Green Lantern: The Animated Series
by William Hood
****SPOILERS HO!****
Green Lantern: The Animated Series is...ok. Yes, just OK. It is a quite different style of animation, if not story structure, from a Warner Bros Animated series featuring characters from DC Comics than you might expect. The story has adult themes, such as death and sacrifice, distrust, conspiracies and straight out hatred, yet moves with enough action, special effects and pockets of humor to attract younger audiences. DC's first venture into CG is where it goes wrong for me. I understand that this is geared more to the younger crowd, and that that particular demographic is more interested in CGI and graphics than old school 2D animation. However, this just doesn't work here. Sure, there are good character designs and the colors and settings and landscapes are striking and vibrant, but the Bruce Timm animation style just doesn't work as 3D CGI. Everything feels...off somehow. It reminded me of Pixar's The Incredibles, and it shouldn't. It should stand on its own. Even all the Pixar and Dreamworks CGI stuff stands on its own, with definite signature feels and marks, but not imitating another property. Unfortunately, this animation feels like a pale imitation of what's gone before. It would have been FAR better served in the traditional Timm style of Batman TAS, Superman TAS or the Justice League series.
Now, that being said, this series is still young, newborn as a matter of fact and could be one of Warner Animations best portrayals of a comic franchise (minus the distracting animation style).
You don't need to know your Red Lanterns from your Green Lanterns from your...rest of the rainbow Lanterns to hop right in and enjoy the conflicts, characters and coming war that could be as trying as Sinestro Corps War or Blackest Night.
In the series premiere/preview, Hal makes his first appearance as Hal would - by crashing a multi billion dollar Ferris aircraft into a mountainside in order to save the day as Green Lantern. His relationship, or rather lack of said relationship, with Carol Ferris is played with, but never really explored (yet). Unfortunately, but predictably, any romantic moment they may have gets interrupted as the Guardians, immortals who founded the Green Lantern Corps, call, and Hal must go.
On Oa, Hal is established as a rebel and maverick as he is called on the carpet for a case of misconduct. Showing Hal as a bit cocky, a little flippant and through it all just trying to do the right thing, he just doesn't deal with authority too well.
The series also introduces a concept that I really like, Frontier Lanterns - Green Lanterns that work at the outer reaches of the Universe. The Lantern Corps doesn't know about the Frontier Lanterns until a ring drops to the floor in the council room after failing to find a suitable replacement for a murdered Lantern. This forces the Guardians to come clean, Hal demands the Corp help the Frontier Lanterns and is told they cannot, as they are too far out and on their own. With the help of Ganthet, the only Lantern who supports Hal, Hal and Kilowog steal a prototype airship and fly to the outer reaches of the Universe.
There, they discover Zilius Zox and Razer, two Red Lanterns who are luring, trapping, and murdering Green Lanterns. It quickly turns into a rescue mission when Hal and Kilowog show up just when Zilius and Razer are about to kill another Lantern.
The action is good, and there is a particularly nice sequence when Hal jumps on the ship to recharge his dead ring.
In part 2, we are introduced to the Red Lantern leader, Atrocitus. As he raises the stakes and the action gets more intense. We discover that Razer is the younger, conflicted Red Lantern who doesn't necessarily want to kill, while Zilius Zox is all about killing to serve his master Atrocitus. Kilowog and Hal have an excellent relationship. Kilowog plays the part of the older, wiser Lantern who tries to do the rational thing when Hal's actions are more reckless. As always, his friend and mentor.
It looks like Green Lantern: The Animated Series will take place primarily off Earth - at least for the first several episodes. But this actually works out fine. The alien characters still feel human and the relationships are very real, and very sad at times. As the ultimate sacrifice is made by a Frontier Lantern to save his people, and Hal attempts to help his daughter adjust, her little reply was just beautiful.
Green Lantern: The Animated Series is an adventure worth watching week-to-week, mostly because of the story itself and I hope the animation style grows on me.
Or they change it. What are the chances?
So, yes, Green Lantern TAS is OK. I wanted more, but, I am not too disappointed.
Bill Hood is Creative Director for Dream In Color Entertainment. He can be reached at wjh1170@gmail.com
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