The CW's Black Lightning Electrifies the Superhero Genre With a Focus on Family, Not Fighting

The showrunner says his ‘personal’ story doesn't even require superpowers

The CW knows a thing or two about DC superhero shows, given the success of Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. But the network threw away its usual superhero playbook for its latest series in the genre, Black Lightning, which premieres tonight.

Based on the first African-American D.C. superhero with his own standalone comic title, Black Lightning is about high school principal Jefferson Pierce (played by Cress Williams), who nine years ago walked away from moonlighting as his crimefighting alter ego Black Lightning, with the power to harness and control electricity.

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