WildC.A.T.s: Covert Action Teams #1

WildC.A.T.s: Covert Action Teams #1 was published in 1992 as the flagship title for Image Comics' WildStorm imprint. Created by Jim Lee and Brandon Choi, the series emerged during the height of the 1990s speculator boom, capitalizing on the intense popularity of Image's founding artist-driven model. The narrative centers on an ancient war between two extraterrestrial races, the Kherubim and the Daemonites, playing out on Earth through a clandestine team of super-powered operatives.

Jim Lee’s design work on the series is iconic for its definitive 1990s aesthetic, characterized by exaggerated anatomy, intricate cross-hatching, and elaborate armor motifs. As one of the best-selling comics of its era, the issue served as a primary example of the 'superhero as celebrity' phenomenon, where the visual style and the artist's personal brand often drove sales as much as the internal continuity. The book remains a significant artifact of the independent creator movement that reshaped the comic industry's power structure during the early 1990s.