Marvel Television and Netflix continue their coordinated effort of bringing comic books to life by releasing its third installment of the Marvel Knights Series: Luke Cage. Unlike with its two predecessors, Daredevil and Jessica Jones, this series takes place in Harlem, New York instead of the previously explored New York area of Hell’s Kitchen.

With race and civil rights issues being prevalent in today’s society, it’s shocking that this series explores community relations and police violence. The series is unapologetically black; as it fully embraces African American attitudes towards society and the urban environment as a whole. It explores themes of the abuse of power and its manipulation in the black community.

We’re shown the story through the title character, Luke Cage. Cage’s superhuman abilities are tested throughout the series, but we have to ask ourselves: is the thematic intent behind the show as resilient as Luke Cage himself?

A crooked politician, Alfred Woodard, and Mobster, Mahershala Ali, are the first two villians we’re introduced to first. The super evil cousins, because these two bad guys are related and superhuman,  use their powers to manipulate the system in order to create the type of Harlem that they think would be the best for everyone, especially themselves.

Cage is played by actor Mike Colter, whose cool and subtle acting skills allow him to deliver lines in a way that even the catchphrase “sweet christmas” doesn’t sound out of place.

Luke Cage shows us what happens when a person of color is empowered, and is shown in a positive light. This series serves as a great example of what we can do in our own lives and how we can all create real change.