10 Best Black Canary Comics, Ranked

Black Canary is preparing to return to the spotlight during DC’s All-In initiative. Tom King and Ryan Sook’s Black Canary: Best of the Best will explore one of DC’s best fighters as she faces contenders from the DC universe for her title. The excitement for Black Canary’s new series highlights the character’s fanbase and stability as one of DC’s biggest draws.

With a great design and a fun signature attack, Black Canary was always able to garner a following. However, her personality and relationships have made her one of the most enduring heroines throughout the DC universe’s best stories. From ensemble pieces to solo series to team-up adventures, Dinah Lance has done them all and come out as cool as ever. Black Canary’s best stories showcase her capability as a heroine and enjoyable personality to prove why she’s such a great character.

10 JLA: Year One Gave Dinah a Cool Origin With the Team

JLA: Year One is a pretty unique book. Following in the footsteps of Batman: Year One, this comic explores the founding and initial journeys of the Justice League, taking off from their first appearance. However, there is one notable change. Instead of Wonder Woman rounding out the line-up, it’s Black Canary.

The addition of Black Canary adds some cool dynamics to the team in this book. Dinah Lance is, after all, the second Black Canary, and much of her arc is related to her relationship with her mother, the original version of the heroine. The writer, Mark Waid, has a lot of great Justice League stories, and this is one of his best.

9 Rebirth’s Justice League of America Positioned Dinah as a Veteran Crimefighter

The Rebirth version of the Justice League of America is a very different take on the premiere superteam. Batman founded this group to deal with smaller-scale, localized emergencies, and he brings in some interesting folks. Former villains Lobo and Killer Frost join the crew, alongside novices Ryan Choi’s Atom and the Ray. Rounding out the group are Vixen and, of course, Black Canary.

Black Canary serves as a veteran hero and de facto leader of the crew, helping Batman turn this ragtag bunch of metas into a ferocious team. This is Dinah in her element, as she marshalls the heroes against new threats. The first storyline sees the team face off with the Extremists, a group of pastiche villains based on some of Marvel’s biggest bads.

8 Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters Changes Everything for These Heroes

While it might seem weird that one of Black Canary’s most notable appearances is in a Green Arrow comic, it makes sense when looking at the two’s history. Dinah and Ollie have long been an iconic comic book couple, and this story marks a big change in their relationship. The story begins with Ollie moving to Dinah’s hometown, showing that these two have become closer than ever.

Of course, the requisite comic action ensues. Dinah and Ollie both investigate separate but related crimes, leading to a confrontation where Green Arrow kills a man to protect Black Canary. This moment would have a ripple effect on comics as a whole, and would change how both Green Arrow and Black Canary interact. This is a turning point for Green Arrow, and it nearly resulted in Dinah’s death. Plus, it is one of the best Green Arrow and Black Canary comics to date.

7 Black Canary and Zatanna: Bloodspell Brings Together Two DC Icons

Black Canary isn’t the only fishnet-wearing heroine in the DC Universe. Zatanna, the backwards-speaking magician, is Dinah’s sister-in-stockings, and the two join forces in this awesome one-shot by Paul Dini. This story sees the pair team up to face off with one of Dinah’s former foes, a gang-leader with occult abilities.

Black Canary and Zatanna: Bloodspell is a fast and fun read. The story takes advantage of DC’s vast shared universe, to bring together two fan-favorite heroines in an adventure that highlights both of their strengths. It doesn’t hurt that Paul Dini has plenty of experience workng with both characters and crafting fun, self-contained stories from his time on the DCAU cartoons.

6 Kelly Thompson’s Birds of Prey is a New Favorite

The newest Birds of Prey book has a huge legacy to live up to, but so far it is succeeding. From the creative team of Kelly Thompson and Leonardo Romero, this book follows a new iteration of the Birds that features Cassandra Cain, Big Barda, Harley Quinn, Black Canary, and more. The result is a fun romp that bulldozes through the DC universe.

Black Canary is synonymous with this team, having served in nearly every iteration of the Birds of Prey. Seeing her really take the lead here is awesome, especially with so many huge personalities backing her up. This series is still in its infancy at the time of writing, so only time will tell if it becomes a modern classic. However, with tight writing and good art, the odds look good.

5 Black Canary’s Solo Series Sold the Super-Heroine

Black Canary solo series are unfortunately few and far between. She’s had some mini-series here and there, but it’s rare she gets her own ongoing. Luckily, during 2015, the character got her best solo to date. This book follows Dinah as she tours the country with her band, and fights off a mysterious crime wave.

Black Canary is great in an ensemble, but that often means she gets overlooked in terms of headlining series. It’s great to see her hold her own in this book, and show that she’s a confident and capable heroine even when she’s flying solo. This is a must read, if only because it is such a rare occurrence that has been done well.

4 Dixon’s Bird of Prey Invented and Established the Team

This is the originator of the Birds of Prey team and series, and boy is it good. At this point in the team’s lifespan, the only permanent members are Black Canary and the mysterious Oracle. While readers know the hacker to actually be ex-Batgirl Barbara Gordon, Canary is kept in the dark for a while, leading to some interesting dynamics.

The close bond between Black Canary and Oracle begins here, as their crime-fighting adventures turn them from partners, to confidantes, to best friends. This is some of the best Black Canary material available, and really drives home just how talented and capable an operative she is. The only reason it’s not more highly regarded is because the follow-up was even better.

3 Justice League of America Explored Canary’s Leadership Potential

There have been an almost incalculable amount of versions of the Justice League of America. While Black Canary has been a part of plenty of JLA rosters and stories, this is the first group she got to lead. Black Canary is made the chairwoman of the League for a time. This puts her in charge of her fellow heroes.

While the League doesn’t necessarily have a leader in the traditional sense, the chairperson is an undoubtedly important role. They oversee the daily operations and actions of the League, and it demonstrates how much faith the other heroes have in Canary. They’re willing to follow Dinah into hell at a moment’s notice, because she is that capable of a hero. It helps that she has close personal bonds with most of them, which get explored more here.

2 Green Arrow and Black Canary Showcases the Iconic Couple Fighting Side by Side

Green Arrow and Black Canary are one of the most iconic couples in DC comics. They’re right up there with Superman and Lois Lane or Batman and brooding alone on a rooftop. Arrow and Canary are often portrayed as not only lovers, but a dynamic crimefighting team. While they certainly can and do shine alone, they’re unstoppable when they’re together.

Green Arrow and Black Canary actually spins out of their wedding special, and explores the couples’ life as newly-weds. Of course, there are a lot more secret assassin societies, supervillains, and sidekicks than your average couple. This series is a great showcase of the relationship between the two heroes, and gives readers a look at their romance at its best.

1 Simone’s Birds of Prey is the Definitive Black Canary

This is the definitive version of not only the Birds of Prey but pretty much every character that joins the team within. Simone is easily one of the most prolific comic writers working today. She is known for her well-received, long-running series that make the characters approachable for fans and newcomers alike. Simone’s 52 issues on Birds of Prey offer the best version of Black Canary and her compatriots to date.

The Black Canary of Simone’s book is spunky, hot-headed, and confident. She’s the field leader for the much expanded Birds of Prey, and leads the team in multiple adventures alongside her best friend Barbara Gordon. Canary and Oracle are truly the heart of this series, and their relationship is what drives most of the character action throughout the various story-arcs. This is easily one of the best written and drawn Black Canary stories out there.