#dinahshiva

[kara-zor-els]

Sin @ Cass: So... I think my mom-mentor is fucking your mom-mentor..

Cass: your mom-mentor has been fucking my mom-mentor since the 90s. And my actual mother too.

[aingeal98]

Headcanon that Cass buys Dinah this for Christmas one year and refuses to elaborate

[gretahayes]

Dinah Lance + Lady Shiva in Green Arrow (1988) Annual #1

[somewherefornow]

LADY SHIVA + CALLING DINAH “SIU JERK JAI/LITTLE BIRD” in BIRDS OF PREY (1998)

[lesbian-cowpoke]

I think I found it. The origin of DinahShiva.

(Green Arrow 1988 Annual 1)

[fartguy2000]

the dinahshiva yuri is crazyyy right now....

[clay-cuttlefish]

Back to this. I got sidetracked jumping around the spreadsheet and adding some random stuff, but hopefully I should hit the first Renee appearances tomorrow. I also have to track down a version of Death in the Family that has the foreword - it's by Tot and mentions Vic, and was mentioned in the letter column for 28, so it should fit somewhere in this chunk of issues on the spreadsheet.

Question #18

Here he is! I love Ollie and Vic's dynamic. They are so fascinating and so annoying.

You know you've fucked up when Ollie's calling you a dumbass.

I like how much breathing room this issue has. They get a lot of space to talk and highlight each other, which is a great foundation for the later GA crossovers.

Of the unsubtle 80s anti-gun GA stuff I've read (which isn't a lot but it's more than 0) this is one of the less interesting bits. At least it's short.

The panel composition on this issue is really well done. Making two guys talking in a truck into a pair of pages that make me pause to take them in is impressive.

#19

Vic choosing to get the doll fixed is a really strong moment.

Overall, the way Augie is treated is surprisingly good? It's definitely played for creepiness at first, but he's just a guy living a surprisingly decent life for Hub City, Vic tries to actually help him and doesn't judge him for being delusional, and he ends up totally fine.

The parallel between Vic's mask and Myra's makeup, and her choice to discard it, is just. Waugh. She's just as dedicated to trying to figure out the right thing as he is, but she's not hiding any of it!

Myra kissing Maurice is still a very weird moment.

Detective Comics - Fables part 1

Spectacularly terrible opening, 0/10.

It's so weird to see the Penguin after this long of a stretch without supervillains. Yeah Talia shows up first but she's way less gimmicky and the page is pretty calm. He's here in full force with the monocle and bird jokes.

Shiva <333

I don't believe for a fucking second that asking Vic is the best way Shiva can think of to find Batman. I really like it, don't get me wrong. Vic's hacker exposition about making a post on the internet is hilarious, calling Batman Pointy-Ears is hilarious, "Matins" is such a Catholicism Moment, it's good stuff. I just think this is way less likely to work than going to Gotham and punching cops until Batman shows up.

Oh my god this is such a stupid villain plot. What do you mean it doesn't affect people with high testosterone. What do you mean Bruce already knows what it is. Why does Ra's have that. Why would that be the effect you choose for this story.

I'm sure this Bruce and Talia plot is better when read in context but it's still some excellent drama. Love them.

...gender?

Green Arrow - Fables part 2

The overarching plot of Fables isn't good, the O-Sensei is a boring Orientalist stereotype, but all of the subplots are very strong examples of why I care about each series. Scrap the whole O-Sensei thing in the first two issues and just have it be Shiva picking fights and finding people to help someone she knows and it'd be better.

Dinahollie <3

I love getting to see Shiva doing her thing. She's so chill, it's fun to see her in her element :)

Dinahshiva <3

Shiva loves to put some weird little freak in a situation and see if it makes them better or worse, and it sucks she doesn't get to do that anymore.

Question - Fables part 3

All of these issues have great looks for Shiva. Style icon.

Hey, Vic's terrible secret identity came back to bite him!

"Van der Waal's equation" isn't complete technobabble - the Van der Waal's force is a decent explanation for a multi-use adhesive, at least by comic book standards, and would explain why the mask never seems "sticky" and why the chemistry on getting it to stay is so finicky.

It's interesting that Vic doesn't even try to get Shiva to not kill people. He might be self-sacrificing, but he's not that dumb.

Oh my god Bruce you are such a dramatic bitch.

