Written by & Art by Jim Lee
Cover Art by Jim Lee & Scott Williams
SUMMARY:
Published by WildStorm Productions for February 2007, this 40-page one-shot is a 1992-2002 retrospective of Jim Lee’s WildStorm and Image covers and pin-ups. Lee briefly comments re: his chosen techniques and/or his inspiration for each individual image.
Much of the artwork pertains to his creation: WILDC.A.T.S., along with looks at Deathblow, Divine Right, Gen 13, and Stormwatch. Lee’s regular collaborators, artists-inkers Scott Williams (an introduction) and Alex Sinclair (re: a Divine Right trade paperback cover, also offer some input.
REVIEW:
Superficially, Lee’s visual highlight reel is intriguing to peruse. Since the pretentious title is a clue, one is also keenly aware that the company he owns produced this self-congratulatory project. Readers will gain some artistic how-to insights, in spite of Lee’s gloating. To his credit, he seems somewhat humble.
The inherent problem is that Lee doesn’t express any remotely critical second thoughts or even an ounce of hindsight re-evaluating his old work. Hence, this one-shot is a less-than-subtle vanity job celebrating Lee’s earlier years as an artist-inker.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
There’s a helpful Table of Contents, which spells out the original source of each image. Lee’s full-page “Storm Front” column plugs his company’s two new hires: artists Joel Gomez and Oliver Nome.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 5½ Stars
