“Round Six”
Writer: Tom King
Artists: Ryan Sook
Color Artist: Dave Stewart
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Review by Kendra Smart
Black Canary: Best of the Best #6 comes to us with the greatest of covers. Ryan Sook gives a Canary Cry for the ages, showcasing the importance in Dinah’s present life. It is a base view of what she is facing in the present moments, in all their dire importance. Important indeed as we head into the final round…the round where the arguing with herself over whether she should be the good hero and get to the sixth and selflessly tap out and save her mother, or she should be the daughter her mother wants her to be and win no matter what, will be decided. Let’s dive in!
Too Old To Lose, To Young To Win.
From the first page of Black Canary: Best of the Best #6, Tom King reminds us that the stakes in the ring are not the only ones with devastating effects. But while we are waging war against the Reaper, Vandal stops by for a conversation and a reminder of what the true cost of the fight. In the ring, pins and needles as readers watch Dinah go through the motions of the internal struggle. Shiva has no qualms though, this is a fight for her and a fight she isn’t aiming to lose.
Cycling through moments of personal struggle, from rationalizing her inner turmoil hashing it out with a wig representing her Mother, to the final heart pounding moments in the ring . Readers will be left wondering who will utter the words “I Quit.” Will Dinah go through with the deal she struck, the life bargain that saves her Mom’s life…or will she make the choice of securing the legacy? As the announcers would say , it all comes down to this!
Fists Are Nature’s Problem Solvers
With Black Canary: Best of the Best #6, Tom King and Ryan Sook bring it all home with Dave Stewart and Clayton Cowles. We see Dinah in a light that shines on very specific strengths of character. Highlighting her as she faces real struggles. The whole gambit to fight over a triggered cure is not what I refer to. Of Course we still have the fantastical elements. The “villain” being Shiva, Vandal having a miracle cure in exchange for a sure win…these are the fictional.
What I refer to are the moments of humanity among the images and the words. The struggles of the woman behind the name, the legacy, under the wig. The daughter struggling with the shadow of a hero’s pressure and responsibility and the role of the grieving daughter at a loss on the road to the right decision. The way that this team depicts these moments are very real and the artwork is as much a hard hit as the ones we see in the ring.
Conclusion
Black Canary: Best of the Best #6 is but a glimpse into the life of Dinah. A slice of both the personal and the heroic. This arc has been an interesting one, the differences in her relationships with Ted Grant and Ollie are intriguing. I admit to a tear when she got a call from Ollie while in the kitchen going through the motions of indecision. Feeling seen, cared about. A running theme if you will. Best of the Best isn’t just exemplified in just one light, it can be found throughout.
Images Provided Courtesy Of DC Entertainment.
