Review: CW’s latest superhero ‘Black Lightning’ has a powerful spark

Kelly Lawler | USA TODAY

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The superhero is not usually the most mature person in the room.

But CW's Black Lightning (Tuesday, 9 ET/PT, ★★★ out of four) is no petulant teen or a rich man-child. Instead, he's a self-assured middle-age school principal, a father of two and a pillar of his community. Black Lightning (aka Jefferson Pierce, played by Cress Williams) is a different kind of superhero than we're used to, who brings a unique and welcome perspective to the ever-proliferating genre.

Maturity is not the only reason he stands out. Based on the character who first appeared in DC Comics in the 1970s, Black Lightning is CW's fifth superhero show and its first with a black lead. It's a departure for the network, whose other DC shows focus primarily on young white leads and their origin stories.

Lightning is not a part of that universe, and it shouldn't be. Created by Salim and Mara Brock Akil (Being Mary Jane, The Game), Lightning looks and feels different: It's less jokey, more stylistically shot and its plot explores sociopolitical implications. Early in Tuesday's premiere, its hero confronts police officers in a tense, racially charged traffic stop.

More: How CW's 'Black Lightning' is not your typical superhero saga

When we first meet him, our hero has retired from heroics. It's dangerous work, and he believes he can do good without his powers. But he's pulled back into his costume when a local gang kidnaps his daughters (Nafessa Williams and China Anne McClain).

It's a different approach to introducing a hero: He's not newly discovering his powers, but is adept at using them to harness electricity.

Williams is confident and appealing in the role, easily slipping between Jefferson's slick suits and the hero's slightly over-the-top neon get-up. The actor imbues Jefferson with a sense of power and authority, even when he's not up to super-heroics, and he gives weight to the familial and community drama that make up the show's non-super storyline. He has great chemistry with Christine Adams, who plays his ex-wife, Lynn. (And she may not be an ex for long.)

The series' tone ably walks a fine line between being relevant and pedantic. Its themes are a bit heavy for a superhero show, but it still features fun, dazzling action sequences. The show makes great use of light and dark visuals and vividly brings Jefferson's powers to life.

Black Lightning struggles slightly with pacing in early episodes, and it can't quite make scenes setting up a season-long villain fit in smoothly with the rest of the episode. But those are kinks that it can work out as it finds its footing over a season. And the confident series feels like it will.

Superhero shows are so plentiful now that they risk turning spectacular heroes into something much more common and ordinary. It's refreshing and gratifying to see that a new hero can, well, electrify us.

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