The ‘Lanterns’ Experience at Comic-Con Was One for the Ages

Do you like escape rooms? Haunted mazes? Free merch and alcohol? How about all of it at once, themed to a big-time superhero TV show? That’s exactly what you’ll find on J Street in San Diego at the DC Studios’ Lanterns Training Headquarters as part of San Diego Comic-Con.

For the past several years, large-scale activations have become the norm at Comic-Con. People line up for hours to experience something fun that they can’t do anywhere else, and these experiences always vary. Sometimes it’s a set you get to explore. Other times it’s a game you get to play. But it’s usually rather short so everyone who wants to do it can do it.

Lanterns Training Headquarters isn’t short. The experience takes about 30 minutes in total, and that’s after what could be a very long wait if you weren’t lucky enough to get a reservation. Warner Bros. invited io9 to attend so we didn’t have to brave the sun or a frustrating reservation process, but either one would have almost certainly been worth it.

Once you enter, you’re broken down into four groups of about 10 people each. You’re instantly immersed as a person posing as a kind of drill instructor type sits you down and explains how everything is going to work. You are to complete two missions and, if you do, you will be made worthy of taking the Green Lantern oath.

The Lantern handlers prepare the group – David Jon/Warner Bros.

Three people are assigned jobs: the smartest, the strongest, and the bravest. Each will have a specific role to play later, with some being more important than others. I was the strongest, which meant that I had to stand in the back as we went through what was basically a scare maze, sneaking onto the ranch of a mysterious man named William Macon (played by Garret Dillahunt on the show). His ranchers jump out at you in the dark, flashing lights, setting the tone for the tasks to come.

At this point, you enter a large space with four different stations. Each group will do two of these, so if you only go through the experience once, you won’t experience them all. Our group first had to sneak by the town’s sheriff to break into her office and find a special code. You’re given about two minutes to go through the room and, if you don’t find it, the Green Lantern handler who has been assigned to you will radio to the smartest one, who has been given a walkie-talkie.

Exploring the sheriff’s office – David Jon/Warner Bros.

It took some help from our handler, but eventually, we got the code. After sneaking back past the sheriff again, it was time for the bravest to step up. I didn’t get to see how it all went down, but after signing what I can only assume was a significant waiver, our bravest members walked up a tall set of stairs and did a trust fall straight down. It was honestly shocking. A few minutes later he emerged, and the group had passed the test.

About this time, the other three groups joined us as one of the leaders of the Green Lantern Corps, a Guardian, came out and told us we were Green Lanterns. The staff passed out rings, and we all cited the oath together. As it ended, the whole room was blasted with green light. We were ready to take on the universe.

From there, we were led to the Lanterns lounge, where you were able to have a free Heineken (regular or NA, of course), buy some exclusive merchandise, peer into a sister experience through a special portal, and take a photo using your ring. A ring that you get to keep.

I did it.

The whole thing was so epic, well-acted, and precisely planned, that the free beer was an unnecessary but welcome way to celebrate a very special experience.

Unfortunately, Saturday was the last day for the Lanterns Experience at Comic-Con, so if you didn’t get a chance to visit, it’s too late. But the fact that Warner Bros. and DC put this much effort into promoting the show sure makes it seem like they are incredibly confident in it.

Lanterns premieres on August 16.

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