'Lanterns' Skips the Superhero Moves, Shoots Itself as a Mystery Thriller Instead

A worn-out denim jacket, a pair of faded work pants—that's the everyday look of Hal Jordan, played by Kyle Chandler, in "Lanterns." He's tucked the classic comic-book suit deep in the closet. That detail alone says something: this HBO and DC Universe collaboration isn't looking to coast on CGI armor.

The story unfolds in Rushville, Nebraska, a town of only 1,001 residents, where Sheriff Kerry (played by Kelly Macdonald) is married to the town's sole—and most prominent—lawyer, who also happens to run the bar where everyone gathers for drinks after work. That everyone-knows-everyone claustrophobia is the show's foundation. When Hal Jordan arrives with his trainee John Stewart (played by Aaron Pierre) to investigate a shooting at a football game, the sheriff's first reaction isn't gratitude—it's anger. Who do these alien space cops think they are, barging into her turf?

The UK's GQ points out that "Lanterns" feels closer in spirit to character-driven detective dramas like "True Detective" or last year's "Task" than to your typical crowd-pleasing superhero romp. The series jumps between timelines, slowly peeling back what Rushville is actually hiding, and its narrative rhythm and moody tone stand in sharp contrast to the bright, golden-age vibe of James Gunn's own "Superman" film—echoing the broader direction Gunn and Peter Safran set out in 2024 when rebooting the DC film and TV universe with an eye toward going head-to-head with Marvel. Created by "True Detective" producer Chris Mundy, "Lost" and "Watchmen" mastermind Damon Lindelof, and comic writer Tom King, the lineup itself carries an ambitious, genre-blending pedigree.

The mentor-mentee dynamic between Hal Jordan and John Stewart is another core thread of the show. Jordan, recruited by the Guardians of the Universe nearly thirty years ago, is now forced to train his successor—yet he still calls him "junior," and not affectionately. Stewart, meanwhile, was groomed by his parents from childhood to become the next Green Lantern—the series opens with a scene of a five-year-old Stewart standing still while his father shoots an arrow to knock an apple off his head, the reasoning blunt: whoever wears the ring can't feel fear. GQ's review argues this backstory cuts even darker than Bruce Wayne watching his parents die in that rainy alley, giving Aaron Pierre plenty of room to work with.

The review also draws a comparison between Chandler's performance and Will Smith's washed-up superhero in "Hancock"—both are veteran figures driven by ego rather than virtue, which explains the prickly push-and-pull between him and Stewart. Compared to the quips and cameo-stuffed formula common in recent Marvel series, GQ argues "Lanterns" gives DC the edge on the small screen, both in character depth and sheer entertainment value.

No details on a Taiwan release date or episode count have been announced yet—only that the series is a joint production between HBO and DC Universe.