Even creators suffer from ‘superhero fatigue’, but Jim Lee wouldn’t put his pencil down

A new three-part documentary, Superpowered, charts the 90-year history of DC Comics, which brought the world Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and countless other superheroes.

Korean-born US comic-book artist Jim Lee has been one of the genre’s great stars since the 1980s, helping revive its iconic characters, eventually rising to be president and chief creative officer.

Times have certainly changed, he says.

“From the 1970s and ’80s, the rise of the anti-hero and establishing origin stories for the villains, where maybe they have a valid point of view ... that’s helped keep the stories interesting ... and there’s a greater degree of sophistication in the storytelling,” he says.

“The value of comics ... is to remind people that we’re all going to go through hardship and trauma, and it’s the choices you make that will define your future, as glib as that might sound.”

Asked about “superhero fatigue” as fans turn away from the deluge of content, he said: “There’s always a danger when you have too much content that people don’t have enough time to consume what’s going on. “I definitely feel that way and I’m in the middle of it. “There might be fatigue for stories that don’t feel as special and unique... This year will be very interesting given the more divergent takes on superheroes in Deadpool and Joker.”

As for the threat posed by artificial intelligence, he says: “We have to figure out a way to live in a world where it exists...

“But even if someone were going to pay me to use an AI engine to create work, I just wouldn’t do it. I love sitting down with a piece of paper and a pencil ... hours go by ... and at the end, I have this incredible sense of satisfaction because I went on this journey and I’ve created something. –