Mon, September 14, 2026 at 9:31 PM UTC
Lanterns fails as an adaptation by ignoring what made the Green Lantern comics so beloved. The hit HBO Max series has proven engaging enough to build a loyal audience. However, the show’s writers seem to be actively avoiding drawing upon the books that allegedly inspired the show.
Comic readers were concerned about how well Lanterns would function as an adaptation from the earliest previews onward. The show’s logo drew criticism for being bland and colorless. The “Only One Can Wear The Ring” tagline seemed to go against the idea of the GLC in the comics, where there are thousands of Corps members patrolling the universe.
The backlash grew after the release of the first trailer. Some joked about how the show was retitled Lanterns because they removed the trademark green glow of the Green Lanterns’ power rings. Legendary comic writer Grant Morrison eloquently summarized the fan concerns, noting that the show’s writers seemed “ashamed and in denial about the comic book material they’ve been assigned to develop.”
Lanterns Apparently Drawing From Everything Except Comics
Lanterns’ first episode did little to calm the concerns of comic readers. The series’ showrunners and writers subsequently noted a variety of influences. True Detective was cited as the chief inspiration in plotting the show’s aesthetic and story. However, it also drew upon the westerns of John Wayne, and the movies Midnight Run and No Country For Old Men. However, little was said about how the visuals and lore of the comics would be utilized.
The fifth episode of Lanterns, “Lights Out,” exemplifies how far the series has strayed. An all-out war breaks out between the townsfolk of Rushville loyal to the alien Manhunter and the vigilantes hunting it. Simultaneously, Hal Jordan and John Stewart fight for control of Hal’s ring. The episode ends with John killing the Manhunter and taking Hal’s ring and battery. However, he returns them to the Guardians and refuses to join the Corps, noting that “Hal betrayed everything to keep this ring. His code, the oath, even himself, and it broke him.”
Many criticized the episode for not having Hal and John work together to protect people despite their differences. This was how the two heroes ultimately bonded in John Stewart’s first comic appearance in 1972’s Green Lantern/Green Arrow #87. However, in the Lanterns: The Official Podcast episode devoted to “Lights Out”, screenwriter Justin Britt-Gibson confirmed that his main inspiration was The Lord of the Rings.
“We were sort of exploring the cost of carrying that much power… and what that power does to you,” Britt-Gibson explained. “There’s another very popular mythology out there about a ring. And what it does. And it’s power.”
While this is a reasonable parallel, it ignores the many Green Lantern comics that deal with that exact theme. The villain Sinestro, for instance, fell victim to hubris. Hal Jordan had similar issues in the Emerald Twilight storyline. There is no clear reason then, apart from shame in the comics, that Lanterns’ writers could not have explored power dynamics within the existing
