HBO's new DC Universe series Lanterns has debuted to strong critical and audience acclaim, quickly becoming the most-watched show on HBO Max in the United States. The sci-fi detective drama arrives amid a packed year of genre hits for the network, including A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and the return of House of the Dragon, and its success adds to HBO's dominant run in the science-fiction and fantasy space in 2026.

Lanterns follows trainee Green Lantern John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) and his mentor Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) as they investigate a mass shooting with extraterrestrial links in a small Nebraska town. The show holds a 94% critics' score and an 86% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, and has reached number one on HBO Max in the US and third worldwide, according to tracker FlixPatrol. Reviewers have likened its tone to "True Detective with superheroes" and drawn comparisons to Watchmen, while the premiere episode's twist ending, involving a apparent flash-forward showing Hal Jordan's death, has generated further discussion among fans.