Black Lightning Appreciation

[Iconic]

Hill and Cowan interview on the Hanna-Barbera crossover. A really good read.

https://io9.gizmodo.com/the-black-li...-wi-1825975671

[Raijin]

He must be referring to the end of No Justice. I don't see it as him Batman's flunky. I admit I don't want to see Jeff as Batman's flunky either. But i think Tony is reaching with this one.

Screenshot_2018-06-02-06-18-20.jpg

[Robotman]

He must be referring to the end of No Justice. I don't see it as him Batman's flunky. I admit I don't want to see Jeff as Batman's flunky either. But i think Tony is reaching with this one.

Screenshot_2018-06-02-06-18-20.jpg

Isabella is always disgruntled. He doesn’t want anyone else handling Black Lightning and i think it’s actually become a detriment to the character.

[Agent Z]

He must be referring to the end of No Justice. I don't see it as him Batman's flunky. I admit I don't want to see Jeff as Batman's flunky either. But i think Tony is reaching with this one.

Screenshot_2018-06-02-06-18-20.jpg

"Roll back the clock a couple decades".

You mean like you just did Tony?

[Raijin]

Isabella is always disgruntled. He doesn’t want anyone else handling Black Lightning and i think it’s actually become a detriment to the character.

Definitely. I feel like he's limiting the growth and development of his own character. He didn't cosign Hill's HPK crossover either. He needs to chill. I think he should also stay away from the character. Before I LOVED Cold Dead Hands but now that I gave it a reread, it was just okay. I think I was just high off of BL appearing in a book again.

[HandofPrometheus]

I'm reading his Twitter replies and he basically wants to keep BL as a community hero or not near Batman at all . It seems like he doesn't want him on a team for a long period of time.

Dude it's comics. He can balance team work and neighborhood duty within time.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

While I understand that Isabella feels very protective of Black Lightning, he is a character that is meant to exist within the greater DCU. Having him working with Batman, one of the world's most popular superheroes, is a good thing for his creation.

[DragonsChi]

I possibly get where he is coming from. Most characters get diminished when standing next to the "Bat god" in DC comics but black characters/men historically get it far worse. Prime example would be Cyborg at the beginning of the new 52. The only difference between Cyborg and a PDA next to Batman is that Bat's couldn't fit him in his utility belt.

It's already set up that Black Lighting learned Martial Arts from Batman, thereby instantly signaling that BL's skill is less than Bat's, so the cause for concern is there.

However, I see what some are saying. Some use is better than none.

I do agree with the writer that Black Lightning should be more prominent than he is due to his originality, powerset, and overall concept. But it is very clear, in the way that DC conducted themselves over the years, that they are the one's holding him back. It is probably frustrating for someone connected the character to witness.

[Jabare]

I think some are missing Isabela's point.

Black Lightning has been part of the Outsiders countless times. DC uses Black Lightning the same way they always have for the most part outside of two solos and what McDuffie tried to do before he was fired. Batman is the center of the DC Universe the lynchpin hero who is above the rest at this point in time. Starring alongside Batman has a different effect than running with other heroes. Comic might sell more and get more exposure among Batman fans, but superpowers characters tend to be written differently than if they were on their own or next to Superman. End of the day this comic should hopefully give him a moment or two to dd to a feat list, but it likely won't further his character in a new way just put him back in pages more regularly. Hopefully he doesn't get Cyborg'd or glass cannon'd.

Honestly, I wouldn't mind them doing something fresh with Black Lightning. Pairing him with Blue Devil was interesting, it was a weird pairing but kind of had a buddy cop feel.

At least he's got a hit tv show that will carry more weight than the comics. Hopefully he gets some shine in Young Justice.

[Assam]

Hill addressed the concern

https://twitter.com/bryanedwardhill/...55325854404608

[skyvolt2000]

I'm reading his Twitter replies and he basically wants to keep BL as a community hero or not near Batman at all . It seems like he doesn't want him on a team for a long period of time.

Dude it's comics. He can balance team work and neighborhood duty within time.

Yes being in a book with Bat God is a way to get you exposure. However as we have seen with Cyborg, John Stewart & especially STORM-being in a top selling or shoved in your face book series or over ordered book does not HELP you when that is the only place to see you.

Because a lot of times it will be rarity to see that black character be the center of the story or outshine the others. Then you got the calls of "John Stewart is boring" or Black Panther book being used as a Storm solo because the X-Office doesn't care for her or a low selling Cyborg book. Because folks opinions about them have been built up in that team book than on their own.

That is what Tony fears. Being in Batman's book does no good if that is all we get.

That is why Miles Morales is where HE is after 7 years- 3 solo runs, guest spot in cartoons and now a movie. Bendis did not have him in a team book or anyone else's book until that second solo series.

DC's issue is we will toss BL in a Batman book and pat ourselves on the back.

It's funny with black characters especially those on tv-EVERY excuse is used to not do an ongoing solo series. We saw it with Static, Vixen, John Stewart, A version of Firestorm & now it's BL's turn. Yeah Cyborg got one but not at the time when he SHOULD have gotten one.

[Aahz]

DC's issue is we will toss BL in a Batman book and pat ourselves on the back.

It's funny with black characters especially those on tv-EVERY excuse is used to not do an ongoing solo series. We saw it with Static, Vixen, John Stewart, A version of Firestorm & now it's BL's turn. Yeah Cyborg got one but not at the time when he SHOULD have gotten one.

Black Lightnig had afaik two ongoing solos, one in the 70s and one in the 90s, both were got canceled after 11 respectively 13 issues (probaly due to low sales). His last mini did also not sell that great.

For him it is either a team book, or limbo and an occasional mini. An ongoing that will survive several years is just not realistic, I mean even Black Panther is just selling somewhere close to the low end of the long running ongoings.

[Jabare]

This is the thought process that will keep Black Lightning in the same place for another 25 years seeing him as a Black character and not just a hero.

I won't even get into how completely different the comic landscape was in the 70s and 90s compared to now, but its not adequate comparison.

Also BPs been comfortably in the top 100 for months on end beating out other longtime ongoings.

[Raijin]

His last mini didn't sell great. But I don't think that's any reason to restrict him.

[Aahz]

Also BPs been comfortably in the top 100 for months on end beating out other longtime ongoings.

BP has for the most part stable sales in the 20-30K Range, which is kind of the minimum you need to keep an ongoing running.
But that also means that characters that are not as popular as him will very likely not generate enough sales to do so.

I won't even get into how completely different the comic landscape was in the 70s and 90s compared to now, but its not adequate comparison.

I have the impression that at least in the 90s it was actually easier for newer characters. In that era you had actually series for pretty obscure characters running for quite some time.

Today DCs most "obscure" solo characters that are not part of another franchise, that mange to keep a solo going are Green Arrow and Aquaman.

At least he's got a hit tv show that will carry more weight than the comics. Hopefully he gets some shine in Young Justice.

The problem is that hit tv shows and movies usually don't do much for the comic sales.