Written by: Brandon Thomas
Art by: Fico Ossio
Colors by: Ulises Arreola
Letters by: Lucas Gatooni
Cover art by: Fico Ossio, Ulises Arreola (cover A)
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: November 13, 2024
Black Lightning #1, by DC Comics on 11/13/24, catches up with Jefferson Pierce after the Absolute Power event in his new role as outreach counselor to humans with new meta powers.
Is Black Lightning #1 Good?
Writer Brandon Thomas joins DC's All-In initiative to find out how Jefferson Pierce, aka Black Lightning, is comping with his new role within the Justice League. Admittedly, I had grave concerns about revisiting another Thomas-written story after his shockingly terrible turn on Aquaman, but Black Lightning is off to a muted but promising start.
Black Lightning #1 begins with Jefferson Pierce, aka Black Lightning, struggling with the trauma of losing to Amanda Waller and the effect on his family from the Absolute Power event. Jefferson is supremely anxious about the safety of his daughters, but he channels his anxiousness into his new role as outreach counselor for the Justice League. His role sends him in search of humans who have acquired powers when Waller's Task Force VII Amazos were shut down.
We first witness a teen at Garfield High when he suddenly manifests powers under duress from a group of bullies. The teen, Isaac Mitchell, is saved from police intervention when Black Lightning and his daughter, Lightning, take Isaac into protective custody. Isaac is escorted to the new Watchtower for testing and evaluation by the Justice League's scientists, led by The Atom.
During the testing, Jennifer, aka Lightning, receives a call from her sister, Anissa, aka Thunder, who should be in New Orleans. They catch up and discuss plans for a visit.
After Jefferson finishes a brief but encouraging chat with Superman, the JL monitors receive an alert about another meta flare-up. When Black Lightning and Lightning speed back to Earth to investigate, they find the meta-human exhibiting uncontrolled powers nearly identical to Jennifer's is her sister, Anissa.
What's great about Black Lightning #1?
Brandon Thomas approaches Jefferson Thomas's return to the spotlight with an interesting new role and a surprising amount of emotional depth. Jefferson is not completely okay after Absolute Power, so to show a known hero grapple with trauma, albeit lightly, is an interesting change of pace over putting all the toys back in the toy box.
What's not great about Black Lightning #1?
It's unclear if the fault lies in the writing or the art, but the big surprise reveal at the end of the issue is more confusing than frustrating. Anissa, aka Thunder, isn't new to the superhero gig, so why would she intentionally hide her location and condition from her family. Yes,. Sure. The story needs to unfold, but the setup to the mystery could have used a little more polish.
How's the Art?
Fico Ossio's art style looks pretty darn good in this issue. Ossio's compositions are on point, and his penchant for scratchy hatching is restrained enough to not look sloppy. Overall, Ossio delivered a good-looking comic, enhanced by fantastic coloring from Ulises Arreola.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
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Final Thoughts
Black Lightning #1 is a refreshingly solid first issue to spotlight Black Lightning's new role in the Justice League and portray the trauma he still feels after Absolute Power. Brandon Thomas turns in a rock-solid script, and Fico Ossio's artwork is on point.
7.5/10
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I really enjoyed reading your review of Black Lightning #1! The way you highlighted the character development and the unique blend of social issues with superhero action really captured the essence of the comic. Jefferson Pierce’s journey as both a family man and hero is so well portrayed, and I appreciate how you pointed out the gritty, New York Cheap Divorce real-world struggles that make this story stand out. It’s great to see a superhero series tackle important topics while delivering compelling action. Looking forward to your next review.
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