The trailer for Lanterns has certainly generated a lot of discussion. The upcoming DCU series, which stars Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler as John Stewart and Hal Jordan, respectively, has come under fire from many comic fans for its True Detective-style tone, as opposed to the big, grand space epic associated with the characters’ modern comic runs. Some have accused the series of being ashamed of the source material and not looking anything like the comics.
Hours before the Lanterns trailer debuted, when it was still set to debut the following day, James Gunn shared an image on his social media featuring a series of Green Lantern comics with the caption “Their legacies continue.” The post featured a series of comics featuring both Hal Jordan and John Stewart. Just like Marvel shared Fantastic Four comics to read before the release of Fantastic Four: First Steps, the specific comics shown might actually hint at the larger story for Lanterns, honor what has come before, and move the DCU forward.
James Gunn Reveals the Comics That Inspired Lanterns
Gunn’s post features a few key pieces of art, including one that shows Hal Jordan and John Stewart teaming up, which is clearly at the heart of the Lanterns. One of the most iconic covers featured in Gunn’s post is Green Lantern #87 from 1971, the debut issue of John Stewart. Written by Denny O’Neil with art by Neil Adams, Green Lantern #87 was part of the wider Green Lantern/Green Arrow series in a storyline now dubbed “Hard Traveling Heroes.” The groundbreaking story sees Hal Jordan/Green Lantern and Oliver Queen/Green Arrow on a road trip across America to discover “the true America,” with both characters’ political and ideological beliefs clashing while strengthening their bond as friends. The entire arc is one of the most acclaimed runs and comics, with Stewart’s introduction issue being a major turning point in comics as he was DC’s first black superhero.
Then there is Green Lantern: John Stewart – A Celebration of 50 Years, published in 2021. A collection of John Stewart comics spanning the character’s history,one notable comic featured in this collection is Green Lantern #182. The story saw a powerless Hal Jordan following his decision to walk away from the Lanterns, with the Guardians deciding they need a new replacement, which matches what is seen in the Lanterns trailer.
Another notable comic featured is 2018’s Green Lantern: Earth One Vol. 1, a graphic novel written by Gabriel Hardman and Corinna Bechko, with art by Hardman. The comic is a dark reimagining of the Green Lantern mythology, drawing heavily on hard sci-fi like 2001: A Space Odyssey, Interstellar, and Gravity, rather than the pulp sci-fi of traditional Green Lantern comics. This is actually the second time Gunn has used an image from Green Lantern: Earth One to promote Lanterns, as when he first announced the Gods and Monsters slate in January 2023, he showed the cover of Vol. 1 with Hal Jordan and Vol. 2 with John Stewart.
Finally, there is Alex Ross’ variant cover of Green Lantern Vol. 4 #1, written by Geoff Johns with art by Ethan Van Sciver and Carlos Pacheco. Published in May 2005, Green Lantern Vol. 4 picked up after Green Lantern: Rebirth and was part of Geoff Johns’ wider cosmic epic, which he began crafting for Green Lantern, which would run for eight years until 2013’s Green Lantern: The End. Johns runs are notable for introducing many key elements to the Green Lantern mythology, including the various colors of the emotional spectrum and their different Lantern Corps, as well as storylines like Secret Origins, The Sinestro Corps War, and Blackest Night.
How ‘Lanterns’ Will Adapt the Comics
Lanterns appears to be loosely drawing on the “Hard Traveling Heroes” arc from the comics, but subbing in John Stewart for Green Arrow. Very similar to how the Green Lantern/Green Arrow comic run in the 1970s brought the character of Green Lantern down to Earth following a disappointing run in the comics, Lanterns is taking a similar approach to the character after the critical and box office disappointment of 2011’s Green Lantern. The series, like the comic, will feature two Emerald heroes in the American heartland who clash over ideological differences. The “Hard Traveling Heroes” influence is also felt in the fact that Lanterns is set in Nebraska, grounding the cosmic-based Green Lantern in an Earth-set story, as Denny O’Neil and Neal Adams did in the 1970s, while combining it with the grounded tone and aesthetic of Green Lantern: Earth One.
