Written by: Brandon Thomas
Art by: Fico Ossio
Colors by: Ulises Arreola
Letters by: Lucas Gattoni
Cover art by: Fico Ossio, Ulises Arreola
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: December 11, 2024
Black Lightning #2, by DC Comics on 12/11/24, follows Anissa as she struggles with her uncontrolled power and complicated feelings toward her father as the Absolute Power fallout spirals.
Is Black Lightning #2 Good?
First Impressions
Clunky, disjointed, annoying, and unsatisfying. These are just a few words that come to mind after reading writer Brandon Thomas's entry in Jefferson Pierce's life story. It's a shame because Black Lightning #2 has all the pieces for a thoughtful examination of the consequences of Amanda Waller's failed attempt to take over the world, but the issue is mired in poor character work, ugly scene transitions, and a cloudy plot.
Recap
When last we left Jefferson Pierce in Black Lightning #1, the electricity-based superhero struggled to settle into his new role as seeker and counselor of citizens imbued with power from the fallout of Absolute Power. Black Lightning and his daughter tracked an anomaly spiraling out of control on a city subway, but our hero was shocked to learn the anomaly was his second daughter, Anissa.
Plot Synopsis
In Black Lightning #2, we catch up sometime after the big reveal that Anissa is one of the recipients of new power after the Task Force VII Amazos were defeated. Anissa vents her frustrations about her father to a robotic counselor aboard the new Watchtower. Meanwhile, Black Lightning and Lightning tackle one meta outbreak after another in and around Metropolis.
Anissa eventually storms out of the counseling session when questions about her negative feelings toward her father grow increasingly uncomfortable. Black Lightning and Lightning meet her in the Watchtower when Anissa demands to be taken home, but Jefferson is called to a Watchtower-wide emergency, so he asks Lightning to take Anissa home. Instead of going straight home, Lightning takes her sister to see their mother at Steelworks.
Elsewhere, Isaac, the student who received powers in issue #1, is at home watching the news. The angry, anti-meta rhetoric from Councilman Harriman scares Isaac, but his mother steps in to turn off the television and encourage him to relax while she goes to work. Isaac uses his alone time to visit Steelworks, hoping to connect with Lightning.
The issue ends with Volcana and two unnamed allies attacking Steelworks for some reason, prompting Lightning and Natasha to suit up for battle.
What’s great about Black Lightning #2?
If you read the 1st Impressions section above, you already know the value of this issue is the potential of the pieces. Brandon Thomas has the opportunity to lead one of the few titles that show how the fallout of Absolute Power is affecting everyday people across the globe. On that point, Thomas succeeds in showing a world fighting a huge mess that strains the Justice League and, by extension, the people in their lives.
Yes, a big event should show consequences. If DC isn't going to reboot the universe, impactful consequences are the next best thing.
What’s not great about Black Lightning #2?
Oof! Brandon Thomas has all the pieces, but he puts them together like a post-modernist interpretation of a knotted ball of yarn. Scenes begin out of nowhere, or you're dropped into the middle of scenes without context, and the issue begins days after the last issue's cliffhanger for no real reason. There's no cohesion, no flow, and no real point to this issue other than to highlight Anissa has a really bad attitude toward her father.
On that last point, Thomas goes over the top by presenting Anissa as an unreasonable, emotionally immature brat, which is a stark contrast to any recent appearance of Anissa. If Thomas's goal was to make Anissa look as obnoxiously self-involved and unfair as possible, he succeeded. Considering the egregious character assassination of Andy Curry by Thomas in his Future State run, I'm starting to suspect Thomas has a problem presenting certain types of characters. We'll leave it at that.
How’s the Art?
Fico Ossio's artwork is pretty darn good and probably deserves more praise for making Thomas's awkward script look presentable. The few wow moments available hit hard, and the overall look of the issue is energetic.
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 #2 has all the makings of a great story as one of the few DC titles showing the consequences of Absolute Power. Unfortunately, Brandon Thomas's directionless plot and disjointed execution waste the opportunity.
5/10
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