That decision, to make Lanterns more realistic, has already caused some controversy. Lanterns‘ suit has sparked outrage among fans, for example. In its grounded approach, Lanterns is also avoiding taking its Green Lanterns into space, instead focusing on Earth as its main setting. That’s a very unusual decision for a Green Lantern show, and one that previous shows like Green Lantern: The Animated Series outright rejected.
Lanterns Is Already Being Criticized For Staying On Earth
The upcoming Lanterns show is making a somewhat controversial decision: it’s staying entirely on Earth. The new trailer for Lanterns shows Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) training John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) while simultaneously investigating a “murder in the American heartland.” There are references to the Green Lantern Corps and alien Lanterns, such as Ch’p, but Lanterns will take place exclusively on Earth.
Staying entirely on Earth is an unusual decision for any Green Lantern story. The entire Green Lantern Corps are, by definition, space-traveling law enforcers. Hal Jordan and John Stewart are responsible for Earth, but they generally protect it from interstellar threats rather than solving completely terrestrial murders. Green Lantern, as a character, is deeply steeped in high-concept science fiction, and Lanterns is avoiding that.
The decision to focus on Earth in Lanterns also prohibits the show from diving very deep into the lore of the Green Lantern Corps. How can Lanterns explain the Guardians of Oa or the other Lantern ring colors, for example, if Hal and John are only interacting with other non-Lantern humans? Hal is supposed to be training John in Lanterns, but he won’t be fully trained if he doesn’t know how to operate in space.
Of course, there’s still a chance that Lanterns will explore space and the larger Green Lantern Corps to some degree. We only have one trailer to go off, after all. Still, the comment that the show will be focused on Earth seems to imply that Lanterns is trying to remain “grounded” by ignoring the more outlandish sci-fi elements of the franchise, like alien Lanterns and space travel.
Green Lantern: The Animated Series Is Perfect For Comic Book Fans
While Lanterns won’t provide the deep dive into the lore and space adventures of the Green Lantern Corps that many fans were hoping for, Green Lantern: The Animated Series already has. The animated Green Lantern series ran for a single season in 2011. While it wasn’t successful enough to get a long run, it was lauded by many fans for its devotion to comic-book accuracy.
In essence, everything that Lanterns is being criticized for is something that Green Lantern: The Animated Series did phenomenally well. The entire series is primarily set in space, Hal Jordan is accompanied by franchise favorite Kilowog, and there’s an incredibly layered focus on the lore of the Corps and the Guardians of Oa. The show is steeped in Lantern lore and absolutely faithful to the comics that came before it, which has made it a fan favorite over the years.
Green Lantern: The Animated Series is also just a good show. It achieved impressive Rotten Tomatoes scores of 100% with critics and 95% with viewers. Reviews from the time compared the series to Ryan Reynolds’ Green Lantern movie and overwhelmingly preferred the show. It also introduced Razer, one of the most beloved Red Lanterns, to the franchise, and he even made a comic debut in 2023.
Green Lantern: The Animated Series is available to purchase on Apple TV+, Prime Video, and other streaming services.
The only real problems with Green Lantern: The Animated Series can easily be overlooked. The 3D CGI animation style admittedly isn’t for everyone, but it’s far from bad. The show is also geared towards a younger audience, but there are more than enough mature moments and surprisingly serious stories to keep adults engaged. In short, if Lanterns didn’t look like your cup of tea, Green Lantern: The Animated Series may be the perfect alternative.