“Lanterns” has lastly given the Inexperienced Lantern Corps a worthy display screen adaptation. However more and more, the present appears to even be functioning as a method to arrange the DC Universe’s Batman. Now, with Episode 3, we have yet one more Easter egg associated to the Darkish Knight that hints on the potential arrival of an oft-overlooked however vital Batman villain: Black Masks.
“Lanterns” Episode 1 supplied some readability concerning the DC Universe timeline by confirming that Kyle Chandler’s Hal Jordan revealed himself to the lots in 1996, nearly 30 years previous to the occasions of James Gunn’s charming crowd-pleaser, “Superman.” The collection premiere additionally launched us to Aaron Pierre’s John Stewart and supplied his origin story because the son of a Marine. Plus, the present dropped a bombshell when it killed off Jordan within the ultimate moments of its debut episode. What most viewers may have seemingly missed amid all that, nevertheless, was Sheriff Kerry Kane (Kelly Macdonald) chatting with somebody on the telephone and asking them to “Inform Barb I stated hey.”
Quickly, that nearly indistinguishable line took on new significance. “Lanterns” Episode 2 revealed that Sheriff Kane hails from Gotham, which makes it seemingly she was speaking to a sure Gotham commissioner whose daughter is famously named Barbara. At this level, the hyperlink between “Lanterns” and the as-yet-unseen DCU Batman was beginning to appear extra significant than we would initially thought. Now, Episode 3 has revealed an commercial for the corporate Janus Cosmetics, which, as devoted Bat-fans will know, is intently tied to the Batman villain Black Masks.
Lanterns simply teased the DC Universe debut of Black Masks
Along with his newly established DC Universe, James Gunn may lastly take Batman the place no filmmaker has but taken him. Whereas the DC Studios co-head hasn’t revealed any concrete plans for his Darkish Knight, “Lanterns” simply hinted that we would no less than see one Batman rogue crop up.
At first of “Lanterns” Episode 3, John Stewart walks via an deserted mall on his method to meet Laura Linney’s Guardian character. As he passes the empty storefronts, we see an indication within the background for Janus Cosmetics. That is the corporate owned by businessman Charles Sionis within the Batman comics. However its inclusion appears extra vital than a nod to DC historical past.
Within the comics, Charles’ son, Roman Sionis (who first appeared in 1985’s “Batman” #386) was a childhood pal of Bruce Wayne who, as an grownup, killed his personal father and took over the Janus Cosmetics firm earlier than in the end inflicting it to break down through dodgy investments. Lucius Fox then oversaw its acquisition for Wayne Enterprises, and compelled Roman out. This pushed Roman to turn into the supervillain Black Masks, a ruthless crime lord and chief of the so-called False Face Society whose distinct facial protecting places him alongside the likes of Two-Face and Joker as one of the crucial visually placing members of the rogues gallery.
Is that this small second in “Lanterns” hinting at a Black Masks look in future, maybe within the “Courageous and the Daring” film? It is clearly too quickly to say (particularly contemplating the rumors that the “Courageous and the Daring” movie is on maintain through the Paramount/Warner Bros. merger). One factor we do know is that that is yet one more Batman reference in “Lanterns,” which has to date featured one such reference in each considered one of its episodes.
Black Masks is a significant Batman villain with some Inexperienced Lantern historical past
There may be yet one more attention-grabbing side of the Janus Cosmetics advert in “Lanterns” Episode 3. Included on the poster itself is a girl whose face is half coated by the leaves of a black plant, which is clearly a reference to Janus Cosmetics being intimately linked to the creation of Black Masks. However the darkish leaves creeping throughout the mannequin’s face additionally set up a sinister tone that brings to thoughts Roman Sionis’ ultimate product for Janus Cosmetics; a type of make-up that ended up disfiguring girls’s faces. What’s extra, the advert seems subsequent to a different poster bearing the phrases “Coming Quickly…”
All of which looks as if greater than a mere Easter egg. We have had live-action variations of Black Masks earlier than. A model named Richard Sionis (Todd Stashwick) was featured within the Fox collection “Gotham,” whereas the Roman Sionis model seems in “Batwoman” Season 2. Ewan McGregor additionally performed a Roman Beauvais Sionis/Black Masks in “Birds of Prey,” however the character has nonetheless by no means actually been given the live-action remedy he deserves.
Apparently sufficient, Black Masks does have some comedian e book historical past with the Lanterns. Within the “Blackest Night time” storyline, the villain Nekron reanimates a deceased Black Masks as a Black Lantern, who then goes after Catwoman. Might the “Lanterns” writers be hinting at one thing related taking place within the DC Universe? Are Black Lanterns in John Stewart’s future? Regardless of the case, that is yet one more vital reference to Batman within the HBO present, which suggests the collection may very well be gearing up for an necessary Bat-related reveal because it goes on. “Creature Commandos” gave us our first glimpse of the DCU’s Batman (albeit in animated kind), however maybe “Lanterns” has one thing even larger on the way in which.
