The new series Lanterns is either a great, gritty and grounded detective yarn or the blackest day in the history of comic-book adaptations – depending on who you ask.
The first episode was largely intriguing, not for a moment appearing to deserve a Desert Eagle retcon by way of a time-jumping Deadpool.
THAT ending everyone is talking about certainly set my mind racing, but there are loads of clues hinting at different setups and outcomes for what we were shown.
And even if it is true and (redacted) really has been unalived, well, no one ever really dies in a comic-book universe.
But let's not get ahead of ourselves.
Lanterns is a tale of the Green Lanterns, DC Comics' intergalactic police force. Specifically, the Lanterns of Earth: Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights, Early Edition), the first one from our sector of space, and his trainee John Stewart (Aaron Pierre, Rebel Ridge, Krypton – yep, this isn't his first DC rodeo). Also, Nathan Fillion's brash Guy Gardner, seen in last year's Superman and Peacemaker Season Two, is scheduled to make an appearance.
Lanterns are chosen for their ability to overcome fear, and the choice is usually made by the semi-autonomous power rings that enable them to create solid light "constructs" with their minds. They answer to highly advanced beings known as the Guardians of the Universe (OK, so that moniker has grown kind of cheesy over the decades).
The show jumps back and forth over a roughly 30-year period, from the 1990s when Hal is revealed as Earth's first Lantern and a young John is drilled into overcoming fear by his stern US Marine dad.
Then we meet the mentor-mentee duo in 2016, when Hal's gut tells him that a multiple murder in the small town of Rushville, Nebraska, is actually an extraterrestrial incident.
At this point, Hal is a grizzled veteran superhero, weary and sardonic, while John is eager but somewhat frustrated by his supposed mentor's cryptic and often hazardous teaching methods.
Most surprisingly of all, the opening episode then fast-forwards 10 years to a bleak, seemingly semi-devastated Rushville and THAT shocking shot of a half-frozen corpse which somehow ties in to the 2016 incident.
Though, with Damon Lindelof (Lost, Watchmen) among the show's creators – who also include Ozark and True Detective's Chris Mundy and Supergirl: Woman Of Tomorrow writer Tom King – we shouldn't expect this tale to unfold in anything close to a linear fashion from one episode to another.
In fact, the second episode focuses entirely on the 2016 incident, and features more than a few "WTH" moments (only I wouldn't exactly say "heck") – including Hal filling up a car with stolen corpses and John crafting a surprising construct with the power ring.
We also meet extraterrestrials, a Lantern gets shot, and an old frenemy hints that Hal's greatest threat may not come from the stars.
So the first episode challenges viewers' (and especially fans') expectations, while the second expands on the Lanterns' relationship (or lack thereof) while deepening the mystery of Rushville – and turning John into an enigma.
Some light ought to be shed on that last bit by the third episode, judging from the teaser, but if anything is clear from these initial episodes, it would be wiser to go in with an open mind and just let things soak in.
If Chandler's intepretation of Hal Jordan doesn't quite fit the overall image of the character from the comics (then again, neither did Ryan Reynolds' version), well, it does retain the core traits and suit the purposes of Lanterns' story: a battle-hardened trooper grappling with becoming obsolete and having to make way for an upstart.
In that respect, he's a joy to watch, whether he's whipping John into shape, getting up in the business of Rushville sheriff Kerry Kane (Kelly McDonald, Boardwalk Empire, Giri/Haji) or challenging the town's sinister patriarch William Macon (Garret Dillahunt, Fear The Walking Dead).
(And when he finally suits up, yay! But man, those shoulder pads....)
It's a bit early to properly evaluate Pierre's John Stewart, since he is mostly just required to react to some bizarre mentoring and, uh, other situations so far. A hint of what is to come, perhaps, can be seen in the cold detachment when he deals with that abovementioned "surprise" construct. No doubt, by the time the finale rolls around, those who grew up with animated John in Justice League or Justice League Unlimited will have found a worthy live-action equivalent.
After many decades of comic-book history, DC's Green Lanterns have a rich, complicated and interconnected mythology. Hey, Hal's been a hero, a villain, the embodiment of divine wrath, and people are already speculating that he's heading down that second path so early into Lanterns' run.
Anyway, there's so much to this particular corner of the DC Universe, that it would be reckless to try and force all that on the uninitiated at one go.
By taking a more grounded approach and slowly building its world, so to speak, through a novice's eyes, Lanterns seems to be on the right track.
Those unfamiliar with the mythos get a deliberately paced familiarisation tour, while enough Easter eggs and comic-book tie-ins are sprinkled about to keep the fans satisfied – some of us, at least. On that score, the day really is shaping up to be bright...est.
New episodes of Lanterns stream every Monday on HBO Max.
Summary:
Colour us intrigued
