WE KNOW KATANA IS JAPANESE
The Good: From the solicit, I thought for sure this was going to trample all over BoP history, starting the team fresh. While it was perfectly accessible to new readers, it doesn't ignore its roots. Black Canary is seen trying to recruit founding member Barbara Gordon, and Canary herself is still on the run for allegedly killing a man. This is explained enough to make it feel like it's just setting the scene for new readers, and is a great reassurance for old readers.
While some girls have been getting skimpier costumes, Canary has actually gotten a more conservative one. And it doesn't feel forced, it's just a little more modern, and I like it.
The framing device with the reporter was a really good way to introduce us to the team, and more unique than most of the new 52. We're jumping right into the action without skipping the beat, and you never feel like they started without you.
Whenever there's a transition between past and present, it's always done with a really cool symbiosis of panels, it feels very much like a well executed movie transition.
I don't know who Starling is, but I like this girl. Driving through the pews in a church crashing into invisible assassin's with a panicked reporter who thinks he's marked for death by her in the passenger's seat, and what's she worried about? "Where do you even begin to confess a sin like this?"
The Bad: The new logo is bland and uninspired.
Dear god Katana, what is with that costume. You had a GREAT costume before, but you've been redesigned a lot. It's just that, this costume is SO TERRIBLE. We get it. You're Japanese. You don't have to shove it in our faces, force it down our throats, and punch us in the stomach with it. My god, it's almost OFFENSIVE it's so blatant. Bland as hell aside from the Japanese flag COVERING HER FACE and the Shogun armor on her shoulder. Seriously, who the hell at DC greenlit this? At least knowing her it'll be changed in about 2 years.
So... the enemies they were fighting... are they invisible or not? It's REALLY hard to tell. Canary and Starling always seem to able to see them clearly, but they're drawn in a way that implies they're camoflagued half the time.
Was it just the art, or did the unmasked assassin look just like the reporter? Canary didn't note any difference, but it seemed obvious to me. It's really confusing.
In Conclusion: 3.5/5
I was pretty worried about this issue, but it actually impressed me. The art and action was pretty smooth, there's just a few odd hiccups that make the story confusing, but the setup is very solid. This is a great introduction to the team without shafting it's history. There IS a decent chance I'm more favorable towards this issue since Katana's not actually in it, and that the hammer will come down next time, but so far I can give this a decent recommendation.
