Erika Hardison reviews Black Canary: Breaking Silence…
The DC Comics Icon series are young adult novels that give readers a more thorough origin story of DC Comics characters. To date, the Icon Series has five books: Superman: Dawnbreaker, Batman: Nightcrawler, Catwoman: Soulstealer, Wonder Woman: Warbringer and now Black Canary: Breaking Silence.
I have to admit, DC expanding their readership by tapping into the young adult market is genius. I can admit that following single issue comics can be frustrating because I enjoy reading reading more than just 28 or 30 pages at a time. So when the opportunity presented itself to read a Black Canary origin story, I couldn’t let it pass me up.
Black Canary: Breaking Silence by Alexandra Monir starts in a dystopian Gotham City future where Batman is dead and justice is at the hands of the almighty Court of Owls. Not only is the Dark Knight gone but anyone that has ever cared about Gotham seem to be dead or have disappeared without a trace. Dinah Lance is a teenager who can’t seem to forget about hearing a woman singing almost a decade ago. It becomes her obsession that almost gets her murdered by the Court of Owls.
Fortunately, Dinah is saved by her father the first time she and her friends try to sneak into an old opera house. A frustrated Dinah is growing rebellious that Gotham City is now a dark and fearful place for everyone —especially women. She can’t fight the desire to her women sing. Her father who is also a cop, thought he negotiated a deal with the Court of Owls when he found his daughter. But he still has to showcase the shameful, bloody symbol of failing to obey the law in his window and it could not have come at a worse time. Now Dinah has to start the school year off with everyone knowing her family did something offensive in the eyes of the Owls.
Determined to unlock the voices she believes are being hidden from the public, she seeks to find her voice to overthrow the Owls who have turned Gotham into a dark, bleak, authoritative city. Inspired by her godmothers Anissa and Grace (Black Lightning) who remain in hiding, Dinah recognizes the propaganda all around her and is reaching her boiling point. She also has a crush on Oliver Queen whose family in known to support the Owls.
Overall, Black Canary: Breaking Silence is okay. I wish there was more flushed out context about the Court of Owls for younger readers. Dinah has some awesome friends that make for the perfect ride-or-die group, and Lady Shiva shines as her tutor who is also her trainer and helps Dinah become a better fighter. Fighting the ruling class in Gotham is hard, but teen Dinah gives everyone hope for a better future.
Rating: 6/10
Erika Hardison nerds out about books, superheroes and old-school cartoons. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram @Fabulizemag
