Review by: Rekkai Steed
I thoroughly enjoyed “Stranger Things.” It was a throwback to a childhood of kitsch-pop culture and horror references that an older audience will appreciate and a younger audience will enjoy. However, while THIS is NOT a review of Stranger Things, I loved it for a lot of the same reasons as it was a light-hearted, dramatic superhero tale that is unlike any other you have ever seen.
In “Raising Dion,” Michael B. Jordan (Killmonger in Black Panther and Fruitvale Station among others) personally took on the task of bringing this comic book to screen as the Executive Producer. He also played the character, Mark, a scientist who traveled the world researching atmospheric patterns to predict and help prepare people to deal with extreme weather
conditions. Nicole, the main character, played brilliantly by Alisha Wainwright, had a plan for her life. She was a celebrated ballerina with everything planned out and before she knew it, she was married and pregnant by her husband Mark.
True to his salt, Mark is killed as a real-life superhero who saves someone from dying during one of the freak phenomena storms. No parent wants to leave this Earth before their child and no man wants to exit life without being sure that their family will be okay. It is hard enough to be a parent in this world and do right by your seed— magnify that with being Black or African-American; intensify that with being a single mother; and quadruple all of that by finding out your child has “special abilities” (superpowers to the uninitiated).
It was refreshing to see this entire story unfold from the perspective of Nicole. It was as if Peter Parker’s Aunt May was telling the story of raising a young Spider-Man and how to protect him in ways the world couldn’t possibly imagine. We also witness how Nicole deals with institutionalized racism in regards to 8-year-old Dion at school and the struggles of maintaining
employment when your child is your entire world and sometimes, how doing right by that child may cost you said employment.
“Brightburn” is another recent movie that takes on the concept of what would happen if a “Superman-esque” child arrived here on planet Earth. However, the character but did not share Superman’s sensibilities and only wanted to kill and destroy. It is hard enough trying to guide a child to becoming a productive citizen but what I loved about this “Raising Dion” show, derived from the 2015 comic book of the same name by Dennis Liu, looks at the premise of raising a child and not only teaching him the everyday lessons parents teach their seed, but how to handle superpowers and people’s interests and intentions towards you because of those powers.
This series deals with the experiences of a single mother raising an 8-year-old who just happens to be a highly powered individual. Familial problems, peer pressure, loneliness, isolation, bullying and the overly powered villain trying to kill you are just a few of the issues this child and his mother have to deal with. Nicole is a strong mother who soldiers through the gargantuan task of raising a superpowered little boy all while helping him manage the powers and responsibilities that he has while trying to make sense of her own world.
This is a really good series that should be seen. Even if you are not into the superpowered thing, this is a series that anyone can get into. It is warm, full of heart, imagination and wonder as well as compelling and thought provoking. I could be nit-picky about some plot holes and special effects that didn’t quite do it for me but I still managed to binge the entire series in under 24-hours and enjoyed every minute of the 9 episode season. It’s definitely a must see.
Check out the trailer for the series below:
4 out of 5 crosses.
Vision Chronicles “Cross” Meter:
5 Crosses - “And Heaven and Angels sing….” This was truly anointed!
4 Crosses - “TGBTG” This endeavor was “sho’nuff” blessed!
3 Crosses - That was decent. Good-ish. The saints are pleased.
2 Crosses - Pray for Me. What made me watch that?
1 Crosses - I can’t get that time back. Pray for them.
0 Crosses - The Devil is a Liar.
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