I’ll admit that I wasn’t too enthusiastic of the CW’s Black
Lightning from day one. With Greg Berlanti and Mara Brock Akil in charge of the
show I walked in expecting a disaster. However, in spite of a Black feminist
and a White male in charge of producing a show about a Black male character I
had one reason for watching the show: To see the expansion of the DC Universe
on Television. However, now that I know that Black Lightning won’t be a part of
the Berlantiverse, I now have a reason to make that clean break from Berlanti’s
DC TV shows after this season is over.
The whole idea of Black Lightning not being a part of the
Berlantiverse is troubling especially when you consider his relationships to
several characters in the DC Universe. Black Lightning had a significant role
in Superman’s extended universe. Living in Metropolis, He’s worked with and fought
against Superman. So having him as part of the same shared universe to interact
with Supergirl Superman, and James Olsen, the Guardian of the Friendzone would
be an opportunity to expand and diversify Supergirl’s world. And With the show
being a midseason replacement, it’d be easy to build into a ratings bonanza for
the first episode by segueing into his show with an initial episode
establishing him in a Supergirl episode with Tyler Hochelin’s Superman guest
starring.
Plus with the show being set in Metropolis, Tyler Hochelin
could feature in a couple of episodes as the Man of Steel to show how
significant Metropolis truly is to the Berlantiverse.
It’d also be an opportunity to expand Arrow’s world as well.
Black Lightning was a core member of the Outsiders, and so it’d be a no-brainer
to have Black Lightning teaming up with Arrow for a crossover. Season 5 gave us
Green Arrow and the Outsiders, so why not have one of the founding members on
the show as a part of the team?
But Black Lightning won’t be a part of the Berlantiverse. So
we won’t be getting those stories. Because Black Lightning won’t be interacting
with any of DC’s other characters onscreen.
Damn. Just Damn.
Berlanti had the opportunity of a lifetime to redeem himself
in the eyes of many Black comic fans like myself. But He, Mara Brock Akil and
Warner Brothers drop the football One Mo’ Gen.
Damn. Just Damn.
You’d think after emasculating James Olsen in Season 2 of
Supergirl and turning DC’s resident badass Mr. Terrific into a bumbling
stumbling idiot that Berlanti would be focused on making Black Lightning a shining
light that presents a positive portrayal of a Black male superhero onscreen
that would prove capable of standing with the rest of DC’s top heroes like
Arrow, Flash, Superman, Supergirl and the Legends of Tomorrow. But with him in
his own world we won’t see him being a hero in the DC universe on TV the same
way we saw Falcon, War Machine and Black Panther in Captain America: Civil War.
Seeing those three heroes onscreen in Captain America: Civil
War still ranks up there as one of the greatest moments in cinematic history
for a Black comic fan like myself. Three Black superheroes in a movie. And all
three presented in a way that makes them the equal of any of the major white
characters. It’s a shame we won’t get that moment in the Berlantiverse.
Shit.
With Black Lightning not being a part of the Berlantiverse, many
comic fans like myself have no incentive to buy into the show and start
watching it. And now fans like myself who were apprehensive about the show are
thinking about finding something else to do when it comes on.
At this point I’m expecting Black Lightning to be a
trainwreck. No connection to the Berlantiverse, No interaction with other DC
Comics characters. Plus with a Black feminist and a White man writing and
producing a TV show about a Black man I’m expecting nothing less than a
disaster on the level of WB’s Birds of Prey. When Black Lightning comes on the
CW I’ll tune in for the first episode. But that’s just to see how bad this show
will be.
Just when you thought DC couldn’t find a way to create a
fail greater than epic, they find new ways to make their properties suck that
much harder.
On one hand, maybe being away from those trainwrecks of shows would do this version of Black Lightning some good. On the other hand, I doubt that this attempt at translating comics to live-action will go any better than all the other times they've tried it, both films and Television shows.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I think perhaps the one part that is good is the fact that the character is standalone in his universe and the star of the story. Only problem is that the pattern of storytelling I have seen on the Berlanti TV Shows only goes so far before it gets recycled or loses direction (Flash, Arrow, Legends of Tommorrow)
ReplyDeleteI just only came across your blog today and, after reading what you posted about Black Lightning, I totally agree. I myself as a black comic fan and and nice I was a child always wanted to see black superheroes featured more and I sorely disappointed to learn that Black Lightning won't be included in the "Berlantiverse". I was born in Jamaica where Shaka Zulu became my childhood here as he was featured on TV as a black symbol of I strength, a great and fearless warrior. The first time I saw superheroes I was intrigued but I longed for black superheroes portrayed to their white counterparts. I came across T'chala (Black Panther) and I loved it, but I was disappointed that he wasn't as prominent as non-black superheroes in those days. As an adult I saw The Avengers: Civil War and was excited to see black panther in it, equal to his fellow superheroes. I was hoping that Black Lightning would also follow suit, aiding and rubbing shoulders with the likes of superman and such but I am disappointed again
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