‘Lanterns’ Really Is ‘True Detective’ With Superheroes — For Better or Worse

The vow goes a little something like this: “In brightest day, in blackest night, let those who worship evil’s might… beware my power, Green Lantern’s light!” This is the sacred oath undertaken by members of the Green Lantern Corps, an interstellar police force some tens of thousands strong. It’s run by a cabal of celestial guardians who ensure that peace reigns not just in our galaxy, but in the gajillions of other galaxies in the infinitely vast cosmos. Each “space cop” is assigned a planet and/or region to protect, with one member per sector. Those protectors are essentially chosen by a superpowered ring, which, once the lucky duck recites the vow and fist-bumps the jewelry against a charging lantern, allows them to conjure any item they can think of. A sledgehammer, a shield, a racecar, a Howitzer — if a corp member can think it, they can summon a giant green version of it.

The capability of this item is limited only by the imagination of those who possess it. And if Tolkien taught us anything, it’s that you should always be wary of a ring capable of giving those who wear it infinite power.

On the surface, the HBO show Lanterns is your typical premium-cable procedural: There’s a crusty veteran named Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler), a seen-it-all guy still coasting on his faded celebrity and his street cred, the kind who’s old enough to unironically note he’s too old for this shit. His partner — technically, his “trainee” — John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) is a rookie who’s being put through the ringer by his salty mentor. Each have had their share of knocks, some harder than others. Each find themselves thrust into a mystery that starts with a corpse and ends with uncovered secrets and a vast conspiracy. Real tip-of-the-iceberg stuff. The darkness at the edge of town keeps creeping onto Main Street. The dialogue zings between hardbitten and wisecracking. Ignore the fancy ring on Hal’s finger and his tendency to literally fly off at a moment’s notice, and you might forget you’re watching a story in which one of these law enforcement officers could plausibly have Superman on speed dial. Editor’s picks The 250 Greatest Albums of the 21st Century So Far The 100 Best TV Episodes of All Time The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century

A key part of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s overall rehaul of the DC Extended Universe [Small-Screen Division], this spin on the sub-subgenre aims to have it both ways. Longtime fans of Green Lantern, a card-carrying Justice League member who’s technically been around since the Golden Age of comics, will get to see not one but two men who’ve donned the mask join forces. The series is designed to formally introduce these cosmos-hopping legacy characters into the new and improved DCEU.