Plot: 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.
Review: The reception of the DCU under the leadership of James Gunn and Peter Safran has been divisive at best. While Superman was well received, as was Peacemaker‘s second season, the recent release of Supergirl was viewed by many as a massive misfire for the rebooted DC Comics cinematic universe. While expectations are high for the Mike Flanagan-penned Clayface and the unconnected The Batman Part II, the next big release in the first phase of the DCU is Lanterns. While Nathan Fillion portrayed Guy Gardner in last year’s Superman, this is the first project focused on the intergalactic law enforcers since the maligned 2011 film starring Ryan Reynolds. The promise that the series would take inspiration from the gritty HBO series True Detective had me cautiously optimistic and I am glad to say that the comparison is well deserved. Lanterns is not only the best project yet from the DCU, but it is easily better than any television series that Marvel Studios has released. A mature mystery that echoes the feel of HBO’s Watchmen, Lanterns is a faithful adaptation of Green Lantern lore and a worthy reintroduction.
Set across multiple time periods, including 1996, 2016, and 2026, Lanterns is truly the origin story of John Stewart (Aaron Pierre), the successor to Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler). While Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion) is currently the anointed Green Lantern protecting Earth, how and why that comes to pass is a key plot element in Lanterns. With a new backstory that differs from the versions in the pages of DC Comics, Lanterns pairs Stewart as a trainee under the first human Green Lantern, Hal Jordan. The truth behind Stewart’s training is revealed early in the series as the Guardians of the Universe, represented by a character played by Laura Linney, oversee the Lantern Corps and select who wears the power ring in each sector. When Hal Jordan gets a message about a mass shooting in Rushville, Nebraska, the reluctant partners head to investigate. What they find involves a powerful man named William Macon (Garret Dillahunt) who controls everything in Rushville. His family includes his attorney son, Billy (Jason Ritter), who is married to the local sheriff, Kerry (Kelly Macdonald).
Having seen seven of the eight episodes of Lanterns‘ first season, I can say with confidence that this series delivers. The rogueish charm that Kyle Chandler brings to his portrayal of Hal Jordan makes him a likable, unlikeable character. Meeting Hal Jordan decades into his tenure as Green Lantern affords the opportunity to see a hero past the novelty of being Earth’s first superhero, but we still see glimmers of why he was chosen by the Guardians for the job. Aaron Pierre is fantastic as this version of John Stewart has a troubled upbringing that led to a career as a Marine sniper as well as a talent as an artist and architect. The differences between Jordan and Stewart stem from their generational upbringing, race, and other factors that also make them work well together, even if they refuse to see it. Lanterns also tease many characters we know from DC Comics, including Hector Hammond and Carol Ferris. We also get to meet Green Lantern’s nemesis, Thaal Sinestro (Ulrich Thomsen), and visit the Lantern Corps headquarters on Oa. The series also introduces Manhunters (not to be confused with Martian Manhunter), who are another major draw for Jordan and Stewart in Nebraska.
While most of the series is presented in a linear fashion, there are several flashbacks and flashforwards throughout the season that build towards the finale, but the ending may not be what you expect. The majority of the season is set in 2016 in Rushville, as seen in the trailers, but where that culminates is well before the season finale. I won’t say more than to be prepared for Lanterns to go in directions other than where the trailers lead you, but also that there is nothing in the marketing for this series that is dishonest or a bait-and-switch. Everyone is fantastic, especially Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre, who make a dynamic duo even if their partnership lasts only a single season. The maturity of this season sets the series apart from any other comic book show, aside from Watchmen or The Penguin, both of which are also DC Comics properties. The closest Marvel Studios has come to something like Lanterns is Daredevil: Born Again, and that feels quaint compared to this series. Lanterns differentiates itself by not being a superhero story, but rather a story set in a world of superheroes. Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner fits in just as well here as he did in Peacemaker and the big-screen Superman, showing that the DCU can shift between genres, style, and tone without needing to reinvent itself every time.
Created by Ozark showrunner Chris Mundy alongside The Leftovers, Lost, and Watchmen creator Damon Lindelof and longtime comic book scribe Tom King, who is best known for writing Woman of Tomorrow, the source inspiration for the recent Supergirl movie. The creative trio boasts writing or co-writing credits on five of the eight episodes this season, along with Vanessa Baden Kelly, Justin Britt-Gibson, and Briannah Gibson, who all manage to include lots of references to DC Comics characters and events to flesh out this side of the DCU, along with some shoutouts connecting to events depicted in Superman. Mundy also wrote multiple episodes of True Detective, which is a major influence on this series, as is the Apple TV series Slow Horses. James Hawes, a key director on Slow Horses, helmed the opening episodes of Lanterns, followed by Stephen Williams (Watchmen), Geeta Vasant Patel (Ahsoka), and Alik Sakharov (Game of Thrones), who all keep the series rooted in reality while incorporating the larger-than-life powers bestowed on the Green Lanterns. The special effects work here is excellent, and when the series travels beyond terrestrial borders, it still looks every bit a part of the DCU while maintaining a feel that is distinctly its own. Like True Detective and Watchmen, the series uses music as a major component, enhancing the flow and feel without seeming derivative of James Gunn’s trademark mixtape soundtracks.
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.
Lanterns premieres on HBO on August 16th.
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