Announcer: …Round 5 is underway, and Seth a.k.a The Mad Scientist decides to take it to the limit — one more time!!! when he funks with mother nature!!!

Announcer: FUNK with the BULL and you’ll get THE LIL’ HORNS!!! Bully unleashes the beast when he handcuffs lightning and throws thunder in jail!!!

Announcer: Rushin’ in like a fast runnin’ zombie, Kevin brings it like it’s first and goal when he takes one giant leap for mankind!!!

Announcer: Puff-Puff-Passin‘ into the ring, Dorian ganja-farms two hits of some bumbaclot-weed before dealin’ up a fist full-o-dollars!!!

Announcer: Rockin’ his favorite wax-on, wax-off t-shirt, Sims plays stab a nucka in the eye using his famous catch-a-fly-with-CHOPSTICKS technique!!!

Announcer: Still dusty after chillin’ with Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, Munson sings WE DON’T NEED ANOTHER HERO!!! with rage while lamenting the days when Ike beat Tina…

Announcer: But in the end, Hale Ro-Sham-Bo’s everyone with a Public Service Announcement that, there is only DOOM!!!

Ding!-Ding!!-Ding!!!

I’ve said before that DC is woefully non-brutha-friendly, but with the help of Tony Isabella, they came correct with his creation of DC’s first Black superhero — Black Lightning.

Jefferson Pierce, (a.k.a. Black Lightning), is an accomplished olympic athlete, scholar, and teacher. Burdened by the death of a student, Pierce sets out to bring down the 100’s — a crime syndicate operating in Metropolis. Disguised as Black Lightning, Pierce delves out justice and lets every cat on the street know that lightning can strike twice!

Tony Isabella was right on time with his writing on Black Lightning, delivering a solid vibe that didn’t jive 100% with the normal blaxploitation hustle & flow of the 70’s. Pierce is educated, but fronts with a street demeanor so that his enemies can’t get down with his true identity. He works in the streets, but, he’s not of the streets.

There is some legitimacy to the format behind Black Lightning that I can get down with on a personal level — sometimes you have to rock the mask in order to deal with the man. Just as true today as it was back then. Isabella didn’t choke you on the notion, however, his awareness is evident. There are 13 issues to this run of Black Lightning, and you better believe I’ll play it like Pokemon and catch ‘em all!!!