My Review of Lanterns: "Bad Optics"

 

Written by Justin-Britt Gibson And Damon Lindelof

Directed by Stephen Williams 

John (re Hal): "Of course you wrote your own fucking eulogy."

After five episodes that were mostly in 2016 Rushville, it's nice that we're in 2026 just so recent events can be referenced and the main issue from the first episode can be addressed.

Yes, I'm talking about the death of Hal Jordan. Even now, I'm still not convinced he's actually dead. Yes, we saw a body. Yes, we hard that minimalist funeral but something just seems off about the whole thing. 

I can see why Hal Jordan fans might not like a lot of what this episode did. The debacle with the Manhunters had him serve prison time and become a much hated figure publicly. Not that John's viewed in a much positive light either.

As the man who rejected the ring, he became an architect and ran a business with Marcus trying to install panic rooms. He also wanted an apology from Hal and was the last to see Hal before the latter was murdered. Did John kill Hal? Obviously not. 

John got some great scenes with both Kerry and an older Noah (Shea Prichard). John even got to meet both Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion) and Carol Ferris (Amie MacKenzie). It's nice that the latter does exist in the DCU but it also looks like this version never became Star Sapphire, which is a bit disappointing.

As for Hal, we've got two episodes left to either solve his murder if he's actually dead or two episodes to explain why he faked his death. I'm still rooting for Hal to actually be alive and yes, I think it's likely that he broke Sinestro out of prison. 

- I had forgotten about Hal's pet plant, Earl until John had to feed it. Hal and Carol were estranged.

- Guy's ring is his own. He stole Hal's from Oa, even risking being sent to the Phantom Zone. He's also an athletic director (gym teacher) and set up his own beacon in Rushville.

- Maggie the waitress wanted reparations from John, Kerry and Billy separated, she got involved with Hal and Noah has political aspirations. John was also funding Aaron's album.

- Events from both The Suicide Squad (2021) and Superman (2025) were mentioned in this episode. Batman was also referenced.

- Standout music: Dan Auerbach's Heartbroken, In Disrepair.

- Chronology: 2026 Rushville for most of the episode.

Bad Optics was a scathing look into the man formerly known as Hal Jordan with John and Guy getting an interesting first meeting. I hope these next two episodes stick the landing regardless of whether Hal's alive or dead.

Rating: 8 out of 10 

My Review of Lanterns: "Lights Out"

 

Written by Justin Britt-Gibson 

Directed by Geeta Vasant Patel

Hal (to John): "You were never gonna replace me, Junior. Here endeth your training."

This episode would be what is known as a fucking game changer. If you were hoping for the show to finally get out of 2026, then you're going to be very pleased with what went down here.

First of all, major fucking props need to be given to Poorna Jagannathan. On paper, Zoe appeared to be the generic love interest but having her as a rogue Manhunter that had both William and Kerry under her control as well as John. Yup, she truly stepped up as a baddie in this one.

The backstory she had with Kerry was a brilliant reveal. Kerry knew all along that Zoe was the Manhunter but said nothing. She's a damn sight better at lying than expected. I also got William so wrong. He was so devoted to Zoe that he allowed Antaan to practically kill him.

Of course, as clever as Zoe was, her downfall was always going to come in the shape of Hal Jordan. That man will not go down without a fight and Zoe's attempts to turn John against him pretty much backfired. She did come close enough though, considering that massive scrap we got between John and Hal in the motel.

However when it became clear that her plan failed, Zoe seemed surprisingly calm about John killing her. She didn't even try to stop him, which I found really odd. Thus endeth the Manhunter segment of the season, I presume. Well, the 2016 aspect at least.

John ultimately rejecting the ring after nearly killing Hal for it was another shocking moment. Even Lianna looked shocked when John turned it down. For comic book fans, I could see why that would've annoyed them but dramatically, it was a fucking brilliant way to end the episode. I was shook with that scene.

- Kerry had a criminal backstory when she arrived in Rushville. Zoe cut Kerry's pinky to bail her out but also helped to regrow another. She also healed John's very burnt skin.

- Zoe genuinely seemed to care about Noah and she also killed Abin Sur. Is Billy the only adult in that family who didn't know Zoe was a Manhunter?

- I'm probably reaching here but did Hal admit to being bisexual during that conversation with Antaan? Probably not.

- Once again, John's parents were relegated to an off screen phone call.

- Standout music: Away From Home (Rushville's Lament) by Ari Mason and Wayne Ingram.

- Chronology: Kerry arrived in Rushville in 2007. This episode culminated the events of 2016.

Lights Out hit a season high and probably could've been a finale in its own right. Those final three episodes are seriously gonna have to work overtime to match this superb outing.

Rating: 9 out of 10 

My Review of Lanterns: "The Weenie"

 

Written by Breannah Gibson

Directed by Geeta Vasant Patel

John (re Hal): "The ring's always been mine. That asshole's been keeping it warm."

Lianna: "Then go get it, John Stewart."

Oh boy. This episode really did seem determined to have a wedge between John and Hal and I think it might have succeeded. It's like everyone around them who isn't Kerry seems determined to get the pair of them at odds with one another.

Let's start with Sinestro, huh? He's only given one scene but when he wasn't being cryptic about the Manhunters, he was dripping paranoia into Hal's earlier about John being his replacement. It also worked rather well.

