Lanterns Series Premiere Review: How HBO’s True Detective-Style Superhero Mystery Reinvigorates James Gunn's DCU

This is a spoiler-free review of the first episode of Lanterns Season 1. The series debuts on HBO and HBO Max on Sunday, August 16. It’s safe to say that a lot is riding on the first season of Lanterns. This is one of the first key pieces of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DCU that isn’t directly steered by Gunn himself. We’ve seen enough by now to know that Gunn himself has a solid handle on the DC brand. Creature Commandos, Superman, and Peacemaker have all been enjoyable. But can this fledgling cinematic universe thrive when he hands the reins over to other creators? Supergirl certainly calls that into question, casting doubt on Gunn’s lofty claims about strong scripts and clear artistic visions being the driving force of this line. The DCU needs a win right about now, and I’m happy to say that Lanterns is ready and able to deliver in its first episode. Lanterns Showrunner Says That Episode 1 Surprise Ending Was ‘Big and Scary’ to Commit To Granted, it’s been tough to know what exactly to make of this series. For a franchise as fundamentally fantastical as this one, the prospect of focusing on an Earth-based murder mystery and downplaying the actual Green Lantern elements wasn’t n