Jim Lee's DC Contract is up!

[samurainoir]

Where do you want to see him go?

a) Bound up again by a pair of Golden Handcuffs at DC, designing video games and bedsheets with DCU characters, running WildStorm, force him to finish off All Star Batman and Robin, etc.

b) Disney-Marvel... hand him the keys to the X-Men kingdom or Spiderman and let him do whatever he wants with an entire line of books under his creative control. Plus... designing video games and bedsheets with Marvel Characters

c) Back to Image in time for the big Image crossover series that Kirkman is writing and the other six Image founders are drawing. Let him create a whole new batch of creator owned characters and a brand new imprint where he has creative control and can convince top tier talent like Alan Moore to write for him again with the same freedom ABC had initially.

d) Wherever his Freelance Muse takes him, whether it's Red Sonja, X-Men, Batman, Vampirella, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Image, Marvel, DC, Dynamite, Dark Horse, Video Games, Hollywood, or Botchi Ball.

e) other ______________

[BlackKnight]

Would He even go back to Marvel ? ... I don't think He would.

Outside of the 1st 10 or 11 issues of WildC.A.T.S. ... His FreeLance work pretty much had no Direction or real compelling Story Telling. I did Also like His 1st 8 issue or so of the Fantastic Four Reborn Series.

I'd like to See Lee work on WildC.A.T.S Again,.. with Loeb,.. or even Johns... or a Green Lantern Arc. Thats Probably what I would like to see. But considering this Guy can't even make a deadline Now if His Life even Depended on it..., waiting for His Books Become Tiresome,.. & I am just not that into them when they come..., But I am also Basing this on the Superman Run,.. & Batman & Robin,.. which were Both pretty Much Horrible for the Man.

[The Toyroom]

Not that big of a Jim Lee fan to wait for his pencils, as BK pointed out....his work on Batman was good but I also enjoyed Jeph Loeb's scripts.....as opposed to his work on Superman with Brian Azzarello which I dropped after the 1st issue, as I did with All-Star Batman with Frank Miller. In this day and age, with the price of books being what they are, I can't justify dropping coin for pretty pin-ups and splash pages anymore. I need a compelling story. If Lee can team-up with someone who'll give me that, then fine, I'm in. If not, and the story sucks dispite his pretty pictures then I wish him well but I can't waste my time and money. If the rumours are true about him and Geoff Johns on a JLA book, I like the idea on paper but I'm afraid the lack of adherence to deadlines for both of these guys will immediately kill any buzz this proposed book may generate.

[thunderbolt]

Just go away, he's a non player at DC anyway, can't get a book in on time.

[Earth 2 Chris]

If he leaves DC, does that mean he leaves Wildstorm behind completely? If so, that's pretty sad. Of course, he did sell it, so who knows...

I think Lee is the finest of the Image artists, with no real competitor out of the bunch, but I think he should stick to special projects and covers. He really can't handle a monthly.

Chris

[BlackKnight]

I think Lee is the finest of the Image artists, with no real competitor out of the bunch,

Chris

I Will agree with that statement as far as During Image,.. & all the Artists Who Left..., But since that time,.. Silvestri has drawn some stuff here & there for Marvel,.. & He's got Mad Skills as well,.. & I have been Captivated with some of his stuff in recent yrs. But I always Like his Issues of Uncanny,.. when He & Lee would switch back & forth sometimes between arcs.

[thunderbolt]

^^^ If you are talking original Image guys, I always liked Larsen and Silverstri over Lee.

[The Bat]

I think Lee is the finest of the Image artists, with no real competitor out of the bunch, but I think he should stick to special projects and covers. He really can't handle a monthly.

Chris

Man, I knew there was a reason I always liked you Chris...you've got AWESOME tastes!!

Jim's biggest problem with deadlines is, he's still involved in running WildStorm. He needs to stop that, and do what he does BEST...just DRAW Comics!

[Random Axe]

I'd really like to see him concentrate on a DCU character and really put himself into the work. Give him a year lead time, a writer who comes up with a compelling story and let him create the masterpiece he has in him. Aquaman and Shazam would be ideal as he could be a HUGE part of their revival and solidify his career and legacy. As it stands now, he's been reduced to a gimmick and a tool used to sell a book regardless of its quality.