Then there's both Lianna and the Stewarts. If John demonstrated any sympathy or pity for Hal, they were determined to stamp it out. Bernadette, John Sr and Lianna went the extra mile to make John turn on Hal. The quote I selected for this review also came back to bite John.

Hal wasn't best pleased when an encounter with Not Hector Hammond (Jason Manuel Olazabal) had that particular exchange between John and Lianna played back to Hal. On the plus side, this episode almost went out of its way to tell us how wrong everyone else was for wanting Hal to retire. Hal was figuring things out that everyone else wasn't.

For example, he clocked that Hector wasn't Hammond but Gutierrez and he clocked John's lack of emotion when Zoe was blown up. Yeah, Zoe turned out to be a Manhunter and she's definitely not dead. Hal also then left John to crash into a pole. 

Hal might not hate John but he was definitely angered by the latter keeping too many secrets from him. Did Hal maybe overreact in that last scene? Of course he did but it made for a great end to this particular episode.

- John ended up having to draw William naked before he slept with Zoe again. Does William know he failed to kill Zoe?

- I'm hoping the name drop for Hector Hammond means that we'll be seeing him in the finale, if not earlier.

- Kerry really was from Gotham. Hal double checked. Billy also owned the local bar as well as being a lawyer.

- There's a genuinely funny moment in this episode with John telling Hal his Disneyland story. Less funny was what happened to that poor cow.

- Standout music: Wunderhorse's Midas during the closing credits.

- Chronology: 2016 for the whole episode and we're still in Nebraska.

The Weenie provided some answers and raised a lot more questions as it went along. It was also a true test with Hal and John as a team and right now, things are far more tense between the pair. Great ending though and next week's episode looks chaotic.

Rating: 8 out of 10 

My Review of Lanterns: "OutKast"

 

Written by Vanessa Baden Kelly 

Directed by Stephen Williams 

Lianna (to John): "This is when most candidates ask 'why me?'"

Ooh, this episode certainly has provoked discussion this morning. Certain comic book fans didn't love and others saw it as a much needed character piece with a pointed commentary on lived in black experiences. I would veer more into the latter way of thinking.

We knew from the opening episode that John was being trained to be a Green Lantern. His trainers being his parents and their methods were freaking extreme. John getting a rifle and a Green Lantern costume for his fifth birthday, walking a dangerous street at night when he's not even a teenager and the whole William Tell bit as well. His parents went too hard on the preparation for him.

If anything John's mother, Bernadette (Jasmine Cephas Jones) really pushed John. John was more artistically inclined than fighter focused but that didn't stop him joining the Marines, making some mistakes before the inevitable happened. He got the calling.

I liked that the episode was somewhat framed as an interview between John and Guardian Lianna (Laura Linney). Lianna got John to reveal some uncomfortable truths as the discussion of succeeding Hal Jordan factored into things. Hal was a source of frustration for the Stewart family and the Guardians themselves.

It was also Lianna who had put the idea of John becoming a Green Lantern into Bernadette's head. Lianna had tried to amend for John Sr being rejected as a potential Lantern. Giving the family a diamond didn't exactly help matters and it seemed Hal became the target of frustration while John was being primed for the role.

The first meeting between John and Hal in the former's childhood home was expertly done. Hal was sweet as pie to Bernadette and John Sr but made it clear to John that he had no intention of being replaced. I did like that John essentially just laughed it off. What else could he have done in that scenario?

- John's thing for birds was explained by Bernadette using them as a way to motivate him into training harder. John also hates cheeseburgers.

- John did get into an art school and that was where his interview ended up happening. His brothers are Marcus and Aaron.

- Hal's interfering with human affairs wasn't seen as a good thing with the Guardians. The Guardians also didn't understand race issues.

- The show is definitely being strategic with it's CGI. We don't see Lianna from the front when she shifted into her true form.

- Standout music: OutKast's Gasoline Dreams at the end of the episode.

- Chronology: Mostly 2016 but a lot of glimpses into John's past. 

OutKast proved to be a thought provoking origin story for John Stewart. I can sort of see why it might not appeal to everyone but I liked it. For the DCU, it's an interesting way to go with the character and it added another layer to the John and Hal relationship.

Rating: 8 out of 10 

My Review of Lanterns: "Trust Fall"

 

Written by Vanessa Baden Kelly And Chris Mundy

Directed by James Hawes

John: "I'm sorry, gentlemen but you're about to torture a man who don't know shit."

Second episode in and we've got a winner here. For those who were right to be concerned that this show might be too grounded for its own good, this episode should give a lot of relief.

The Manhunters are the big threat to the season and they could literally be anyone. John got a hell of a history refresher on them when he ended up being taken by Antaan (Paul Ben-Victor). The latter didn't trust Hal but he didnt do a lot to win John's trust either.

Already I've seen online speculation that Antaan might be Atrocitus and right now, I'm definitely not ruling that possibility out. He very well could be. He definitely has a similar backstory to the infamous villain. I could see it being a mid season reveal if that's the case.

Keeping with John, this episode had Hal attempting to teach him how to fly. John created a cute little bird that lasted most of the episode, even when John didn't have the ring on him. John also had the chance to retrieve Hal's Lantern and suit and even feed Earl. I was rather surprised upon learning what Earl. Let's just say that Earl's the type of pet you'd expect Poison Ivy to have rather than Hal.

