Comics Reviews: Black Lightning 11, Jonah Hex 16

Black Lightning 11 coverBlack Lightning #11 – “All They Will Call You Will Be … Deportee” – Denny O’Neil/Trevor von Eeden/Vince Colletta

This one starts at a junkyard where some scumbags are hassling an old man and his nephew. Black Lightning shows up and pounds all the bad guys, showing off some of his superhuman traits in the process. The old man (whose name is Garcia Chavez) partially narrates the story, but it’s not really all that illuminating most of the time. Chavez and his nephew Paco don’t trust Black Lightning, so he takes off just before the cops show up. He changes to Jefferson Pierce (who just happens to be Paco’s teacher) and makes an appearance. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Black Lightning 11, Jonah Hex 16”

Comics Reviews: Black Lightning 10, Jonah Hex 14

Black Lightning 10 coverBlack Lightning #10 – “The Other Black Lightning” – Tony Isabella/Trevor von Eeden/Vince Colletta

This one starts with some cops (or maybe Feds) transporting Trickster to a trial in California. But Trickster has other plans, and escapes the plane in mid-air by using some illusion-casting devices he stole from Mirror Master. He bails out and lands near a costume he’d previously stashed. Trickster figures it’s time to lay low and hone his skills, so he decides to get a job as a high-wire act for a circus (the same one his parents worked at years ago). Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Black Lightning 10, Jonah Hex 14”

Comics Reviews: Black Lightning 9, Jonah Hex 12

 

black Lightning 9 coverBlack Lightning #9 – “Fear and Loathing at Garfield High” – Tony Isabella/Trevor von Eeden/Vince Colletta

This one starts with my favourite storytelling device (can you tell I’m being sarcastic?), that old trope where we come in right in the middle of the action then catch up through flashbacks. This time, we see Black Lightning getting blasted through the window of a building and falling three stories to the street. The guy who blasted him is called the Annihilist, some kind of terrorist asshole who’s taken over Garfield High School (where Black Lightning teaches in his civilian identity of Jefferson Pierce). Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Black Lightning 9, Jonah Hex 12”

Comics Reviews: JLA 153, Superboy & the Legion 238, Black Lightning 8

JLA 153 coverJustice League of America #153 – “Earth’s First and Last Super-Hero” – Gerry Conway/George Tuska/Frank McLaughlin

This issue starts with Green Arrow complaining. I know, what a shock, right? It’s about the JLA not doing enough to help the common people—nothing we haven’t heard from him before. He also manages to insult Red Tornado, but before anything can come of it, Arrow starts vibrating. Superman, Batman, Flash, Green Arrow, and Green Lantern all begin vibrating and suddenly disappear, despite Wonder Woman trying to snag them with her lasso. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: JLA 153, Superboy & the Legion 238, Black Lightning 8”

Comics Reviews: Superman 321, Action 481, Black Lightning 7, Jonah Hex 10

Superman 321 coverSuperman #321 – “Too Strong to Survive” – Martin Pasko/Curt Swan/Frank Chiaramonte

This one starts right where last issue ended, with Superman about to be detained by the Army for illegally entering a top secret facility. We get a recap to bring us up to speed: the Army told Superman a lighthouse would be attacked by foreign spies in a mechanical octopus at a certain time; he was a bit late, thanks to a fight with Solomon Grundy, but when he showed up his powers were running out of control (thanks to the Parasite, but Superman doesn’t know that) and he smashed the mechanical octopus to pieces. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Superman 321, Action 481, Black Lightning 7, Jonah Hex 10”

Comics Reviews: Black Lightning 6, Jonah Hex 8

Black Lightning 6 coverBlack Lightning #6 – “One Man’s Poison” – Tony Isabella/Trevor Von Eeden/Vince Colletta

This issue addresses the lingering plot thread of what happened to Peter Gambi, Black Lightning’s friend and mentor. Lightning has finally noticed Gambi’s disappearance and has been scouring the streets for information. He runs across a couple of goofy-looking villains (a bruiser called Steel Fist Feeny and another dude who’s dressed like a miscoloured Shang Chi) busting into Gambi’s shop, which is also where Black Lightning lives in his civilian identity of Jefferson Pierce. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Black Lightning 6, Jonah Hex 8”

Comics Reviews: Black Lightning 5, Jonah Hex 6

Black Lighning 5 coverBlack Lightning #5 – “Nobody Beats a Superman” – Tony Isabella/Trevor von Eeden/Vince Colletta

This one continues right from last issue, with Superman finding Black Lightning standing over Jimmy Olsen’s body and getting ready to pound Lightning’s ass into the ground. Of course, we know that it was Cyclotronic Man  who almost wasted Jimmy (and there’s a handy flashback to remind us), but Supes doesn’t, so he and Lightning mix it up. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Black Lightning 5, Jonah Hex 6”

Comics Reviews: Black Lightning 4, Jonah Hex 4

Black Lightning 4 coverBlack Lightning #4 – “Beware the Cyclotronic Man” – Tony Isabella/Trevor Von Eeden/Vince Colletta

We continue with the ongoing saga of Black Lightning vs. Tobias Whale and the 100 vs. the Metropolis Police Department. Black Lightning has just stopped a drug shipment at the docks, but the cops show up to arrest him. He fights back (which probably isn’t going to endear him to the fuzz) and wonders how the police always seem to know where he’ll be. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Black Lightning 4, Jonah Hex 4”

Comics Reviews: Superman 313, Action 473, Black Lightning 3

Superman 313 coverSuperman #313 – “The Only Way You’ll Save the Earth … Is Over My Dead Body!” –  Martin Pasko/Curt Swan/Dan Adkins

This one continues from last issue with a recap of what’s been going on; the journalists’ conference, the mysterious epidemic, Superman fighting Nam-Ek, and he and Supergirl confronting Amalak on his spaceship. Amalak gloats to a chained Supergirl that Superman taking Nam-Ek to Earth to cure the plague won’t work because it’s spread too much. Amalak figures Superman will be so distraught at not being able to save all the people that he’ll fall apart emotionally. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Superman 313, Action 473, Black Lightning 3”

Comics Review: Superman 311, Action 471, Black Lightning 2

Superman 311 coverSuperman #311 – “Plague of the Antibiotic Man” – Martin Pasko/Curt Swan/Frank Springer

This one starts with my least favourite trope, the old “let’s start the story in the middle then do an extended flashback to catch people up” trick. So we start with a freaky-looking horned dude beating the shit out of Superman and Flash. From the dialogue, we learn that the one-horned purple people eater is named Nam-Ek, he’s from Krypton, and Supes thinks he’s responsible for a plague that’s been ravaging Central City (though Nam-Ek denies it). Flash gets punched right into orbit and then the flashbacks begin. Continue reading “Comics Review: Superman 311, Action 471, Black Lightning 2”