by Joshua H. Stulman

Luke Cage is up next for Season 2 on Marvel’s Netflix series. With the Defenders TV series concluded, all the Marvel Netflix shows (except for Daredevil) are entering Season 2 this year. First with Jessica Jones and now with Luke Cage.

Luke Cage Season 2 is a much more cohesive and complete story than Season 1. It has a major focus on Black Mariah’s emergence as the lead gangster in Harlem and her personal vendetta against Bushmaster, a figure from Mariah’s past that has sworn revenge on her family. Much of the season deals with Bushmaster’s history with Mariah’s family as he plots to control her empire. The season’s overarching theme deals with the control of power and how it changes people (usually for the bad). It’s not a deeply original theme but it is fun to watch each of the main characters experience and struggle with control of their empire.

Luke Cage was conceived as the early 1970’s comic version of Shaft. His roots as a character go back to the black-sploitation of the time. Unfortunately the writers of Luke Cage Season 2 are still stuck in that mindset. Marvel’s Netflix Luke Cage Season One felt like a grievance lecture on hoodies and Ghetto life. Season 2 is still preachy but not as over-the-top as Season 1 was in trying to be politically relevant… and desperate at that. They make a point of showing that Luke Cage reads books (as if that’s supposed to be shocking), but at the same time he is portrayed as hot tempered, stubborn and violent. After the merging of the Powerman and Ironfist comic series in the 1980’s, Cage became more mainstream with a diverse cast of characters reflective of the diversity of New York. However, in each case when comic book writers were tasked with re-introducing Luck Cage, they always conformed to black stereotypes of the time. The most offensive being 2000’s series “Gangsta” Cage complete with gold teeth. It is a shame that the writers for Luke Cage have envisioned a Harlem that is almost completely African-American, devoid of the multi-cultural mixture that is New York City.

As in season one, music is a really important aspect of the Luke Cage series. One of the main locations featured in both seasons is the nightclub, Harlem’s Paradise.  Every episode features a black musical act that range from blues, to regge, to rap. The musical selection emphasize themes in each episode and they do an excellent job of punctuating the story.

Luke Cage’s Netflix appearances began on Jessica Jones Season One as a love interest. Here, he was presented as a recluse super-powered bartender on the run. Viewers got a good look at his super-powers on display (bullet-proof and super strong), as well as some interesting twists with how his powers can work against him.

Luke Cage Season One explored the character’s origins as a prison experiment in flashbacks, and his journey to embrace his identity as a hero. Season One introduced many of his major characters from the comics including Misty Knight, Black Mariah, Copperhead, Shades, Comanche, and Diamondback. Season One also features Claire Temple (Rosario Dawson), who actually is a Luke Cage comic character but somehow has been popping up in every single Marvel Netflix show!

In Luke Cage Season 2, the character wrestles with his new-found fame. It is fun to see him treated as sports talent celebrity, as this probably would happen in real life if a super-powered individual actually existed. The inclusion of Cage’s father brings an ethical grounding to the story and makes Season 2 a more personal journey for Luke Cage. Bushmaster’s revenge story is fun to follow as a more sympathetic villain. (In the comics, he first appeared as an Iron Fist villain in Iron Fist # 15). I am surprised by all the handicapped jokes fired at the one-armed Misty Knight throughout the series. You can actually turn it into a drinking game. Luke Cage Season 2 also features a new “black” villain, Nightshade, plucked from the pages of the Captain America comics. The Luke Cage Netflix writers are searching the history of Marvel Comics to find every African American comic character to throw in this show. It’s a real shame because Marvel has always been embracing of diversity and inclusion of many different characters. It almost feels like Luke Cage’s Netflix series is racially segregating the Marvel universe.

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Overall Grade: 7/10

Comic Accuracy Grade: 5/10

Joshua H. Stulman

Owner, BrooklynComicShop .com