Lanterns is off to a strong start.
Aaron Pierre was born to play John Stewart. From the very first episode, he brings a presence that makes it easy to believe John could become the heart of this series and a hero who inspires an entirely new generation of young fans and nerds.
Visually, Lanterns looks incredible. The world feels cinematic, the Green Lantern mythology feels bigger than ever, and the episode gives us plenty of reasons to be excited about the future of the Lantern Corps.
What works especially well is the balance. This is a great episode for longtime comic book fans, but it also feels accessible enough for people who know little or nothing about Green Lantern. It doesn’t require you to be a comic expert to enjoy the story.
My only real issue is the amount of profanity. While it fits the tone at times, I hope future episodes find a little more balance because Aaron Pierre’s John Stewart has the potential to inspire a huge new audience, including younger fans discovering the character for the first time.
Overall, Lanterns is one of the strongest starts we’ve seen from a new comic book franchise in a long time.
Aaron Pierre is already making John Stewart feel special, and if the series continues at this level, the future of the Lantern Corps looks incredibly bright.
