By Debopriyaa Dutta Published Sep 27, 2026, 3:00 AM EDT Polygon Lists Gritty detective stories that double as complex character studies
Image: HBO Sign in to your Polygon.com account Add Us Summary Generate a summary of this story Like Like follow Follow followed Followed Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap HBO’s ongoing detective show Lanterns has already proven itself exceptional. Created by Chris Mundy ( Ozark ), Damon Lindelof ( Watchmen ), and comics writer Tom King, Lanterns follows veteran Green Lantern Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and new recruit John Stewart (Aaron Pierre), who will eventually occupy Hal’s mantle. Together, they investigate a dark murder mystery in Rushville, Nebraska, which gradually exposes a cosmic conspiracy.
The show has already established its merits, thanks to a measured slow-burn approach that thrives on the central duo’s riveting chemistry. Although chock-full of comic book references and superhero-isms, Lanterns shines brightest when it leans on its murder mystery elements. The mystery in question is also engaging and unpredictable, keeping audiences on edge at all times.
If Lanterns has ignited a love for detective shows, you're in luck. There are countless great series out there worth checking out (although most don't have magic rings and exploding aliens). Here are five shows to watch once Lanterns ends and you still need a dose of hard-boiled mystery drama.
Image: HBO/Everett Collection Streaming on: HBO Max
Parallels between Lanterns and True Detective have been repeatedly drawn, and for good reason. True Detective ’s police procedural format instinctively embraces a slow-burn pacing that (usually) pairs two detectives together on a case. Season 1 of the show might prove to be the closest thematic match to Lanterns , but subsequent seasons also have their fair share of gritty violence and complex character studies. Apart from Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey’s iconic team-up as Marty and Rust in the first season, the latest entry, Night Country , features yet another formidable team-up with Jodie Foster’s Liz Danvers and Kali Reis’ Evangeline Navarro.
Season 2 of True Detective might not have been a satisfying follow-up to the celebrated original, but it unfolds like a bleak Californian noir with moody, tragic characters like Ray Velcoro (Colin Farrell) and Ani Bezzerides (Rachel McAdams). Season 3 is a worthy return to form with a masterful Mahershala Ali at the center of an emotionally resonant mystery that explores the impact of memory and aging. Even without the Lanterns parallels, True Detective is a quintessential detective series that paved the path for contemporary entries in the genre.
Image: Prime Video Streaming on: Prime Video
Spider-Noir hews closer to Lanterns as a comic book-inspired series that does not follow superhero conventions to keep things interesting. The setting is 1930s New York City, where aging private investigator Ben Reilly (Nicolas Cage) struggles to make ends meet. After some exceptional events occur, Reilly is tempted to don the suit of the Spider, a role he stepped away from years ago. Reilly is as jaded as it gets, mimicking Philip Marlowe in The Big Sleep , albeit with the added responsibility of being a superhero who is way past his prime.
Spider-Noir draws heavily from noir tropes and hard-boiled detective fiction, allowing…