I kinda see what they were going for with the O-Sensei here, at least. Still think it'd be better if he wasn't a ridiculous legendary fighter.

Drowning motif! Shiva's perspective is so interesting - she's able to do anything she puts the effort into, and she expects that to be true of everyone else.

#20

The cover layout is unique this issue, which is a neat touch.

I always like that characters get to say stuff that's sort of dumb. Vic no-selling Myra's joke about boomerang rocks is a nice reminder that they do really like and feel comfortable around each other, even when things are rough.

Honestly not a ton to say about this issue. It makes its point well, I like it.

In the letter pages: the return of Hair Discourse.

#21

This plotline's back!

He just like me fr (misreading signals on a date, resisting the urge to deck his high school classmates)

Seriously though, it's nice to get a look into Vic's very normal problems. Not everything wrong with him is related to being the Question.

This is one of my favourite single issues. I can't quite put words on why - everything about it just works, and there's nothing about it that I want to pick at.

#22

Election Day is the best arc in the run.

The opening spread is full of excellent expressions - Wesley's really lean into the more distorted and exaggerated end of Cowan's art, while Myra's are all subtle, exhausted frustration. I appreciate that she's consistently drawn with sunken cheeks and eye bags.

Maurice getting to be serious is a strong moment. He's been a good source of banter for Myra before this, so having him get invested and take the consequences seriously is a good way to ground the stakes, and to give Myra someone who's genuinely on her side without having to rely on Vic.

It's interesting that Shiva pays close enough attention to what Vic's up to on a regular basis that she'd know who to send. Even when she's not around, she still gets to drive the story.

#23

This issue got me the first time I read it. The history flashback is a weird choice, but it sets the tone perfectly, and the time constantly being shown is a throwback to the first issue that makes it feel super tense. So much of the series has long time skips, waiting to heal or get phone calls or for anything to happen, but now every minute counts. The news reports punctuating it work so well.

Vic dropping everything when he reads Tot's name is so...

Myra goes off, and she damn well deserves it. The difference in how her expressions feel between this and the opening of #22 is a testament to Cowan's work.

The quoting of a line from five pages ago is maybe a little unnecessary. These panels would stand perfectly well on their own.

#24

It's hard to make a deus ex machina feel "earned", but if anything does, it's this.

Kind of a dumb thing but who tells this story with a beaver? I'm not losing it, right, it's the Scorpion and the Frog?

The historical flashback turning out in Myra's favor is a fantastic bit of subversion. When I first read this, I was certain that Wesley was going to shoot Myra during the blackout, and Dinsmore dying and Myra talking about how bad winning felt made me lower my guard and think he might kill himself publicly instead. Funny how that works.

I didn't catch what he meant until the next issue on my first read (in my defence, I'm not American) but wow Wesley's not subtle about his assassination plans to anyone. I mean, I caught that much, but he's really not subtle.

Myra and Vic's relationship makes me want to explode. I just want them to be happy together! Aaaaa!

#25

Everything happens so much. The pace just does not let up.

Vic falls into bad habits, again, but he does a better job staying focused and not letting the anger take over - it's good development.

Wesley's death is everything the shitty racist cop issue fails to be. He's a sad, awful little man with a broken moral compass and a lot of enablers, and he dies refusing to recognize it.

The letters column: a woman wrote in a while back about how male comic fans are creeps and Vic still has some personal growth to do when it comes to being less sexist, and some men are being freaks about it. These fuckers haven't changed in thirty years.

#26

If I ignore the part of my brain that hates this as a Riddler story and pretend he's an OC, it's a fine breather issue. Unfortunately I am bad at doing that.

Some very caricature-y guest art this issue. It's a neat look in some panels, and sometimes it's more subtle, but a lot of it is scrungled enough that I can't take what's happening seriously.

this is Vic and Tot in the car, to me

Love that Tot takes stopping Vic from self-destructing into his own hands, and that Vic bitches but doesn't do anything stupid to try and stop him.

The idea of Vic chewing out the Riddler with more difficult questions is an interesting idea, but I don't love the effect of him monologuing about a bunch of pretty standard ~deep~ questions and well known koans, and the Riddler just going "yeah i'm afraid of those" is dumb.

I dunno - it feels like a bit of a waste for the one time Vic faces an established villain to be so meh. I like Sphinx, at least, and the reappearance of the drowning motif is cool.

