Written by Andrew Kreisberg
Art by Mike Norton; Josef Rubenstein; Sal Cipriano; & David Baron
Cover Art by Ladrönn
SUMMARY:
Published by DC Comics for July 2009, it’s entitled “Enemies List, Part Five: The Silence of Sounds.” Blustery newlyweds Oliver Queen and Dinah Lance (in costumes, no less) are exasperating their marriage counselor, Dr. Burke. Their prickly counselor tries probing Dinah’s relationship with her late mother (the Golden Age Black Canary), which includes a short flashback re: her first traumatic ‘canary cry.’ Even Oliver is startled by Dinah’s hostility. Suddenly, all sound has been neutralized. Green Arrow and Black Canary immediately realize that the outbreak has affected everyone in downtown Star City. The Queens desperately try to control the city’s instant rioting.
To cover more ground, an outmatched Dinah and Oliver split up into solo action. While Green Arrow finds an ardent female admirer using some of his discarded arrows, Dinah’s teenage flashback continues. In the present-day, Dinah is nearly flattened by an out-of-control truck, as she confirms whether or not her sonic cry has also been muted. Quoting Hamlet, the gloating villain gazes upon the city’s chaos.
Note: The Shield makes a quick cameo.
REVIEW:
For fans of this powerhouse couple, writer Andrew Kreisberg does a solid job conveying Dinah & Oliver’s combustible personalities (especially Dinah’s). While Oliver’s dialogue consists of a resentful hubby attending counseling only at his wife’s insistence, Kreisberg’s take on Dinah is impressively multi-dimensional.
Between her sudden mood shifts during the counseling session to a reflective flashback of her teenage years, Black Canary shines when Kreisberg focuses on her. Including a spot-on cover image, the visuals by the art team are certainly well-done. The only off-note is that Ollie’s admirer and the villain aren’t necessarily identifiable to anyone who hasn’t read the previous issues in this storyline.
Still, Green Arrow & Black Canary # 20 continues the storytelling magic between these two characters, even when it involves the unsettling realities of marital counseling.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
There’s a five-page preview of Detective Comics # 854, which starts Batwoman’s Elegy storyline. In the single-page DC Nation column, Executive Editor Dan DiDio hypes his company’s newest acquisitions: pulp fiction legends Doc Savage and Justice Inc.’s Avenger.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 8 Stars