Yet here, there will be the added flavor of the buddy-cop story, with John Stewart as the rookie and Hal Jordan as the veteran. Damon Lindelof, Chris Mundy, and Tom King seem to be mixing “Hard Traveling Heroes” with Geoff Johns 2008 Green Lantern: Secret Origin miniseries, where a rookie Hal Jordan is being trained by veteran Sinestro, and they are eventually brought to Earth chasing the Red Lantern Atrocitus in a larger conspiracy involving William Hand (the eventual villain Black Hand). Yet Lanterns is instead a Secret Origin for John Stewart.
The inclusion of Geoff John’s Green Lantern run could be because he is likely the most important writer in the character’s modern history. However, it takes on new meaning following the trailer and previous comments that James Gunn has made about the series. James Gunn has already revealed that the mystery Hal Jordan and John Stewart are investigating will have large implications for the entire DCU and will play into the wider story. It appears to be separate from the Salvation Run storyline teased in Peacemaker Season 2, so what could it be? Gunn showcasing Geoff John’s Green Lantern comic might suggest a build-up to one of the major mysteries in his comic: Blackest Night.
The Big Mystery at the DCU’s Core
Published from June 2009 to May 2010, Blackest Night was DC Comics’ big company-wide crossover across many of their titles that saw William Hand / The Black Hand (whose origins were retroactively tied to Hal Jordan’s first Green Lantern mission in Secret Origins) using the Black Power battery to create the Black Lantern Corps, a zombie-like Lantern force. Not only could these Black Lantern rings bring back the dead, but they could also infect heroes who had died and been resurrected. Given comics’ love of bringing characters back from the dead, the Black Lanterns were a massive threat, and it took the combined power of the various Lantern Corps to defeat them and save the universe. It might be too soon to adapt Blackest Night right away, though the mural in Superman does imply a long history involving many deceased heroes; there is another key detail revealed in Blackest Night that might be part of the Lanterns.
Since the introduction of the planet Oa, the home of the Guardians of the Universe and the central hub of the Green Lantern Corps, the planet has been established as being the center of the universe and where life in the universe began. Yet Blackest Night reveals that this was all a lie. Instead, Earth was where all life in the universe began with the emergence of the Life Entity, a cosmic force tied to the emotional spectrum. The Guardians lied to the universe, saying life began on Oa, not only to protect the Entity from harm but also to justify their power. That detail about Earth begins at the center of a lie by the Guardians of the Universe could be key to the Lanterns‘ overall mystery.
Taking all that into account, it is likely that Hal Jordan and John Stewart’s investigation on Earth will have wider cosmic implications. What might be a simple murder mystery might lead John Stewart and Hal Jordan down a rabbit hole of information to a wider conspiracy that the Guardians of the Universe might be covering up about Earth’s overall importance in the DC Universe. One that, if discovered, could bring Earth into the eye of various cosmic threats…like Brainiac in the upcoming Man of Tomorrow film. Given the Guardian of the Universe’s history of cover-ups in the comics, including the creation of the dangerous Manhunters and lying about Oa, the series could depict them as crooked police captains.
Lanterns could end with Hal Jordan and John Stewart bringing down the corrupt leadership, leaving the Corps shattered and needing to rebuild it, like in Green Lantern: Earth One. The murder mystery of Lanterns is an easy way to ease audiences into a larger cosmic mythology from the Green Lantern comics, potentially setting up the Sinestro Corp Wars, the War of Light, and maybe even the formation of the Justice League. It is clear that the creative team behind Lanterns is drawing heavily from the comics and is using the rich foundation to craft an original story that captures the spirit and themes of the original work.
- Network
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HBO
- Showrunner
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Chris Mundy
- Directors
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James Hawes
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