#27

The weirdest issue, I think.

I really like all the Vic sections, and I'm not opposed to meta shit, but this is pretty jarring. Tot's weird cousin and his racist magic is not helping the tone of the Ditko callback.

I like that Tot has a weird cousin who was a bad comic artist. He has connections outside of Vic, they're just also weird as hell.

The Ditko callback is great. "You gotta pull me up." "Why?", and then the slow drop before Vic grabs him? Mwah. Perfect. I'm a sucker for this shit. Even when he's falling into bad habits, he's still a better person than he used to be!

#28

Shiva :)

Vic responding to Tot telling him not to lie to himself by suddenly gaining sunglasses kills the mood a bit, but it's also very good. What is wrong with him.

Myra wakes up from a coma, ditches the hospital, and immediately makes a very risky plan. Good for her.

Everyone's in top form this issue, it's great.

[batmanshole]

DinahShiva, TatsuShiva, JadeKory

the world of femslash….so beautiful

[dyketectivecomics]

Would a Black Canary/Shiva fic be a possibility? Maybe with Dinah trying to heal Shiva and Shiva being reluctant to be that vulnerable?

I was halfway through this when I learned that Shiva joined the Birds for a Hot Second apparently??? I havent been able to read that far for either of them, but from what I have read so far, I hope this does them both justice, even if its kind of an Extenuating Circumstances kind of deal lmao

…

She didn’t get injured. It simply wasn’t done.

Not when matched against lesser heroes, and certainly not when training those lesser heroes.

When Dinah Lance had approached her, under the guise of a truce and a promise, she hadn’t expected the bird to take so quickly to the regimen. Intense periods of fighting and ever shorter beats of rest. She expected the Canary to slip up in only a matter of time.

She certainly hadn’t expected her to gain the upperhand, turning Shiva’s own growing exhaustion against her.

She hissed out against the pain, blinding as it was, knowing the bone would be broken the moment before the hero had completed the move.

One slip, that was all it ever took.

“Oh god, are you okay?!” the Canary cried, and despite herself, Shiva felt something flare in her chest. She focused on her anger instead.

“Finish it,” she hissed out, “That’s the problem with you heroes. You hesitate when you need to end your enemies.”

She lunged for the former Leaguer, careless of her useless arm. She was ready to draw blood in turn.

Dinah sidestepped, a half-turn as she reached for the fighter’s arm and flipped her effortlessly over her shoulder. Shiva let out another breath, biting back the groan as the pain washed over her again.

“You need a cast,” Dinah said firmly, holding onto her one good arm while keeping her foot over Shiva’s throat. Not enough to keep her from breathing, in fact, it was a simple hold for Shiva to break. But she could see something in the Canary’s eyes.

Not pity. Not worry.

Respect.

For her opponent, for this battle that they waged. An understanding that even with the injury, they were on uneven footing. This fight was still heavily in Shiva’s favor.

She let a small grunt go in agreement, nodding.

The hold turning into help, and they left the dojo for the kitchen to find an appropriate splint.

…

“I am not an invalid, Canary. I can take care of myself.” Her words were met with an infuriating eyebrow cock and smile. She could only continue to glare at the hero as she continued making the meal.

“More for me, then,” she shrugged, “Seems a shame to have to box up so many leftovers, though.”

Shiva poured her tea wordlessly, noting that Dinah hadn’t burned the leaves this time around.

That didn’t stop it from being incredibly bitter, but she drank regardless, sitting at the table and watching the hero out of the corner of her eye.

They sat in relative silence during the meal, the canary enjoying the food for herself and the fighter waiting patiently for her turn to make her own without prying eyes watching her.

…

“Again,” she commanded, a smile growing on her face as the hero kicked the bag hard enough to rip its surface. Sand began piling at their feet, and Shiva stepped deftly around it.

“You’re still holding back, Canary.”

“And you’re sandy now, Sandra.”

In a blink, both women were grappling. In less than a second later, they were on the floor, Shiva having somehow pinned the Canary despite her still-healing arm. Though it pained her, she used the cast’s extra weight to keep the hero pinned by her throat.

“Would you like to try that again?” she asked, watching Dinah’s eyes as the gears seemed to turn over in her head.

A beat passed, tension thick in the air like a fog.

