ICONS - Jim Lee Review

For those who do not know, this is one Jim Lee’s latest books to be released and can be purchased from most good book stores or at your local library.

Jim Lee

Jim Lee was originally born in South Korea but at the age of four, his parents immigrated to the United States.  It is apparent that from an early age, he was a gifted artist but it wasn't really until his adult life things came into fruition.  He was on course to complete a  four-year physiological degree when after taking an art class he refound his love for drawing.  Lee took a very bold step in his life and put his medical degree on hold to pursue a career in comics.  He would give himself just one year to achieve this and if nothing came of it, he would return and finish his degree. 



Throwing everything into this career move Lee was finally discovered by editor of Marvel comics, Archie Goodwin.  Here he worked on lesser titles of the Marvel such as Alpha flight and the Punisher, where he gained a fan base.  Three years on he was drawing for the premiere titles such as the X men series. In 1992, he joined fellow marvel workers who had left to form Image Comics.  He joined the imprint founding Wildstorm Productions but he was never very happy as a publisher and so sold Wildstorm to DC Comics in 1998 allowing him to return to drawing monthly comic books.

He has since last year become a Co-Publisher for DC Comics but keeps himself in a position doing what he loves best and that is drawing and producing monthly comics.

Content of the Book

Gathering together art from across the range of Lee’s finest work, ICONS presents an impeccable collection of full-colour illustrations and pencil sketches, spanning his career to date. Taking in stunning and vivid renderings of superstar super heroes including Batman and Superman, WildC.A.T.s, Divine Right and Deathblow, this volume also features Lee’s guest art for series such as Ex Machina, plus a host of previously unseen pieces.

Structured around an all-new interview with Jim Lee by comic’s journalist Bill Baker, this deluxe volume also features brand new art from Lee, both on the specially designed dustjacket, and in an exclusive, all-new Legion of Super-Heroes ten-page story, written by Paul Levitz and illustrated by Jim Lee.

Lee’s ascent through the ranks of comics’ stardom, both in art and in business, is charted in this definitive collection, as Titan Books lays out his rich, varied and astonishingly successful career through an array of beautiful work.

Each section is lavishly colourful, showing not only his fantastic drawing but also the inking and colouring of those he’s worked with such as Alex Sinclair and Scott Williams.  Full-page spreads show off Lee’s ability, some showing his sketches and the process to his finished pieces.  

The highlights of the book really are the Superman and Batman chapters, which take up a considerable part of the book and will keep fans of his work engaged for a long time.

My Opinion

This book is fantastic if you like comic book art.  Even if you don't the content has to be admired, and with just under three hundred pages of pictures there is enough to keep you engaged.  I seem to notice new things every time I pick it up!  If anything, the artwork is inspirational and will have you reaching for your pencils attempting the same thing.  The written content is very informative and for those lacking knowledge in the comic book world (me included) is easy to follow, but has enough content for the more fanatical too.  Personally, I was just happy to look at the pictures!

The highlights of the book really are the Superman and Batman chapters, which take up a considerable part of the book and will keep fans of his work engaged for a long time.

So is it worth the £25 price tag? I would say yes.  It's a big book packed with pictures and information that you will want to look at for years to come, and if you don't have the money you could always borrow it from your local library!