Black Lightning! Jefferson Pierce Appreciation Thread 2020

[Frontier]

fun little John cameo paired up with Jefferson in the Outsiders finale

I only just realized now that, assuming canon, Jefferson ends up marrying John's sister so this is basically a brothers-in-law team-up .

[Rac7d*]

Wherever Jefferson appears next I hope he is with Tatsu. Those two are really great together and I hope future writers and storylines keep the relationship going. I like this younger unfettered Jeff, no ex wife drama or mature father to teen daughters. Just a recognized powerhouse in the DCU with loads of potential for appearances and new storylines.

So just erases the children?

[Agent Z]

The only story potential that might be erased by the existence of the kids is a romance with a character that isn't Lynn and even that isn't guaranteed since her and Jeff are usually divorced.

[9th.]

I only just realized now that, assuming canon, Jefferson ends up marrying John's sister so this is basically a brothers-in-law team-up .

This is exactly why I want Lynn developed and explored we're being robbed of these interactions. Imagine the petty playful arguments/rivalries they would have.

[9th.]

Wherever Jefferson appears next I hope he is with Tatsu. Those two are really great together and I hope future writers and storylines keep the relationship going. I like this younger unfettered Jeff, no ex wife drama or mature father to teen daughters. Just a recognized powerhouse in the DCU with loads of potential for appearances and new storylines.

Technically we could have both if we get more origin stories and AU tales, but Jeff isn't really getting the facetime he needs to achieve either.

[lemonpeace]

This is exactly why I want Lynn developed and explored we're being robbed of these interactions. Imagine the petty playful arguments/rivalries they would have.

honestly, I think Lynn as a character (especially as John's sister as originally intended) presents far more interesting narrative potential for Black Lightning than either of his daughters. her, Gambi, Tobias Whale, I'd even throw in the iterations of Tattoo Man and Painkiller from the show all, I feel, bring more to table for Jefferson's character and profile than his daughters do imo. again, I have love for Anissa and Jennifer but I just don't think they are as essential to Jefferson as a character. I feel the novelty of fatherhood as a superhero has declined since the time of Jefferson's daughter, it just isn't that high value of an angle that it should supersede any conflicting or new directions for Jeff. Lynn on the other hand, she brings John Stewart into the Lightning brand, allowing room for both characters to get the development they so sorely need, which is far more compelling of a reason. And Lynn is largely a blank slate in the comics, you can mold her character into anything as well.

[Agent Z]

honestly, I think Lynn as a character (especially as John's sister as originally intended) presents far more interesting narrative potential for Black Lightning than either of his daughters. her, Gambi, Tobias Whale, I'd even throw in the iterations of Tattoo Man and Painkiller from the show all, I feel, bring more to table for Jefferson's character and profile than his daughters do imo. again, I have love for Anissa and Jennifer but I just don't think they are as essential to Jefferson as a character. I feel the novelty of fatherhood as a superhero has declined since the time of Jefferson's daughter, it just isn't that high value of an angle that it should supersede any conflicting or new directions for Jeff. Lynn on the other hand, she brings John Stewart into the Lightning brand, allowing room for both characters to get the development they so sorely need, which is far more compelling of a reason. And Lynn is largely a blank slate in the comics, you can mold her character into anything as well.

It can't have declined that much given that it's one of the highest praised aspects of the show and superhero fathers are still very rare in superhero media.

[Iconic]

It can't have declined that much given that it's one of the highest praised aspects of the show and superhero fathers are still very rare in superhero media.

And that's cool for a TV show. As for a comic, it'd be nice to see Jeff develop in his youth, which is something we didn't get to see much of. I'm not ready for Old Man Jeff.

Superman has a TV show coming where he and Lois have twins. Cool. Does he have twins in the comics? Nope. It's cool to have different storytelling in different mediums. We're currently watching dad Jeff on TV. Some may just want to read about how he got to that point in the comics.

[lemonpeace]

It can't have declined that much given that it's one of the highest praised aspects of the show and superhero fathers are still very rare in superhero media.

the show is a different beast, many elements of the show keep in the spirit of the character but it also support by A LOT of elements that are original to it and it also contrasts from the typical YA demographic of the CWverse. it also helps that the characters are competently handled and done so consistently. the show is the future of the character we have right now, we haven't seen a Jefferson in this stage of his life in decades and definitely not with any significant depth; no need to rush to jump that far ahead. there is plenty from the show that makes it good that could work for Jefferson's growth in comics that aren't his daughters, I just don't think they are necessary enough in and of themselves to justify the narrative hoops we'd have to jump to get there. unless he adopts them, that wouldn't be the BEST look but it could work narratively.

[Frontier]

And that's cool for a TV show. As for a comic, it'd be nice to see Jeff develop in his youth, which is something we didn't get to see much of. I'm not ready for Old Man Jeff.

