Black Canary / Green Arrow

Black Canary and Green Arrow.

Why is it that I get so worked up over the two of them getting back together in the comics?

Well, let's just get it out of the way that they are comic book characters, and I shouldn't get bent out of shape over something so silly, but I enjoy it, so frak off! :p

Black Canary is my favorite female character in comics. Not just DC comics, but comics overall. She's one of my favorite fictional characters ever. She is present throughout the history of the DCU like few others, having her Mother be in the JSA, to grow up around them and then to break out on her own in the JLA. She's the ultimate legacy character in that she's touched several generations. I still wish that she would not have been yanked out of the JSA to become a supporting character in Green Arrow, and that is part of the reason why I do not like the rumored coupling of these characters again.

Green Arrow is a smarmy bastard. I'm not saying that I don't like the character, but he's not a good man. I don't think that he deserves Black Canary, and it would be foolish of her to go back to him. That's my visceral reaction.

Now...from all indications, Green Arrow has grown as a character over recent years. There is no secret that the secret cabal running the DC universe (G. Johns, D. Didio, M. Waid, G. Morrison, V. Rogers, etc) favor taking characters back to their roots. Back to what made them great to begin with...and let's face it - Green Arrow and Black Canary are one hell of a couple when they're on.

But at some point the grimness that perpetuated comics for so long destroyed that. In order to make Green Arrow more "interesting" he became a philandering jerk, sleeping with any woman in distance of his bow. People (even fictional ones) make mistakes, but the bigger mistake with Green Arrow was that this horndog nature became a defining characteristic for him. There's no way that the character of Black Canary could stay with him and still be a strong character in her own right.

So, how do they fix that? Do they ignore it? Does Zatanna make Ollie change his cheating ways?

No and no. Ollie grows up. That's the only solution, and I think that DC is doing that. I think that DC is making Ollie want to be a better man to deserve Black Canary again - the spark is still there between them, as most recently seen in 52, and where there's a spark, a fire can be rekindled.

Both characters are great on their own, and honestly, I'd like to see them stay that way...but I can be convinced otherwise.

Three requests for DC that would sway me in that direction:

1) keep the progression between the two of them natural, and don't use them getting back together as an "event."

2) rename the Green Arrow title to be "Green Arrow/Black Canary"

3) If you're determined to keep Winnick on the title, please give him a co-writer. Better yet, turn the whole project over to Marc Andreyko or Sean McKeever.

ciao

I'm back!

JMPTX: Welcome to 2007, James! Where have you been? Why are you interviewing yourself in the third person?

James: Hi there, me! On the advise of my attorneys I cannot answer those questions at this time.

JMPTX: Fair enough. So, now that you're back are you going to keep posting some paintings and complain about things in the world?

James: Well, I'm not posting many paintings now, not while I have some things in the works. I will say that I'm happier with what I've been doing lately, and I feel that I've gotten out of the re-introduction mode of painting that you've seen so far. I've been working on several commissions, and I will post those (with the new owner's approval) once the sales are final. As for the complaining: not so much. I just don't have as much use for it.

JMPTX: Interesting - so why the hell are we here?

James: Well, I'm going to focus on the things that I like, such as the goings-on in the DC Universe of Comics, as well as other Comic topics.

JMPTX: What's on your mind these days?

James: Well, the big thing, of course, is that 52 is winding down...and then DC is counting down. Looking forward to that!

JMPTX: But not all is peachy, eh?

James: "Eh?" What are you, Canadian?

JMPTX: Shut up, hoser!

James: Great, now you'll be saying things like "aboot," won't you.

JMPTX: ....dude, I'm you. Why are you arguing with you?

James: Self-loathing.

JMPTX: That's acceptible. So, when are you starting on the new Comics thoughts?

James: Right after this interview is over.