DC Honors the Green Lantern with a Special Statue You Can Visit (and He’s Not Alone)

There’s no DC without Green Lantern, and there is no Green Lantern Corps without John Stewart, and now, the world is finally catching up to what comic fans already know as the legendary hero is set to be honored with a life-sized statue in Burbank, California. Based on comic illustrator Jamal Campbell’s work, John Stewart is the latest hero to be honored in statue form, alongside Batman and Wonder Woman.

As revealed by DC Comics, on November 14, the seven-and-a-half foot tall bronze statue of Green Lantern John Stewart was unveiled, as part of a collaboration between DC, Visit Burbank, and Warner Bros. Discovery. Some notable names and faces were present at the unveiling, including DC President, Publisher, and Chief Creative Officer Jim Lee, along with comic writers Jeremy Adams, Morgan Hampton and Tim Sheridan, who have all aided in telling the Green Lantern’s story.

Best of all, the statue honors Jamal Campbell’s landmark design of John Stewart, making this a big win for the fan-favorite Green Lantern.

Based On A Design By Artist Jamal Campbell

John Stewart is a staple of the Green Lantern lore. Green Lanterns have a core of diversity, and John Stewart helped usher that era forward in his character’s creation in Green Lantern Vol. 2 #87 in 1971, from Dennis O’Neil and Neal Adams. His statue in Burbank is a testament to the voice he has in comics. As Jim Lee, President of DC noted:

For writer Dennis O’Neil and artist Neal Adams to create a character like John Stewart was nothing short of visionary, as it broke a lot of the usual conventions when it came to superheroes, including his being one of the few to not wear a mask in his role as a Green Lantern to hide who he is. He’s John Stewart, period.

Green Lanterns like Hal Jordan and Kyle Rayner are important heroes in their own right, but John Stewart has been a staple both in comics and now soon to be in the DCEU.

As part of the celebration, Visit Burbank also released the exclusive comic Green Lantern John Stewart: Global Guardian, featuring a new cover by Jamal Campbell, highlighting his classic design, as it was adapted into this spectacular statue. Given how the statue itself is based on the work by Campbell’s, whose work on Far Sector and Superman gained him acclaim as an artist, the statue honors both heroes of color and creators of color that help bring those heroes to the foreground.

Green Lantern Shines His Brightest Light in Burbank

Green Lantern John Stewart: Global Guardian – Written By by John Ridley; Art By Charlotte Fullerton McDuffie, Amancay Nahuelpan, CHRISCROSS & Jordi Tarragona; Cover Art By Jamal Campbell

Besides being the most powerful Green Lantern, John Stewart is an enduring part of DC’s legacy. Batman and Wonder Woman have already gotten their own statues – downtown for the Dark Knight, while the Princess of Themyscira stands vigil as fans enter the Warner Bros. Studio Tour – which this Green Lantern statue now joins in Burbank, as a testament of what this Green Lantern means to the world. More than just a tribute, the statue is also an engaging piece of art in itself, one which will stand for a long time to come.

It’s about time that John Stewart got his turn in the spotlight, with the statue hopefully heralding a revival for the character. As Jim Lee noted, its unveiling comes “with the character’s upcoming live-action debut on DC Studios’ Lanterns TV series,” suggesting that DC and Warner have great faith in the character, and are prepared to help write the next great chapter in his legacy. For fans excited to check it out, the new Green Lantern statue can be found at Empire Center’s Hangar 28, at 1775 N Victory Place, Burbank, CA.

Source: DC