There were some complaints about the early teasers for Lanterns. The show was too dark, too Earth-bound, too small. Where was the green? Where were the Green Lantern powers? Is this a DC Comics show or a cop drama?

The new Lanterns trailer makes it clear: It’s kind of both. The show is still set on Earth, still involves Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and his new rookie partner John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) investigating a crime. But the crime involves the Manhunters, a group well-known to DC Comics fans for the antagonist role in Green Lantern books.

The new trailer also features Chandler in a Green Lantern costume speaking with infamous GL antagonist Sinestro, plus a lot more Power Ring action. Check it out below:

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As a big Green Lantern fan from years of reading the series in the 1990s and 2000s, I was a bit wary about those early teases. They did look awfully grounded and dusty. This one feels more like Green Lantern comics, and suggests that the Lanterns’ rings and powers will be a lot more important to the show than it seemed. If the Manhunters are involved, then the Lanterns’ wacky alien bosses, the Guardians, are almost certainly involved as well. And I need to see a TV show with Kyle Chandler talking to tiny blue-headed aliens.

Here is the Green Lantern series’ official synopsis:

The series follows new recruit John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) and Lantern legend Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler), two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery with cosmic ties as they investigate a murder in the American heartland.

Lanterns premieres on HBO Max on August 16.