Black Lightning Premiere Review: 6 Ups And 1 Down From 'The Resurrection'

6. Lack Of Arrowverse Connections

Arrowverse Crisis On Earth X
The CW

Partly because it was established over at Fox before moving to The CW, partly because it's a different kind of show, and partly due to the practical reason that it films in Atlanta rather than Vancouver, Black Lightning is not in the Arrowverse (yet).

Although the shared universe has its worth, as seen in the epic four-way crossover Crisis on Earth-X, it definitely works in Black Lightning's favour that it stands apart at the beginning of its lifespan.

It means the show has its own clear, unique identity right from the first episode, without having to shoehorn in references to or characters from the other shows. We don't need another Arrowverse show right now, and Black Lightning has a distinct tone and stands very much on its own two feet, which makes for a great and refreshing start to the series.

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Contributor
Contributor

NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far. A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.