Description

Alpha Flight # 053 1st Jim Lee Wolverine Artwork / Wolverine Origin Details

Date: December, 1987

Creative Team: Jim Lee (Artist), Bill Mantlo (Writer)

Condition Notes: Mint Condition

Story Notes: This issue features the first artwork of Jim Lee on Wolverine. The story focuses on Wolverine aiding Alpha Flight to stop a man made mutant. During the comic he reveals his reasons for leaving Canada’s Department H and why he joined the X-Men!

Jim Lee’s artwork on X-Men redefined the comic book industry during the 1990’s and continues to have a major influence on comic artists today. His first work for Marvel was in Alpha Flight # 051 and his first work on Wolverine appeared in Alpha Flight # 053.

Much like the artwork of Marc Silvestri and Todd McFarlane, Jim Lee infused dynamic figures with anime influences. Along with his contemporaries, Lee’s artwork also focused on illustrating model-esque women. This trend eventually lead to the “Bad Girls” themed comics of the 1990’s.

Jim Lee’s artwork on Uncanny X-Men mirrored the work of Marc Silvestri. The two worked on alternating issues on the series for over a year before Jim Lee took over as full time artist. As his popularity soared, Marvel Comics awarded Jim Lee his own comic series, X-Men. He redesigned the costumes for the X-Men as well as working with Todd McFarlane to reintroduce Wolverine’s original costume. X-Men debuted with a seven issue variant cover to #01. This lead to record breaking sales of over 6 million copies sold for the first issue alone. The success of X-Men lead to the variant cover marketing campaign that is still part of the industry to this day. Jim Lee stayed with the title for only 11 issues before leaving Marvel to co-found Image Comics along with other successful Marvel artists. His X-Men costume designs were used for the new X-Men the Animated Cartoon Series and were kept for most of the 1990’s.