Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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James Gunn's DCU desperately needed a win. Instead, Lanterns delivers a premiere that gets almost everything wrong about the Green Lantern Corps, raising serious questions about whether Gunn's 10-year plan is already in trouble.

DC Studios embarrasses itself yet again with this week's debut of Lanterns. While it's not as catastrophically bad as Supergirl, it still serves as a stark reminder of everything wrong with James Gunn's DCU. Hal Jordan is portrayed as an aging, bitter drunk who curses throughout the episode and rarely resembles the greatest Green Lantern of all time. Choosing Damon Lindelof and Tom King was always a risky proposition, and the premiere doubles down on trauma and deconstruction instead of heroism. Making matters worse, we never get to see the version of Hal Jordan fans know and admire before he's torn down. This isn't character deconstruction. It's character assassination.

Join Wes, Dok, Aaron Sparrow, Eric O'Sullivan, Vaughn Coleman, special guest Jeff Hicks, and the Comics Aficionados panel as they debate just how damaging Lanterns Episode 1 could be to James Gunn's 10-year plan for the DCU. The panel also discusses the incredible Avengers: Doomsday pre-sales, which are already outpacing Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Did Kevin Feige save the MCU? Plus, Kevin Smith falls flat in his return to Marvel with Spider-Man/Hulk, and Marvel launches a brand-new Jean Grey series just months after the character's debut in Brand New Day.

Comics Aficionados Live Topics
• Lanterns Episode 1 – Good or Bad for the DCU?
• Is the MCU Back?
• Kevin Smith's Spider-Man/Hulk Fiasco
• Marvel's New Jean Grey Series

🎙️ Panel Members
💩 Jeff Hicks - WorldClassBullshitters
🔗 YouTube: youtube.com/@WCBs

✍️ Vaughn Coleman – Phenomenova
🔗 YouTube: youtube.com/user/TheRealMacGamer
Phenomenova Issues #1-5 & The Wraith Crown #1 on Kickstarter
🔗 kickstarter.com/projects/229361567/phenomenova-issues-1-5-x-the-wraith-crown-1-comic-books

🖋️ Aaron Sparrow – Creator of Kneel Before Doomface

👨‍🍳 Eric O’Sullivan – The Grandmaster of Gratitude
🔗 YouTube: youtube.com/c/EricOSullivan

😠 Dok – Local Curmudgeon

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