Matthew Rosenberg is one of Scott Snyder's first students in the DC writer's development program, and if this issue is any indication, that class is definitely going to be the next hotbed of DC Comics writing talent. This story is fun and easy to follow, and when you start off with that foundation, the crazy visuals are only icing on the cake. Here's hoping that this isn't the last we've seen of this fantastic creative team. Read Full Review

We take a little break here for a one-off story and I'm okay with it. Moritat does an expert job on art, as one might expect, and relative newcomer Matthew Rosenberg whips up a fun little prequel story that is a joy to read. Since the new story arc in Black Canary just began last issue, this comic didn't jostle the proceedings too much, and its high quality has kept the momentum high. This is one of those inventory issues that is like having an ace up your sleeve, and I don't think many fans of the book will mind it having been dealt. Read Full Review

It may not be a part of the "main" story but it's a fun fill in that proves these things don't have to feel like "throwaways". Read Full Review

. As far as fill-ins go, this one is enjoyable and worth a look. Read Full Review

I honestly don't have much to say about this issue. It's disappointing that the main team isn't here but it works well enough. It's simple and entertaining but nothing great. I recommend waiting for the trade on this one. Read Full Review

My jokes at the top of this review aside, I am serious about not being unkind toward the folks who make these books. If I crack a joke about the content, my goal is to make it easier to cope with having to read it, and to create some enjoyment out of a void of enjoyment. And if I am unabashedly negative, it's because I want folks to understand what they're getting into if they hand overtheir hard-earned money. In the case ofBlack Canary #9, I can only recommend that you hold onto that money. Even if you're a fan of the series, this installment adds nothing to it. Read Full Review

The new creative team on this issue was a welcome change, and I will be keeping my eyes peeled for where Stewart, Fletcher and Tarr end up with Image in the near future (their creator-owned announcement seemingly right around the corner) but Matthew Rosenberg’s writing in this issue is pretty solid, and it was nice to see a bit of connective tissue to the Mafioso-types of Gotham in this issue as well.
One thing stuck out to me, and it was just a small, rather unnecessary change with Moritat’s art and the cut-scene opening of the book with Dinah saying “Alright, Everybody! Let’s Go!” with her hair swirling in a very Medusa-Queen-of-the-Inhumans way I found quite alluring, but the part that bothered me was that she had he fist raised up in a defensive pose as though she were ready to start kickboxing Bane or taking Killer Croc down with some severe bodyblows; instead we get the next panel where, you guessed it, Black Canary the band is performing, and the whole build-up is spared for a couple pages, where Dinah ends up still doing exactly what the opening panel suggested, but that mysteriously made her microphone disappear. Maybe she kept it in all that crazy hair??? Because she surely didn’t keep it in her pants- for she hardly wore any. Not that I’m complaining rock chick stage attire isn’t known for it’s bounty of pockets and general coverage of the star’s natural… assets (sorry I’m not sorry for the bun-based-pun). Beyond that one moment that could have been taken at face value at the start, or just shown without the speech bubble, or that Dinah kept her microphone on the stand until after she said that, would have worked better for me, but in that moment, I just had to pause, go back and look it over again, because it just seemed out of place the way it was executed.
Beyond that, this was the most solid, and self-contained issue we have gotten in a while, and it will probably be our last. But if things get shuffled around with Rebirth, more

I liked the art. It was retro mixed with manga and had a bit of that cartoony feel. The story was enjoyable if you remembered to take your ritalin.

It's predictable filler, but so is peanut butter. And I happen to enjoy small-scale superhero rumbles that don't drag on and on for multiple issues, so I enjoyed this. I do wish Rosenberg had taken advantage of the plot's predictability and spent additional time fleshing out character details that would get lost in a more complicated story. The art ranges from energetic in some places (particularly the early panels with Allegra Madden) to a little stiff in others, and the young girl at the center of the plot looks downright maniacal. (Although I'm still not sure that wasn't on purpose!)

On the other hand, after a long arc with high stakes, I enjoyed the reminder of what Black Canary normally deals with. This issue could have done more, but it's not bad. And as a bonus, I could easily lend it to a younger relative and not worry that either they or the issue would be irreparably damaged. more