Lanterns Comic-Con Trailer Reveals First Look At Ulrich Thomsen As DC's Sinestro

James Gunn and Peter Safran's DC Universe has been playing with genres for a while now. From the animated antics of the extremely James Gunn "Creature Commandos" and the space adventures of Milly Alcock's Kara Zor-El in "Supergirl" to the horror leanings of the upcoming body horror film "Clayface," the DCU is delivering superhero riffs on a great many themes. Now it's time to tackle the concept of detective dramas with "Lanterns," the HBO series that brings together the legendary Green Lantern Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and the up-and-comer John Stewart (Aaron Pierre).

With a dash of neo-Western and a generous spoonful of "True Detective," the show is all about two guys who are trying to solve a crime in a small town — and just happen to have access to an intergalactic power ring with vast energy powers. It's an interesting concept, and Pierre and Chandler have all the makings of a classic dysfunctional duo. The new San Diego Comic-Con trailer for "Lanterns" gives us more information about the upcoming show, which looks more interesting and intense by the minute.

Apart from the fascinating premise of a murder mystery in a small Nebraska town, there are several things about "Lanterns" that make it a particularly interesting superhero series. Perhaps most importantly, the show is co-created by Damon Lindelof, who has ample experience with acclaimed and extremely twisty TV shows like "Lost," "The Leftovers," and "Watchmen." If nothing else, his involvement virtually guarantees that "Lanterns" is going to feature a whole bunch of surprises and peculiar plot developments.

As tends to be the case for the DCU, the casting of "Lanterns" is also inspired and will quite likely turn out to be on point across the board. Both Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre are great performers, as are Kelly Macdonald and "Superman" holdover Nathan Fillion. The supporting cast is also filled to the brim with incredible talents like Laura Linney, Garret Dillahunt, Poorna Jagannathan, and Ulrich Thomsen. Combine all this with the expectations raised by the new trailer, and "Lanterns" is one of the most unique superhero projects heading our way this year.

"Lanterns" premieres on HBO on August 16.