Lanterns has made waves among the comic book community for its grounded re-imagining of the Green Lantern mythos. Folks who have adored HBO’s new direction for the characters — Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) — will likely find a kinship in some other prestige dramas and television gems with similar styles, characters, or stars. If that sounds like you, then this may be the list for you.
From superhero shows and comic book dramas to programs to animated gems and detective stories, these are shows like Lanterns in some form or another that fans of the show may just enjoy. They aren’t all Green Lantern tales (though there are a few of those too), but there’s plenty of excitement and critically acclaimed material here to go around. So, charge those power rings, because these are some shows like Lanterns that may speak to you.
‘Watchmen’ (2019)
Getting the giant elephant (or radioactive, glowing blue man) out of the way, Watchmen is here because it’s another HBO drama based on DC Comics characters and created by Lost showrunner Damon Lindelof. While it’s technically a sequel to the original Alan Moore comic series, the truth is that Watchmen is more of its own thing, telling a different story with different characters in the aftermath of the climactic end of the Moore story itself. Like Lanterns, it’s a re-imagining of the traditional comic book lore.
Many of the themes expressed emphatically in Watchmen are likewise present in Lanterns, with Lindelof deconstructing the concept of costumed/powered heroes and interpreting that through a distinct 2010s lens. That may or may not be interesting to you, but Watchmen became one of the most acclaimed comic book dramas of the decade. In fact, some consider it a perfect HBO miniseries.
‘True Detective’ (2014–Present)
Long before we even saw our first glimpse at Lanterns, the show was heavily teased by HBO as being a Green Lantern spin on True Detective. Well, the results were a bit less Green Lantern and a bit more True Detective, which has worked for many. If that’s you, then catching at least the first season of Nic Pizzolatto‘s famed HBO detective drama is probably something that you’ll enjoy.
The first season, which starred Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey, was widely acclaimed for its nihilistic atmosphere and powerful performances. Many count it a masterpiece of detective-themed television, and by the time you get to the end of the season-long mystery you may just agree. There’s so much going on in this hard-R HBO series that it’s hard to catch it all at first.
‘Friday Night Lights’ (2006–2011)
Now, if you love Lanterns because of Kyle Chandler, we can understand that. Even with the new HBO drama in consideration, easily the most popular and widely beloved Chandler-led series is Friday Night Lights. If you thought his accent on Lanterns was sweet, wait until you’re listening to it non-stop throughout five seasons of this Texas-based high school football drama. With the seasons changing, this essential fall show deserves another shot.
“Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose” — that’s the line that Coach Taylor always spouted at his players, and it typically worked. With riveting character dramas, compelling serialized plots, and stars who knew how to catch the eye, Friday Night Lights is one of those iconic early 2000s television shows that everyone was watching. Chandler was certainly a part of the reason.
‘Krypton’ (2018–2019)
Of course, you may also be interested in following Aaron Pierre beyond the power ring, and if that’s the case, we have some good news for you. While Lanterns is the first time he’s broken out as a leading man, he first appeared on a DC Comics-related program as Dev-Em on the Syfy series Krypton. Spanning only two seasons, this sci-fi-flavored Superman prequel (one of the best Superman-related shows out there) explores the titular alien world like none other, and Pierre’s character is there through all of it.
Of course, Krypton actually follows the Man of Steel’s grandfather, Seg-El (Cameron Cuffe), who is romantic rivals with Dev-Em for the hand of Lyta-Zod (Georgina Campbell). Although the series ends on something of a cliffhanger, the Syfy extravaganza combines iconic comic book mythos with time travel and plenty of inspired reinvention to make Superman’s homeworld feel vibrant and alive. It’s sort of the opposite approach that Lanterns takes regarding its alien characters, but you’ll love it.
‘Spider-Noir’ (2026)
If you’re in the mood for more superhero detective stories, but you want something that feels a bit more like a traditional comic book, look no further than Spider-Noir. The Prime Video Spider-Man adaptation features Nicolas Cage as web-slinging variant Ben Reilly, a private eye who moonlights as a vigilante known as “The Spider.” Available in both black-and-white and color, you can choose your own adventure.
