Before there was Static, there was Lightning. DC’s original electricity-themed Black superhero, Jefferson Pierce, made his debut in 1977, which means the character turns five decades old next year. It also means it’s time for a big celebratory book in the form of DC Power: Black Lightning 50th Anniversary Special, due out January 27.
The 48-page one-shot will be composed of several stories starring Jefferson, but the main story will be about Black Lightning assigned to protect Metropolis while Superman is off doing something unspecified. It’s at this time that one of his old enemies comes out from the shadows and “Jefferson will once again have to prove that protecting a community means more than simply winning the fight.” There’s this and the fact that he’s having another disagreement with his ex-wife.
This story comes from Jenny Isabella (the regular Black Lightning writer), Brandon Thomas (Black Lightning: The Standard) and Fico Ossio (Black Lightning: The Standard), with the other stories in the book coming from writers Danny Lore, Greg Anderson Elysée, and Al Letson and artists Karen S. Darboe, Darryl Banks, and Sedat Özgen. Look for appearances from the Outsiders, fellow Black supers Mr. Terrific and Steel, and of course, Jefferson’s daughters Anissa and Jennifer.
“I’m excited about the special,” said Jenny Isabella. “As the old lady of the team, I get to work with a bunch of talented ‘youngsters’ who love and respect my creation. Plus, we have an alternate cover by my pal Trevor Von Eeden, the first artist who drew Black Lightning and who is justifiably considered a co-creator of the character and his world. I had a blast returning to these characters. It’s a book that brings the action, the drama, the sense of peril, and the fun. So much fun.”
“As much as it can be said that someone who doesn’t own a character can have a chosen successor, Brandon is mine,” added Isabella. “Collaborating with Brandon was amazing. He gets Jefferson Pierce in a way only a few writers have. He’s an incredibly gifted, hardworking writer. I think the comics world is just beginning to realize how good he is.”
DC Power: Black Lightning 50th Anniversary Special will feature a main cover by Edwin Galmon and Andrew Dalhouse, and variant covers by Fico Ossio and Tamra Bonvillain, Trevor Von Eeden and Chris Sotomayor. Plus a glow-in-the-dark variant cover by Cully Hamner! The book will be available at comic book stores January 27, 2027, for $5.99.
