One of DC’s Most Underrated Heroes is Taking on a Solo Mission to Save the World

One of the most underrated heroes of all time is taking on a dangerous solo mission to get to the bottom of Absolute Power‘s biggest mystery.

“Emotionally Compromised” by writer Kelly Thompson and artist Mattia De Iulis brings readers to the shores of Themyscira, where a group of heroes are doing their best to keep themselves from being overwhelmed by the war being fought everywhere else on the planet. While everyone involved is ready for their next mission, it quickly becomes apparent that plans have recently changed. Rather than a crack squad going after Oliver Queen, better known as the Green Arrow, that mission is one that Dinah Lance, the Black Canary, has decided to take on alone, and she is precisely the right hero for it for more than a few reasons.

Written by CHIP ZDARSKY and KELLY THOMPSON Art by MIKE HAWTHORNE and MATTIA DE IULIS Inks by ADRIANO DI BENEDETTO Colors by ROMULO FAJARDO JR. and MATTIA DE IULIS Letters by CLAYTON COWLES Main cover art by SALVADOR LARROCA & MATT HERMS Variant covers by GUILLEM MARCH, DAVE JOHNSON, BELÉN ORTEGA, and JÖELLE JONES

The mantle of the Black Canary stretches back to 1947’s Flash Comics #86. It marked the debut of the first Black Canary, Dinah Drake, in Robert Kanigher and Carmine Infantino’s story “Johnny Thunder: The Black Canary.” Originally, Dinah used her alter-ego to carry out a variety of crimes, which drew the attention of the heroic Johnny Thunder. Once the two developed a romantic connection, however, Dinah quickly traded in a life of crime for that of a hero, with her incredible athletic and battlefield prowess making her a key member of the early Justice League and other teams.

Over two decades later, writer Dennis O’Neil and artist Dick Dillin would introduce Dinah Drake’s daughter, Dinah Lance, as the new Black Canary in the pages of 1969’s Justice League of America #75. Rather than merely relying on her incredible strength and athleticism as her mother did before her, Dinah Lance also wields a powerful, superhuman scream that elevates her beyond what most expected at the outset of her career. In the years since, Dinah and Oliver Queen have struck up a long-lived if frequently fraught romance, becoming one of DC’s premiere power couples along the way.

When Amanda Waller launched her all-out assault on the heroes and metahumans of the world, Oliver Queen decided to take her side rather than stand by his fellow heroes. Initially, it seemed as if this was a genuine heel turn on Green Arrow’s part, though it has become clear in more recent months that this is not the case. After uncovering Waller’s stash of superpowered weapons and gadgets, the Green Arrow made it a point to seek out one of the few artifacts capable of quite literally turning back the clock on DC’s Absolute Power event. This could be the key to stopping Waller’s war and undoing much of the damage she has caused.

Batman #152 is on sale now from DC Comics.

Source: DC Comics