In this review of Black Lightning #3, Steelworks comes under attack and it’s only Jennifer and Natasha there to protect everyone… until Anissa arrives.
BLACK LIGHTNING #3
Written by BRANDON THOMAS
Art and Main Cover by FICO OSSIO
Variant Cover: Joshua “Sway” Swaby
Page Count: 20 pages
Release Date: January 15, 2025
This review contains spoilers
Black Lightning #3 begins with a conversation with Jen. She talks about the minuses of superheroing (not a fan of solving problems via violence) and pluses (learning why people look up to her dad so much).
From there, it goes to the fight back at Steelworks. The action cuts from the battle itself to those outside of it: Anissa is watching in horror, wishing she could help but unsure if she could/should because her new powers aren’t the most stable, the reporter that’s on-location, keeping the general public updated on the situation, and those in the studio for Metropolis Tonight.
In the studio, the guests for that night’s show are the Metahuman Rights Advocate Josiah Power, and Councilman Harriman. They’re both weighing in on the Steelworks situation, with Power bringing up the good that Steelworks in general has done for the community and Harriman continues to be anti-Metahuman about it all.
As the fight rages on, Anissa is given permission to remove her control band and join in. Steel and Jen, despite their best efforts, are having a hard time keeping up with their three opponents…and then Black Lightning himself enters the fray.
Once the fight comes to a conclusion, Jeff has a moment with Anissa. He assures her that she doesn’t need the band to get her powers under control, that all she needs, really, is to trust herself. She’s about ready to trust him on this…when she’s teleported back to the Watchtower.
Jeff returns to the Watchtower, getting into an argument with Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman about how he almost had her trust. Meanwhile, they point out that Anissa losing control of her abilities in a public arena is very much the wrong way to earn back the public’s trust. Feeling like these three are trying to tell him how to raise one of his own kids, Jeff is ready to fight Superman, leaving this issue on another pre-fight cliffhanger.
Okay, so, talking about Black Lightning #3 itself. As always, the poses and page compositions are phenomenal, pulling the eye through the page. The panel breaks in particular are great, giving the action scenes that extra bit of oomph.
As to the societal conflict, we get some input from a few more sources. Jeff and his family had already been firmly on the side of wanting to help those with their newly-messed up abilities. Josiah Power (which, by the way, is an awesome and fitting name for a guy that’s advocating for Metahumans in general) comes across as one who’d likely be on-board with what Jeff’s been up to, while being somewhat removed from the situation as he’s a normal human. He doesn’t have the lived experience of a Metahuman, so that removes a little context for him.
Meanwhile, three of the biggest heroes in the DC Universe are all for trying to help the Metahumans…but at the same time, there’s the whole “public image” aspect to worry about. Those that want Metahumans to get the help they need while not making too many waves have been mentioned before, but it just feels a bit different when it’s coming from Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman…
Especially when we consider that one’s an alien, one’s an Amazonian, and the other doesn’t even have superpowers. The general public’s not going to split hairs when it comes to what kind of empowered individual someone is, and given how 99% of the Justice League does have superpowers…it’s understandable that they’d want the public’s trust overall.
Final Thoughts
A wonderfully-rendered blend of action, family drama, and societal issues. Black Lightning #3 is a solid installment overall, with the art in particular pulling the reader’s attention.
