Black Canary Reading Order

This reading order is designed to give a timeline of major storylines featuring Black Canary (Diana Drake) throughout DC Comics. It does not encompass every one of her appearances, but is a timeline of the major ones and the stories that affect them.

The continuity details relating to each specific storyline are explained in the “Review” of each storyline. Every “Review” link will provide a detailed continuity breakdown of that story and will explain any reference the story makes to other aspects of the DC Universe. All of this can be found under the “Continuity” section of each link.

Jump to: New 52 – Rebirth – Universe

New 52

At the beginning of the New 52, the DC Universe’s continuity was reset. Almost all of Black Canary’s history was wiped clean and she was given a fresh start in a new continuity. Her friendship with Batgirl (Reading Order) appears to have been the only element of her history not entirely removed.

Black Canary was reintroduced through the Birds of Prey (Reading Order) series. Here, her position within the new continuity was explained and her connections to other characters was expanded upon. After the Birds of Prey series ended, her continued friendship with Batgirl led to her supporting role in issues of the Batgirl series, which led to her starring role in the Black Canary series. This solo series saw her take on an individualized adventure that brought her part in this era to a close.

See our “Black Canary Timeline” for summaries of each story arc in this reading order.

Birds of Prey issues are from the Vol. 3 series
Justice League issues are from the Vol. 2 series
Team 7 issues are from the Vol. 2 series
Batgirl issues are from the Vol. 4 series
Black Canary issues are from the Vol. 4 series

Notes

1. These two issues show Black Canary's involvement in the Justice League (Reading Order). Though her role here is very small, it is referenced a number of times in her later adventures.
2. This entire series is a flashback to events that occurred before anything else in this timeline. Since this is a flashback, it could technically be read at any point in the timeline. However, to avoid spoiling twists in the Birds of Prey (Reading Order) story, we have placed this series here.
3. This issue is a Futures End (Reading Order) tie-in. Since it takes place in an alternate version of the future, reading it is not necessary to understand the Black Canary's current situation.
4. Black Canary is a minor character in these comic book issues. However, as a whole, these issues help transition her from her time with the Birds of Prey to her time as a singer in a band. They also give additional depth to her relationship with Batgirl (Reading Order).

Rebirth

The transition from the New 52 to the Rebirth era does not introduce any significant continuity changes for Black Canary. Her story in this era is mostly distinct from her progression in the previous era but her involvement in the Birds of Prey (Reading Order), friendship with Batgirl (Reading Order), and time as a rock star are all mentioned from time to time.

In this era, Black Canary has a starring role in three, separate comics. Her role in Green Arrow is the most prominent. Here, many of her personal beliefs are explored and her relationship with Green Arrow (Reading Order) is established. Besides this, Black Canary also appears as a member of the newly reformed Birds of Prey and as a member of the new Justice League of America (Reading Order). The narrative in each of these comics is almost entirely independent from the others but this reading order attempts to structure them in a way that development in one is not spoiled by events in another.

BatBoP = Batgirl and the Birds of Prey
JLA = Justice League of America
Green Arrow issues are from the Vol. 6 series
Justice League of America issues are from the Vol. 5 series
Justice League issues are from the Vol. 3 series

Notes

1. Black Canary only makes an extremely small appearance in this issue. However, it teases some thematic elements of her major Rebirth appearances and also teases an important future connection.
2. Though Black Canary has a prominent role in most issues of the Green Arrow series, these issues only feature brief appearances from her. They continue the storylines from other issues but end up placing far more emphasis on Green Arrow (Reading Order) and less on Black Canary.
3. Black Canary's appearances in these issues are extremely small and only serve to help set up plotlines for the next arc in the Justice League of America (Reading Order) series.
4. Only the "You Better Think Twice" story from DC Holiday Special 2017 is relevant to this reading order.
5. These issues are mostly about the Doom Patrol. However, Black Canary and the Justice League of America (Reading Order) have a supporting role in them.
6. Black Canary appears alongside the rest of the Justice League of America (Reading Order) in these issues of Justice League (Reading Order). However, she and the rest of the JLA have a rather small role compared to the members of the Justice League.
7. Black Canary doesn't actually do anything in this issue, as it primarily follows Green Arrow (Reading Order). However, this issue shows the extent of her involvement in the Justice League: No Justice (Reading Order) event. 

Universe

The Universe era is essentially an extension of the Rebirth era, as it maintains the same continuity. Black Canary's story picks up right where it left off at the conclusion of the previous era. Specifically, it continues her appearances in the Green Arrow series.

In this era, Black Canary continues to appear as a character in the Green Arrow series. Though this portion of the series places a larger emphasis on Green Arrow (Reading Order), Black Canary still has a moderate role. Later on, she appears in an issue from the Dark Nights: Death Metal (Reading Order) event.

Green Arrow issues are from the Vol. 6 series
Justice League issues are from the Vol. 4 series
Batgirl issues are from the Vol. 5 series

Notes

1. Heroes in Crisis (Reading Order) features tons of DC heroes making emotional confessions to a camera. Black Canary only appears for a single page here but it may be interesting for fans who want to see her reaction to this. 
2. Only the "The Monster in Me" story from this issue is relevant to this reading order. This story is mostly about Green Arrow (Reading Order) but features Black Canary as well.
3. Only the "The Crimson Bomber" story from this issue is relevant to this reading order. This is a short story that focuses on both Black Canary and Green Arrow.
4. Only the "Game Night" story from this issue is relevant to this reading order. This story is short and simply focuses on a fun night shared between several of Gotham's female heroes. It can be skipped but may be interesting for readers looking to see more of Black Canary's interactions with her friends, specifically other Birds of Prey (Reading Order) members.

Other Appearances

• Black Canary also appears in all three issues of the Harley Quinn and the Birds of Prey series. However, it is unclear if this series is canon. This is because the series is listed under DC's Black Label imprint, the majority of which is out of continuity, and because it directly continues the story from Harley Quinn's solo series (Reading Order), which has an unclear connection to continuity.

 All DC Comics Reading Orders