Then there's Hal himself. I am loving this version of the character. Kyle Chandler has done a great job in making Hal into a likable asshole. This episode he was stealing corpses, interrupting meetings, getting himself shot by William Macon's men and ending things by paying a certain character a visit.

The certain character being Sinestro (Ulrich Thomsen), currently imprisoned on Oa. The latter might have had one scene but he left a great impression. He did little to get under Hal's skin by alluding to John being a bigger threat to him than the Manhunters. I could really feel the history between the pair of them.

- Kerry likes to read and she's from Gotham. Is she related to Kate Kane, given they share a surname? Who is William's benefactor?

- MCU Disney+ shows could learn a lesson because we didn't have to wait for the finale to see Hal in his suit.

- Mogo was mentioned. He formed part of Hal's password. I'm also loving this odd rapport between Hal and Billy.

- Zoe was revealing a lot to John about her motives for being married to William. Will she turn out to be a Manhunter?

- Hal noticed the lack of patients when he was being discharged.

- Chronology: 2016 Rushville and Oa for the final scene between Hal and Sinestro.

Trust Fall really hit the ground running. We got a lot of lore in this one and the Hal/John dynamic continues to be a joy to watch. The Manhunters plot has me gripped.

Rating: 8 out of 10 

My Review of Lanterns: "Pilot"

 

Written by Chris Mundy And Damon Lindelof And Tom King

Directed by James Hawes

Hal: "There's only one question. Are you afraid?"

We've been on a journey to get a Green Lantern show and now that it's finally here, I still can't believe it's actually here. This was quite the opening episode.

It opened with a much younger John Stewart watching Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) on television where the latter talked about being a member of the Green Lantern Corps. Then there was that William Tell moment between John and his father (J. Alphonse Nicholson) and that was pretty messed up scene to watch.

Cut to twenty years later where a grown up John (Aaron Pierre) has actually joined the Corps and Hal's his mentor. Hal's methods are just as volatile and it's pretty clear that while Hal might like/respect John on some level, he's not totally keen on training up his successor either.

Anyways the main action of this episode had both Hal and John ending up in Nebraska where a murder had taken place. It was one with alien involvement and Sheriff Kerry Kane (Kelly Macdonald) wasn't totally happy with the Green Lanterns investigating on her turf.

In fact, both Hal and John kind of botched up her investigation into the unusual Waylon Sanders (Chris Coy). Hal's way of exposing Waylon as an alien was certainly reckless but it did manage to get results. It also didn't take long for both Hal and John to start getting involved in Kerry's family life.

I found it interesting Kerry's husband Billy Macon (Jason Ritter) and the latter's father, William (Garrett Dillahunt) immediately ingratiated themselves into Hal's orbit. William in particular was a bit of a fanatic, so there's definitely a future clash between him and Hal waiting in the wings.

Then there's John's involvement in the Macon family. He unwittingly slept with William's wife Zoe (Poorna Jagannathan) and William knew about it. Do William and Zoe have an open marriage or does William have a future revenge lined up for John? It was definitely one of the stranger moments from the pilot.

As for the central mystery - let's jump to a decade where a bearded John reunited with Kerry and it was revealed that Hal was dead and his ring was missing. Is Hal really dead? I'd say it's 50/50 at the moment. I'm not entirely convinced he is, at least not for now.

- Things we saw the ring being used for included bubble wrap, counterfeit money and a bottle opener. Hal got his ring from a dying Abin Sur.

- The title sequence was a pretty modest one. Nice but nothing to write home about.

- Kerry and Billy's son, Noah (Cary Christopher) also appeared briefly in the episode. John doesn't eat meat or drink.

- Does Hal really believe there's 22 Harry Potter movies? He must have been joking about that one.

- Standout music: KC And The Sunshine Band's Boogie Shoes.

- Chronology: Took in the years 1996, 2016 and 2026. Mostly in Rushville, Nebraska. Hal became a Green Lantern in 1986.

The Pilot opened the show on a good note. There's an instant and classic buddy cop chemistry between Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler. I can see why they were cast as their respective characters and the main mystery has promise.

Rating: 8 out of 10 

DCU Blog - July 2026 Edition: The Batman Part II Delayed, SDCC Highlights And More

It's been a very busy July with a lot of DC related news to get through. Most of it good but some less good too.

The Batman Part II has been delayed to February 18th 2028. There's also rumours that Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan and Brian Tyree Henry are playing Poison Ivy, Victor Zsasz and Harvey Dent respectively.

Supergirl has gone to digital this week. It grossed $125 million at the box office.

Once again, James Gunn has debunked DCU Batman. This is getting ridiculous.

Tom King has confirmed that he's keeping Jack Kirby in every part of the upcoming Mister Miracle animated show.

Clayface (October 23rd) got the full SDCC treatment with a new trailer and a panel, which included Tom Rhys Harries.

Xolo Maridueña will reprise his role as Blue Beetle in Man Of Tomorrow (July 9th 2027). The character of Brother Power may also appear.

Alan Ritchson has confirmed he's had conversations about a role in the DCU.

All ten episodes of Batman: Caped Crusader Season 2 have been released today on Amazon Prime. Matthew Needham voices the Joker.

