These two aren’t your run-of-the-mill superheroes

Meet the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s new kids on the block.

Since the series was first teased in 2017, it’s been clear that Cloak & Dagger wasn’t going to be just another comic book-turned-production. Since then, proof of this has only gotten more definitive. While the end of the first season is fast approaching, the cast and crew have made good time: we’ve gotten a clear glimpse into the kind of hard-hitting reality-meets-fantasy hodgepodge that is distinctly Cloak & Dagger’s own.

Thus far, we admit we love it—and it looks like the rest of the world does, too. The show has garnered impressive reviews left and right, currently owns up to a 90% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes and received a warm response from fans when they broke news of a second season at this year’s Comic Con. But why exactly are audiences so enthralled by this show and the twosome that headline it?

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It stays grounded

It seems there’s a dichotomy to every layer of Cloak & Dagger—from its lead characters who couldn’t be more different, to the way the story itself is penned. It sits at a well-mastered inertia, thanks to a push-and-pull between drama and grit, the surreal and the realistic. Despite revolving around teens with superpowers, Cloak & Dagger goes all in with tackling socially relevant issues like drug abuse and racism. Tandy and Ty’s story may not be your typical approach to the hero narrative, but it’s definitely one that the youth needs to hear.

The tables are turned

While the series is patterned after the Cloak & Dagger comic book, the team behind the onscreen production saw the need to make changes to the original blueprint. In the 1980’s original, Tandy, a young caucasian girl who acquires the ability to shoot light daggers, is born into privilege, while Tyrone, who could engulf others in darkness, is a black teen who considers stealing the former’s purse when they meet. The comic had most viewers seeing through a narrow lens, one where Tandy signified hope and purity while Tyrone connoted fear and rage. That premise in itself would pass off as problematic at best with today’s audience. Thankfully, showrunner and writer Joe Pokaski has us seeing through fresh eyes by swapping Tandy and Ty’s backstories.

The slow burn is oh-so-good

Countless comic book couples can credit the blossoming of their love stories to the irresistible pull of love at first sight, but when it comes to this trope, Tandy and Tyrone are fish swimming upstream. Each have existing relationships when their paths cross. There’s no doubt that they still orbit around each other in the onscreen adaptation, but their bond is built on more than romantic inclination.

RELATED: Catch Heroes When and Where You Need Them With HOOQ!

Now’s a better time than ever to hop on board the Cloak & Dagger train. See through the eyes of Tandy and Ty by streaming the series, exclusively on HOOQ!