HBO Max's 'Lanterns' draws mixed verdicts as Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre take on a gritty Green Lantern detective drama

What 'Lanterns' sets out to do

Lanterns adapts DC's Green Lantern mythology into a detective drama first and a superhero show second, with John Stewart (Aaron Pierre), a Lantern-in-training, paired with the veteran Earth-based Lantern Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) to investigate a Nevada shooting with suspected intergalactic links. The pair's mismatched dynamic is explored across flashbacks in seven of eight episodes made available to critics, contrasting Hal's arrogant public persona with John's stoic, ex-military demeanor shaped by childhood trauma. The series frames fear as the emotional engine of the story, since its characters can wield their emerald rings only through mental resolve.

A composite of earlier HBO signatures

Both reviews trace the show's DNA to previous HBO and HBO Max titles rather than to standard superhero spectacle. The split-timeline structure and mismatched-partner pairing are compared directly to True Detective, while the wry humor and grounded fantasy are likened to Watchmen, with that series' co-creator Damon Lindelof credited alongside showrunner Chris Mundy (Ozark) and DC writer Tom King. Within DC's wider rollout, Lanterns is positioned on the linear HBO side of the network's IP strategy, distinct from James Gunn's more cartoonish HBO Max shows such as Peacemaker, and follows earlier grounded DC-adjacent fare like The Penguin.

The two leads carry the weight

Critics single out Chandler and Pierre as the series' strongest element. Variety's review calls both performances great while arguing the drama around them is overshadowed by its influences, and the Australian review credits their chemistry with turning a trauma-led superhero premise into a gripping watch despite an uneven opening stretch. Supporting turns highlighted include Kelly Macdonald as a local sheriff and Nathan Fillion reprising his Superman role as an abrasive Lantern, with Fillion's appearance framed as comic relief rather than a tonal shift.

What's coming next

Lanterns is set to stream on HBO Max beginning August 17 on a weekly release schedule, a pacing that one preview warns could test casual viewers as early episodes find John cold and Hal irritating. The remaining episodes of the eight-episode season have not been made available to critics ahead of the premiere.