Also at SDCC were the cast for Lanterns (August 16th on HBO). A new trailer was also unveiled. 

Adria Arjona hasn't confirmed if she's been cast as either Wonder Woman or Maxima for Man Of Tomorrow. She's due to start filming soon.

The first part of Batman: Knightfall will be released from August 25th on digital and September 8th on physical copies.

While the character might be returning in live action, the Blue Beetle animation series has been cancelled.

Jimmy Tatro will voice and provide some motion capture for Gorilla Grodd for the upcoming Jimmy Olsen spin off show for HBO Max. Rumoured to be titled American Villain.

HBO have passed on the V For Vendetta script from Pete Jackson. It may be redeveloped with another writer at a later stage.

Dean Lorry has confirmed that Creature Commandos will have ten episodes for its second season. GI Robot will also get a massive story.

Barry Keoghan will reprise his role as the Joker in The Batman Part II.

That's it for this month. Hopefully more exciting casting news is on the way.

DCU Blog - June 2026 Edition: Supergirl Crashes, New Animated Shows And More

And we're halfway through 2026. This month sadly has been something of a mixed bag in terms of DC News but we move.

Let's get the bad news out of the way first - Supergirl (2026) has only grossed $63 million at the box office, making it one of the bigger losses for the WB this year.

It seems that the next DC film to possibly go into production could be the Deathstroke And Bane movie.

Spoiler hounds are arguing among themselves in regards to whether or not the DCU Batman has been cast.

Ana Nogueira has recently talked of developments for both her Wonder Woman and Teen Titans scripts.

Man Of Tomorrow (July 9th 2027) is currently half way through filming with some recent set pics of David Corenswet and Nicholas Holt having leaked.

Batman: Caped Crusader will be released on Amazon Prime from July 29th. Expect villains such as Riddler, Man-Bat and a female version of Mad Hatter.

A trailer for Batman: Knightfall Part 1 has been released. The movie will be released later in the year.

A synopsis for the animated Dynamic Duo (June 28th 2028) revealed that Dick and Jason will split when the former joins Batman and the latter joins the Red Hood Gang.

After an eternity, The Batman Part II (October 1st 2027) has started filming. 

Both James Gunn and John Cena have hinted about when Peacemaker will resurface in the DCU. Something tells me it's a lot sooner than expected.

Clayface (October 23rd 2026) is approximately one hour and fifty minutes according to recent test screenings. It doesn't feature Batman as of now.

David Jenkins has recently turned in the script for Booster Gold. It has yet to be greenlit.

Animated shows for Absolute Batman, Joker: Laugh Riot and Krypto have been announced.

My Adventures With Superman doesn't have a fourth season announcement as of yet. Season 3 is currently airing weekly.

Expect announcements for both Creature Commandos Season 2 and Mister Miracle very soon.

Filming for the Jimmy Olsen/Gorilla Grodd HBO Max series will start after filming of Man Of Tomorrow has completed. They're looking for actors from a comedy background for Grodd and one of the main roles will be for a lawyer.

And that's it for the month of June. Some mixed news this month but on we go.

DCU Blog - May 2026 Edition: The Batman Pt II Casting, Super Summer Mark 2

Yup, this month certainly delivered on the front of casting news, among other things. Without further ado, let's get into it.

In addition to Scarlett Johansson and Sebastian Stan, The Batman Part II (October 1st 2027) has added Charles Dance, Brian Tyree Henry and Sebastian Koch to the cast. Dance will play Christopher Dent.

James Gunn confirmed on Threads that between General Zod, Doomsday, Doctor Fate, Black Adam, Ultraman and Darkseid that two of them will be showing up in the DCU soon.

Tom King has been hyping the casting for his upcoming Mister Miracle animated show. Casting should be revealed soon enough.

As of now, there are no directors being talked to about Teen Titans.

Matthew Lillard has joined the cast of Man Of Tomorrow (July 9th 2027) in an undisclosed role. Sinqua Walls has also been cast.

Volker Bertelmann will score Clayface (October 23rd 2026).

Greg Mottolo is seemingly in the mix to direct the Deathstroke And Bane movie, which has yet to be officially greenlit.

The arrival of Supergirl (June 26th) is close and we've been getting plenty of TV spots and interviews from Milly Alcock herself. She'll reprise the role in Man Of Tomorrow.

Absolute Wonder Woman has concluded it's current arc and is now moving into a new one with Barbara Minerva becoming the latest Cheetah.

Nicole Maines will be writing this year's DC Pride titled Justice League: Dream Girls - A DC Pride Event. The four part series will be released throughout the month of June.

Darren Criss will voice the role of Superboy for the third season of My Adventures With Superman, which premieres on Adult Swim from June 13th. Jessica Cruz will also feature.

Lanterns has officially been confirmed for August 16th on HBO with the latest trailer also confirming Laura Linney's casting. Chris Cantwell has been hired for the second season.

DC Animation/Warner Brothers will premiere Knightfall at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival among upcoming DC animated shows.

The second season of Creature Commandos will premiere on HBO Max after Man Of Tomorrow. The first episode is titled Starry Night.

And that's your lot for this month. Hope you liked. 