Personally I dig his work and would like to see him reach his full potential, which to this point has eluded him.

Scott

[The Bat]

I agree Scott...the last great thing Lee did was "Hush"(and it was AWESOME!). I'd love to see him draw Aquaman! Aquaman deserves a decent revival, with a great Artist...and a good Writer as well!

[Airdave817]

I'm kinda thinking that Jim Lee's star has faded. Hush was probably a peak point, For Tomorrow was a bit of a bust and All-Star Batman and Robin was a huge, major disappointment. I thought DC would approach it like Bendis did with Spider-Man; kinda like Alex Ross' War on Crime. Instead it was all "I'm the ******* Batman!" (Fine. My nephew likes cartoons and comics and he went with Spider-Man instead.) Saw some of his stuff on Trinity, which was good. What fresh, new stories does he have left to tell?

[madmarva]

I'd think he has too much invested in DC/Wildstorm to go exclusive with Marvel, but I could see hims structuring a deal where he could do some work for Marvel if he really wanted to. Lee has the clout to do just about whatever he wants.

I like his work, but there are artists whom I prefer. To me the X-Men became unreadable around the time he was on the book, but that wasn't his fault.

I wouldn't mind seeing him on JLA, but I would hope they would give him a lot of lead time.

I have a feeling he and Johns will to a series that relates to the DC video role-playing game they have been working on together for about 3 or 4 years, which could be JLA oriented.

I doubt DC would put him on Aquaman unless it was something he demanded. DC is going to want him on a title that has a higher sales ceiling than Aquaman.

No matter who's on Aquaman its got a limit on who it will sell, but a Batman or JLA title by the right creators has the potential to outsell even Marvel's top books. An Aquaman title by Alan Moore and Neal Adams (or pick your artist) couldn't even do that.

[BlackKnight]

No matter who's on Aquaman its got a limit on who it will sell, but a Batman or JLA title by the right creators has the potential to outsell even Marvel's top books. An Aquaman title by Alan Moore and Neal Adams (or pick your artist) couldn't even do that.

I agree to a Certain Extent.
However,.. a 5 issue Mini,.. with "Rebirth" in the Tittle,.. & a Writer named Johns on the Cover..., & Lee's name under,.. would sell ,.. & would have the potential to outsell some of Marvel's top stuff. Once you get into the Regular series,.. unless the Team Stayed together,.. & even if they did,.. you would see a drop off in sales for sure. And even More, when books get delayed.

I Guess thats what makes Green Lantern so Special,.. in a Manner of Speaking. Here is a Character, that pretty much was some 2nd,.. & in some cases a 3rd rate SuperHero. The character is Now Most Definately in DC's Top 4. His Books sell out,.. & most go into 2nd ,3rd,.. & even 4th printing. I can't see the same love being issued to Flash,.. even though they are trying real hard to do so. I think some of the Apeal with Jordan is,.. Here is a Guy Who was a SuperHero. Then He was a Super Villian,.. Then He died... was gone for 10 yrs,.. & Now He came back. People who buy books love the Dark Edge for the Most part.

[BlackKnight]

I'm kinda thinking that Jim Lee's star has faded. Hush was probably a peak point, For Tomorrow was a bit of a bust and All-Star Batman and Robin was a huge, major disappointment.

You can not pin your Reasoning on Jim Lee.
Those Books still sold like Hot Cakes , & went into Trades, 2nd & 3rd Printings. They were Selling. Now in the Day & Age of Comics,.. pretty pictures just isn't enough anymore, when people are paying 2.50 to 4.00 bucks a book, & most the reader's are Adults. Jim Lee's work on both of those series was good,.. & some pages were great. But them stories sucked so Damn Bad,.. I felt sorry for him in a Sense for having to work with those Stories After Hush. His relaunch of WildC.A.T.S. # 1 that He did,.. Had the Making for something Great. It sucks that the project lost it's Focus with Him doing the Book.

[thunderbolt]

^^^ The lateness of All Star Bats you can sure pin on Lee. That is a big part of its faliure. If it had stayed on a monthly or bimonthly schedule, it would have been a hit no matter how crappy the story was.