Black Lightning Trailer (Review)
- Jun 2, 2017
- 5 min read
A couple of weeks ago, The CW unleashed our first look at the upcoming Black Lightning series in the form of a trailer. Along with trailer came an announcement for a full season pick-up. It seems the series is already on the right track and it hasn't even premiered yet. Read the official synopsis below.
Jefferson Pierce (Cress Williams) is a man wrestling with a secret. As the father of two daughters and principal of a charter high school that also serves as a safe haven for young people in a New Orleans neighborhood overrun by gang violence, he is a hero to his community. Nine years ago, Pierce was a hero of a different sort. Gifted with the superhuman power to harness and control electricity, he used those powers to keep his hometown streets safe as the masked vigilante Black Lightning. However, after too many nights with his life on the line, and seeing the effects of the damage and loss that his alter ego was inflicting on his family, he left his Super Hero days behind and settled into being a principal and a dad.
Choosing to help his city without using his superpowers, he watched his daughters Anissa (Nafessa Williams) and Jennifer (China Anne McClain) grow into strong young women, even though his marriage to their mother, Lynn (Christine Adams), suffered. Almost a decade later, Pierce’s crime-fighting days are long behind him…or so he thought. But with crime and corruption spreading like wildfire, and those he cares about in the crosshairs of the menacing local gang The One Hundred, Black Lightning returns — to save not only his family, but also the soul of his community. Based on the characters from DC, BLACK LIGHTNING is from Berlanti Productions and Akil Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, with executive producers Greg Berlanti (“Arrow,” “The Flash”), Salim Akil & Mara Brock Akil (“Being Mary Jane,” “The Game,” “Girlfriends”), and Sarah Schechter (“Arrow,” “The Flash”). The Black Lightning character was created by Tony Isabella with Trevor Von Eeden.
Originally pitched to FOX Network, FOX ultimately decided to pass on the show. Instead, The CW picked it up, but don't get too excited, folks. Black Lightning won't be appearing in the growing Arrowverse. Well, at least not quite yet. Cress Williams, our leading actor in the series, has stated that he wants his show to develop it's characters a bit more before even thinking of a crossover with our other four shows: Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, and Supergirl. While I'll admit this piece of news alarmed and disappointed me, I respect that the show will focus on itself, rather than "mooch" off the other shows by relying on a crossover(s).
The Real-Life Gritty Vibe
The first bit of the trailer I'll tackle is the tone of it. Over the last decade or so, we've seen directors adapt
superheroes into real-life settings, i.e. Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, Netflix's Marvel series, the first couple seasons of CW's very own Arrow, and even films like Man Of Steel and Watchmen. By doing so, it introduces the idea of the audience wondering what our lives would be like if vigilantes and enhanced beings were walking among us. That's the exact vibe that I was feeling while watching the Black Lightning trailer-- a dark and realistic tone. From the trailer, we see Jefferson Pierce, AKA Black Lightning, dealing with realistic matters that everyday people could be dealing with. He's dealing with HUMAN issues and that's what I love about certain superhero adaptions: when you can fully get into the characters shoes and feel their pain and understand their problems and struggles. We see glimpses of a gang running around the city and causing mayhem, a man struggling with his superhero life choices, and how it affects his life as a human being. Off topic, doesn't the picture above look like Barry's lab from The Flash? Just something interesting I noticed.
The Costume
One of the reveals fans look forward to when it comes to a superhero adaption is the costume the hero will sport for their film and/or television series. While I can say I'm personally a fan of Oliver Queen's Green Arrow costume (his "Hood" costume from the earlier seasons didn't appeal to me as much) and Barry Allen's future Flash costume, there are costumes within the Arrowverse that I'm still not too fond of. The one that comes to mind immediately is Ray Palmer's Atom costume. Don't get me wrong, I've enjoyed watching Brandon Routh on screen since his role as Superman in Superman Returns back in 2006 (I LOVED the Superman costume in that film!) and I enjoy his character in The Arrowverse but something about his current DC character costume just doesn't sit well with me. He looks like cheap TV adaption of Marvel's Iron Man, doesn't he? Of course, Black Lightning isn't set in the Arrowverse (yet?).
When it comes to Black Lightning, I've got to say, I like it. I approve of the costume. What most fail to understand is, what looks good in the comics may not translate well to screen, no matter how accurate it may be. As seen in the image above, the Black Lightning costume looks closely accurate to its comic book counterpart. From the color scheme to the iconic duel lightning bolts on either side of his chest. The only differences I can spot are the absence of the two bolts on both his hips, the goggles don't have the golden tint, and the suit appears to be more mechanical than in the comic books. Think about this though, in a realistic/dark/gritty setting like this series is presenting, would a superhero strutting around in purely tights look intimidating? I think not. Would you have taken the darker tone of the Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy seriously if Christian Bale was sporting an Adam West-like costume? No, sir.
Connecting to the Arrowverse
As stated above more than once, Black Lightning will not be set within the Arrowverse. At least not for the time being. Never fear, folks, with The Flash constantly traveling through time and space, it's only a matter of time before Black Lightning strikes his way into the Arrowverse. Supergirl originally started on the CBS Network for its first season and flew its way over to the CW for it's second season. Not before a little crossover fun though, first teased in The Flash Season 2. As he traveled his way to Earth 2, Barry saw glimpses of other timelines and alternate Earths.
The character of Constantine who led his own series over on NBC before ultimately being cancelled, was summoned for a cameo in Arrow Season 4. Constantine is slated to return for yet another solo series, this time in the form of an animated short series for the CW Seed network, set within the Arrowverse, of course.
Something that I will point out again is how Black Lightning was originally pitched for FOX, which just so happens to be the home of another DC series, Gotham. It sounds like a long stretch and most likely won't happen unless it's under very, VERY special circumstances, but perhaps this bit of information could be a link for a network crossover between FOX's Gotham and the CW's Arrowverse. Like I said, highly unlikely, but it's a nice thought. Whatever occurs, I'm wishing well for Black Lightning. It looks like a promising series so I'm hoping it last, has a chance to build and grow, and eventually, hopefully, crossover with the rest of the CW superhero properties.
If you haven't seen the Black Lightning trailer, you can watch it below:
What did you guys think of the Black Lightning trailer? Do you think it'll hold its own without crossing over with the Arrowverse for the meantime? Let us know what you think.
All rights to the characters, television series', and photos are owned by Warner Bros., The CW, and DC Comics.
Comments