DCU Blog - April 2026 Edition: Clayface Trailer, Lanterns Airdate And Major Casting News

Well, April turned out to be one hell of a month for DC fans. There really was so much going on.

Adria Arjona has joined the cast of Man Of Tomorrow (July 9th 2027) but is she playing Maxima or Wonder Woman? Time will tell on that one. Filming has now begun on the Superman (2025) sequel. Andre Royo has also been cast in an undisclosed role.

Charles Dance has been cast as Christopher Dent for The Batman - Part II (October 1st 2027). Filming starts from June in London.

James Gunn has recently confirmed not to expect The Authority any time soon, due to the script not working out.

Season 3 of My Adventures With Superman will premiere at midnight from June 13th on Adult Swim's Toonami with a next day release on HBO Max.

Supergirl (June 26th 2026) got her flowers at both CinemaCon and CCXP Mexico this month. Both Milly Alcock and Craig Gillespie were promoting the movie at both events.

We will be seeing more of Sean Gunn's Maxwell Lord in future DCU projects. I imagine that'll be sooner than later.

James Gunn has also stated after filming for Man Of Tomorrow is complete, he'll discuss what is and isn't canon from The Suicide Squad and Blue Beetle in relation to the DCU. 

The first trailer for Clayface (October 23rd 2026) has been watched by over 11 millions views on YouTube so far. The movie will be set before the events of Superman (2025).

Funko Pops will be released for John Constantine, Midnighter, Apollo and Dreamer to commence with Pride Month.

Correction from last month but Dark Knights Of Steel will be released from July.

Lanterns will seemingly air on HBO from August 16th. The trailer is currently down.

Both Booster Gold and Paradise Lost are still in development with the latter being in extreme development.

Sidney Chandler is rumoured to be cast as Nosferata for the second season of Creature Commandos.

The fourth episode of the Krypto show is now available on YouTube.

That's it for this month. We're going to get a lot of more reveals over the coming months.

DCU Blog - March 2026 Edition: Supergirl Promo, Lanterns Trailer And More

We're a quarter into 2026 and the DC news has been a little sparse but we did get some good bits this month.

Later today will see the release of a new trailer for Supergirl (June 26th). David Corenswet's Superman is confirmed to feature in it. Claudia Sarne is now the composer.

Filming for Man Of Tomorrow (July 9th 2027) will begin in three weeks in Atlanta, Georgia. 

Aaron Pierre will reprise his role as John Stewart in Man Of Tomorrow. An actress has also been rumoured to play Maxima in the movie. Eva de Dominic is the rumoured actress.

Paramount's deal to acquire Warner Brothers will be decided next month. It might not even happen.

Robert Pattinson has talked about The Batman - Part II (October 1st 2027) taking some big swings. Filming will start during the end of May in the UK.

Ruby Sear has been cast in an undisclosed role for Clayface (October 23rd). A trailer is likely to appear at CinemaCon next month. The WB panel will be on April 14th from 4.30pm to 6.30pm.

Phil Lord and Chris Miller have written a movie for The Flash for the DCU but it hasn't been picked up.

Peacemaker won Best Superhero TV Series at the Saturn Awards.

The first trailer for HBO's Lanterns was released. The show will air from August on the cable channel.

Fans of the Absolute Batman series will be seeing Two Face in an upcoming issue while Absolute Wonder Woman will debut a new Cheetah in the next arc.

David Jenkins has confirmed once again that he's still the show runner for the upcoming Booster Gold show.

Superman worldwide collection now stands at $624.3 million.

A casting announcement for the Mister Miracle animated show from Tom King is on the way. It'll air on HBO Max.

The Jimmy Olsen show will be a crime mystery comedy according to co-showrunner Dan Perrault.

Freddie Stroma has confirmed that he doesn't know when he'll return as Vigilante in the DCU.

The 2026 DC Pride will be released in June and will factor in a Justice League: Dream Girls event. June will also see the release of the Dark Knights Of Steel sequel series.

That's your lot for this month. Bigger things on the way for DC no doubt.

DCU Blog - February 2026 Edition: WB/Paramount, Puppy Bowl And Little Else

Disappointingly enough, this wasn't the most eventful month for DC, except for maybe the future implication of a newly announced merger. Anyways, let's get on with it, shall we?

Warners Brothers have been bought by Paramount for $111 billion after Netflix decided to step aside and not match their offer.

Clayface will now be released on October 23rd. David Dencik has also been cast in an undisclosed role.

Man Of Tomorrow (July 9th 2027) is in pre-production. Filming will begin in April, so expect more cast announcements soon.

The recent Puppy Bowl put the focus on Krypto, including a clip from Supergirl (June 26th) showing a younger version of the character.

Junkie XL will now compose the music for Supergirl. He's previously composed Zack Snyder's Justice League.

The Batman - Part II (October 1st 2027) will start filming in late May. We'll be getting more casting soon.

The logo for upcoming HBO series, Lanterns was revealed this month. The show will premiere after the third season of House Of The Dragon has finished airing.

James Gunn has stated that The Brave And The Bold will come out before Matt Reeves does a third movie for The Batman universe.

DC Next Level will see releases for the likes of Zatanna, Batwoman, Lobo and Firestorm to name a few over the next few months.

The Absolute DC Universe comic books have continued to sell well, have warranted several reprints and will continue well into 2026.

