Birds of Prey #14: Black Canary Mystery Solved

By August Tales

For nearly ten years, Dinah Lance has been straddling between being a rock star and waving her crime fighting flag as Black Canary. However, her musical prowess has been a contentious subject among writers. Some writers paint her as a niche performer barely filling up Gotham City punk bars while others project her as a superstar rivaling Lady Gaga or Taylor Swift.

A Glimpse into Black Canary’s Stardom

Enter Birds of Prey #14, the inaugural book of the series set in the DC All-In timeline, which offers a compelling answer. The creative minds behind this book are Kelly Thompson and Sami Basri, handling the script and art respectively. The issue predominantly focuses on an undercover mission of mercy.

In the quest to rectify their recent misdemeanors against the Amazons, our heroes help investigate a shady corporation named the Ninth Day. Queen Nubia of the Amazons suspects the company of several abductions, including those of the Amazons.

Unconventional Espionage, Birds of Prey Style

Cassandra Cain, otherwise known as Batgirl, steps into an unfamiliar terrain as she goes undercover as an assassin for hire, expressing interest in working for the Ninth Day. Despite her lack of eloquence, she pulls it off. The question left hanging in the air, however, is why Cassandra was sent on the risky mission instead of the more experienced Black Canary.

A Fame Too Bright for the Shadows

The apparent answer to this puzzle unfolds in a dialogue between Black Canary and Oracle. As they co-ordinate the operation from Dinah Lance’s dojo, Dinah expresses her discontent about being side-lined. Oracle counters with a perspective Dinah hadn’t considered, that her widespread recognition might jeopardize the covert operation.

Unmasking a Superstar Singer

Although there are countless ways Black Canary could disguise herself, this acknowledgement of her stardom finally puts to bed the question of Dinah Lance’s fame level. Regardless of her laissez-faire attitude towards maintaining a secret identity, she is now seemingly ranked among superstar singers. Clearly, fame has its downsides for a superhero who’s required to operate under the radar.