“Luke Cage” is the newest addition to Netflix’s and Marvel’s superhero TV series collection, released September 30. With “Daredevil,” “Jessica Jones” and the upcoming “Iron Fist” already populating the streaming site’s queues, the Marvel takeover is beginning to feel a bit excessive. However, I am pleasantly sur- prised by what “Luke Cage” brings into the mix, adding fresh charac- ter and charm to the dense lineup.
“Luke Cage” follows the hero in a narrative very similar to any other “super-narrative;” a man with a shady past discovers new abilities that give him the capabil- ity to benefit his community and fight off unwanted evils. After a stint in prison and a wayward science experiment gone wrong, Luke finds himself with super- strength. At first, he lays low in Harlem, New York, to regain his footing and hopefully lead a nor- mal life working at Pop’s Barber Shop. However, once criminal gang boss Cornell ‘Cottonmouth’ Stokes meddles with the lives of his and Pop’s close-knit commu- nity, it gives Luke no choice but to kick some serious ass. Armored with his new abilities, emotional vengeance and signature super- hero catchphrase, Luke mut- ters “aAlways forward, forward always” to himself as he ventures into the depths of Harlem and deflects hundreds of bullets to protect his community’s turf from corruption.
“Luke Cage” may be filled with conventional superhero tropes, yet the series still carries a fresh rendi- tion for Marvel built upon innova- tion and creativity. Mahershala Ali’s twisted character Cottonmouth
and his corrupt councilwoman cousin Mairiah, played by Alfre Woodard, are the highlights of the series. Their strong acting abilitiesy complementcompliment the rest of the production and effectively give complexity to their unethical char- acters. The series plays on stylized flares that are fading from film and television in our current cinematic climate. The dialogue is filled with quick and clever sound bites that bring back the days of the “Batman” series without the cheese.
The music, the most invigorat- ing element of the show, blends retro and quirky sounds resonant to Tarantino film scores. The series features strong soul and jazz music as a tribute to the lively music scene and culture surrounding Harlem and its historic musical renais- sance. Despite this abundance of originality and cultural flare that is often missing from Marvel pro- ductions, the series still effectively alludes to the rest of the Marvel universe to remind audiences that it is still existsing within the same world. Easter eggs are dropped and other series’ storylines inter- mingle, hinting to this connection that builds upon Marvel’s master plan of incorporating all of their storylines for their upcoming “Defenders” series.
The show is far from perfect, but is a superior addition to the Marvel Uuniverse. The series touches on current issues such as racial pro- filing and gun violence, a sign that Marvel is evolving to no longer shy away from societal issues that deserve mention in super-narra- tives. The pacing of the series is little off, proving that Marvel still struggles in finding a good foot- ing in the television format after producing solely cinematic hits. “Luke Cage” is overall less flashy than other superhero stories; Luke is just a man with above-average strength fighting crime in Harlem. However, this subtlety should not be confused with mediocrity. “Luke Cage” is an inventively fun superhero series that captivates by staying grounded.
