It’s a damn good month to be a geek.
Along with the assload of amazing video games releasing/released this month, and the New 52 still going strong from DC’s print side, the televised world of geekiness has steam running in its engines too. If you hated Green Lantern movie like I did, and looking for some redemption, or just some faith that the property isn’t completely dead after that debacle, look no further.
This is the review of Green Lantern: The Animated Series’ first sneak peek.
Green Lantern: The Animated Series, Episode 1x01 “Beware My Power”
Directed by: Sam Liu, Rick Morales
Written by: Jim Krieg, Ernie Altbacker
Executive Producers: Sam Register, Bruce (fuckin’) Timm
I actually chanced upon the season opening, thinking Cartoon Network shows wouldn’t be automatically syndicated over the border to Teletoon so I could set aside my time to catch the entirety of the show. Fate would have it that I’d watch it anyways, and it glued me to my seat until the credits rolled.
This is a new kind of cartoon. Not just a superhero cartoon, a cartoon in general. I’m making a bold statement because this is a bold move by both Warn Bros. Entertainment and DC Entertainment, to venture so far up into the space of wild creative ideas without tethering it in whatever’s been half-working for the network executives and higher-ups. Now, I don’t have one tiny particle of an insider look at what’s going on at the roundtables and the board meetings, but hell, the final product shows us something—things are changing for weekend children’s television.
Because of my late entrance, shameful, I know, I didn’t catch the first few minutes, but when I did flip to it, it seemed pretty much already in full swing. The show centers around everyone’s ‘favourite’ Green Lantern—Hal Jordan, ace pilot, sometime jerk-wad, cocky-yet-goodhearted star corpsman of our wonderful little 3,600 strong space force. He’s already an established character within this universe—it’s not a coming-of-age tale. Considering what didn’t work with the Green Lantern movie, there really wasn’t any other way to go.
Rudimentary comic book knowledge aside—if you’re a complete newbie to the Green Lantern mythos, or comic books in general, you won’t have problems with this. This is a condensed, approachable series from the get-go. That’s reflected in both the visual elements and the narrative ones, at least from this pilot episode. Given the projected demographic I’m assuming they’re trying to reach, maybe somewhere around 12-18, that’s a necessity to do this in order to hold onto those viewers I think they’ve indeed hooked in with this premiere.
Down to the nitty-gritty. As the plot in this pilot goes, Hal along with hardened, no-nonsense drill sergeant Kilowog choose to investigate a missing Lanterns case out on the fringe sectors, despite the threats of reprimand from the Guardians of the Universe (their bosses). From there, the narrative trajectory is straightforward for older audiences, but for the kid in all of us, it’s still a thrill ride from the start since the villains of this episode are featured prominently in the opening sequences.
Here’s where the backstory kicks in that propels this into an ambitious endeavour. These guys are Red Lanterns—a ‘Lantern Corps’ that only recently appeared in the Green Lantern publications by DC. These are new ideas from comics being translated into television. Hyperaccelerated creative syncretism. The television industry is rigid. This doesn’t happen often. But, the creative minds behind this project—Sam Register (one of the big guys at DC animation) and Bruce Timm (the Stan Lee of DC’s animated properties) propped these characters up as golden for the show.
Boy, were they right. Not only do the concept of Red Lanterns fit perfectly and easily into the structure of the plotline, they retain their thematic value from the comics—for the hardcore fans, that’s major points. They seem natural, even if we’ve never seen them before on the screen. They’re even new to the Green Lanterns who first battle them, Kilowog’s on the same boat as the audience is. But he’s intrigued by these raging, blood-vomiting vengeance seekers, and so are we.
Most of the debate beforehand came from the approach that the animation style was way improper for the content of the show. After the impact of Justice League, helmed by Bruce Timm in the early 2000’s, his set style as lead animator paved the way for all comic book animated properties to follow. With this foray into CGI, heads were shaking. I can see where they’re coming from, but the argument me and many others have made in support, is the ‘why not?’ aspect of it.
If this is Green Lantern, the source of their power is two-fold, willpower to wield the green energy in their rings, and the imagination required to utilize it. GL’s can create anything with their minds—it’s all just light from a ring. In a 2D world, sure, that would look fine—but Bruce Timm’s already done 2D worlds, three times over. The change is a chance for the team and for this show. The producers consciously decide on this creative direction because it’s a way to separate and diversify a visual style.
But most people just want a pretty cartoon. Well, for you guys, it’s sleek, polished, and clean. The influences from The Incredibles and stylistic throwbacks to early CGI like Toy Story, as my friend compared it to (although with negativity attached) aren’t attempted to be hidden behind embellishments. It’s simple and shiny. It’s Timm’s style made into three dimensions, and the eyes just have to adjust a little.
This is seen in those character designs of our two other, non-comic Green Lanterns that act as the plot points that push the story forward. This is where the writing comes in and adds a layer of sophistication that’s desired so much as a formula for success. The fast version: they have depth. They’re not beats on a script for our leads to have something to do. The story pushes character development for everyone, including these ‘one-offs’. They mean something by the end, as characters, and not footnotes.
Diversity in character weaves in with diversity of design—those alien looks are the traditional varied humanoids you’d expect from a space opera. Bottom line is, it’s cool—that should be one of the reasons you come to this cartoon. It presents itself within this visual style with elegance. Nothing’s overtly wonky with design and the look—static or moving. The digital lighting effects add those touches of detail, but their soft and implied, the presence is on the shapes and figures.
The animation side of it is the shaky area, you’d think, it’s handled beautifully here. The scarcity of detail in the look of the whole thing is an opportunistic decision. It allows for swift, fast-paced action that hits hard and keeps hitting, because our eyes don’t have to wander too long. It’s easy on animators and pleasing to my eye. The clean-cut nature of it allows for denser, faster movement. And with the fact that these are guys using mind-made hard light weaponry, the cleanliness is a treat.
Plus, the believability of the whole thing is stemmed into the performances. The casting director, a veteran at the studio, casted it perfectly. The actors working on this are established (Lucius Malfoy among them), and their voices work synonymously with the animation. It’s probably my favourite part of this episode—having voices that fit the character. They sound like that in my mind when I flip through comic pages.
These guys aren’t scared either, or safe or cautious—like I said, they’re bold. They’ve introduced new characters, thrust viewers into an established world that they’re confident they can craft for us, and used the mythology cleverly enough that it works despite the preconceptions. That should get some respect.
Then again, these are super-experienced, seasoned veterans at animated television tactics, with a double major in superheroes and awesome. Why would they do more of the same? They’re pushing boundaries, getting new viewers, spreading awareness, and coming up with new ideas.
It’s a excitedly fresh move from these producers, and I’m down. I’m so very down.
“Beware My Power” can be found online everywhere, soon probably. The rest of season will commence Spring 2012. So you have lots of time to brood and reread this to convince you ten times more to watch it. Just you wait.
In brightest day, motherfuckers.
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