LANTERNS Now Has the Lowest Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score of Any DCU Project, But Does It Deserve It?

HBO's Lanterns has become the lowest-rated DCU project among fans on Rotten Tomatoes, and I have to say, I'm a little surprised by how divided audiences are over this series.

I loved it from beginning to end, but apparently, not everyone was on board with DC Studios' approach to the Green Lantern mythology.

Despite earning strong reviews from critics, Lanterns has seen its Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score take a pretty significant hit. The series initially debuted with an impressive 89% on the Popcornmeter, but following last Sunday's finale, that number dropped to 70%.

A 70% audience rating isn't exactly terrible, but when you compare it to everything else DC Studios has released since launching its new DCU in 2023, Lanterns finds itself at the bottom of the list.

Creature Commandos currently holds a 79% audience score, while Superman earned a fantastic 90% and a "Verified Hot" designation. Peacemaker Season 2 sits at 79%, despite its finale leaving plenty of fans disappointed. Even Supergirl managed to edge out Lanterns with a 72% audience rating.

So, what happened? Much of the criticism appears to come from how the series handled Hal Jordan and John Stewart. DC Studios chiefs James Gunn and Peter Safran took a different approach to these iconic Green Lantern characters, and some comic book fans clearly weren't happy with the creative decisions.

Hal Jordan, in particular, became a major point of contention. The eight-episode series presented a version of the character that some viewers felt was unnecessarily harsh, with one writer labeling him a racist.

Interestingly, despite the show's treatment of Hal, plenty of fans still want to see more of him in the DCU. That's certainly an interesting reaction considering how far the series went with its interpretation of the character.

As for John Stewart, Aaron Pierre will reprise the role in the upcoming Man of Tomorrow, which could give fans a more traditional Green Lantern experience.

Seeing John finally suit up in a comic-accurate costume and unleash some awesome ring constructs might help win over viewers who wanted more superhero action from Lanterns.

Personally, though, I thought Lanterns was great! It told a fantastic story, and what made it work so well for me was the character development. This was an awesome character study that gave its characters room to grow, make mistakes, and deal with the consequences of their actions.

The writing, performances, and relationships between the characters made the show compelling. I was invested in the story and genuinely happy with how everything played out.

Not every comic book adaptation needs to be a massive superhero spectacle filled with colorful costumes, giant explosions, and nonstop action. Sometimes, a great story with interesting characters is more than enough, and that's exactly what Lanterns delivered.

I understand that some fans wanted a more traditional Green Lantern adventure, complete with intergalactic battles and crazy constructs. There's nothing wrong with wanting that, but I also appreciate that DC Studios tried something different.

It just goes to show that some viewers would rather have the big superhero spectacle than a strong, character-driven story. Hey, if that's what you're looking for, there's always Ryan Reynolds' Green Lantern movie from 2011! You can go back and watch that!

All joking aside, I thought Lanterns was one of the more interesting projects to come out of the DCU so far, and I wouldn't change the direction it took.

Unfortunately, the show's future remains uncertain. HBO hasn't released viewership numbers for the Lanterns finale, and there's currently no word on whether the series will return for Season 2.

HBO boss Casey Bloys previously confirmed that The People vs. Gorilla Grodd is the only DCU television series currently in active development, which doesn't exactly inspire confidence about an immediate continuation.

Regardless of what happens next, I'm glad we got the version of Lanterns that we did. It took some chances, told a great story, and delivered something different from the usual superhero formula.

A 70% Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score doesn't change how much I enjoyed it. I'm curious what everyone else thinks. Did Lanterns deliver the Green Lantern story you wanted, or were you disappointed that it didn't lean harder into the cosmic superhero action?