[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writer: Tony Isabella
Artists: Clayton Henry
Summary
Wrongly accused of killing a gang of armed robbers, Black Lightning must stay ahead of the police while fighting to remove a deadly arsenal of high-tech weapons from the streets of Cleveland…and while facing civilians who are no longer certain he’s one of the good guys. As teacher Jefferson Pierce, he must also try to keep drug dealers away from his students. Meanwhile, Detective Colavito investigates mystery man Tobias Whale. Beware: news in this city breaks without pity.
Positives
The writer, hilariously and sadly, shows the pitfalls of being a superhero and one of color as he protects a shop owner, and the shop owner believes at first that he is trying to rob the shop. The introduction of Amberjack reminds me of a cartoon my kids used to watch, “El Tigre”, where a superhero gets raised by a Villain Grandfather. The fact that the character of Jefferson Pierce is concerned about justice as much as he is concerned about a future for the children he teaches, shows a layered character who is different than the typical hero, who has to separate the two sides in order to be functional. Henry’s art continues to astonish, as every panel has a sleek quality to it. I would love to see how it would look as a cartoon.
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Negatives
None as this book is both relevant and entertaining
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Verdict
Buy, as this book will make you a fan before the TV show arrives.