To the victorious goes the spoils! That scenario has never been more true for Dinah Lance. With her mother dying, Lance has entered into a fight she isn’t supposed to win. Her opponent is the greatest fighter in the DCU: Lady Shiva.
Even with the odds against her, Lance fights onward. The combat has not just taken a physical toll. It has made a mental one for BLACK CANARY. When the smoke clears, who will be crowned “The Best of The Best”?
BLACK CANARY: BEST OF THE BEST #5 by Tom King, Ryan Sook, Dave Stewart, and Clayton Cowles drops its pen-ultimate chapter.
Let’s take a closer look at the fight enters its’ championship rounds.
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
King reinforces the drive of Dinah to please her mother. Finding the next gear to face Shiva is drawing from this. It’s an overwhelming emotional response. The result has delivered on breaking Shiva to a degree. There’s a line dropped that becomes a spark for Canary involving her mother. Readers know to expect it’s game on after this. Outside the ropes, the story drops a heart wrenching narrative.
Lance’s mother is in dire health. Dinah’s visit to the hospital pours with emotion. The set-up appears to make this their last time together. King intertwines an earlier adventure between the two to offset. The writing shows Dinah desperately trying to please her mom. Its’ outcome draws out a reaction from the elder Canary. This leads to a bittersweet trip with the pair. The writing pulls the walls down between both long enough to see their true bond. This shines in the closing pages. Knowing what is unfolding, Dinah’s reaction delivers a knockout heading into the finale.
Sook and Stewart are never short on bringing the pain in all areas. The latest round starts with a fantastic two page splash. Readers watch the battered fighters still trying to one-up the other. Shiva’s cold insult mirrors her body language towards Canary. It’s a sense of asserting confidence. This round is excellently capped off with a subtle verbal exchange. The panels pack the punch before bowing out to the family drama.
The flashback pages start with a unique look. The panels are not conventual. It comes across as a flowing vision. Stewart’s blue coloring makes these pages pop. It adds to the heartfelt moments between mother and daughter. When in present time, this point becomes crystal clear. The hospital scenes drive with Dinah’s attempts to please her mother. Her facial reactions don’t hide the pain she’s feeling. There’s no better example of this than the closing pages. Readers see how Dinah processes the worst news. It concludes with haunting dialogue with the full page image. This is another strong storytelling lesson creators can learn from.
OVERALL GRADE: 9.3
Dinah Lance’s latest round hits readers with some very strong combos. King drives home the power of family with the writing. Sook and Stewart mix up the stunning drama with big action. Readers had better prepare for the bell to ring next chapter. Expectations are at an all time high after this one.
Let me know in the comments below your thoughts about BLACK CANARY: BEST OF THE BEST #5. Thanks for reading!