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    Black Canary

    Character » Black Canary appears in 3279 issues.

    Dinah Lance was born into a family of crime fighters; her mother was a vigilante and her father is a cop. She grew up with the company of heroes, and after years of training, followed in her parent's footsteps by assuming the costume, identity, and legacy of her mother Dinah Drake, the Black Canary.

    So, what's with the fishnets?

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    gangly

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    #1  Edited By gangly

    I've always liked Black Canary but only really read her when she'd make cameos in other's titles. Now, having read the DCnU Birds of Prey, I'm really loving her. But I'm having trouble getting past the costume.

    Now, I REALLY don't wanna start another "comics are evil and sexist" thing. We have more than enough threads about all that already. And honestly, I don't think Dinah's costumes (old and new) are really objectifying at all. She owns her look with her attitude. But what stands out to me is that they're just such an odd choice!

    I know she's sort of a "homemade" hero who probably put her costume together herself, so she may have just thought, "hey, that'll look cool." But just the idea of doing all kinds of kung-fu, jumping all around, and riding motorcycles and stuff makes me think that it would just get so unbearably uncomfortable that NOT wearing them would be the obvious choice.

    Also, fishnets have a very specific connotation that does not have anything to do with action crime-fighting. I think they're really limited to folks trying to look sultry, and I feel like Black Canary just isn't that kind of Emma Frost-ish sexpot hero. Although, maybe that weird dichotomy could help throw off bad guys?

    I guess if this guy was
    I guess if this guy was "Canary Crying" at me, I'd sure be intimidated

    So whadda you folks think? Are her fishnets weird in a distracting way? Or do you think they fit her character?

    Also, is her costume ever specifically discussed in her comics?

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    Joygirl

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    #2  Edited By Joygirl

    I honestly doubt anyone's put as much thought into her outfit as you have... she does have a little bit of a domme-ish look going, with the choker and everything, and it matches her rambunctious personality in a way. Artist probably just thought it was the best blend of actiony/sexy.

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    gangly

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    #3  Edited By gangly

    @Joygirl: I agree, her costume definitely gives off a dom vibe, but (from the little I've read at least) it seems like a stretch to say it fits her personality. To me, leather + fishnets = fetishy sexy. That would be fine for, say, Catwoman, but I think Dinah is WAY more just adventurous, and pretty toned down on the sultry side.

    Let me know if I'm wrong, folks!

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    PowerHerc

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    #4  Edited By PowerHerc

    I love Black Canary and I love the fishnets on her.

    She and Zatanna are the two heroines whom they suit best and both should wear them as part of their costumes always.

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    CATPANEXE

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    #5  Edited By CATPANEXE

    I'm wearing fishnets right now. Otherwise I'm wearing striped tights. They inspire confidence, but that's getting off track.

    Reason=Two words: Artistic concept.

    Why did Robin originally have the bright and specific color scheme? So he would look like a real robin in costume.

    Why does Captain America have wings on top of his mask? So it looks like the bald eagle pendant on top of an American flag, which his costume pans down to.

    One of Storms noted costume schemes = White hair (clouds), lightning bolt on costume (coming from clouds) black costume (dark sky backdrop behind bolt)

    Why does Black Canary wear (is designed with) fishnets? Because one of the very noted features of a canary is it's scaled legs, which fishnets resemble.

    Ect...

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    JSAVen

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    #6  Edited By JSAVen
    No Caption Provided

    Black Canary and her Fishnets, Sexy , Epic and Legenday.

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    jrock85

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    #7  Edited By jrock85

    I miss the pre-DCnU costume.

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    sethysquare

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    #8  Edited By sethysquare

    @JSAVen said:

    No Caption Provided

    Black Canary and her Fishnets, Sexy , Epic and Legenday.

    Face palm.

    She'll never be taken seriously with those fishnets. Its so hard to translate to on screen with a costume like that.

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    Hazlenaut

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    #9  Edited By Hazlenaut

    my guess it is part of the outfit which her mother wore. At that time it was part of biker outfit which suppose to intimidate and fishnet is to show hat she was a lady. It was feminism back in those days.

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    oraclefyre

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    #10  Edited By oraclefyre

    Because they are awesome. Batman and Superman used to wear underwear outside of their clothes.

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    RazzaTazz

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    #11  Edited By RazzaTazz

    Black Canary started out as a villain (in her first apearance that is) and while the villainous past hasn't stuck, her somewhat iconic costume did. She is indeed a fairly old super hero, I think the second oldest major DC heroine (going back to the 1940s), and in that time fishnets weren't as mainstream as they are in the modern day.

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    Hancock89

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    #12  Edited By Hancock89

    I love the fishnet, I think it's hot.

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