Black Canary #1

   Having already grumped about the new Justice Society comic, now I get to beef about the new title starring one of that team's former members - the Black Canary.

   Longtime comic fans know that, in this business, nothing succeeds like excess - and if a new kind of a series succeeds, then the comics company will start cranking out copies.

   So what we're seeing here is the "Batgirl-ization" of Black Canary.

   When the "New 52" launched, a new Batgirl series was part of it - but it never really took off with the readers. So back in October, that series was rebooted - and the character within was barely recognizable as Barbara Gordon.

   The characters were all young and hip, hanging around with college-age students, living a fast life of nightclubs, no money and offbeat, ground-level villains.

   Now they're giving Black Canary (who appeared in several recent Batgirl stories) the same treatment. She's now the gritty and determined lead singer for a band named Black Canary. She has no money, so she needs to succeed with the band - but she keeps getting involved with fights, and that's hurting the band's reputation.

    I think every comics character can use the occasional change-up to keep things fresh and interesting - but you have to keep some connection to the character's past.

   You see none of that here. In personality, look and behavior, this fighting songstress has nothing to do with the beautiful, determined, confident Black Canary who's been fighting the bad guys since the Golden Age.

   The approach worked (mostly) with Batgirl, but I'm afraid lightning isn't striking twice for me. Perhaps this series will draw in female readers - I'm all for that - but it definitely isn't aimed at me.

   I'd rather read about Dinah Lance.

Grade: B-

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