Lightning has struck for a fifth time with the newest addition to The CW’s stacked live-action superhero lineup -- joining Supergirl, The Flash, Arrow and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. While Black Lightning won’t be involved with the rest of the crew in a 5-way crossover anytime soon, there is plenty to get excited about when the series premieres on January 16th.

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Black Lightning is the story of retired superhero Jefferson Pierce (Cress Williams) and his struggle to keep the peace in his neighborhood without putting on a mask and shooting lightning bolts at criminals. By day, Jefferson is the best-dressed principal of all-time at a local charter school. He’s also a divorced father with two strong-willed daughters -- Anissa (Nafessa Williams) and Jennifer (China Anne McClain).The world of Black Lightning feels alive with real-world issues at the forefront of its story. Creators Salim and Mara Brock Akil have left out the league of assassins, interdimensional speedsters, and alien invaders in order to focus on gang violence, police brutality, and racism within the black community. If you take away the superhero angle, Black Lightning would still be a great drama series on its own.Williams is excellent as Jefferson. He skillfully inhabits the roles of father, principal, and superhero seamlessly. Since most of The CW heroes are so young, it’s a nice change of pace to see a hero who’s already lived that lifestyle and tried to do something different. Instead of smashing heads in, Jefferson is trying to make sure young people are getting a good education and staying off the streets.When a gang known as The One Hundred start causing trouble in his neighborhood, instead of moving to Bel-Air, Jefferson decides to take action. But it’s not the kind of action you might think. In lieu of punching the bad guys in the face, Jefferson tries to negotiate and work towards a peaceful resolution.Black Lightning also does a wonderful job of fleshing out its villains. Like The Wire, moral ambiguity thrives due to strong character development. The men and women of The One Hundred are complex and have their own stories to tell. They’re not just simple fodder for Jefferson to hurl electricity at.William Catlett as Lala stands out among the rest of the gang members. He can be vicious, but like Jefferson, he also wants what’s best for his community. Lala just has a different way of doing things. Watching him debate with Jefferson over the finer points of how to influence the youth should be an engaging story as the season progresses.If there’s one weak spot from “The Resurrection” it would have to be Marvin “Krondon” Jones III as Tobias Whale -- Black Lightning’s “big bad” for this season. I say this with some reservations because it’s only the first episode, but compared to a complex villain like Lala, Tobias seems lackluster. He’s just another well-dressed psychotic gangster that we’ve seen before.There is still a lot to uncover in the weeks ahead, like how Jefferson will cope with the pressure of being a dad and a superhero. There’s also an ex-wife and a school full of teenagers that depend on him.Jefferson won’t be wearing that stellar suit and tie forever, but the reasons for how and why he decides to come back are answers you’ll have to discover for yourself when Black Lightning premieres on The CW on January 16th, at 9pm ET/PT.For more on Black Lightning, check out the first look at Thunder right here.