Black Lightning Series Thoughts (So Far)

"A Breath of Fresh Air"

Black Lightning is by far one of the most emotionally and conceptually powerful comic book TV series that has ever hit the market. There's something compelling about seeing a man having to struggle between protecting his family, rekindling his relationship with his ex-wife, protecting his identity by not acting out of emotions in a tension driven environment, and fighting with the idea of coming out of retirement to save a city that is on the cuffs of losing hope. It's safe to say that Black Lightning is a series that is not short of dramatic content and entertainment value.

The characters (villains included) all feel grounded for the most part in an excellently presented gangster plagued gritty world. The storytelling behind Black Lightning's drive to don the suit and mask after years of turning to a new life hits all the right emotional notes which is something that shouldn't be easily sidelined as this element could have easily felt forced. There are several things shown in the CW's newest live action DC property that are rarely explored in other entries within this genre. I loved the idea that our protagonist is already a legitimate symbol of hope outside of the suit through his non superhero life as a popularly inspiring principle. How often do we get to see our heroes actually be "heroes" without having to squeeze into a pair of tights sporting an emblem of sorts?

Another thing that I admired was the fact that, in him saving his daughters as Black Lightning then disappearing, the city acknowledges this as a potential selfish act by the once thought retired superhero. You can truly feel the idea that Jefferson is in a constant lose-lose situation despite having good intentions as both Black Lightning and a leader of the people. We're dealing with a man who has incredible powers, yet his normal human-superhero life is equally as complicated as the explanation behind his electrical surging abilities. In essence, the series plays out as a roller coaster ride of real world conflicts being entangled in fantastical costumed hero issues. The best part of it all? It all works organically with each other.

It brings up many hard hitting and thought provoking conversations about what having life saving abilities and protecting one's own life and loved ones means for a superhero. There's your iconic "With great power, comes great responsibility" line that applies here in such a profound manner here and is interwoven through the protagonist's day to day life in a very natural and dramatically impactful way. There are so many layers of threats being tossed at our hero that are not in the form of a cackling costumed villain making this series out to be intriguingly realistic as it is relatable. You don't need to have grown up in the ghettos to at least understand the threats that plagues those types of environments which the show never backs down in placing a spotlight over those sensitive community issues.

Something that I do have to point out before this review makes the series out to be one depressing mess of gang violence is that the writers take the time to inject levity where its best fitted. You have genuinely happy moments between Jefferson and his ex-wife attempting to "find that spark again" in their relationship (apologies for the pun). Even the daughters get to have their own individually adorable and/or romantic scenes. Let's just soak in the fact that we have a superhero show that doesn't depressingly sink down into its crime plagued atmosphere and understands the power of an simple smile or laugh. No pop culture references or witty dialogue is needed to have characters kid around in this genre. The series shows us real people going through rough times, yet also attempting to have a normal life at the end of the day. Soak it in.

Overall, in just two episodes, Black Lightning has proven to be a breath of fresh air in a heavily crowded genre. The central hero is a human being with a multilayered complex situation in addition to being a costumed crime fighter with superpowers. The villains, although the core villain may lean a little bit on the classic Bond villain side, all feel like legitimate human threats which brings forth a sense of realism to the conflicts. The allusions to future super powered family members hasn't felt naturally paced out with everything else taking place, but it does introduce an interesting character dynamic to anticipate. At the end of the day, Black Lightning has been a fantastic new series for the genre equally delivering on the character drama, storytelling, and superhero spectacle that we've come to expect and so much more.

Static who? Ya'll better be focusing on making me look as good, if not, better than the other heroes you got running around this channel. 

Hey CW! Keep this one going for as many seasons as you possibly can, and for crying out loud, don't you dare cheap out on the budget (says the 6 year old comic book loving kid in me). 

Bonus Thoughts

1. James Remar Is Awesome...Enough Said

Whether he's a member of the Court of Owls on Gotham or the actual God of Thunder in Mortal Kombat Annihilation (don't pretend that you didn't like that movie once upon a time), James Remar will forever be a national treasure in my book. So far, he's been a fantastic component to the show as Black Lightning's Alfred or Cisco (for Flash fans).

2. Being A Superhero Hurts

One of my favorite scenes of the series so far is the moment to where Jefferson is suffering through agonizing pain as we see the electricity surging through his veins. Was his powers healing his wounds or are they actually painful to use after years of inexperience? Either way, referencing Logan in mind, it was powerful seeing a hero undergo such pain showing how much the task can truly weigh on someone's life.

Episodes 1-2 Rating: 9/10