Superman has a TV show coming where he and Lois have twins. Cool. Does he have twins in the comics? Nope. It's cool to have different storytelling in different mediums. We're currently watching dad Jeff on TV. Some may just want to read about how he got to that point in the comics.

He doesn't really need to be an old man to incorporate the kids. Like I said, having them around doesn't equate to him needing to become Cress Williams. No one in the DCU really ages anymore.

Superman doesn't have twins but he has a kid and has had one for the past few years.

the show is a different beast, many elements of the show keep in the spirit of the character but it also support by A LOT of elements that are original to it and it also contrasts from the typical YA demographic of the CWverse. it also helps that the characters are competently handled and done so consistently. the show is the future of the character we have right now, we haven't seen a Jefferson in this stage of his life in decades and definitely not with any significant depth; no need to rush to jump that far ahead. there is plenty from the show that makes it good that could work for Jefferson's growth in comics that aren't his daughters, I just don't think they are necessary enough in and of themselves to justify the narrative hoops we'd have to jump to get there. unless he adopts them, that wouldn't be the BEST look but it could work narratively.

In before he adopts them and they reveal later on that they're really his biological kids he never knew about .

[9th.]

And that's cool for a TV show. As for a comic, it'd be nice to see Jeff develop in his youth, which is something we didn't get to see much of. I'm not ready for Old Man Jeff.

Superman has a TV show coming where he and Lois have twins. Cool. Does he have twins in the comics? Nope. It's cool to have different storytelling in different mediums. We're currently watching dad Jeff on TV. Some may just want to read about how he got to that point in the comics.

I understand what you're saying I do but I just have a problem with using the word old. Age doesn't work like that in comics, techically Bruce, Clark, and all of them should be showing greys due to Dicks generation being adults (and some of them have/had kids) but thats not the case. He can still be in prime form with daughters, having a million children hasn't stopped Bruce one bit and wouldn't stop Jeff from deveopling either.

[Frontier]

I mean, he seems to be about the age Wally West had kids.

[J. D. Guy]

exactly, I have love for Anissa and Jennifer but they aren't really worth much if Black Lightning himself isn't built well and fleshed out. it's comics, there are a million ways to ensure fans that Thunder and Lightning are part of his future without skipping over Black Lightning establishing who he is right now. and honestly, his daughters were a relatively short stint in his canon and they didn't exactly do wonders for his characters growth when they suddenly busted on the scene. you can have them come from the future (or have Jeff go to the future) or some Multiverse shenanigans if you need to see them but I think fast forwarding the character a couple decades from what he is now would not turn out well from a storytelling standpoint. unless he goes the Batman route and adopts them.

I sorta recall speaking on this before in brief, but this makes for a good sum-up of what I feel about Jefferson Pierce's situation with having his daughters in the forefront his present-day existence. If Black Lightning had the presence and focus and permanence and contiguous history that Bruce Wayne/Batman has, or even something that could be said to be reminiscent, then it'd be fine.

As it stands, it feels like most of the people who say they want Anissa and Jennifer only say that because they only actually care for/about Thunder and Lightning. While that is fine to feel that way in and of itself, I feel that Black Lightning as he currently stands would largely be held back by their inclusion, if not outright hampered. If Jefferson enjoyed more of the luxuries Bruce does, then the Black Lightning brand could afford this kind fandom-within-a-fandom laser focus. Because it would always, in the grand scheme and regardless of the trappings of any single story, uplift the parent brand in some way, shape, or form. That's why I don't have issue with this way of thought in the Bat-verse, and in fact actively encourage it because of the breadth and depth of new ground that the Batfamily can cover that Bruce cannot do by himself at this late juncture.

Right now, however, Jefferson needs the opposite. He needs the focus. He, specifically, needs the hype and the feats. And any family and community he builds needs to be shown getting actively built (not retroactively) and shown actively how they uplift and support Jefferson as he does them as their leader, hero, patriarch, father, brother, mentor, and confidante. (This would include his daughters as well as any other proteges and auxiliary heroes and people that would grow to become part of his inner circle.)

[Frontier]

Well, for me I've just usually been presented to Black Lightning as a family man, whether young and old, so I look at that as just one facet of his identity and also allows for different stories and characters to tell along with him in his daughters.

Whether they take focus away from him or limit his potential is more a writing issue in my opinion than something that's naturally a result of incorporating his family.

[OpaqueGiraffe17]

I have mixed feelings about synergizing comic BL with tv BL. Because on paper tv Jeff has so much more going for him, his own city, a good supporting cast including his own legacies (Thunder and Lightning), a surprisingly respectable rogues gallery, maybe even part of that universe's JL if anything comes of that. It's a pretty sweet set up compared to the comic version who's sorta just a batman side character, which to be fair there are worse things to be. But overall I do kinda got to agree with Iconic, what would be the point of turning him into his tv counterpart if we already have that guy on the small screen? Maybe wait a few years until when the show wraps up before bringing back the girls, Freeland, and maybe even Painkiller and Gambi.