Review by Kevin Ward

For a series centred around superheroes capable of creating almost anything through sheer willpower, ‘Lanterns’ is surprisingly restrained. HBO's new entry into the DC Universe largely trades cosmic spectacle for dusty roads, small-town secrets and two men who spend considerably more time arguing with each other than firing glowing green constructs at extraterrestrial threats. It's an unusual approach, and for a while, a pretty effective one.

‘Lanterns’ follows veteran Green Lantern Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) as he's reluctantly paired with new recruit John Stewart (Aaron Pierre), with the two becoming caught up in a mysterious investigation on Earth. Rather than immediately throwing its characters across galaxies, the series plays much of its story like a prestige crime drama, combining the mythology of the Green Lantern Corps with the kind of slow-burning investigation HBO audiences will recognise instantly.

There are obvious shades of ‘True Detective’ running through ‘Lanterns,’ from its rural American setting to its brooding atmosphere and damaged investigators. The influence gives the series an identity far removed from the colourful excess usually associated with comic-book television, but it can also make the show feel strangely familiar. There are moments where removing the rings and extraterrestrial mythology wouldn't dramatically change what you're watching.

Thankfully, Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre give the series exactly the kind of partnership it needs.

Chandler is particularly entertaining as Hal Jordan, portraying him as an experienced hero whose confidence has gradually curdled into arrogance, frustration and exhaustion. He's funny without becoming comic relief and abrasive without becoming impossible to like. There's a sense that Hal has spent years convincing himself that experience makes him untouchable, even as the evidence increasingly suggests otherwise.

Pierre provides the necessary counterweight. His John Stewart is far more controlled and serious, carrying himself like someone who knows precisely what he's capable of but hasn't yet decided what kind of Green Lantern he wants to become. Pierre gives Stewart a commanding physical presence, but his quieter scenes are often more interesting. He makes John's determination feel like something deeper than simple heroism.

Together, they're easily the show's greatest strength. Their mentor-and-student relationship quickly develops into something closer to two stubborn cops who don't particularly enjoy admitting that they need each other. Their exchanges give ‘Lanterns’ some welcome personality whenever its mystery threatens to become overly self-serious.

The supporting cast is strong too, and the Earthbound investigation allows the series to spend more time building characters than constantly setting up the next effects sequence. That restraint is refreshing in an era where superhero television can feel desperate to remind viewers how much money is being spent on it.

Green Lantern is one of DC's most imaginative concepts. These are intergalactic law enforcers equipped with weapons capable of transforming imagination into physical reality, operating within an enormous mythology of alien species, ancient beings and cosmic conflicts. ‘Lanterns’ occasionally seems almost embarrassed by how exciting that premise is.

The superhero elements are present, but rarely as imaginative as they could be. The Manhunters provide a potentially intimidating threat and the wider mythology of the Corps gradually expands, yet the danger never consistently feels as enormous as we're repeatedly told it is. For something supposedly capable of terrifying an intergalactic police force, the central threat occasionally feels more useful as a device for keeping the investigation moving than as something genuinely frightening.

The greatest achievement here is making Green Lantern work as a grounded character drama. Its greatest weakness is that it occasionally becomes too grounded to fully embrace Green Lantern.

When Chandler and Pierre are sharing the screen, the series is confident, funny and remarkably watchable. When it begins juggling the detective story, cosmic mythology, villains and the broader responsibilities of introducing this corner of the DC Universe, things become less assured.

‘Lanterns’ understands that audiences need to care about Hal Jordan and John Stewart before they care about sectors, Guardians or intergalactic threats. Chandler and Pierre make sure that happens.

It just would have been nice if the series occasionally looked toward the stars instead of keeping both feet planted so firmly on the ground.

Our score (out of 5 stars): ★★★☆☆