Gotta say, I felt more between Jeff and Tatsu than I ever did for Jeff and Lynn on the printed page. Probably because I think their narratives and perspectives can draw a lot of great stuff out of one another. I'd love a mini or team-up book with those two.
But Isabella is very outspoken with respect to anything that deviates from his co-creation. He generally hogs all the solo books Jeff gets ensuring that he never gets a fresh voice. I'm not arguing he shouldn't write the guy anymore, but the deathgrip he has on a character he created for DC which he has no ownership on needs to be relaxed. I get his frustrations, but he went on several rants about BatO (Jeff is just Bruce's lackey, Lynn is Jeff's only love interest, etc). To be fair to the first point, he argues the DCU is too beholden to Batman and I agree, but that doesn't change that The Outsiders was always Bruce's book (except the one time Nightwing took over for a while) and will be so long as he's on the roster.
I don't have any personal problems with Isabella as I've never met him, but I do think him going on a tirade anytime he doesn't like DC's direction with the character isn't actually helping at all. It reminds a bit of Marston's contract for Diana that, while intended to ensure she never gets turned into a subordinate player in team scenarios, essentially prevented her from guest starring on popular shows the way Superman, Batman, GL, Flash, etc. got to enjoy. It put her in the adaption ghetto for a long time. Black Lightning needs his dad to let go so he can start growing now that he's had more eyes on him than ever.
Last edited by Robanker; 10-18-2020 at 03:51 PM.
Say, in the DK coffee-table DC Universe book, it says that BL is based in Cleveland in the comics now. When did that happen?
I mean it wasn't all bad. He did ensure she got published when her sales didn't justify it, and yeah, she certainly could have been adapted poorly. That said, it still did hurt her from showing up in animation and television where she could have gotten more exposure.
Mixed bag.
Which is ridiculous theft of every that Black Lightning as build in forty (?) years or so of comics (a major issue I had for much of New 52 and to a lesser extent Rebirth), as he was at least that old when he debuted in the proper timeline (he had a ten year career as a teacher before first met him as BL).
Pretty much, which is... odd at best.
YMMV of course, but to me retconing an established powerful legacy character into a younger, less experienced character so that you can "show" their development to where they've already are, as their present, is fundamently bad writing because it shows that you aren't interested in moving forward and developing. Secondarily, that you're doing it with a POC at least in part to shill one of your MVP white dudes doesn't help.
Yes, and that was good for Peter because we first met him as a "young person". With the exception of relatively rare flashbacks his narrative moved forward.
With the exception of the -- IMO equally bankrupt New 52 -- Bruce, Barry and Wally's stories have always been about moving forward, building on what's come before. The complete opposite of the deaged, rookied treatment of characters like Black Lightning, Barbara Gordon, Dick Grayson and many others have sufferd from in the last ten years or so.
It's exactly as egregious as it's being made out to be if you take Jeff's whole history into consideration, as pre-Flashpoint he grew beyond the need for the suit at all (in-universe) years ago and casting it as something that a white dude has do for for him, essentially forces on him because he "can be better" is... sketchy at best.
Alright. Cool.
Last edited by Iconic; 10-19-2020 at 11:11 AM.
by Paris Alleyne
Awesome work. Where’s this from???
Edit: found it on his Twitter
Last edited by Iconic; 11-09-2020 at 08:41 AM.
I had been looking for this kind of “epic” art for Black Lightning. No word bubbles or titles. This is perfect.