WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #44 by Rob Venditti and Brandon Peterson, in stores now.


The Cold War between the Green Lantern Corps and the Darkstars is on. The two most powerful police forces in the universe are both recruiting new members to their respective side. But while the Darkstars manufacture new mantles to recruit those looking to enact lethal justice upon the cosmos, no new Green Lantern rings will be sent out. Instead, the Corps is forced to turn to their greatest enemies in this time of need.

Perhaps the Corps will come to regret this decision, but at the moment it seems to be left with no other option. Will these villains be enough to turn the tide in the battle ahead, and can the Green Lanterns even hope to control what they have unleashed on the universe at large? No, this just seems like a bad idea.

Welcome to the Green Lantern Corps - Hope We Survive the Experience

As John Stewart tells his Honor Guard, the Green Lanterns will have to go low if they want to end up on top in this war for the universe. In a rare instance of leniency for the Corps, they seem to be operating under the idea that the enemy of my enemy is my friend. The Darkstars believe in lethal justice, which means no trials, no prisons, just executions. If the criminals of the universe are given a chance to choose a side, they would support the Green Lanterns because with them, at least they have a chance.

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Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #44 proves to be something of a who's who of enemies and allies from previous story arcs in the book. Guy Gardner meets with Sinestro Corps member Arkillo in secret; the two had been buddies before the shaky alliance between the Greens and the Yellows came to an end in the storyline "Fracture." Soranik Natu has since taken the Sinestro Corps into seclusion, and they haven't been seen since. Guy hopes that this new threat might restore relations between the two factions, and maybe even be enough to stop the Darkstars before they take everyone out.

Hector Hammond has been under lockdown at Stryker's Island Penitentiary since his confrontation with Hal Jordan and a Parallax-possessed Superman. In the two-part "Mind Games" Hammond made it known to Jordan that deep down he wished he could be a hero too, so in issue #44, Hal comes calling. The Green Lanterns don't just believe in justice, they also believe in redemption. It's why they eventually release the inmates of the Sciencecells so they can get another chance at life after serving their time. Hal Jordan wants to rehabilitate Hector Hammond, and now this is his chance.

RELATED: Hal Jordan Is Considering a Deadly Change to the Green Lantern Corps’ Tactics

Since the end of the five-part "Zod's Will" storyline, Zod and his family have been left tol rule the planet Jekuul in peace, so long as they don't attack other worlds. John Stewart has now come calling for a favor, because he knows that a universe where the Darkstars are in charge will not be gracious to a world run by a former Phantom Zone criminal.

In the case of Kyle Rayner, he's simply cashing in a favor that Orion of the New Gods owes him after the events of "Fall of the Gods." The New Gods aren't exactly criminals, but it's hard to imagine a group like the Darkstars taking too kindly to a race of cosmic gods who previously fought with their predecessors. If the New Gods join up with the Corps, it would be a massive boon for their side of the conflict.

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The Green Lanterns may believe that their approach to law enforcement is right, but they have to understand the will of the people as well. Right now, the Darkstars have support from the public at large because lethal justice is more definitive to those who feel the justice system has failed them. To this end, recruiting known criminals to help the Green Lanterns is not going to endear them to the masses out there who finally saw real chance coming in.

If the Corps needed backup, they could have easily called on the Justice League. Hal Jordan even meets with the Flash for a brief moment and decides not to include him in Green Lantern affairs. Instead, they have decided to work with the very criminals the Darkstars claim to be against. It's a great tactical decision, because it increases the power of their forces and ensures loyalty from their new recruits because no one has any other choice. However, what do they do when the battle is eventually won?

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At a certain point, the Green Lanterns will have to look themselves in the mirror and ask what they are even fighting for anymore. By working with criminals, they seem to be proving the Darkstars' exact point that they are too easy on the bad guys. How will the public see this? It feels like the Green Lanterns might be fighting to preserve their own institution more than defending the order of the universe. The Corps has a battle ahead of them, but it's not the one they are expecting.