DC on TV
Marvel was known for being the cinema juggernaut for years, while their TV outings have had various reactions. Inversely, the DC universe has always been known for its better TV output than its films. In a year where the second DCU film, Supergirl, became a notorious flop at the box office, HBO Max’s Lanterns has already become the top DC show on HBO Max.
According to Deadline, not only is Lanterns the biggest premiere for a DC series, but it is in the top five series premieres of streaming shows on the HBO Max platform. The company had confirmed that the new adaptation of the Green Lantern comic outperformed such popular HBO premieres as IT: Welcome to Derry, The Penguin and True Detective: Night Country. Lanterns would accumulate 9.3 million global cross-platform viewers and 6.6 million in the U.S. in its first three days of availability.
Lanterns would also consistently remain number one in the streamer’s top TV list ever since it premiered on Sunday. The series follows new recruit John Stewart and Lantern legend Hal Jordan, two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery with cosmic ties as they investigate a murder in the American heartland.
What did we think?
Our Alex Maidy called Lanterns a game-changer in his 9/10 review. He stated, “Lanterns is the series that could convert viewers who say superheroes and comic books are for kids. This is the first project, television or big screen, that directly ties into a comic book cinematic universe that lives up to the marquee quality we often associate with HBO productions. Lanterns is still a fun show, but one that manages to be intense and dark while building well-rounded characters that are more than good guys and bad guys. The Penguin showed that DC Studios can go dark and gritty, Superman showed the bright and aspirational, and Peacemaker brought the funny. Lanterns manages to do all three while also serving as an engaging character study and mystery thriller. I would love to see a big-screen Green Lantern movie, but now I am even more excited about the potential for future seasons of Lanterns to give us a deeper look inside the world of the Lantern Corps.”
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