Because nobody asked for it! Dinah in the Grell Years!

[scottyquick.insanejournal.com]

So! Dinah. Anyone remember her? Short black hair, goes by "Black Canary", sometimes has fishnets? Pretty cool lady, if I do say so myself. Shame she's been in limbo for such a while.

Post-Crisis, Dinah was a standard Justice League member for a short while. After about 10 issues, Mike Grell decided to snag her for his revamp of Green Arrow, which was very, VERY street-level. No trick arrows, no mask, and absolutely no superpowers. When Hal Jordan showed up, he was without his ring. When Arsenal showed up, nothing Titans-related was mentioned. So Dinah went from hunting galaxy-eaters and other Justice League threats to fighting murderers and thieves. They set up home in Seattle, because there's a man there killing people and not getting caught.

The scans with the absolutely INCREDIBLE art :

a) Aren't mine, because I'm not bending my copy of The Longbow Hunters if I don't have to
b) Are from a Prestige Format Miniseries, so don't worry, I'm not going over the limit.


Dinah!Butt, for all of you watching carefully.




Oh my God. That second last panel. Grell and Lacquement are hitting home runs through all of the mini, artwise.



D'awww, Dinah sideboob explaining sensibility and logic to Ollie!

However, it doesn't all go well. While tracking down the murderer, Dinah leaves Ollie for a couple of days, but she gets caught (and apparently couldn't use her Cry to save herself), and is extensively tortured.














That mysterious lady is awesome, and her name is Shado. She's one of my favorite things from the Grell run.



(don't worry, she lives)

One thing I like about the Grell run is that this isn't a one-time thing. He really shows Dinah living with the trauma one would have from this, and over-coming it.





This is something I like about Dinah. Whereas Ollie is too much of an arrogant ass to admit when he needs help, Dinah isn't. So they go off and visit a therapist, who (or would that be whom?) Dinah hopes can help her.





Argh no! Not a fan of that coy talk at the end there, nor Dinah feeling guilty.

Anyway, it turns out their therapist has some issues herself. She was kidnapped and tortured when she was young, and her assailant has been released.



I think that's Grell speaking with frustration there. Anyway, after this, Ollie gets her kidnapper sent to jail after she tries to kill him and he tries to kill her, she starts to reach out to them, aaaaaaand we never see her again.

Now, here's Dinah being awesome.







Heh. Badass Dinah is badass.






This lad here is an employee of Dinah's at Sherwood.







(Ollie the big man rescues him, of course. After dressing up as a gay leatherman, coming out of a gay club)

So now Dinah decides to go investigate the people who've been stalking her for a while! These next few scans are by Sharon Wright, who I think wrote Dinah's section in Action Comics Weekly.













The writing's not terribly clear here, and the art certainly doesn't help, but she lost track of them and got her car stolen. Nice going.

Also, because I really like it, have some Dinah/Ollie attacking some people at a bar.



And let's end with some adorable Ollie/Dinah having a rare moment of pure fun and joy together.





(you'll note I cut the page in two. That's because Grell had the stereotypical hooker-as-victim on the other half)

What do y'all think?

I could probably make another post with Dinah if you guys are interested, showing her going back into action as the Black Canary and breaking up with Ollie and killing other people and dating other people and the origin of the title 'Birds of Prey'.

Comments

[volksjager.insanejournal.com]

Nah, that must have been her mother she looks WAY old.
(cough) tacky...

[amazingman.insanejournal.com]

There are not enough words to describe how badly I want Grell's Green Arrow run completely collected. Seriously, it's what convinced me that Dinah and Ollie were amazing characters. It also convinced me that comics could deal with serious subject matter in a compelling way, while still living in a universe where a man puts his underwear on the outside of his cloths and everyone thinks it's just fine.

They're going Starman Omnibuses, do you think we could get them to start doing Grell's Green Arrow Omnibuses?

[uadlika.insanejournal.com]

YAY!

Dinah from Grell run! I had grand Plans to post something like these but then I ran out of time and am now in teacher boot camp where I shouldn't even be on the internet, much less on scans_daily thanking you profusely for some Dinah love.

[chengar.insanejournal.com]

These scans are a nice reminder that Dinah and Ollie weren't always the mind-numbing horror that is GA/BC, but used to be substantially awesome.

[ladymirth.insanejournal.com]

AAARRRT! *drools*

You know, stuff like this always leaves me undecided. Gratuitous female victimization or the triumph of a woman's will over trauma and tragedy? It's the Catwoman dilemma.

Also, Ollie saying that Roy isn't really his kid makes me see red. Way to be an arsehole, Ollie. Bats might be an emotionally stunted dick, but he never put his adopted kids down like that. This is why I'll never like Green Arrow. He doesn't deserve Dinah, Roy, Lian and Connor.

[darkknightjrk.insanejournal.com]

"(Ollie the big man rescues him, of course. After dressing up as a gay leatherman, coming out of a gay club)"

...Okay, this needs to be posted.

Also, great stuff--I definately want to pick up Grell's run.

[islwyn.insanejournal.com]

It's hopefully Not Only Just Me, but I'm a little baffled that no one seems to have issues with Dinah Needs to Be Rescued by Her Big Strong Man, Later Also Feels Guilty About Being (Sexually) Harassed, Part #56465.

So, was there any particular reason why she couldn't have used the Cry? Or, you know, beat the crap out of her assailants -- which we see she's fully capable of later?

[retro_nouveau.insanejournal.com]

Ollie's going on 43??? Wow, is he ancient.

I never really attached to Ollie or Dinah, always went for the big guns. But I have to admit as a lifelong shipper, I believe no other pair has had a more interesting love life. I think the word I'd use is "torrid".

Loved Grell art for as long as I can remember.

Sherwood Florist should always be the cover/day job for Ollie.

[starwolf_oakley.insanejournal.com]

I can understand why so many fans and creators say that while they liked Mike Grell's run, writing-wise, he turned Green Arrow into the Punisher with a bow and arrow. A Justice League issue shortly before the Death of Superman had Atom comment "Green Arrow nowadays would put arrows in their brains and *then* ask questions."

I'm starting to see that even though Dinah wasn't raped, the guy who tortured her got so much of a thrill out of it, it was like sex for him.

[kagome654.insanejournal.com]

Glee! What a great post (even with the questionable use of Dinah)! Ollie and Dinah as Ginger and Fred will always be adorable.

[proteus_lives.insanejournal.com]

The art in the first portion is indeed wonderful.

[faile_neume.insanejournal.com]

This was awesome. The whole Dinah-getting-abused-and-needing-rescuing bit was somewhat grating but aside from that.

MOAR DINAH PLZ