Flash variant covers by Jim Lee and Ivan Reis

The new Flash series has had some terrific variant covers.  I loved last month's Flash #3 cover by Jim Lee...

I wasn't entirely sure about the new Flash costume, but all the artists that have drawn it make it work.  The speed force effects on this cover, with the blue background, make the Flash pop out in the foreground.  If you want to see a version of this cover without the logo, take a look at Alex Sinclair's DeviantArt site.  I wish DC would release this as a poster.

Ivan Reis illustrated this cover to issue #2, a new take on Flash's costume spilling out in energy form to envelope his body.

Over on Tim Townsend's Deviant Art page, I found this black and white inked version of the cover.  This is the first time Townsend has ever inked Reis...I think they make a great team.  Nuff Said!

Jim Lee Legion of Super-Heroes variants 1-5 joined together

I've had a sneaking suspicion that Jim Lee's Legion of Super-Heroes variant covers fit together in some way.  But I couldn't quite see how.  The reason for that is that the covers are published out of order--in terms of historical eras.



Darr-el from Legion Archives produced this rough cut of the first five covers joined together.  Here is the order of the covers in chronological eras:

Legion of Super-Heroes #2:  Superboy, 50s era.
Legion of Super-Heroes #3:  Chameleon Kid, 60s era.
Legion of Super-Heroes #1:  Saturn Girl, 70s era.
Legion of Super-Heroes #5:  Timber Wolf, 80s era.
Legion of Super-Heroes #4:  Mon-El, 90s era.

Still to come...
Legion of Super-Heroes #6:  ??, 2010 era.
DC Comics had better be planning on releasing this as a poster.  I've already got a spot picked out for it!  BTW, you can read the original discussion on this topic over on the DC Comics message boards.  Nuff Said.

Jim Lee Legion of Super-Heroes Covers: Mon-El and Timber Wolf!

A while ago I had featured the first 3 Legion of Super-Heroes variant covers by Jim Lee, featuring Saturn Girl, Superboy, and Chameleon Kid.  Here are some nice scans of the next two covers.

Mon-El represents the 1990s "Five Years Later" era of the Legion, when Keith Giffen took over the creative direction and plunged the team into a darker storyline.  If you are a longtime Legion reader, and you think you may have seen Mon-El in this pose before, you are correct.  Jim Lee signs this cover "after Giffen".

Jim Lee shared on TwitPic that he used this Giffen cover, from the 1989 Legion of Super-Heroes #4 issue, as a model.  I love the way Mon-El's hands and pinky are drawn, like he's cracking his knuckles before a big fight.  Those big kooky discs holding his cape to his uniform are something else.
Notice also that the logo on Lee's variant cover is the same as the 1989 edition.  In fact all the logos on the variant covers are taken from the past!

Legion of Super-Heroes #5 features Timber Wolf, and this era represents the 1980s Paul Levitz / Steve Lightle / Greg Larocque era.  Timber Wolf has always been a favorite of mine.  He goes in and out of love with various creators, but I think Lee has produced one of the best drawings featuring the character.  Rob Liefield may have been the one who prompted Jim Lee to chose Timber Wolf with this Twitter message.

While this cover isn't directly inspired another, here's an interesting one to compare against: Tales of the Legion of Super-Heroes #338 from 1986.  Nuff Said!

Jim Lee and Scott Williams Icons Preliminary Cover & Sneak Tweet at Legion of Super-Heroes story

Jim Lee's Icons: The DC Comics & Wildstorm Art of Jim Lee book will be coming out this October.  Here is a version of the cover that Lee and Scott Williams did, which was ultimately revised.

It is a nifty and iconic cover!  Lee and Williams are superb at drawing the big guns of the DC Universe.  Thanks to Scott Williams for sharing this on his deviantART site.

The final cover shows the DC Universe trinity as even more godlike, and dare I say it, Iconic.  Shoulders hanging back, chests thrust forward, looking to the sky as if they have an epic destiny to fulfill.

This retrospective book will also contain a brand new 70s era Legion of Super-Heroes story by Lee and Paul Levitz.  Yesterday, Lee twittered a tease, showing this panel with Ultra Boy and Phantom Girl.

I am almost literally drooling at the mouth in anticipation for this and DC Universe Online.  As a die hard Legion of Super-Heroes fan, as well as a Jim Lee fanatic, I've already pre-ordered this Icons from Amazon..  Nuff Said!

Ex Machina 50: Some Thoughts on The End, Jim Lee Variant Cover

Last year, I discovered Brian K Vaughan and Tony Harris’ brilliant Ex Machina series.  Vaughan has become one of my top favorite writers of modern comics. In Ex Machina, he created a character named Mitchell Hundred.  Alien machinery is embedded in Hundred's skull that allows him to listen and talk to any man-made machine: guns, cars, elevators, electric power grids, computers, etc.  He has strange dreams which allow him to build devices like a jet pack, armor, and weapons. Hundred is aided by his friends, Bradbury and Kremlin, into becoming New York City's first superhero: The Great Machine.  He then becomes the Mayor of New York City after preventing the destruction of one of the World Trade Center buildings. 

