Black Lightning: Year One #6
	Writer: Jen Van Meter Penciller: Cully Hamner Colourist: Laura Martin Letterer: Sal Cipriano Editors: Rachel Gluckstern and Joan Hilty Published by: DC Comics 'Black Lightning' created by Anthony Isabella and Trevor Von Eeden
	Reviewed by: Bruce Logan

What do you do for an ending when already in the penultimate issue you have had the big good-vs.-bad fight with the hero already trouncing the big bad? Well, one of the choices (amongst all the possibilities) is doing an epilogue with everyone involved taking a rest and catch up with close ones. Another is bringing in another baddie (or a return of the original/previous one) and doing another fight scene.

Black Lightning: Year One #6 does both of the above.

With the One Hundred (their leader) running around like chickens with their heads cut off the populous of Suicide Slum takes a sigh of relief. Moreover, thanks to the efforts and actions of both Jefferson Pierce and Black Lightning, both the people living in the area and the police (supposed to) work there have a renewed sense of hope. With the locals preparing to bring back a lost community festival/fair, the police too return (re-)opening the local police station. The good days seem to have finally returned to the south side. And they have except for another roadblock that looms up (again) in the form of the not-quite-dead One Hundred and his lackey Tobias Whale.

As expected, there is the obligatory series closer fight-scene with both Tobias and his boss getting some freaky shots in, from the mind control on the a bunch of innocent civilians to Whale’s backstabbing of his boss to his becoming whatever it is that he gets turned into. However, all that fails against the will and perseverance of Suicide Slum’s local hero.

The issue doesn’t quite close the series on as high a note as it I initially expected. This feeling could possibly be because of the bombastic previous issue. In fact, had that been done as the final fight issue with this one tying up loose ends and maybe letting out a plot thread or two (to tie into existing Black Lightning continuity and/or for another series in the future) it would have been a much tighter and smooth closing.

Cully Hamner’s artwork continues to perform right until the end. It’s as if CH drew the whole series in one long (untiring!!) marathon session. Hope to see more from him…soon.

Conclusion: For those who missed the series, get it in the TPB. Oh, and DC…give another series to Ms. Van Meter. ASAP!! Heck, (and I know she isn’t as high profile/well known as the current writer) have JVM take on Wonder Woman for a run. A nod to the editors too, both Ms. Hilty (my favourite DC editor) and Ms. Gluckstern did amazing work.
 

RATING: 7.5/10