Grant Morrison has watched Lanterns, and the legendary comic book writer isn’t exactly sold on DC Studios’ stripped-down approach to the Green Lantern mythology.
Morrison, whose DC work includes All-Star Superman, Batman, and Green Lantern, praised the show’s two leads but questioned why a franchise built around cosmic superheroes, power rings, wild constructs, and intergalactic spectacle has been turned into something so grounded.
That debate has followed Lanterns since its early trailers. The footage leaned heavily into the crime-drama side of the series, with little space action, no traditional Green Lantern costumes, very little green, and hardly any ring-generated constructs.
Things got even more heated when Damon Lindelof explained the title by saying, “we all agreed that the ‘Green’ was stupid.”
Morrison previously took issue with that attitude, criticizing Lindelof’s “jockish dismayal of superhero conventions.” The two eventually apologized to each other over their comments, but Morrison still had plenty to say after actually watching the show.
Writing on his Xanaduum Substack, Morrison said he felt “obliged” to give the premiere a shot after criticizing “the glib dismissal of the colour green by writer and producer Damon Lindelof,” and found at least one element that worked for him.
Morrison said he “liked Aaron Pierre’s quiet and uptight performance as John Stewart.” Aaron Pierre has been one of the big draws as John Stewart, but Morrison had a much more complicated reaction to Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan.
“[I] thought Kyle Chandler anchored the show with a great turn as Doctor McCoy, but he wasn’t any Hal Jordan I recognised. Willpower and booze don’t mix for a start.” Despite that, Morrison intends to “stick with it for the engaging Chandler.”
It’s an interesting criticism because Chandler’s Hal Jordan has been one of the biggest departures from what fans might expect. This version is older, rougher around the edges, and carries himself differently from the fearless test pilot and space cop many fans know from the comics.
Morrison’s bigger problem, though, is with how little Lanterns seems interested in visually embracing the Green Lantern mythology.
“Otherwise, on this outing, way too much tell, not enough show, and those comparisons to True Detective, invoking season 1 of that show, only worked against Lanterns,” Morrison continued.
“The lack of costumes and ring effects was glaring but easily explained by budgetary constraints and a desire to create some distance between this and the unsuccessful Ryan Reynolds Green Lantern film.”
The True Detective comparison has been attached to Lanterns for a long time. The series revolves around John Stewart and Hal Jordan investigating a mystery together.
But Green Lantern isn’t naturally a small-scale property. These characters wield some of the most visually ridiculous and awesome weapons in the DC Universe, limited largely by imagination and willpower.
That’s where Morrison believes the show’s approach becomes questionable. “[It] only begs the question of why try to make a Green Lantern show on a budget at all?
“DC has a ton of ‘ground level’ heroes, or characters with low-level gimmick powers to choose from, so why take this low-fi route with a franchise that should be competing with Star Trek or Star Wars?” Morrison mused, acknowledging that “mainstream reviews of the show are pretty positive.”
That’s probably the strongest argument against the creative direction of Lanterns. If DC wanted a grounded detective series, its library is filled with characters perfectly suited for that kind of story.
Green Lantern, on the other hand, comes with aliens, bizarre worlds, energy constructs, colorful costumes, intergalactic cops, and an entire universe begging to be explored.
Even two episodes into the series, those comic book elements remain limited. Episode 2 features just one construct, with John Stewart using his ring to create a small bird.
Still, Lanterns has found plenty of support from critics, and its central mystery and performances from Pierre and Chandler have given viewers reasons to stick around.
Chandler’s Hal may not resemble Morrison’s idea of the character, but there are pieces of Hal Jordan in the performance, particularly when viewed as a much older and more weathered version of the Green Lantern.
Regardless of the lack of costumes and constructs is harder to ignore, especially for fans who came to a Green Lantern series hoping to see those elements brought to life, i’ve really enjoyed the first two episodes! They are telling a strong and engaging story.
There are six episodes remaining, though, which leaves plenty of room for Lanterns to finally open the cosmic door and show what those power rings can really do.
