From Daredevil to Iron Fist, a Ranking of Marvel’s Defenders

[divider type=”space_thin”]In preparation for the release of Netflix’s The Defenders, which has Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist join up to fight for the fate of New York City, I decided to take a look back at each of the individual shows and rank which of the Defenders really kicked ass from Daredevil’s start in 2015 through this year’s Iron Fist series. [title type=”h2″]4. Luke Cage[/title]

OK, I know this is going to be controversial, especially after the hatestorm that developed around the premiere of Iron Fist. If I’m being honest, I think Luke Cage and Iron Fist are fairly well-matched in their problems, but when it comes down to which show you consider the worst of the group, it’s going to be which missteps you personally find more egregious. [quote_right]believe me when I say that this ranking does not mean I think Iron Fist is a good show. In fact, it’s a really bad show.[/quote_right]Luke Cage was a hard sell on me from the beginning, because while I liked the character as he appeared in Jessica Jones, the reason he worked so well in that show was because he worked as Jessica’s foil. The calmer, more responsible and reasonable Luke Cage balanced out Jessica, our lovable hot mess of a protagonist. He was interesting in as much as he acted as Jessica’s counterpoint, but could he carry his own show? For me, ultimately, the answer was no. Luke Cage, I’ll agree, is an infinitely more likeable character than Danny Rand, but his actions don’t always match…