There aren’t many superhero costumes that are as iconic and memorable as Black Canary’s get-up. Her costume is sleek and sexy, as she sports her trademark fishnets, leotard, and a leather jacket. However, in the 80s, Dinah Laurel Lance was given a new look and it was without a doubt one of the worst costumes in comics.
Black Canary first debuted in Flash Comics #86 and has been a key player in DC Comics history ever since. She’s been a member of the Justice Society of America and the Justice League while being portrayed on the small and big screen in Smallville, Young Justice, Arrow, and in the upcoming Birds of Prey film. Black Canary’s main power is her canary cry, which is a powerful ultrasonic scream capable of taking down some of DC’s most menacing villains.
In Detective Comics #554 by Doug Moench, Klaus Janson, and Todd Klein, DC decided to give the Black Canary a new look. Instead of leaning towards a more heroic costume or something in the same vein as her current look, the comic publisher went in the opposite direction. In the comic, Dinah creates her new costume with is essentially a jumpsuit with oddly designed features throughout.
The new look was a complete miss. There’s nothing about the costume that’s interesting or cool. It’s a full-body jumpsuit, that’s oddly shaped and features an odd silhouette of a bird with wing features that are completely impractical. The color scheme, the wide pant legs, and the headband are all weird design choices. It doesn’t scream Black Canary, it screams tacky and of its era.
The outfit didn’t last particularly long and was even mocked in Action Comics #609. In the cover, done by Brian Bolland, Black Canary is shown in her iconic costume lighting a match to her new-old costume. Dinah’s got a big smile on her face as her ugly ensemble burns. It’s the perfect reaction for someone who was stuck wearing that monstrosity.
Black Canary’s design was already pretty much perfect and there was no reason to mess with a good thing. Trying to modernize it (for the times) and create a new look was a bad decision by DC. The jumpsuit look will be remembered as one of Dinah’s worst looks ever - while her classic costume will always be remembered as the defining Black Canary outfit.
