admit the story was hogwash. In Wonder Woman 309, we find out on page 2!

Basically some psycho doctor guy, who was one of those Nazis to study on children during the second world war, has discovered a way to harness telepathic abilities. He plans to exploit the mental abilities in kids to give himself ESP and telekinesis. The ironic part is that, although clearly intended to be an evil plan, it seems like a brilliant and ripe idea, fresh for the taking. I mean, who can resist giving themselves such powers?

Truth be told, the main story is a story told so poorly that it comes off as exciting as a tin can. Ironically, the secondary story is far more dramatic. The Huntress finds some people trying to sell a baby on the street. So what does she do? She kicks the buyers in the stomach and face. Am I the only one who thinks this is ridiculous? She catches people committing a totally non-violent crime and she decides to make them puke their spleen. And oh yeah, she does these kicks while holding a baby in her arms.

So what else is so special about Wonder Woman 309, you wonder? Well the main story is illustrated by long-time series artist Don Heck for one, who makes wonderful original artwork (and we have seen some interesting artwork indeed in the past) and is an artist who we cannot pass up. He sure knows how to draw one Black Canary bombshell, that’s for sure!

If you like Don Heck’s work, there is a great book showcasing his wonderful drawings that is now available.