Despite being kicked out of the Green Lantern Corps for his methodology, Sinestro still thinks of himself as a force for galactic good. In fact, in New Year's Evil #1, he manages to be almost heroic. Of course, while he certainly gets results, his approach still needs work.
Introduced in Green Lantern #7 in 1961, Sinestro is known for his ruthless approach to bringing order to the galaxy. He made his own way onto the Green Lantern Corps, taking the ring of a wounded Lantern rather than being selected by it. Even though his methods are terrible, Sinestro does occasionally do the right thing - despite it being for all the wrong reasons.
New Year's Evil #1 is a holiday anthology one-shot from 2019. It features Christmas and New Year stories about the Joker, Sinestro, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, and other DC Comics villains. The story "Bright and Terrible" has the creative team of Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Sumit Kumar, Romulo Fajardo Jr. and Clayton Cowles. Within it, Sinestro returns to a planet that he once saved when he was still part of the Green Lantern Corps. This planet, called Tchaalosh, is in the midst of a leadership problem; one Sinestro is all too eager to resolve.
On Tchaalosh, a prophet presumes to speak for Sinestro, who is called Lord Thuulamon by the inhabitants. In their language, this translates to "Sky-Savior." The prophet is demanding tribute in Sinestro's name, which the villain is not a fan of. He doesn't approve of the way in which his name is being used as a curse and decides that the planet is in need of another lesson. The first one he gave them as a Green Lantern did not stick well enough and by Sinestro's own admission, the newest lesson likely won't stick long-term either. Nonetheless, this DC villain is insistent on having order - using the approach he prefers.
Sinestro gives the people of Tchaalosh a new mantra for obtaining peace: "Through fear, order. Through order, prosperity. Violence only for your enemies, and through that violence, justice." The previous prophet was inflicting fear on his own people and taking their possessions as offerings. This does not bring order in the way that Sinestro approves of. While his methods are incredibly harsh and they do employ fear as an intimidation tactic, he certainly gets results. He saves the people of Tchaalosh from a tyrannical leader, allowing them to continue celebrating in his name with a redefined societal framework to live by. This isn't by any means a heroic methodology, but in this particular instance Sinestro did save these people - if only temporarily.
Sinestro is paradoxical when it comes to bringing order. His sector was, after all, one of the most orderly in the galaxy. However, his way of attaining it is not laudable. It certainly isn't the way of the Green Lanterns. This villain is a case of the end not justifying the means. Even if there is order, it has been imposed in a manner that is neither positive nor long-lasting. Additionally, his methods will likely continue to be misunderstood and misused by others, leaving the same result once enough time has passed by. Furthermore, the DC villain's reasoning for aiding the planet is purely selfish. He steps in to preserve his ego and instill a better reputation for himself. Despite his time as a Green Lantern, Sinestro is truly a villain, even when the results seem heroic on the surface.