Polygon recommends five detective series for viewers drawn to *Lanterns*, whose slow-burn murder mystery, complex characters and central partnership are considered its strongest qualities. The article highlights shows that similarly combine hard-boiled investigations with emotional depth, noir atmosphere or speculative elements.

The recommendations discussed include *True Detective*, praised for its bleak police procedurals and memorable detective partnerships; *Spider-Noir*, which blends 1930s noir with a past-his-prime superhero; and *The X-Files*, where Mulder and Scully investigate unsettling mysteries involving paranormal and extraterrestrial implications. Together, they offer gritty character studies and tense mysteries, with varying degrees of superhero, science-fiction and supernatural content.