The last episode was great, and the show delivered its serious tone, with few jokes but plenty of mature themes and content, extremely well. In that pilot, we get little bits of information about Hal, the Green Lanterns, the town, John and the story that is slowly unfolding. The pacing was great and, by the end, the mystery was even better. So, considering where we left things, it was going to be very interesting to see where this second episode takes us. Well... it doesn't disappoint.
We kick off this episode with Hal waking John up and sending him on an errand to fetch his things. Whilst John is off doing that, Hal continues his own investigative work, only to run into some trouble of his own. Meanwhile, John's seemingly simple errand doesn't exactly go to plan either, and he finds himself dealing with his own issues before he can make it back to Hal. And this is where Lanterns continues to impress.
The second episode gives us more information about the Green Lanterns, the characters surrounding Hal and John, and the mystery at the centre of the story, but it doesn't feel like the show is dumping information on us just for the sake of it. Instead, we're getting small pieces of the puzzle while the investigation continues.
What I particularly like is that the show isn't rushing to give us answers. There is a real sense that something much bigger is happening underneath everything we are seeing, and the slower, investigative approach works incredibly well.
Two episodes in and Lanterns is doing exactly what it needs to do. The mystery is getting deeper, the characters are becoming more interesting, and I'm genuinely invested in finding out where this is all going.
So far, James Gunn's DCU is looking pretty damn good
If you have been alive long enough, or have followed these comic book movies since the late '90s—or, better yet, since just before Christopher Nolan decided to take on Batman Begins—you would know that Warner Bros. has attempted to kick off a DC universe since Marvel started doing it successfully. DC had to wait until Nolan completed his trilogy before they finally started with Zack Snyder.
If you have been following me for any measure of time and have read what I have said regarding DC, you would know that Warner Bros. fumbled the bag trying to play catch-up to Marvel and completely messed up the DCEU. Now that James Gunn is running this new DCU, he seems to have a plan in place and, so far, so good. He has split it into live-action and animated. Superman was good, Supergirl was OK, Clayface looks interesting, and do not forget Peacemaker. They fumbled the bag with the second-season theme song, I think, but the season itself was actually decent. So, other than another season of Creature Commandos, Lanterns is now here and, honestly, it's actually very good. We're told this show is going to be something along the lines of True Detective. After watching this first episode, I can already see why. This isn't simply a comic book show; it's a True Detective murder mystery wrapped in DC mythology, coming from the people behind Watchmen. Meaning... this is GOOD!!!
We start with a flashback of John Stewart as a child, watching TV with his brothers before his father gets home. What initially seems like a reprimand is actually John being taught not to fear. Flash forward 20 years, and John is met by Hal Jordan, who is training him to become a Green Lantern. When news breaks about something going down in Nebraska, the two come across a school's football field with several dead bodies. Trying to figure out what is going on, they start looking for answers and discover that a man on a ranch in the town seems to be preparing for something. He also knows just a little too much, while saying very little. Then we jump another 10 years into the future. John is back in Nebraska. Back at the school. And there is another dead body. And this is where Lanterns gets very interesting.
I made this film an absolute priority because I knew there was no way I'd avoid spoilers for long. This is one of those event movies. Like The Odyssey, I booked my ticket on the day, but this time it was even worse. The best seats had already gone, entire screenings were greyed out, and when I arrived at the cinema, it was absolutely rammed. This film is going to make all the money.
Before going in, a friend who had already seen it gave it a solid 7/10. Having now watched it myself, I completely understand that score... although I'd probably rate it a little higher. This feels like the beginning of a brand-new Spider-Man trilogy, and more importantly, it feels like a completely different era. If the first three Tom Holland films were Peter Parker growing up, Brand New Day is where adulthood begins.
The tone, style and execution are noticeably more mature and character-driven. That's not a criticism of Jon Watts' trilogy—I loved those films—but watching Homecoming and then Brand New Day back-to-back is like watching the Harry Potter films evolve. The world has grown up, and so has Peter Parker. I really enjoyed this film, and here's why.
The film opens by reminding audiences who Peter Parker is, the sacrifices he's made and everyone he's lost while being Spider-Man. He's still New York's friendly neighbourhood hero, but when the Department of Damage Control comes under attack, Spider-Man teams up with its director to track down the mysterious culprit. The problem? This new threat can influence other people, making them incredibly difficult to stop. Alongside the investigation, Peter is still trying to balance being Spider-Man, being Peter Parker and protecting the people closest to him without putting them in danger.
I do have to admit that my viewing experience wasn't ideal. Cinema etiquette was practically non-existent. People turned up late, shining phone torches down the already clearly lit and labelled steps. Others decided taking photos with the flash on was somehow acceptable. Half a row realised they were sitting in the wrong seats and shuffled around mid-film. Sitting on the aisle probably didn't help either, as I noticed absolutely everything. At one point I genuinely wanted to shout, "Oi! you with the phone, cut it out!" It wasn't constant, but it happened often enough to keep pulling me out of the experience. I even heard a baby crying twice—which honestly bothered me far less than the endless phone screens lighting up the cinema.
As for the film itself, it's top-notch. Maybe it runs a touch long, although that feeling was probably amplified by everything happening around me. There are a handful of nit-picks, but nothing major. I got genuinely emotional a couple of times, especially during one particular fake-out halfway through. I was furious... in the best possible way. That's exactly the reaction Destin wanted.
The story is excellent, but what really stood out was the character work. Tom Holland and Zendaya share some of the strongest scenes the franchise has ever produced. Their conversations feel genuine, mature and earned; you feel the growth and weight of the past being carried by Peter. The MCU also feels wonderfully alive here, with plenty of familiar faces, background cameos and subtle hints about where everything is heading next. Even the post-credit scene teases another intriguing step in Peter's future.
Visually, this film looks fantastic. The cinematography is gorgeous, the score is outstanding and, despite some large-scale action sequences, everything remains clear and easy to follow. You really feel like you are Spider-Man swinging through a real New York City. Everything felt authentic. The fight choreography is excellent, the pacing of the action works brilliantly, and the humour lands throughout. Spider-Man is as witty as ever, but a surprising amount of the comedy comes from Frank Castle. Yes, The Punisher. Oddly enough, his foul-mouthed personality works perfectly alongside Spider-Man's lighter energy.
Performance-wise, everyone delivers. Tom Holland and Zendaya give what I'd easily call their best performances in these roles. You can genuinely see both the actors and their characters maturing. The same goes for Sadie Sink, Michael Mando and Jon Bernthal. The chemistry between everyone feels effortless and believable.
Despite featuring plenty of MCU world-building, this still feels like a relatively intimate Spider-Man story. The film even jokes about itself being "small potatoes" several times, which genuinely made me laugh, but it's also what we want from a Spider-Man movie. Not every film must save the world, you know? But beneath that smaller scale are some fascinating ideas that clearly point towards much bigger things. Without spoiling anything, there's one concept where, in the future could involve either two companies or the company evolving into another company that I can easily see becoming a major storyline or major antagonist moving forward. You'll know exactly what I mean when you see it/catch it.
Although Brand New Day is very different from Homecoming, Far From Home and No Way Home, it probably shares the most DNA with No Way Home—just with a far more mature perspective. The stakes may not be universe-ending this time, but Peter's personal struggles hit much harder because they're grounded and relatable AND we have all seen and felt it. By the end, the film has something surprisingly meaningful to say about carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders and accepting that you don't always have to face it alone.
Go and see this film before someone inevitably spoils it for you.
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