Black Canary is The New Ra's al Ghul of DC Comics

WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS for Gotham City Garage Chapter 20

Green Arrow was chosen as the new Ra's al Ghul on TV, but in the comics, it's a job only Black Canary can handle. That's the latest bombshell dropped in Gotham City Garage, the DC Comics series putting a post-apocalypse spin on the publisher's heroes and villains. No matter what disaster wipes out most of mankind, the League of Assassins is built to survive. And where the Arrow TV series made Oliver Queen the heir to the Demon, the comics prove what Black Canary fans have known all along: Oliver doesn't stand a chance against Dinah Lance.

That's not as much of an insult to Queen as some might think, either. The wasteland of Gotham City Garage has corrupted plenty of good-hearted heroes already. Batman became Lex Luthor's attack dog, stopped only by the return of the legendary (biker) Wonder Woman. The Flash turned evil and was killed for it. It's a landscape where only the strong survive - and even then only when they've got back-up.

Thanks to Black Canary, the last heroines of the Earth now have the League of Assassins on their side. But will Canary save the world... or bring it all down in flames?

The Black Canary of DC's Wasteland

The answer isn't as obvious as comic fans might think, considering how heroic and unwavering Dinah Lance tends to be (in comics, at least). The harsh, cruel, and violent wasteland left in the wake of the mysterious "Worldburn" gives the entire story a Mad Max tension, and can push the noble just as far beyond their limits. Thankfully, the story of Black Canary's rise to the rank of Ra's al Ghul doesn't begin with her new look, new hairstyle, and new willingness to kill. It begins at the beginning, when Black Canary did what she does best: leads.

In this case, leading the heroines of the DC Universe into the brave new world of Gotham City Garage. In fact, it's slowly revealed that it was likely Dinah who united the group in the first place. Batman recently relied on Black Canary to recruit a Justice League in DC's main, Rebirth continuity, so she clearly has a knack for it. But that was all before the world went from bad to worse. Before rushing into battle against The Red Hood with her amplified Canary Cry wasn't enough to keep their world intact.

Eventually, Dinah took on a trial that only she could, wading into the darkness of the "Creepy Leaguers" (as Harley Quinn calls them). She survived and rose as Ra's al Ghul's student, but she wasn't alone. And in the end, Black Canary and Green Arrow are forced to decide who will lead the League as the next Ra's in a good old fashioned battle to the death.

Black Canary and Green Arrow Fight To The Death

You might think that the famous love affair between Dinah Lance and Oliver Queen would make their battle heartbreaking, or even manipulative. Thankfully, Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing, and artist Aneke pull off the confrontation by rooting it in the very best comic book bedrock. If the addiction of affection between Ollie and Dinah is impossible to ever ignore or forget, then that is the very reason why they can't both survive. To be the Demon's Head means to rule the throne alone, and when Oliver is revealed to be the other pupil and potential successor of Ra's in this post-apocalyptic wasteland, there can be only one outcome.

Readers will have to hand it to Ra's, since he really is a master at what he does. Although this version of Ra's is also a bit more extreme than the longtime fans will recognize. The head of the League of Assassins has played antagonist in most of his memorable appearances, leading an army that prides itself on guiding humanity through famine, genocide, and disease. But whatever burned the world of Garage's reality pushed Ra's to the same incredible limits as the corrupted Bruce Wayne who serves Lex Luthor. Where Ra's used to rely on the Lazarus Pits to remain immortal, this version is fed the blood of his Assassins intravenously - a twisting of the leader's role that Black Canary calls out as particularly evil.

Because let's be honest: when Green Arrow and Black Canary draw their weapons... it's not going to be one of them who winds up losing their head.

Black Canary Kills, Then Becomes Ra's al Ghul

The throwdown between Ollie and Dinah is worth the price of admission alone, but the final twist is the cherry on the sundae. As vicious and determined to kill as Dinah seemed (Ollie was never going to kill Dinah, let's be honest), her month of meditation prior to the final challenge was not the only planning she pulled off. When the Green Arrow finally yields, leaving himself vulnerable to the killing blow, and causing Ra's to command his death seal his successor's place, the final twist is delivered. As Green Arrow draws his bow against the Demon's Head, Dinah confirms her place in this story by removing the Demon's Head's... head.

That's where Gotham City Garage Chapter 20 leaves the story: Black Canary having claimed the role of Ra's al Ghul. And after Harley Quinn requests her help in keeping the Garage safe from Lex's retaliation, Canary goes one step farther. It's the League's responsibility to topple empires for the good of mankind. Even if Lex Luthor's 'Garden' is the last city on Earth, its as corrupt as empires come. Under Dinah's new leadership, it's time for the League of Assassins to do what they do best.

Fans interested in reading this adventure for themselves can do so by picking up the physical collected copy of Gotham City Garage #10 in February, or read this Digital First series digitally now, with new issues releasing every week. If seeking this story out through digital services, the story of Black Canary's rise to Ra's can be found in Gotham City Garage Chapters 19 and 20.