Black Lightning - La Wanda: The Book of Burial & Black Jesus - Review: Marching to a Different Drum

Black Lightning 103 and 104




Black lightning is back… the story follows high school Principal Jefferson Pierce who was once superhero Black Lightning but gave it all up for his family. As his neighborhood seems to be consumed with violence, controlled by a gang called 'The 100’ Jefferson resurrects his old persona Black Lightning, a hero with the power to control electricity, thus giving hope to others. However, his ex-wife isn't too happy he is putting himself in harm's way leading to a halt in there reconciliation.
The 100 gang doesn’t like his return as well and soon pushes back putting him between not only the gang and those he loves but the law as well.
From the very first episode, this show engaged me, after all using Strange Fruit by Nina Simone at the start certainly set the tone for what was to come. The music goes from modern to classic hits all setting the tempo for the drama that’s unfolding on the screen. Its one of the most brutal CW superhero shows to date. Black Lightning is not pulling any punches with the realism of the world it revolves in that sadly for some exists right outside their front door.

In this review, I will look at the latest two. Next week I will be back to review in full week by week.

La Wanda: The Book of Burial follows the events of episode two, where La Wanda was killed by Gang Leader La La. The community is angered they are tired of living in fear and the local reverend inspires them all to march against The 100.

The 100 as we have seen in the last two episodes has more than one in its line of command and very powerful. Black Lightening’s old rival Tobias Whale, Freedoms very own Kingpin and we assume leader of The 100 seems to have the police in his pocket when Tobias himself walked into the police station and murdered La La before he could talk.
Tobias Whale believes he killed Black Lightning 9 years ago, so he isn’t too happy that he is back.
In this episode, we meet the person above him Lady Eve who orders Tobias to kill the protestors at the march as it bad for business. All this hope and they stop paying them protection.

Jefferson knows the only way to protect the protestors is as Black Lightning and with Gambi’s help and some cool tech he stops the shooter, but Tobias is watching and gets his deadly female henchwoman to shot at Black Lightning. The Reverend gets hit as well as Jefferson’s youngest daughter’s boyfriend an aspiring young track athlete.

As we know Jefferson has two daughters and their kidnapping and knack for getting in trouble spurred Jefferson to charge back up.

Jennifer is the youngest and still in high school and Anissa the oldest who teaches at the school. Since their kidnapping, Anissa has been displaying great strength when under stress. She does some research and at the library and bumps into a young woman who is a comic fan, a nice nod to the original Black Lightning with a copy of The Outsiders in her pocket. She invites her to a party, but her girlfriend shows up jealous and soon becomes her ex-leading the way for a new romance with the bartender I assume.
Anissa tests her powers at a junkyard and learns the secret is her breathing. It looks like another hero may be in the family.

Jennifer and her boyfriend are planning to have sex .. yes, the very frank discussion she had at the dinner table made me smile too. However, the father talks her dad gives her boyfriend about showering was just as good as a cold shower. Of course, this is before tragedy strikes at the march.
Gambi looks at the security footage from the march and wipes out the video of Tobias in the SUV . to protect Jefferson?

In Black Jesus, the term we hear used to describe Jefferson we continue to see the effect of the events from before, but this episode deals with all too common problem, drugs. When one of Jefferson’s students starts tearing up a bathroom and young people start overdosing on this new drug. Jefferson puts on his Black Lightening suit to shake down the supplier.
Jennifer is running herself ragged between school, track and being at the hospital for her boyfriend… looks like he may never walk again. A fact later exploited by Tobias leading him to tell the boy it's all Black Lightning fault.
While dealing with problems at home and at the school, Jefferson must also compromise with the school board to save the future of his student.

Tobias must answer to Lady eve and in a scene, I found more disturbing than the shooting of La Wanda, we see that Lady Eve is someone who has more than one way to kill you.
Tobias calls in his sister for help and she seems just as ruthless, maybe more so than her brother.

Anissa starts to use her own powers, but the effects could be deadly and Gambi covers her tracks but again why?
The noise from her using her powers distracts Black Lightning from tracking the drugs and I feel she may live up to the name we know she gets, Thunder.

This week was slower than previous, but we get a sense like I mentioned the females on this show may prove deadlier than the males.

So, what are your thoughts on Gambi hiding things?

How are you enjoying the show so far?

Share your thoughts in the comments below