“If you would’ve told me how touchy you were,” she smiled, “Maybe we could’ve cut all this foreplay and gotten-”

Shiva pressed down against the hero’s throat, glaring down even harder.

“I don’t play, Canary. You would do well to remember that.”

Dinah only kept up her grin. “Could’ve fooled me.”

…

It’d been two days since. The villain avoiding the hero with a skill that reminded Dinah that despite her prowess as fighter, Shiva was first and foremost, an assassin.

She was grateful for the break, but worried about the state of her teacher. Hurt pride because of the meaningless teasing could be the cost of her cutting this training short. Before her mission was complete, she needed to be sure of where Shiva stood.

She hadn’t expected certain emotions getting in the way of that mission.

She just hoped that it hadn’t cost her the mission.

…

The fifth day was when they fell back into routine, each carefully selecting to ignore what had transpired.

Shiva could feel the difference in the Canary’s moves now, no longer pulling her punches. Annoyance and anger all wrapped up in every throw and every kick. At the drop of a hat, she switched styles till they were once again grappling instead of hitting. This time, Shiva let Dinah try pinning her.

“You have something to say,” she guessed, trying not to wince as her arm was jostled once more. “Say it.”

The Canary glared down at the woman before her, leaning in close as she held her gaze.

A breath, two. Angry blue eyes meeting with indifferent brown.

Then something shifted, and Dinah brought a blow that Shiva wouldn’t have stopped, even if she were so inclined.

Lips meeting in a rough, warm kiss. Only surprise painted the assassin’s features when the hero pulled away.

[aingeal98]

They should write a series where cass has to deal with shiva and Dinah hooking up

On one hand it would be nice for her to see Shiva having hobbies that aren't killing people.

On the one hand having Dinah as a kind of step parent via two different moms would leave Cass very conflicted, and at the end of the day she's team Babs so she'd probably be mad at Dinah for betraying her mom. No not that mom the other one. Keep up.

But the most important thing is that it would create the most awkward family holidays in existence, and I think that's beautiful. Bonus points if we get to see Shiva with the arrowfam too.

[somewherefornow]

DINAH LANCE & LADY SHIVA in BIRDS OF PREY (1998)

[dyketectivecomics]

Dinah Lance

Took me forever BUT I’m finally knocking the last of these out lmao here we GO

Favorite thing:

She’s strong and kind??? And just a wholeass woman??? And unapologetic about it??? Idk I just love her and she’s amazing

Least favorite thing:

Uhhhhh, can’t rlly think of anything off the top of my head so 🤷🏽

Favorite line:

Not instantly coming to mind unfortunately ;-;

Friend-Ships:

The birds! The JL! The JSA!!! I’m so proud of her for having so many hero connections she’s just 👏👏👏👏 love that for her!!!

Romantic-Ships:

Haven’t actually read GA comics (at least since forever ago that One Time) but DinahOllie is objectively good 👍 obvsly got my love for DinahBabs or DinaHelena overshadowing it tho haha. Also wild but I really loved DinahShiva actually aksjak OH AND DINAHZEE I FORGOT ABT THEM AKSJAK FISHNET QUEEEEEEEENS

Don’t Ship:

Can’t say there’s any that I’m not too fond of? Nothings rlly coming to mind at least 🤷🏽

Random Headcanon:

She ALWAYS goes hard for karaoke. She WILL be showing EVERYONE up. Doesn’t matter the genre, the artist, the crowd (or lack of) she’s singing her damn HEART out for karaoke night and puttin on a damn SHOW

Unpopular Opinion:

Idk if this is Unpopular per se but when ppl call her fishnets impractical I get super annoyed like, yes okay I GET IT, but as someone who’s worn fishnets with some regularity there IS something just unspeakably empowering about them for me so like.... I GET IT BABE. I get that they’re not Ideal for protection but they SLAP and I absolutely feel like I’d have the power necessary to kick a mans ass SO

Song I Associate with them:

Idk why I can’t completely justify it other than Kelly Clarkson’s voice does still impress me to this day and I feel like “Hear Me” has some Dinah vibes idk. Either as something she would sing or even smthn that just reminds me of her

Fav pic of them:

I just absolutely love Jurnee’s smile in this scene it makes me so 🥺🥺🥺😭😭😭💕💕💕