We don't know how to feel about violence as sports entertainment, but we cannot deny how much we love stories that center their emotional conflicts inside a ring. With their new series, Black Canary: Best of the Best, Tom King and Ryan Sook join the long tradition of tearing into internal torment by subjecting protagonists to regulated gladiatorial combat. Dinah Lance versus Lady Shiva, let's get ready to rumble.

The first issue of the new series arrives in stores Wednesday (11/27). We won't spoil it here, but those pages will reveal some of the motivations for why Dinah, the second-best fighter in the DC universe, would subject herself to the fists of the single-best fighter. It has something to do with the first woman to don the Black Canary mantle - her mother. Yup, this is a Tom King comic, so you know Black Canary: Best of the Best must feature a twisty, prickly core relationship.

This week's episode explores why the ring is such a compelling story engine. We discuss how Tom King was initially enticed to place Black Canary alongside other brutal fictional bouts like Rocky, Raging Bull, The Set-Up, The Big Blow, and yeah, Best of the Best. Ryan Sook takes us through his process of understanding the physicality of boxing, wrestling, and MMA while contemplating their bloody nature. And why has it taken King so long to tackle the mother/daughter dynamic?

To continue this conversation, follow Tom King on Bluesky, Threads, and Instagram. Follow Ryan Sook on Instagram.

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