Zack Snyder has recently expressed interest in continuing his Justice League through comics or animation. That's not saying it'll happen btw.

Quick reminder that we've got upcoming season of both of My Adventures With Superman and Batman: Caped Crusader to look forward to. Hopefully we'll get release dates for both in the next few weeks.

That's it for the month. Hopefully more exciting news for next month.

DCU Blog - November 2025 Edition: Super Family Expands, CCXP Time

Into the penultimate round up of DC news for the month and it's certainly circling around one particular part of the DC Universe.

James Gunn continues to give some brief hints on Man Of Tomorrow (July 9th 2027). Though not officially confirmed, it does appear that Brainiac will be the main villain for this follow up.

Superman (2025) however has made over $100 million in profit, including home releases as well. It's also being submitted for both the Golden Globes and Oscars.

Swaybox Studios held auditions for Dynamic Duo (June 30th 2028) on November 15th.

Alan Ritchson has confirmed that he's in talks for a "messier" DCU role.

Supergirl (June 26th 2026) will have a presence at CCXP from December 6th. A trailer is rumoured to be released at the event. Ferdinand Kingsley has been cast as Ruthye's father for the movie.

Filming for Clayface (September 11th 2026) has finished up. Mike Flanagan again pointed out that his script was influenced by Batman: The Animated Series.

Peacemaker Season 2 finally managed to chart on Nielson, due to the finale.

Matt Reeves has tapped Luke Hall for production design for The Batman - Part II (October 1st 2027). Casting news should be soon.

A HBO Max podcast crime series Jimmy Olsen themed spin-off is currently in the works. Skyler Gisondo will reprise the role for the show, which will have Gorilla Grodd as a central threat. The duo behind American Vandal are tackling the show.

A V For Vendetta show is also in development for HBO, though it may be an Elseworlds series. Pete Jackson will take on the show.

More shorts for Krypto have been released on YouTube. I need to catch up with them.

The DC Absolute Universe will have more crossovers next year, including Batman and Wonder Woman facing off.

HBO will air Lanterns, starring Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre in the latter half of 2026. Late summer release.

Netflix, Comcast/Universal and Paramount are the current bidders to acquire Warner Brothers. We should know in 2026 how this will impact DC Studios.

Brendan Fraser recently talked about his disappointment over Batgirl being unreleased. He played Firefly in that movie.

As of yet, no new development on Wonder Woman for the DCU. Hopefully something's coming very soon. 

That's it for this month. Let's hope next month closes this year out with some major news.

DCU Blog - July 2025 Edition: Superman Soars, Supergirl First Poster, Wonder Woman Movie Fast Tracked

Yes, it's the end of July and with it, some of the most exciting stuff to happen in relation to DC. Oh, it's been a hell of a month.

As of now, Superman (2025) has made over $516 million worldwide at the box office. The movie's an undeniable hit. A digital release has yet to be confirmed.

Naomi Ackie has been cast as the female lead for Clayface (September 11th 2026). Filming will begin in the UK next month. 

Yet again, James Gunn has reaffirmed that Robert Pattinson will not be the DCU Batman. The Batman - Part II will film early next year for it's October 1st 2027 release.

James Gunn has also confirmed that The Brave And The Bold is still happening.

The first poster for Supergirl (2026) was released earlier this month. The movie will be released from June 26th 2026.

Luca Guadagnino has stepped away from Sgt. Rock. James Gunn has said the movie will happen with a new director.

James Gunn has confirmed that he won't be writing the second season of Creature Commandos.

The first in a series of an animated one shots for Krypto is rumoured to be coming out in September.

Ana Nogueira has been confirmed as the writer of the upcoming Wonder Woman movie. She's also still writing the Teen Titans movie, though that's on hold for a bit.

James Gunn and Zack Snyder parodied themselves in a recent episode of Rick And Morty.

Aztec Batman: Clash Of Empires will be released from September 19th.

Mattson Tomlin has hinted that he might be writing for another DC hero in a recent Twitter exchange.

The second season of Peacemaker (August 21st on HBO Max) will feature cameos from past and future DC characters. There's a podcast every Thursday and Monday from James Gunn and guests going over the first season.

Keeping with the awards buzz, The Penguin has been nominated for 24 Emmys.

David Jenkins will write and executive produce the pilot for Booster Gold. Kumail Nanjiani will not be playing the titular role.

Filming for Lanterns has wrapped. It'll air on HBO in the first half of 2026. The show will be John Stewart's story.

That's it for this month but things are certainly hotting up for DC right now.

Justice League Unlimited - Episodes 6-10 Reviews

In this batch of episodes, Supergirl has met her match, there are returning characters aplenty and new groups being formed.

