The time has finally arrived for us to see the premiere of Green Lantern: The Animated Series. If you saw the trailer or any images, you know this show will not feature traditional animation but instead, 'stylized CG animation.' Thanks to Warner Bros. and Cartoon Network, I got the chance to check out the double first episode.
The immediate response might be a slight cringe at the idea of a CG Green Lantern show. Check out this clip from the opening sequence to get a taste of what you can expect.
When I first heard it was going to be CG, I had my doubts. But even if it had the best animation or truly captured the style of Batman: TAS or Justice League Unlimited, what would set this series apart from those (besides featuring Green Lantern)?
The show does look pretty slick. The animation and colors are bright and smooth and just plain look good. Some of the character models feel off a tad. Hal Jordan (or the lead in a superhero show) should be pretty buff and all but he would have to have an insane workout regimen to look like this.
== TEASER ==
You can also see Kilowog's appearance here. He's a tough character to draw in any format. While he appears to be the same height as Hal in the image above, he is a little taller. Perhaps not as tall as he should but there is a difference.
The show sets the tone right away. It's surprising that the very first scene from the very first episode begins with the Red Lanterns. They are a new threat the the Green Lantern Corps and they aren't holding back. The oozing red coming from them does use a cool effect that is different than if was simply traditional animation.
In this second clip, you can hear what Hal and Kilowog (as well as the Guardians) sound like.
Hal's voice took me a bit to warm up to. He's voiced by Josh Keaton (voice of Spider-Man in The Spectacular Spider-Man series). Keaton is a great voice actor (he's done several other series and video games) but it's not quite what I'd expect for Hal. The same could be said about the animation. You do get used to it. I also enjoy the Star Wars: Clone Wars series which also has CG animation but the animation here is a little smoother/less stiff. Again, it's something different from all the recent superhero shows we've been getting.
Kilowog's voice is great. He's voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson (Young Justice, ThunderCats). What would you expect Carol Ferris to look like? She does have a slightly DC: THE NEW FRONTIER look to her rather than the show trying to emulate Blake Lively's appearance from the movie.
The show has its dark moments and can get a little heavy for younger viewers but it does capture the Green Lantern feel you would want in this show. There are some lighter moments as Hal does have his cocky, slightly joking attitude and there is even the question raised about why he needs a mask.
The show premieres Friday, November 11 at 7 p.m. ET/PT on Cartoon Network. This is the first time Bruce Timm series to be produced in CG as well as the first time Green Lantern has been rendered in CG. Timm and Sam Register (Teen Titans, Ben 10, Batman: The Brave and the Bold) are the executive producers of the show so you know there's a lot of strength and experience behind this. The show will debut next year (in 2012) as part of the new DC Nation programming block.
It's a fun show making a bold step with the CG animation. It feels a little weird at first but you do get sucked into the action. It'll be interesting to see how the tone of the rest of the series is when the show debuts in its normal slot. Also, with the appearance of the Red Lanterns, how long until we see other Lantern Corps and even appearances from other heroes?
Check out the show this Friday. It's a good first episode and definitely worth checking out.
