Black Lightning #1 – Brandon Thomas, Writer; Fico Ossio, Artist; Ulises Arreola, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: Black Lightning has always been a DC character I’ve really enjoyed – he brings a different perspective to the role, being one of the oldest heroes outside of the JSA and being a teacher and principal as well as a father of two young adults. All those roles come into play in this new series, which elevates him into a key role as a member of the Justice League and their liaison to all the new metahumans who have emerged in the aftermath of Absolute Power. And due to some strange effect, they seem to be clustered around Jefferson Pierce’s old hometown. In the opening segment of this issue, he helps a young man whose new powers emerge in the middle of a bullying attack to safety and gives him a safe place to explore his powers – but all isn’t steady under the surface. Pierce nearly lost his daughters during Waller’s initial attack, and that close call is something he’s very clearly not over.
While he’s the main character here, he shares that role with Jennifer and Anissa Pierce, both of whom have come into their own as heroes. Jennifer is now working with her dad on the Watchtower, while Anissa has withdrawn from the family and is being rather guarded for unknown reasons. Dialogue between the girls indicates that something is off with their powers, but it’s not clear what until the last pages of the issue – which comes after an explosive battle atop a train. This book feels very much like part of the big All In wave, but it’s also human and intimate in a way only a few DC books really manage to be. There’s a scene between Jeff and Superman that really shows what a good fit he is for this role, and it’s great to see how the strange new metahuman power surge affects people on the ground. This is probably my favorite work of Thomas’ since he started at DC.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
