The dark side of super heroes

‘Luke Cage’ is the blackest thing Marvel has done

cer of colour in a no-snitch culture that doesn’t trust law enforcement. She’s drawn to Cage, like so many at first, but forces herself to not fall victim to his charms when he keeps showing up at places where he shouldn’t be.

Cage and Misty have the same bad guy in their sights (Cottonmouth), but believe in different methods when it comes to how to bring the bad guys in.

Ali’s Cottonmouth was a child of lost potential, thrown into organised crime at a young age, and eventually realises he’s stuck there. But if he has to be there, he wants to be at the top. His covert collaboration with his cousin Mariah (Woodard) brings about the question of how far do you go to save the soul of your city? Their enemy is oncoming gentrification and what it could mean to their future Harlem interests.

Mariah wants to keep Harlem black and has used some of Cottonmouth’s dirty money to do it, while Cottonmouth wants a crime empire and his luxurious night club (which provides some incredible musical performances from the likes of Raphael Saadiq, Faith Evans and more).

Then there’s the symbolism. When the time comes for Luke to stop hiding and be a hero, discretion is still top priority. His mask of choice? A hoodie. Bullets bounce off that hoodie many times. You can’t help but think of Trayvon Martin and others who may have fallen for not realising that a clothing accessory made them a threat.

The symbolism is there for you to see, but it won’t be preached to you. Just like real life injustice, sometimes words aren’t necessary.

Luke Cage passes the Marvel authenticity test, too, taking the best elements of a character, modernising the story and making it must see for not just fanboys, but also those in the general public who might not be comic book experts.

When it comes to Marvel’s movies and Netflix’s shows, they haven’t struck out yet. Luke Cage is no different, and it is Netflix’s best Marvel show to date.

When given the chance to bring to life one of the most well-known heroes of colour around, Marvel and Netflix produced something that is undeniably and unapologetically black and beautiful. – Washington Post

Luke Cage on Netflix. is available now

Jessica Jones. Luke Cage and Krysten Ritter starred in the hugely popular

Luke Cage Jones. Jessica The action in promises to be more gritty than in