Episode 6: Fearful Symmetry 

Supergirl vs. Power Girl anyone? That's basically the premise of this episode as the former found herself getting blamed for the latter's antics. Green Arrow and The Question were paired with Kara, attempting to crack down the reasons for her bad dreams and low and behold, it's Cadmus at the heart of her problems. Of course Power Girl is actually a character called Galatea but this episode kicked off the ongoing Cadmus arc for the series. 6/10

Episode 7: The Greatest Story Never Told 

And there's Booster Gold. He's a man from the future with aspirations of being a hero. Instead, he's more of an annoyance to the ever growing Justice League, who don't want to really deal with him. However this episode gave him a chance to step as a hero by going up against a scientist who turned himself into a black hole. Oh and he got a love interest too. 7/10

Episode 8: The Return

Oh this one lived up to its title. There was the return of Lex Luthor, who for once wasn't the villain of the piece. There was the return of Amazon, who was after Lex and a new purpose. There was also the return of Hawkgirl but that literally happened at the very last minute of the episode. Add to that the use of characters such as the Atom, John Stewart, the Guardians and Doctor Fate and this was quite the episode. 8/10

Episode 9: Ultimatum

A few episodes we were introduced to Project Cadmus and now, we're back with them. That meant having the likes of Amanda Waller, Professor Hamilton and Maxwell Lord pop up on screen. It also meanst the introduction of their group known as the Ultramen. The same group who turned out to be a problem for the Justice League with the exception of Long Shadow. An okay introduction for the short-lived group. 6/10

Episode 10: Dark Heart

Another average episode but one that's pretty packed with a lot of characters. This one had General Wade Eiling leading a military unit battling the Justice League. There was also a powerful alien nanotechnology that provided the biggest obstacle to the team. It's mostly Atom who saved the day with this one. 5/10

Next blog I'll tackle Wake The Dead, The Once And Future Thing Part One: Weird Western Tales, The Once And Future Thing Part Two: Time Warped, The Cat And The Canary and The Ties That Bind.

My Review of Green Lantern: Emerald Knights (2011)

Written by Eddie Berganza And Alan Burnett And Todd Casey And Dave Gibbons And Michael Green And Marc Guggenheim And Geoff Johns And Peter Tomasi

Directed by Christopher Berkeley And Lauren Montgomery And Jay Oliva

Arisia: "I guess this is the blackest night everyone talks about."

Sinestro: "No, my dear. Only dusk."

A few weeks ago, I watched and reviewed Green Lantern: First Flight, so of course, I had to catch up with this one. A sequel of sorts to that movie, this one told a few different stories about various ring heaters in this part of the DC Universe.

The first story focused on Avra (Mitchell Whitfield). He's the Guardians humble scribe and one of the first chosen by the Corps rings, despite not being a warrior. He's got a team to help him take out the Dominators. Avra's responsible for the way the rings made constructs while his own ring went from Abin Sur (Arnold Vosloo) and eventually, Hal Jordan (Nathan Fillion).

Hal's role in this movie was to mentor newcomer, Arisia Rrab (Elizabeth Moss). He introduced her to Kilowog (Henry Rolins) and then we learned more about Kilowog. Kilowog's story involved his training with Sergeant Deegan (Wade Williams), which included not being dependent on the power ring and defending a nearby planet from the Khunds.

The story of Laira (Kelly Hu) delved into her family and homeworld of Jayd. This meant hostile reunions with both her brother and father as well as addressing war crimes and a suicide from Laura's father. It's a fairly dark story in this batch.

Then there's Mogo. Yes, there's a Green Lantern that's a sentient planet who'd prefer not to socialise with anyone. For Mogo's story, he's got the warmonger, Bolphunga (Roddy Piper) to deal with. Bolphunga's realisation as to what Mogo really was certainly made this the strongest of the stories. Also Mogo would come in handy by the conclusion of this movie.

The last two stories gave some backstory for both Abin Sur and Sinestro (Jason Isaacs) as well as the origins for Atrocitus (Bruce Thomas). Then you had the current Lanterns fighting Krona and his shadow demons. This came with severe casualties, including Oa itself. It's a good job that a sentient planet was able to be the Corps current base.

- The movie was broken into the following segments - Green Lantern, Kilowog, Laira, Mogo Doesn't Socialize, Abin Sur and Emerald Knights.

- Other Lanterns who appeared include Tomar-Re, Ganthet, Salaak and Boodikka to name a few.

- The animated series, Young Justice (different continuity) used the same animation style as this movie did.

- Chronology: Various timelines as the stories all linked to one another before the big battle with Krona.

Green Lantern: Emerald Knights mostly succeeded as a series of vignettes that connected to a bigger story. Some of the stories are stronger than others but none of them are bad. A solid follow up from the previous animated movie.

Rating: 7 out of 10 

DCU Blog - May 2025 Edition: Superman Promo Kicks In, Peacemaker Role Revealed and Comics Crossover Alert

This was certainly a month for a lot of DC news. Sadly there's one piece of bad news but the rest was definitely something worth celebrating.

The promotion for Superman (July 11th) has well and truly kicked in. We got a brand new trailer, photoshoots with David Corenswrt and Nicholas Hoult, merchandise reveals and a World Tour coming from June 19th onwards.

Apparently a draft for The Batman - Part II (October 1st 2027) has been completed. Filming will commence in early 2026.

Lauren LeFranc has recently confirmed that other spin offs beyond The Penguin are currently in development.

Filming for Clayface will start in October with the movie still confirmed for September 11th 2026 theatrical release.

Filming for Supergirl: Woman Of Tomorrow (June 26th 2026) has now wrapped. Some filming pics did give vague looks at both Milly Alcock and Jason Momoa's respective looks for Supergirl and Lobo.

Bad news is that Luca Guadagnino's Sgt. Rock movie, which would've had Colin Farrell in the title role and Mike Faust in an undisclosed role has been put on hold. It may be picked up for filming next summer.

