'Luke Cage': A Bulletproof Version of 'Lemonade'
The series, based on the Marvel superhero, is where hip-hop and comic books meet.
The Netflix series debuted in 2016 with some timely symbolism: Its lead, the first African-American Marvel superhero to headline a TV show, wore a hoodie punctured with bullet holes, invoking the fatal wounds of Trayvon Martin. A series marrying one of the most emotionally divisive issues of the day with comic book escapism was a bold statement. But the further intention of creator Cheo Hodari Coker was not to remind viewers that Black men and boys are getting shot by police; it was to offer hope that one day Black people wouldn’t have to worry about it.