Of course, Spider-Noir is quite different from Lanterns in style. While the HBO series is a contemporary alien-focused crime drama, Spider-Noir is a period piece that echos Hollywood’s Golden Age as it seeks to evoke the cinematic style of classic noir pictures like The Big Sleep. Still, Lanterns fans will enjoy the solid leading man as he fumbles his way through a super-powered mystery, no matter whether you watch in color or not.
‘Green Lantern: The Animated Series’ (2011–2013)
Now, if more Hal Jordan is what you’re after, then there’s really only one television series out there already tailor-made for you. If you haven’t watched Green Lantern: The Animated Series, it may be about time you started. Following the adventures of Hal Jordan (Josh Keaton) as he and his partner Kilowog (Kevin Michael Richardson) explore “Frontier Space” in an effort to stop an invasion of wrathful Red Lanterns from taking over the universe.
Despite being animated, Green Lantern perfectly captures the heart and soul of Hal Jordan as a character. It’s enjoyable both for younger audiences looking to get into the cosmic aspect of the DC Universe and mature viewers hoping to find Hal in his prime. As one of the greatest animated shows out there with fewer than 40 episodes, Green Lantern: The Animated Series is a perfect Lanterns follow-up — especially if you thought the HBO drama was too grounded and wanted to get more into the “space cop” aspect of the character.
‘Justice League’ (2001–2004)
If you’re going to watch Green Lantern for more Hal Jordan, then you should give Justice League a go if you want more John Stewart. Voiced by Phil LaMarr, the animated take on DC’s greatest heroes — and a seminal installment in the DC Animated Universe — propelled John into the forefront. For many who grew up with this cinematic animated production, John was always their Green Lantern.
Although not every episode focuses specifically, episodes like “In the Blackest Night,” “Hearts and Minds,” “Wild Cards,” and Starcrossed” really lean into John’s character. Of course, he’s a main staple of plenty of Justice League adventures (including the best Justice League episodes), and that would also continue in the sequel series Justice League Unlimited. This version of Green Lantern is a bit more defined than his Lanterns counterpart, but perhaps that’s exactly what you’re looking for!
‘Gotham’ (2014–2019)
If you love the idea of a detective series set within the DC Universe, then Gotham may just be the next binge for you. The Batman prequel series follows a young Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz), but it mostly centers around a younger Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie) as he navigates the Gotham underworld, trying to be a good cop in a city full of bad. What starts as a pretty grounded detective procedural quickly turns into a full-on love-letter to the Batman corner of DC Comics.
Offering an inspired depiction of Gotham City, the Fox drama ran for five seasons as Gordon exhausted his ability to keep the city from tearing itself apart and Bruce learned how to best protect the streets as the Dark Knight. Even if it’s a bit more comic book-y than you are hoping for as a Lanterns fan, you’ll find that this take on the Batman mythos has plenty to offer. Gotham was never a perfect show, but then again, Lanterns isn’t either — so enjoy it for what it is.
‘Arrow’ (2012–2020)
Speaking of imperfect DC Comics adaptations that change foundational elements of the characters and re-imagine iconic heroes beyond the page, Arrow is a more grounded take on Green Arrow, at least at first. Stephen Amell played Oliver Queen, a wealthy billionaire playboy who spends five years in hell before returning home with a new mission: save his city. Now a bow-and-arrow-clad vigilante, Oliver is willing to do whatever it takes to ensure that darkness is vanquished.
While Arrow began as an especially grounded take on the character, it also birthed the larger Arrowverse of shows, including The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, and others. As time went on, Arrow itself leaned more into the fantastical, though Oliver himself remained a largely grounded character. Sure, sometimes he was more Batman-like than Green Arrow, but if you love Lanterns, then you likely don’t care about strict comic book continuity much anyway.
‘Daredevil’ (2015–2018)
If Arrow is the more soap operatic version of grounded superhero television, then Daredevil is the mature version of what a grounded comic book show can (and arguably should) look like. A co-production between Marvel and Netflix, the three-season take on lawyer-turned-vigilante Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) not only honors the comics that came before, but cleverly reworks them into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And if you thought the fight sequences on Arrow were impressive, they’re nothing compared to Daredevil.
Lanterns fans will appreciate both the grounded approach and mature storytelling. Although there is plenty of detective work at play here, the series largely focuses on combining meaty character drama with action spectacle, just like the best Daredevil comic books. The series would be revived years later in Daredevil: Born Again, which continues the battle for New York City in the present.
