Scan barcode
kiarrasayshi's review
4.0
I'm so glad that I loved this as much as I did. It's not something I'll likely be rereading, but it's exactly what I wanted from this Other History series. It's a lot of text, with some great classic-style art, and it puts together Jefferson's story beautifully.
gigz's review against another edition
5.0
This was a fantastic read! I loved the viewpoint from the often overlooked superhero and their perspective of what is happening around them.
mekeisha's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
purple_rose_kat93's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
matteldritch92's review against another edition
5.0
To be quite honest, I find this issue rather weak compared to the previous three issues.
Renee Montoya is a gay Latina police officer whose parents are undocumented immigrants. I was wondering how that these facts were going to work itself into the narrative, but unfortunately they never really made any such impact. We only get a bit of lip service to police misconduct and brutality but for the rest of the issue, but the rest of the issue, it never pops up.
This issue felt a bit more like an issue of Secret Origins or Who's Who, with the lack of focus on the real world politics that shaped the then-current piece of the DCU. I would dare say that compared to last issue's history of American anti-Asian racism or the two issues before that about anti-Black racism, this one treads the waters of being apolitical.
There's no statements that can be constructed to be part of ABCA (in fact, Montoya has few problems with her partner committing police brutality), no talk about the history of gay rights and the police brutality against queer people that created the Stonewall riots nor of the racism inherit in the ICE government agency.
Renee Montoya is a gay Latina police officer whose parents are undocumented immigrants. I was wondering how that these facts were going to work itself into the narrative, but unfortunately they never really made any such impact. We only get a bit of lip service to police misconduct and brutality but for the rest of the issue, but the rest of the issue, it never pops up.
This issue felt a bit more like an issue of Secret Origins or Who's Who, with the lack of focus on the real world politics that shaped the then-current piece of the DCU. I would dare say that compared to last issue's history of American anti-Asian racism or the two issues before that about anti-Black racism, this one treads the waters of being apolitical.
There's no statements that can be constructed to be part of ABCA (in fact, Montoya has few problems with her partner committing police brutality), no talk about the history of gay rights and the police brutality against queer people that created the Stonewall riots nor of the racism inherit in the ICE government agency.
kierscrivener's review against another edition
5.0
I have three full pages of everything I love from this. It is completely incredible. Telling the early history of Jefferson Pierce and how he became Black Lightning and how crimefighting weighed on him psychologically and familially. Absolutely recommend!
irisilia's review
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality and Racism
bookishrealm's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Comics are extremely white. I don't feel like you have to even be an avid comic book reader to understand that. And when I say comics are white, I don't just mean in terms of the writers and artists, but I also mean that in terms of characters. I mean that in terms of how the stories of those characters focused on the imaginative fears of white communities and didn't really consider the things facing other marginalized communities.
Ridley does a heck of a job visiting those themes through this book that is a part of DC's Black Label. I don't think that I realized how much I needed this story as a Black comic reader until I actually sat down and read it. In this first book he takes the opportunity to lay out the origin story of Black Lightning and some of DC's other first Black characters. Probably one of the most pivotal moments of this story was definitely related to Black Lightning's interaction with Superman. Superman attempts to tell Black Lightning how to be a superhero and Lightning proceeds to tell him that he has no business coming to a Black neighborhood telling him what he can and can't do considering that the Justice League can't even be so bothered to help with the issues that the community deals with on a daily basis. I found that to be very true. The Justice League can fight every single bad event in the cosmos, but they are so blind to the social and economic issue happening in their very own backyards. And that, my friends, is the privilege that Black Lightning tries to get Superman to own up to.
There are so many great historical moments in this book. So many interesting aspects of the DC Universe that people often forget. Heck, there was a lot of information in here that I didn't even know existed in the DC Universe. I think that this is one that everyone should pick up. It's not just a commentary on the comic book industry, but also a commentary on the world in which we live. How some individuals have the luxury of ignoring real global issues, but still are held up on a pedestal as superheroes.
I loved the artwork. I loved Ridley's storytelling skills. I just loved everything about it and I can't wait to get to book 2.
Ridley does a heck of a job visiting those themes through this book that is a part of DC's Black Label. I don't think that I realized how much I needed this story as a Black comic reader until I actually sat down and read it. In this first book he takes the opportunity to lay out the origin story of Black Lightning and some of DC's other first Black characters. Probably one of the most pivotal moments of this story was definitely related to Black Lightning's interaction with Superman. Superman attempts to tell Black Lightning how to be a superhero and Lightning proceeds to tell him that he has no business coming to a Black neighborhood telling him what he can and can't do considering that the Justice League can't even be so bothered to help with the issues that the community deals with on a daily basis. I found that to be very true. The Justice League can fight every single bad event in the cosmos, but they are so blind to the social and economic issue happening in their very own backyards. And that, my friends, is the privilege that Black Lightning tries to get Superman to own up to.
There are so many great historical moments in this book. So many interesting aspects of the DC Universe that people often forget. Heck, there was a lot of information in here that I didn't even know existed in the DC Universe. I think that this is one that everyone should pick up. It's not just a commentary on the comic book industry, but also a commentary on the world in which we live. How some individuals have the luxury of ignoring real global issues, but still are held up on a pedestal as superheroes.
I loved the artwork. I loved Ridley's storytelling skills. I just loved everything about it and I can't wait to get to book 2.
More...