Lanterns Teases Inspiration From One of DC's Best Green Lantern Stories

Will "Hard-Traveling Heroes" influence the DC Studios TV series?

By Jenna Anderson

James Gunn and Peter Safran's DC Universe is continuing to take shape in some fascinating ways, with an ever-growing slate of movies and television shows. One of the latest updates arrived on Tuesday, with confirmation that the Green Lantern series Lanterns will be the first new live-action television show in the DCU. The eight-episode series, which is now confirmed to air on HBO before streaming exclusively on Max, also got an official plot synopsis within this announcement. According to the description, Lanterns will follow Green Lanterns Hal Jordan and John Stewart in "a dark, earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland."  While the specifics of the plot of Lanterns still remain under wraps, the qualifiers used in that description call to mind one iconic part of Green Lantern lore — the "Hard-Traveling Heroes" run of the 1970s.

What Is "Hard-Traveling Heroes"?

Created by Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams, the "Hard-Traveling Heroes" era was an attempt to boost the floundering sales of Green Lantern in the 1970s. The run, which began with 1970's Green Lantern #76, saw Hal and Oliver Queen / Green Arrow become more aware of the social injustices of Earth, and decide to travel the country righting various wrongs. Joined by Dinah Lance / Black Canary and (occasionally) a Guardian of the Universe named Appa Ali Apsa, Hal and Oliver came face to face with issues like poverty, overpopulation, racism, and drug addiction. The "Hard-Traveling Heroes" run also helped introduce John Stewart into the comics, as he debuted in Green Lantern #87 and immediately forced Hal to rethink his approach to being a Green Lantern. 

"Hard-Traveling Heroes" is credited with revitalizing Hal and Oliver's characters, and with normalizing superhero comics tackling darker real-life issues in a post-Comics Code world. While Hal and John's adventure in Lanterns does sound like it will be slightly different from "Hard-Traveling Heroes", especially as Hal's companions in the comic run aren't yet confirmed to appear in the series, the Earth-based setting of "the American heartland" definitely evokes the spirit of the source material. And given the creative team at the helm of Lanterns — particularly co-writer and executive producer Damon Lindelof, whose award-winning work showrunning HBO's adaptation of Watchmen sparked a larger cultural awareness of the Tulsa Race Massacre — it's safe to assume that the social relevance of "Hard-Traveling Heroes" will be homaged as well. Not only would this set Lanterns apart from every previous or ill-fated attempt to showcase the Green Lantern Corps in live-action, but it would honor one of the most beloved aspects of its comic canon.

What Is Lanterns About?

Lanterns follows new recruit John Stewart and Lantern legend Hal Jordan, two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland. The roles of Hal and John have yet to be cast at this time.

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"We're thrilled to bring this seminal DC title to HBO with Chris, Damon and Tom at the helm," Gunn and Safran said in a statement. "John Stewart and Hal Jordan are two of DC's most compelling characters, and LANTERNS brings them to life in an original detective story that is a foundational part of the unified DCU we're launching next summer with Superman."

Lanterns will premiere on HBO at a later date.

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