Black Lightning is one of DC’s first African-American heroes and a longtime member of superteams like The Outsiders and the Justice League of America. Black Lightning, aka Jefferson Pierce, will also be the first person of color to headline a live-action DC CW superhero TV series.
Jefferson Pierce was created by Tony Isabella and Trevor Von Eeden in 1977’s Black Lightning #1.
Below you’ll find a guide to Black Lightning comics and where to start with reading the character’s appearances in the DC Universe.
Black Lightning Comic Book Reading Order
Origins and Year One
Collects: Black Lightning Year One #1 to #6
Note that this is a modern take on Black Lightning’s origins. If you want to start with his 1977 debut, skip ahead to the collection below.
Collects: Black Lightning #1 to #11, World’s Finest #260
Justice League of America #173 to #174
Green Arrow recruits Black Lightning for the Justice League of America.
Black Lightning And The Outsiders
Collects: Brave and the Bold #200, Batman and the Outsiders #1 to #13, New Teen Titans #37
Batman and the Outsiders Vol. 2
Collects: Batman and the Outsiders Annual #1, Batman and the Outsiders #14 to #23
Batman and the Outsiders continues in issues until issue #32 before rebranding to Adventures of the Outsiders from issues #33 to #38.
Collects: Black Lightning #1 to #13
Tony Isabella returned to a relaunched Black Lightning in the mid-90’s for another short-lived run on Jefferson Pierce.
Black Lightning Enters the 2000’s
Collects: The Adventures Of Superman #108-110, Secret Files &Amp; Origins: President Luthor #1, Superman #108-110, #162-165 And Superman: Lex 2000 #1
President Lex Luthor names Jefferson his Secretary of Education, and he reluctantly accepts.
Outsiders Vol 01: Looking for Trouble
Collects: Teen Titans/Outsiders Secret Files #1, Outsiders #1 to #6
Black Lightning bounces in and out of the 2003 relaunched Outsiders, with a team led by Nightwing and adding Jefferson’s oldest daughter, Thunder! Consider this more “Black Lightning family” than directly Black Lightning comics.
Outsiders Vol 02: Sum of All Evil
Collects: Outsiders #7 to #15
Collects: Outsiders #16 to #23
Teen Titans/Outsiders: The Insiders
Collects: Teen Titans #24-26 And Outsiders #24, 25 And 28
Outsiders Vol 04: Crisis Intervention
Collects: Outsiders #29 to #33
Black Lightning is involved in Batman’s machinations with Brother EYE and the OMAC project.
Collects: Outsiders #34 to #41
Outsiders Vol 06: Pay as You Go
Collects: Outsiders #42 to #46, Outsiders Annual #1
Collects: Checkmate #13-15, Outsiders #47-49
Crossover with Greg Rucka’s run on Checkmate.
Black Lightning and the Justice League of America
Green Arrow: Heading into the Light
Collects: Green Arrow #52, #54 to #59
Black Lightning works with Ollie to track down Dr. Light and hold him accountable for his crimes in Identity Crisis
Justice League of America Vol. 1 The Tornado’s Path
Collects: Justice League of America #1 to #7
Black Lightning spends the back-end of the 2000’s as a full-fledged Justice Leaguer.
Justice League of America, Vol. 2: The Lightning Saga
Collects: Justice League of America #0, #8 to #12, Justice Society of America #5 to #6
Justice League of America: The Injustice League
Collects: JLA Wedding Special #1 and Justice League of America #13-16
Justice League of America Vol 4: Sanctuary
Collects: Justice League of America #17 to #21
Justice League of America: The Second Coming
Collects: Justice League of America #22 to #26
Justice League of America: Worlds Collide
Collects: Justice League of America #27 to #28, #30 to #34
Collects: Batman #682-683 in addition to Final Crisis #1-7, Superman Beyond #1-2 and Submit #1
Black Lightning stars in one of the limited, and most meaningful Final Crisis tie-ins, in the “Submit” one-shot.
Collects: Batman and the Outsiders Special #1, Outsiders (2007 to 2011) #15 to #20
Black Lightning challenges for leadership of the Outsiders in the wake of Final Crisis.
Collects: Outsiders #21 to #25
The Outsiders: The Road to Hell
Collects: Outsiders #26 to #31
Collects: Outsiders #32 to #37
New 52 and DC Rebirth Black Lightning
DC Universe Presents Vol. 3: Black Lightning and Blue Devil
Collects: DC Universe Presents #13 to #18
Black Lightning got the short end of the stick in the New 52, finally appearing in DC Universe Presents #13 in an oddball team-up with Blue Devil.
If you’re a Black Lightning fan, the New 52 was not kind to you.
Black Lightning: Cold Dead Hands
Collects: Black Lightning Cold Dead Hands #1 to #6
Black Lightning has returned to the DCU in the DC Rebirth era with his very own six issue limited series by original series creator Tony Isabella.
Hi Dave… There is some error in your reading order… But I can help you to correct some mistakes in your Black Lightning reading order… On your reply, we can move forward…