New on the Tube is a series devoted to reviewing relatively new television shows and determining how they may (or may not) appeal to their intended audiences, where the shows are going, and what can be done to make them better. 

Series Premise: 


Strange things are happening on the frontier, well beyond the patrolled and policed Guardian Space that the Corps operates in.  Hal Jordan and Kilowog head to the frontier to investigate and come face to face with a new menace: the Red Lanterns.  The pair, along with a disillusioned Red Lantern, patrol the frontier in an effort to discover more information.  They are the officers of peace in the universe; they are Green Lanterns.

SPOILERS BELOW

Previously on Green Lantern: The Animated Series: Covering Episodes #1 – #4

A Green Lantern is killed out on the frontier, and it takes 18 months for the power ring to return to Oa.  Wanting to head out and investigate, Hal Jordan and Kilowog beg the Guardians to grant them leave, with less-than-stellar success.  One of the Guardians, however, sneakily shows the two Green Lanterns the Interceptor, a ship fast enough to reach the frontier in minutes, but top secret and classified.  Owing to his desire to save lives, Hal Jordan sneaks aboard with Kilowog and steals the ship, leaving for frontier space just in time to come to the aid of another Green Lantern fighting two other ring-users: Red Lanterns.

Injured and in need of medical treatment, the frontier Lantern leads the Interceptor to his colony planet where he is treated by his wife.  The Red Lanterns track the ship to the planet and threaten to blow it up if the Green Lanterns don’t turn themselves over within an hour.  Stalling for time, Hal launches a frontal attack on the Red Lantern stronghold while Kilowog and Sheer (the frontier Lantern) attempt to disarm the world-killer.  Unable to stop the device from detonating, Kilowog saves the colony’s population while Sheer dies to buy him the time he needs.

Razer, one of the Red Lanterns, is disillusioned by the methods that his leader has used just to take three Green Lanterns out and ends up allowing himself to be taken prisoner by Jordan.  Dropped off at a prison planet, Razer is forced to relive his worst memories until the Hal comes back to investigate rumors of prisoner abuse.  Razer is set free by the Interceptor’s AI, Aya, and ends up being the one who saves Hal and Kilowog with the use of his red power ring.  Afterwards, Hal no longer considers him a prisoner, but a partner in working to investigate the other Red Lanterns.

Not long afterwards, a distress call brings the Lanterns to a freighter trying to escape a black hole.  At first they’re able to save the sole crewmember of the ship, but Hal decides to try and save the ship when it is discovered that the cargo is a bunch of living egg embryos.  The Lanterns attempt to repair the ship, but can’t due to extensive damage; finally, a detached Aya is able to repair the main engines, allowing for Hal to bring the ship out of the gravitational field and into normal space.  Later on, Kilowog and Razer strike up a reluctant working relationship, but they still have problems really trusting one another.

Main Characters



Hal Jordan (Green Lantern): A test pilot from Earth, Hal Jordan is a bit of a troublemaker for the Green Lantern Corps.  He often brings results on his assignments, but at the cost of being rambunctious.  Hal likes to think things through a bit—at least when compared to Kilowog—and won’t give up trying to help Razer.


Kilowog (Green Lantern): Hardheaded alien from the planet Bolovax Vik, Kilowog is the yin to Hal Jordan’s yang.  He prefers direct contact and doesn’t do subtle interactions.  He has great reservations about having Razer aboard the Interceptor.

Razer (Red Lantern): A man who has lost everything, Razer carries a lot of rage and anger towards the galaxy at large.  Swept up by Atrocitus’ promise of vengeful justice, Razer becomes a Red Lantern, although, a reluctant one.  Later on he starts to see the error of his ways.

Aya (Artificial Intelligence): The Interceptor’s main computer, Aya takes great pains to safeguard the lives of her crew.  She also has the ability to detach herself from the ship in a variety of ways.

What Works



Humor: The best part of this show—the part that really makes it entertaining and enjoyable to watch—is the humor between the characters, especially Kilowog.  The jokes aren’t excessive, but subtle, sometimes even dry, which flows well with the plot and storytelling and relates to the comic book source material well.

What Doesn’t

CGI: I’m not the biggest fan of CGI, but I don’t mind it when it is done right—take the Pixar movies for instance, or Disney’s Tangled; however, as much as I like the interactions and storyline and the fact that Green Lantern has its own series, I think the CGI could be done a bit better.  There are times when the movement of the characters seems a little too mechanical, and it kind of takes away the feeling that these are actual people who matter (to the viewer, at least).  I think it would have gone better if it had a more traditional form of animation, but at least it’s not in 3D.

The Future

I’m eager to find out what the interaction between the Red and Green Lanterns will be like on a full-scale conflict, yet I wonder why the Reds haven’t pushed past the frontier yet.  What exactly is keeping them from heading straight into Guardian Space and taking on the Corps?  I’m also wondering if, perhaps, Razer is going to stay a Red Lantern, or if he’s going to find some way to become a Green Lantern—it’s not as if the Corps hasn’t had dubious members before.