Some concept art for Dynamic Duo (June 30th 2028) did surface online yesterday. I'd post them but I'd like to not to have my blog striked. 

Keanu Reeves, according to Peter Stormaire isn't happy with the progress of the Constantine sequel script. At this point, just pull the plug on this idea.

A trailer for the second season of Peacemaker (August 21st on HBO Max) has confirmed that Sean Gunn, Nathan Fillion and Isabela Merced will reprise their roles as Maxwell Lord, Guy Gardner and Hawkgirl in the series. Michael Rooker will play Red St. Wild, who will be an enemy of Eagly.

Colin Farrell and Danny DeVito will be on the upcoming season of Actors on Actors. Their episode will premiere June 2nd on YouTube.

James Gunn did seem to give some encouraging updates on Wonder Woman when asked online. Paradise Lost is still being written.

At least two Teen Titans movies are in development. One for the DCU (though they're to decide who the Robin will be) and the other will be an animated one set in the Teen Titans Go! Universe.

DC/Marvel comic book fans can enjoy a Batman/Deadpool six part crossover event from September. Another crossover event with other characters will release in 2026.

The 2025 DC Pride issue will come out on June 4th. However, this issue will feature an interconnected story focusing on a century old LGBTQ+ tavern in Gotham City. 

Lanterns will premiere on HBO in early 2026, before the release of Supergirl: Woman Of Tomorrow. Filming is still currently active and there's a casting rumour, I'm holding back on but will discuss next month if it's true.

James Gunn has confirmed that the next movie he's writing is something that hasn't been previously announced. World's Finest has been rumoured a lot.

This was definitely a great month for DCU news, minus one particular set back. 

Justice League (2001-2004) - Episodes 27-38 Reviews

Now for the first half of the second season, we've got the likes of Darkseid, Lex Luthor, Doctor Destiny and Despero causing all manners of trouble for the gang.

Episodes 27-28: Twilight 

Last time we saw Darkseid, he was being a right menace on Superman: The Animated Series. This time, instead of trying to brainwash the Man of Steel, he needed the latter's help, along with the Justice League. Now, why would Darkseid need their help? Well, he had a problem in the shape of Brainiac but even with that knowledge, Superman rightfully didn't trust him. Of course Darkseid would betray the Justice League but it did lead to another great fight scene between him and Superman. This two parter also brought in New Gods such as Highfather, Orion and Lightray. 8/10

Episodes 29-30: Tabula Rasa 

And he's back. Yes, you're never too far away from Lex Luthor and while his schemes to kill Superman continue to be a bust, he had other plans. One of them was reminding Mercy that even though he left her LexCorp while in prison, it's still his company. Then there was Amazo. Lex manipulated the android into seeing him as a father figure. Eventually, Amazon saw through Lex and departed Earth. There's a good subplot with Martian Manhunter's powers amplifying as he dealt with having to hear so many thoughts. 7/10

Episodes 31-32: Only A Dream

An early contender for one of the strongest stories in this second season. You have got John Dee awaiting parole from prison. He's not happy that his ex-girlfriend moved on quickly from him with a new guy. John Dee decided to overdose on an experimental treatment and transform himself into Doctor Destiny. In this guise, Doctor Destiny went out of his way to terrorise all of the Justice League until the same methods of terror would bd eventually turned on him. There's some supporting roles for the likes of Solomon Grundy, Firefly, Volcana, Luminus and Copperhead. One of the creepier stories and a brilliant one too. 9/10

Episodes 33-34: Maid Of Honor

This two parter brought up something interesting. While Batman and Superman know each others identities, to my surprise, Wonder Woman was unaware that Batman and Bruce Wayne are the same person. I find it interesting between there was some Batman/Wonder Woman and Bruce/Diana scenes that bordered on the flirtatious. There was also the return of Vandal Savage, who was engaged to Diana's new friend, Audrey, the princess of Kasnia. Savage was up to no good and Wonder Woman had a battle on her hands trying to convince Audrey how bad her future husband really was. It's an okay second outing for Vandal Savage as a villain. 6/10

Episodes 35-36: Hearts And Minds

As much as I like John Stewart on this show, so far, I'll admit that the Green Lantern focused stories have been a bit average at best. This one was no different as John reunited with former lover, Karma Tui along with other Lanterns such as Kilowog. The latter in particular didn't have the greatest of patience for The Flash but John Stewart and the Justice League were needed to rescue the Green Lantern Corps from Despero. The latter's used pretty decently in this story and there's some nice moments between John Stewart and Hawkgirl but it's rather weak for me. 6/10

Episodes 37-38: A Better World

This show really does love delving into alternative realities and this was another look into that. Imagine a world with the Justice Lords. They're like our Justice League but their Flash died and they're more willing to kill in order to maintain order. Their Batman was also clever enough to create a method of dimensional travel and intended to replace the Justice League. Because of this, the Justice League had to team up with Lex Luthor in order to send the Justice Lords back to their own dimension. It's a very strong two parter, though previous alternative reality ones have been stronger. 8/10

Next blog I'll conclude the series by covering Eclipsed, The Terror Beyond, Secret Society, Hereafter, Wild Cards, Comfort And Joy and Starcrossed.