With the "Birds Of Prey" movie getting ready to premier in theaters this week, DC's Dollar Comics brought back Detective Comics #554, which was advertised as the first ever appearance of the "All-New Black Canary." I always find it amazing to look at the difference with the layout and the artwork in older issues like this one from 1985.
The issue begins with a pretty generic Batman and Robin story. Doug Moench basically presents us with a mob story revolving around a foreign freighter that was spotted in Gotham Harbor. Detective Sergeant Bullock arrives on the scene and is warned by fellow police officers that they were put on notice not to approach the freighter because if they did the bay will experience a massive explosion. While trying to figure out what this vessel was smuggling into Gotham, Batman discovers that this whole scenario evolved around Italy and the expected deportation of Joseph Torrelli.
This story was followed by the Black Canary reading a news story about how her mother also let an arsonist slip through her fingers, just as what happened to BC with Bonfire. Feeling hindered by the connection to her mother, the Black Canary reemerges with a new suit. This time her suit is fireproof, seeing how she plans on tangling with Bonfire again. In addition, she developed a "Canary Cry," that can subdue her opponents by the mere volume of her scream. Joey Cavalieri (writer) also decided to let her handle Bonfire alone instead of the help of her usual crime-fighting partner the Green Arrow. I enjoy reading these cheap reissues because they allow me to catch up on stories that I may have missed when younger.
