Black Lightning Creator Slams DC After Character Change

Black Lightning’s creator was extremely upset with DC Comics’ portrayal of the character in Batman and the Outsiders. Tony Isabella, co-creator of the hero, slammed the company on social media before opting to take a leave of absence for the time being. His Facebook post pulled no punches when it came to discussing how that title was treating Black Lightning. Specifically, he took issue with how Jefferson and Lynn Pierce display a lack of connection in the series. Still, as forceful as the comments read, he was upset and decided to voice his frustrations, as is his right.

“F*** DC COMICS AND EVERYONE INVOLVED IN THEIR RANCID BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS BOOK,” Isabella said. “ANYONE WHO UNDERSTANDS JEFFERSON PIERCE KNOWS LYNN IS HIS ONE TRUE LOVE.”

After that first post, he opted to step away from the keyboard instead of continuing the comments. He’s not feeling the idea that he should have to accept all the various edits to a character he helped create.

“I’m taking the couple days off from the Internet,” he continued in a later Facebook update. “I figure I’ll miss at least some of the clueless trolls who think the creator of an iconic character should just shut the fuck up when he and the character were disrespected by others.”

All of this comes as a bit of a shock because Isabella has been so supportive of other entries in the DC canon that use Jeff as an element. In fact, he had a cameo appearance in a recent episode of Black Lightning on The CW. It seems they’re sticking much closer to his vision for the character than what’s going on in Batman and the Outsiders. Nevertheless, some people don’t see what the big deal is.

There was another post after that where Isabella contemplated doing away with his online presence altogether. At the moment, it just seems a bit too stressful to deal with all the opinions rolling around on the platform. In a comment, he added, “I think I’m done with comics and maybe with any kind of online presence.”

Isabella said, “UPDATE: I’m taking the weekend to think about what I want to do going forward. Right now, I’m considering throwing in the towel. There’s got to be better things I can do with my energy, passion and talent.”

Do you feel like Batman and the Outsiders is doing right by Black Lightning? Let us know down in the comments!