It’s not every day that you get to see a statue of your hero unveiled. For so many of us who haven’t yet seen our heroes in a live-action film or television project, our favorite characters live in our imaginations. We build an image of them in our heads based on hundreds or even thousands of comic book panels we’ve read. When these characters make the leap into the physical world, it can be awe-inspiring.

This was firmly in the back of my mind as I saw the new statue of Green Lantern John Stewart unveiled in Burbank last month. For those who don’t know, Green Lantern is the third larger-than-life DC statue to reside in the city of Burbank. Batman has a statue downtown at the AMC Burbank 16, while Wonder Woman presides over the entrance to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour. If you’re ever in Burbank, all three are open to the public, morning or night, and are well worth seeing. But if you can only take in one, and you’re a big fan of the character like I am, I suggest you run, don’t walk, over to Hangar 28 at Burbank Empire Center to see the statue of John Stewart. It’s truly magnificent.

I’m from New York City, so I grew up going to places like Central Park that were filled with statues of old guys I knew about, and old guys I didn’t know much about. Many of these statues were on tall stone pedestals, towering over everyone. I never liked the feeling of being lorded over that these statues brought—as much as I love William Shakespeare, I don’t think he’d choose to be mounted above the heads of the masses for the rest of eternity. Part of why we ostensibly choose to commemorate people like Shakespeare is because of their humanity. So how can I reflect on Shakespeare’s humanity if the guy’s face is five feet above my head?

Thankfully, the statue of John Stewart is displayed differently. He’s on a very short platform that has green uplighting for nighttime. This is exactly the type of treatment that John would want: he’s always been a man of the people. And being visible as a Black man in a Green Lantern uniform has been important for him since his debut in 1971’s Green Lantern #87. It’s why he wears no mask—he wanted people to see him for who he was.

From a short distance away, John looks like he’s average human height, drawing you in until you get right in front of him. That’s when his seven-and-a-half-foot frame takes your breath away. Artist Jamal Campbell’s design for the statue renders John with a sense of controlled power and poise. He’s a beacon, but he’s also someone you can walk right up to. Some of my favorite details in the statue are how the sculptors captured the texture of John’s hair, as well as the green tinge to parts of his uniform. I think it’s going to look beautiful as it ages. The statue is visible from the road outside of Hangar 28, and I look forward to thousands of Burbank visitors stopping to take a look at this new hero in town.

As I sat admiring the statue in the space he’s been placed in, I couldn’t help but think about how his two creators, Dennis O’Neil and Neal Adams, are no longer with us. I never got to meet either of them, but this statue of John Stewart feels like a sweet memorial to the game-changing work that these two men did within the comic book industry. I’ll never be able to tell O’Neil or Adams what their work means to me directly, but visiting the statue of John Stewart feels like a satisfying way to at least pay my respects. Perhaps it can do the same for you.

In the space in front of John at Hangar 28, there are stone tables where folks can play chess, checkers, mancala or dominoes. This brought a smile to my face when I noticed it, as John’s very first appearance is a comic panel where he defends two Black men playing dominoes on the sidewalk. Now, the public can gather to play dominoes under John Stewart’s protection. I haven’t played dominoes in about twenty years, but I’ve now got the best excuse to get back into it.

It’s clear that so much work was placed into honoring John Stewart’s legacy in pop culture with this statue. I’ve been a fan of John Stewart almost as long as I’ve been alive—he’s my Green Lantern after all—and seeing that the City of Burbank was proud to have him watch over the public was a sweet, full circle moment for me. That kid in Central Park craning his neck to look up at Shakespeare finally has a bronze figure he feels represented by.
 

You can visit the new John Stewart statue yourself the next time you’re in Burbank. He’s on display 24 hours a day at the Empire Center’s Hangar 28 located at 1775 N. Victory Place.

Jules Chin Greene writes about comics, TV, games and film for DC.com, and his work can also be found at Nerdist, Popverse and Multiverse of Color. You can follow him on Bluesky at @JulesChinGreene and on Instagram at @infinitevibes.

NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Jules Chin Greene and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.