One of the major conflicts of superhero stories is that, for the most part, lots of superheroes operate outside of the confines of the law. Batman’s nightly activities frequently incur the ire of the GCPD (a crucial element of the 2022 film The Batman), and vigilantes like Daredevil have a...complicated relationship with the law enforcement officials (a dynamic explored in depth by the TV show Daredevil: Born Again).
Unlike many superpowered individuals in the Big Two’s pantheon, the Green Lantern Corps are different. More so than lots of other heroes, the Green Lanterns act as intergalactic police officers — they have sectors they patrol, protocols they’re not allowed to break, and they even have bosses, the blue-skinned Guardians of the Universe. The HBO Max series Lanterns has teased the Guardians throughout the first two episodes, but the third episode of the series, “OutKast,” gives us our best look yet at the overseers of the Emerald Knights — and their presence is just as mysterious and morally nuanced as they are in the source material.
