Character Study Over Sci-Fi Spectacle (DC Studios Lanterns review)
Still at the building-block stage of the DCU, James Gunn continues to set this franchise on a course similar to the MCU's expansion into television. Hopefully for the better, Lanterns makes that reality possible with its 8-episode first season. (Hopefully, they renew it) With the help of stellar producers, Damon Lindelof (Watchmen), Chris Mundy, and Tom King. Lanterns introduces us to a southern town called Rushville, where Hal Jordan, the current Green Lantern in 2016, is suspicious of a conspiracy no one else believes in, while the Guardians of Oa enlist John Stewart, an ex-military candidate, to possibly replace Hal and shadow the Green Lantern in this investigation. Ten years later, John and Hal are forced to reckon with the suffering they caused the last time they were there, creating a double-edged mystery. The show's backdrop and aesthetic evoke an unfamiliar setting reminiscent of Western cop shows and True Detective, with a sci-fi twist. With that, Lanterns explor...