The Lanterns marketing campaign has begun, and it's off to a rough start. Following a poorly received sneak peek last year, a full trailer has finally dropped, and the response has once again been incredibly mixed.
DC Studios has made no secret of this series being a grounded, True Detective-inspired cop story. That was mostly met with approval from fans, but the reality is clearly a lot different if this trailer is any indication. For most, a grounded Green Lantern tale isn't it, and while DC is cooking, it doesn't seem to be what anyone ordered.
Hopefully, future trailers will reveal a different side to Lanterns. For now, we're taking a deep dive into the footage to bring you a breakdown of everything it tells us about the HBO series.
You can learn more about what's to come this August by clicking on the "Next"/"View List" buttons below.
5. One Ring, Two Heroes
To facilitate there being more than one human Green Lantern on Earth, DC Comics has often played fast and loose with the notion that two members of the Green Lantern Corps protect each "Sector" in the universe.
With Guy Gardner wearing a ring, it seems Hal Jordan's impending retirement means passing his Green Lantern ring to newcomer John Stewart. In the comics, the ring chooses the next person who will wield it when the current owner falls in battle, so we're not really sure what's happening here.
Hal is putting Guy through his paces, though, and doesn't seem convinced that he's worthy of being a member of the Corps. It leads to a dynamic not all that different from The Falcon and The Winter Soldier in the MCU.
4. True Lanterns
It seems that, to get one of these DCU series on HBO, DC Studios had to make Lanterns as much like its usual fare as possible. As a result, this looks like True Detective meets Mare of Easttown, with only a few hints at the cosmic nature of the Green Lantern Corps.
That's fine for a teaser, but do we really need True Lanterns? It seems that Hal and John accidentally stumble across a crime, giving them no choice but to investigate it in a town that wants nothing to do with them. They are space cops, so it's a premise that (mostly) works.
Unfortunately, the series' dull colour palette makes it look pretty drab. We can only hope that we get to see the Guardians of Oa, Sinestro (who has been cast), and some outer space action because this doesn't feel like the best use of these characters, even if it is a unique approach.
3. What Kind Of Suit Is That?
In the comics, the costumes worn by members of the Green Lantern Corps are energy constructs created by their rings. In the DCU, they're physical suits they have to put on, something that fans expressed dissatisfaction with after seeing Guy in Superman.
It's not the end of the world by any means, but as suit designs go, it's very grounded in reality and a little bland. We get why it's not necessarily the same neon green that Ryan Reynolds was plastered in back in 2011, but is this really as good as it's going to get?
At the moment, it's too soon to say. It may be enhanced with visual effects when Hal uses his powers, and when John finally suits up, the design is likely to be vastly different. As of now, though, Green Lantern would look very out of place alongside the Man of Steel.
2. There May Be More To The Series Than Meets The Eye
Placing two superheroes in a True Detective-style story might be a genius move when all is said and done. Fans who wanted an epic space opera are guaranteed to be disappointed if this trailer is any indication, but all hope is not lost.
There are signs of destruction that at least hint at superhero action, while Hal takes flight at one point in a very comic-book-y piece of imagery. We also catch sight of a Power Battery, and the final shot has the hero about to do something with his ring while interrogating a perp.
We still don't think Lanterns will be overly action-packed or cosmic, but there's always a chance it surprises us by throwing Sinestro, Parallax, and even Black Hand into the mix. Superman did a pretty good job with Guy's powers, so here's hoping the same goes for this series.
1. Are Hal Jordan's Days Numbered?
It's previously been reported that Kyle Chandler has only signed up for Lanterns and isn't currently set for any future big or small screen appearances in the DCU. At one point, Hal even says, "This is my job, and as long as I'm alive, that ain't changing."
Oh, he's totally dying. We don't believe that DC Studios will head down the route of Hal being possessed by Parallax, a shame as it would be fascinating to watch Chandler's interpretation of this character become one of the DCU's biggest threats.
Instead, he'll probably give John the ring, die while powerless, and inspire his mentee to protect the planet after teaching him everything he knows. It's a fine story arc, albeit one that wastes a great character. John being the DCU's main Lantern is no bad thing, though.