What I like the most about Vaughan is that he believes stories should have an ending.  Y: The Last Man had a stunning and memorable conclusion after 60 issues, and Ex Machina 50 closes off the story of Mayor Hundred.  It is difficult for me to become surprised at how stories unfold, but Vaughan ambushed me once again.  Hundred has ambitions, you see.  He wants to go further than simply being a mayor, he wants to enter Presidential politics.  This has been mentioned throughout the series.  The first issue started off with Hundred in the future (our present day) ruminating about some dark and terrible things that he had done; we finally catch up to that moment in this final issue.  I was fairly shocked after learning this secret.  My reaction was one of total disgust and abandonment of this character I had grown to admire over the arc of the story.  But that is also my reaction to most politicians that I admired, too.

Jim Lee’s variant cover to the final issue isn’t something you would normally associate with the artist.  It’s entirely appropriate to the story, the origins involving the 9/11 attack, and it even gives away an important moment on the right hand side: the word BANG.  Nuff Said!

Link: Ex Machina, Book 1 (Deluxe Edition)

Jim Lee's Legion of Super-Heroes Covers Showcase the Eras of the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s

The new Legion of Super-Heroes series has been a lot of fun, especially for the old geeks who read Paul Levitz' original run.  I've been collecting all the variant covers by Jim Lee.  Each cover spotlights a different character from a specific era of the Legion.

Legion of Super-Heroes #2 featured Superboy and Krypto during the 1950s era.  It didn't occur to me that the Legion was older than myself, but they first premiered in a 1958 issue of Adventure Comics, #247.  The inverted spaceship that was the Legion's first headquarters is a riot.  The boy of steel appears to be having the adventure of a lifetime.

Issue #3 has the 1960's era, with Chameleon Boy shifting into the guise of Validus.  I'm not a total Legion expert.  At first glance I thought this was an 80s cover, but Jim Lee twittered on July 29th:

Had Superboy for 50s cvr, Chameleon Boy for 60s, Saturn Girl for 70s. Just did Mon-el in his "5 years later" Giffen costume for 90s

Now I am well acquainted with this groovy 70s era cover for issue #1!  Saturn Chick in this go-go swimsuit costume (love the planet ring buckle on her belly) was totally outasite.  One of my favorite costumes for any super gal ever created, designed by Dave Cockrum.  Why did it ever go away?

The spaceship, which Cockrum also designed, was a nod to the starship Enterprise.

The second printing cover was a sketch/pencil drawing of the ultra cool Saturn Girl.  The one thing I dislike about the new series is Saturn Girl's current look with the short hair.  That's just repulsive.  Imra's hair should be longer and luxurious.  Can we have the 70s Saturn Girl back? 

Jim Lee has been asking for input on the 80s themed cover.  It has to be Dawnstar, don't you agree? Nuff Said!

Jim Lee's Comic-Con 2010 Scavenger Hunt for Original DC Comics Sketches

Jim Lee is a fun guy to follow on Twitter.  He loves doing sketches for fans.  Some pros have stopped doing them at cons, because some guys just turn around and auction the sketch on eBay for a quick profit.  Last Sunday, he hid a bunch of great sketches of DC Comics characters (Green Lantern, Batman, Catwoman, Superman, etc) at various places around the convention.  He's left them in all kinds of places, including the women's restroom at C2E2 earlier this year.  Usually people find these sketches within minutes of Jim's tweet.  What a fun idea!

Note: Some of these scavenger hunt sketches were from the C2E2 con, where Lee played the same game.

Batman.  I am sure Jim Lee can draw Bats in his sleep.  Classic.

Flash.  This is the one I wish I could have found.  Definitely if I ever meet Jim Lee in person, and he's willing to do a sketch, I will ask for the Flash!

Wonder Woman.  Jim Lee's wife @Joke2Far hid this one in a women's restroom.  They asked the guys not to go in there, probably hoping a female fan would pick it up.

Here are some of the lucky winners!  The Wonder Woman winner is on the third pic, a cute couple who braved the restroom for the sketch. Nuff Said!

Wildstorm toasts Paul Levitz with Legion of Super-Heroes Drawing

Here's a terrific Legion pinup by the Wildstorm crew on their Gelatometti blog.

This was a gift to departing publisher Paul Levitz.  The sign says "Welcome Home" as he is returning to writing the Legion in Adventure Comics.

This drawing brings back memories of the Levitz-Lightle Legion era, with Sensor Girl, Kismet, and Tellus featured prominently on top.  A great way to celebrate Levitz returning to these characters!  Nuff said.

Jim Lee's Google Logo in full size and color

If you've visited Google today, you've probably seen the special logo that Jim Lee designed.  Here is a slightly larger version of that, taken from Jim Lee's Deviant Art page.

I think it's a really cool drawing.  You have to love Plastic Man making up two of the letters like that.  Superman isn't here, but that is all right--I like seeing Plas and Green Lantern getting some love.

You can also see the pencils for the Jim Lee's Google logo on CBR Live.  In addition to all of this, you can select a number of comics themes for iGoogle, including Jim Lee's Wildstorm line.  Nuff said.