Jim Lee
It is said comics represent nearly every facet of life. The superior, the downtrodden, the out-of-luck and lucky rub shoulders with the rich, powerful, helpless and of course alien. If the Ivy League needed representation in comics, this would come in the personage of Jim Lee. Graduating from Princeton with a degree in medicine, Jim, who originally is from South Korea, decided to try his hand at comic book art.
This was a good decision, for In 1986, while working for Marvel Comics, Jim created “Alpha Flight.” This series regarded Jim as a critical success, and quickly put his name on the comic book map. But by no means could “Alpha Flight” compare to the success Jim garnered with the “X-Men,” a series which today remains as the best-selling comic of all time.
With these successes under wing, Jim left Marvel in 1992 to form Wildstorm Productions, where he created and illustrated “WILDC.A.T.S,” “Stormwatch,” “Deathblow,” “Union,” “Backlash,” “Team 7” and “GEN13.” Jim additionally was the co-founder of Image Comics. In 1998, Wildstorm became part of DC Comics, where Jim continues to act as editorial director.
Known for his distinct “cross hatching” style, Jim’s pieces have been defined as moody and insightful. It is as if one can actually see the characters thinking. Earning much respect from his peers, Jim’s efforts have gone onto import itself into such newer comics as “Divine Rights,” while also revitalizing Marvel Comics’ “Heroes Reborn” series, featuring Captain America, Avengers, Iron Man and the Fantastic Four.