DC Comics may finally bring closure to a beloved but forgotten novel through the new Black Lightning series. Last month, DC released the first issue of the new Black Lightning series by Brandon Thomas and Fico Ossio. The issue set an incredibly high standard for DC's new All In era of storytelling. It also presents an opportunity for DC to revisit some stories the publisher forgot to finish telling.
Namely, Black Lightning can finally end the romantic story between his daughter, Thunder, and his ex-girlfriend, Grace Choi. Anissa Pierce and Grace were a notable item on the CW Black Lightning television show, but they originally have their roots in comic books, starting in Strangers #41 by Judd Winick, Matthew Clark, Ron Randall, Art Thibert, Guy Major and Pat Brosseau.
However, their romance never came to a proper conclusion in the comics, although there could be a way for them to finally get some sort of closure. Black Lightningthanks to DC Festival of Heroes: the celebration of the Asian superhero #1.
Black Lightning's Daughter Thunder Was Once Part of a Fan-Favorite DC Novel
How it started and how it ended
Black Lightning's daughter meets the Amazon-Metahuman hybrid for the first time when they were members of the Outsiders. The partnership was strictly professional at first, but over time the two grew closer. Admittedly, their dynamic was mostly sexual and kept secret, but feelings begin to deepen as Grace comforts Anissa when her father is accused of murder. However, in Strangers #46, after Anissa admits to hating Grace when they first met, Grace says she liked her from the start, only playing with her to hide a crush.
Grace's relationship with Black Lightning's daughter has always felt healthier than her other classic hero romance.
In the words of Grace in the same issue, “This is getting more romantic by the second.” Once they become official, Grace meets the Pierce family in Festival of Heroesand although Jefferson plays a little rough, he eventually accepts Grace. Unfortunately, two years later, CC Energy 2024 confirms that Grace and Anissa broke up off-panel in the story “The Spice of Life” by Cheryl Lynn Eaton, Asiah Fulmore, Ruth Redmond and AndWorld Design, while Anissa is struggling to control her powers and blames her internship and relationship as the reasons. She chooses to eliminate both distractions from her life.
As Black Lightning You can revisit Grace Choi and Thunder's romance
Grace meets Black Lightning's family in DC Festival of Heroes: the celebration of the Asian superhero “Family Dinner” #1 by Alyssa Wong, Sean Chen, Norm Rapmund, Rain Beredo and Ariana Maher
For fans of the relationship, the reasoning always seems strange, especially when Grace's relationship with Black Lightning's daughter has always seemed healthier than her other classic hero romance. Such an unceremonious elimination of a novel with so much history feels like a slap in the face to anyone who invested time in watching it evolve. Fortunately, as Black Lightning puts the spotlight on your daughtersspecifically Anissa, this new series could be the opportunity DC needs to give their old romance some true panel closure.
Black Lightning #1 depicts Thunder at a crossroads in her life, lying to her father and sister about her whereabouts as she struggles with her powers, the reason behind breaking up with Choi in the first place. Grace herself has been reintroduced into DC lore, as she is part of the current Birds of Prey plot by Kelly Thompson and Sami Basri. Grace is already active in DC's current continuity, so there's a chance she could patch things up with Anissa – this time on panel. If not, using Black Lightning as per Thunder's character study, DC has a chance to at least reevaluate his breakup with Grace and whether that door should have closed to begin with.
Black Lightning #1 is now available from DC Comics.