Black Canary Wedding Planner
Writer: J Torres
Artists: Lee Ferguson & Karl Story/Christine Norrie
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $2.99
Justice League of America Wedding Special
Writer: Dwayne McDuffie
Artist: Mike McKone
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $3.99
Green Arrow and Black Canary Wedding Special
Writer: Judd Winick
Artist:Amanda Conner
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $3.99
Oliver “Green Arrow” Queen and Dinah Laurel “Black Canary” Lance have been a couple on and off since the sixties, so when DC decided to marry them off, it had to be a reasonably big event. As such, they’ve strung it out by spreading it over a few titles to give you the full story; or to milk it to death depending on how you look at these things.
It all starts in Green Arrow #75 – sort of. Despite getting the cover, the actual proposal takes up only 2 pages at the rear of the issue, and refers back to events set up way back in Brad Meltzer’s brief run, over 50 issues beforehand. We then get the answer in Black Canary’s miniseries (she accepts). Birds of Prey #109 deals with a discussion between Black Canary and her best friend, Barbara “Oracle” Gordon, with Barbara forcing Dinah to confront Ollie’s worst faults and failings before she goes ahead with the wedding, and Dinah asking Barbara to be her maid of honour.
The full story starts with the Black Canary Wedding Planner, where Ollie and Dinah organise their wedding (with a little help from their friends) whilst fighting crime. J Torres pulls off some wonderful little character moments, with special assistance from Christine Norrie, who gives us things that you don’t see in the average comic book, such as bridal magazines, lingerie catalogues and holiday brochures. If you want a comic where Green Arrow and Black Canary check out their wedding caterer, this may be the perfect comic for you.
Oh, and if you want to read a comic where Black Canary, Vixen and Wonder Woman go lingerie shopping, this may be the perfect comic for you too.
The Justice League of America Wedding Special is slightly misnamed. While part of the storyline does take place during the Green Arrow/Black Canary Wedding Special, the issue mainly acts as an introduction to the Injustice League Unlimited, and to Dwayne McDuffie’s forthcoming run. Considered as the latter, the issue works a little better, as the scenes set at the respective bachelor and bachelorette parties spoil scenes from the GA/BC Wedding Special (although the bachelor party gag works best if you read both). The issue also suffers from an abysmal Ed Benes cover with Superman jumping out of a cake - although he appears to be landing on it – and interiors by Mike McKone, with his usual mis-shapen and stunted figures. Still, McDuffie writes well, and those planning on buying his JLA run should definitely pick this up.
Finally, we come to the Wedding Special itself. We start with a brief potted history of the relationship, followed by a sweet moment where one half of the DCU’s most hormone-fuelled relationships decides not to have sex again until after the wedding. It would be a lot sweeter if Winick didn’t use the tired old cliché of the couple who go from arguing to physical violence to passionate clothes tearing; almost making a joke out of verbal and physical abuse. It’s over pretty much before it starts, but it still happens. It’s doubtful Winick intended it this way – going on his previous work, he doesn’t seem to be the type of writer to do this deliberately – and if there ever was a couple who would go from fighting to f… alling into bed, it would be these two, so it’s not exactly out of character. It still seems wrong though.
Then we have the aforementioned spoiled bachelor/ette party gags, followed by the wedding itself – where this time, it’s the cover that spoils a surprise; that of the bride’s outfit. Unsurprisingly, in the great tradition of super-weddings, this one is gatecrashed by supervillains, which seems to come as a surprise to all those attending – which is odd considering that the Flash has known that Deathstroke was planning an attack since the previous week’s issue of Countdown. Well, Flash must have told Batman, as he mentions a tip, but it doesn’t seem like anyone else knew.
After the wedding, we get the wedding night – Black Canary wearing a better drawn, but less-appealingly designed, set of lingerie than the one she opted for in the Wedding Planner – and then a final twist that seems to come completely out of left field (but explains why the solicitation artwork for the forthcoming Green Arrow/Black Canary title feature Connor Hawke rather than Ollie). Even more than the opening scene, this seems wrong – it’s out of character for Dinah. There are probably answers and explanations to come in the new series, but this casts a nasty shadow over the whole event.
Winick has written Green Arrow for over 4 years, and has a reasonable handle on the couple, which comes across here. The supervillain plot, although silly, is also fairly well executed - it’s a shame it only comes about due to some poor characterisation of Snapper Carr. Amanda Connor’s fun, sexy art style is well suited to the story and she manages to draw the assembled hordes very well. It’s a shame that her Black Canary appears to have had implants (judging by the wedding night scene), but if that’s the worst quibble, then there’s nothing to worry about.
As an event, it’s an unusual one. As noted above, a wedding planner one-shot is not a common thing in comics, and the JLA wedding Special… isn’t. As a storyline, this holds together well, although it could possibly have done with a final pass over by a single editor to ensure that all the little glitches were ironed out, but they’re fairly minor and will only be spotted by the saddest of nit-pickers. Such as your reviewer.
If you’ve been following – and enjoying - Winick’s run on Green Arrow, this comes recommended. If you’re planning on buying McDuffie’s run on Justice League, pick up the Wedding Special, as it’s effectively an issue 0. If you’re planning a wedding, then the best of luck to you (you’ll need it) – and don’t take any advice at all from these titles!
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Russell Hillman was born in London but now lives in Coventry. His hobbies include precious little. He doesn’t get out much, but thinks reading a lot of comics makes up for it. He’s wrong.