As the Justice League deals with the disruptions to the world’s metahuman population, Black Lightning and family take a hands-on approach. Your Major Spoilers review of Black Lightning #1 from DC Comics awaits!

BLACK LIGHTNING #1

Writer: Brandon Thomas
Artist: Fico Ossio
Colorist: Ulises Arreola
Letterer: Lucas Gattoni
Editor: Marquis Draper
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: November 13, 2024

Previously in Black Lightning: Jefferson Pierce leads the Justice League’s new metahuman outreach initiative, helping those with powers before they can cause harm to themselves or others. But everything changes when its his own daughter, Anissa Pierce, who comes to him for help. With Thunder’s dangerous new powers and the new Masters of Disaster jeopardizing the coexistence between humans and metas, Black Lightning is on the front lines of a culture war, brewing in the suburbs of Metropolis!

“NO ONE IS JUST SOME KID”

Jefferson Pierce has been through a lot in his superhero career, but the events of Absolute Power, wherein he was depowered and unable to help his daughters in a time of crisis, still haunts him. Fortunately, he has his therapist to help him sort it all out (even if she is his ex-wife). He’s also got a new project with the Justice League, working with The Atom, his daughter Lightning, and others in an attempt to contain the onset of new metahumans, including a student from his former school, Garfield High. As they try to help young Isaac understand and deal with his newfound superpowers, Black Lightning finds out that his old neighborhood has been noted to have a more-than-usual amount of metahuman eruptions. Before they can finish with him, though, another meta explodes through Southside Heights… and this one is a familiar face to the Pierces.

HE NEVER SAW THAT ONE COMING

Say what you will about the crossovers of old; forcing all the books to conform to the shared plot did make for more consistency. I’m not saying that I want that kind of mentality, but I have been wondering about where all the metahuman subplots were going to end up. Seeing Black Lightning, with his background in education, as part of the initiative to identify and train new superheroes makes perfect sense, and I appreciate how this portrayal feels like a continuation of Tony Isabella’s original stories (something I can’t say about all Black Lightning stories in between). Fico Ossio’s art is full of power and dynamism, which I really like, but there’s just something about his take on Black Lightning’s mask/visor that feels out of proportion. I have similar concerns about the Pierce family hairstyles, but I feel like I’ll probably just have to live with that. The high point of the issue is a conversation between Black Lighting and Superman that effortlessly establishes the respect between the two heroes, the esteem with which Superman views Black Lightning, all of which combines to show us that Black Lightning is a well-respected, top-tier guy in the League.

BOTTOM LINE: A GOOD START

In short, Black Lightning #1 establishes our hero’s place in the new DCU status quo, gives us an interesting new premise, a mystery, and a pretty shocking cliffhanger, with art that really delivers on the “shooting lighting” front, earning 3 out of 5 stars overall. The questions raised here will have me coming back next time, and I’ll be watching to see this creative team getting a chance to really hit their stride,

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