Posted in: Comics, Comics, Heritage Sponsored | Tagged: auction, jim lee, x-men

Unseen Jim Lee X-Men Art Created Over Ten Years, Goes To Auction

Published Wed, 18 Nov 2020 12:40:06 -0600

This unseen private commission from Jim Lee featuring the X-Men, currently being auctioned by Heritage, was not created all at once. The Tryptch, an image spread out across three pages, was started with its first central page in 2002 with Colossus, Psylocke, Wolverine, and a destroyed Sentinel. The right side was created next, in 2008, and it features Rogue, Gambit, and Jubilee. The left side was created last in 2012 and features Cyclops, Jean Grey, Storm, and the Beast.

Unseen Jim Lee X-Men Art Created Over Ten Years, Goes To Auction — Jim Lee triptych art for auction at Heritage.

Each section was produced in ink over graphite with white paint highlights on the reverse side of DC Bristol board with an image area of approximately 10.25" x 15.5" each. They are signed and dated by Jim Lee in the image areas, and the central piece is also signed by the late Stan Lee (no relation). The listing states that there is a small spot stain under the Beast's elbow, and a line to the right of his shoulder, but you can probably live with that.

The current bid at Heritage Auctions at time of writing is $36,000 with a day to go. I get the feeling that it will go for a lot more than that. Let's take a closer look at each "panel.

It's not the only piece of note by Jim Lee up for auction though. The original art for the cover to Uncanny X-Men #265 by Jim Lee and Scott Williams will likely go for a pretty penny too, currently at a staggering $130,000 with one day to go.

Heritage states "the artwork was originally sold to a collector at a high premium (compared to Lee's own then c. 1990s cover art prices), and hasn't been on the market since then. So this is a very rare and long-awaited piece that could easily get tucked away for many years in some other lucky fan's collection" and that "the art was crafted in ink and Zipatone over graphite on Marvel Bristol board with an image area of 9.75" x 15". There are staple holes in the margins, and adhesive residue on the upper left and top margins. There is production registration tape on each margin. There is a very small tear in the bottom right corner margin. It is signed by Jim Lee and Scott Williams in the lower margin. The corner box, logo, and all cover text are stat paste-ups. There is a vellum overlay with the hand-inked city in the background and a Zipatone screen used in a color-hold process, and another detached paper overlay with a partial color guide for the cover. The color guide has minor creases throughout. The art is in Excellent condition."