I'm obsessed with Lanterns. We both are. And even though our affection for justice is roughly equivalent - even though I'm the only one who knows what Sector we're in - still, the ring chose him. I have a rubric for keeping myself unmolested in this time, and it involves recognizing if something is green or not. Historically, green has been an inviting color - that's what makes it all so insidious.

People have their favorite Green Lantern in the same way they have their Doctor. I don't mean that as an insult. If I were trying to be churlish, I would have said "favorite Beatle." They want their dude in the spotlight, and Lanterns absolutely refuses so far to make itself about any one Lantern. I guess that explains the name. Shit, man. It's possible I'm completely wrong, but even in the first couple shows I feel like they're setting the table for way more than eight episodes. I'm no expert, but I'm far from a tourist; I've had DC Universe Ultimate for months now and I'm not afraid to use it.

I was going to say that they could have gone more straight with it, chosen a storyline and tried to execute it, but I'm genuinely not sure they can given the rest of their plans. They have to hit us with lore from a high pressure hose; making it a crime procedural functionally gamifies the process of introducing this corner of the DCU and I'm an active player. I've, you know… I've seen these two episodes a lot. I think I would feel like a mark if I watched their behind the scenes shit but maybe there's info in there (!!!).

Over in his corner, Matt Reeves' version of Batman is definitive. Superman included a variety of different colors on screen, a first for the superhero genre. Supergirl was a movie as well. Now we've got a galactic cop show in Lanterns, straight up horror in Clayface, and an absolutely insane turn into True Crime satire with "The People vs. Gorilla Grodd," made by the weirdos that did American Vandal. This is to say nothing of ballin' out shit like the Peacemaker seasons and Creature Commandos. Marvel painted themselves into a corner and it's gonna take hundreds of millions of dollars to get out of it. They're heavily invested in comics being cool.  But comics are weird, comic movies and shows should be weird, and only one of the two great Houses seems to understand that.

(CW)TB out.