Artist Interview: The Super Hero Art Process of InHyuk Lee

With dynamic color applications and thoughtful character designs, the super hero art of InHyuk Lee brings beloved comic book characters to life. From the swinging heroes of Marvel’s Spider-Verse to iconic DC heroes and villains, these fine art prints are super-powered additions to any collector’s gallery.

Now, we’ve got a chance to wade through the inky depths and bold reds of InHyuk Lee’s best-selling prints and covers. His visions for the designs of popular characters prove just why he’s one of the most prolific artists in the comic book and fine art scene today.

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Artist Interview with InHyuk Lee

Nice to meet you, and thanks for sitting down with us! How would you describe your art style? How did you develop this style, and what would you consider your most recognizable elements or trademarks?

Hi, I’m InHyuk Lee. Nice to meet you, and thanks for inviting me.

I think my style is a mix of realistic game art and fun cartoons. I think the realistic aspects are a mix of Western game styles, and the cartoonish aspects are a mix of Eastern comics.

I majored in comics and animation and began working as a concept artist at a game company in 2006. I collaborated with several major companies in Korea, Japan, and the U.S. Through this process, I began working on illustrations for TCGs and posters in addition to concept art, and gradually, illustration became my main job.

Beginning with my first Marvel contract in 2012, I’ve been working extensively in the U.S. comics market, focusing on Marvel, DC, IDW, BOOM!, etc., for 13 years. So, in Korea, people usually call me a Marvel artist.

Can you point to any specific inspirations in your artwork, either from other artists or any media?

I don’t follow the style of specific artists or media. I always maintain my own style, but I also understand the overall market trends and draw inspiration from them.

You’re considered a “best-selling cover artist” across the comic book industry. How did you get into making variant covers? Is there any difference to how you approach creating comic covers versus other types of projects?

I’m grateful that Marvel called me their best-selling cover artist. I’ve drawn over 400 Marvel covers so far, and if I include covers for DC, IDW, BOOM!, Dynamite, and others, the number probably exceeds 800. The reason my covers sell so well is likely due to the sheer number of them that I’ve done.

When I first signed with Marvel in 2012, I also started working on interior art, specifically for Scarlet Spider #20 and the 100th Anniversary Special (2014).

However, since I’m a full painting style artist and I use digital, doing everything myself — pencil, ink, and color — which couldn’t be divided into separate work, continuing to do interior art proved time-consuming. Because I had many fans who loved my cover art, and I’m also an illustrator, I decided to focus on cover art.

In the past, Sideshow has carried many of your Marvel and DC variant covers as art prints, including Red Hulk, The Flash, and Deathstroke. When designing these spotlight character pieces, how do the character’s powers and abilities inform the composition?

I usually draw spotlight or iconic covers that highlight a single character. I consider the character’s personality or abilities to draw the most attention to them.

Depending on the concept and mood of the cover, the same character can be either static or dynamic. For a calm or serious atmosphere, I focus on the character’s personality. For a dynamic and tense atmosphere, I focus on maximizing the character’s abilities.

The symbiote substance in the Gwenom vs. Carnage Fine Art Print looks almost liquified. For people interested in your technical skills, how do you achieve such a dynamic, lifelike texture on a two-dimensional image?

I strive to bring what I envision to life on canvas. Even for the same thing, the texture and form imagined can vary from person to person, but I want to show people what I envision and share it with everyone. I’m glad that my idea for the Gwenom vs. Carnage cover resonated with so many people and that so many people enjoyed it.

Is there anything else you’d like to share about the Gwenom vs. Carnage Fine Art Print, either about the piece itself or the process?

I remember Marvel requesting reprints several times because the Gwenom vs. Carnage cover was so well-received. And following this Gwenom, an MJ CARNAGE cover (King in Black: Gwenom vs. Carnage #1 2nd Printing) was also produced and I also created several other variant covers for this series.

Who are some of your favorite super heroes and villains? Which of them would you still like to paint, if you haven’t already?

I like so many heroes and villains. But if I had to pick my favorites, they would have to be Spider-Man and The Joker.

I’ve drawn a lot of covers and game art over the years so I’ve already drawn many characters, but I still love drawing Spider-Verse characters. Also I love animals, so I like drawing animal characters. I really like TMNT and if you look it up you’ll see that I’ve drawn a lot more animal characters than you might think.

Your Marvel streetwear variant covers made waves at SDCC. How do you approach incorporating modern fashion aesthetics with pre-existing licensed characters and their established costumes?

As I mentioned, I’m an illustrator and character concept artist. So I enjoy designing characters and I’m still working in the gaming industry too.

I’ve been particularly interested in modern and practical designs. My designs are based on the character’s personality and on the color and shape of the character’s existing costume, thinking about what kind of clothes and style this character would prefer.

In addition to the 2025 Marvel streetwear variant covers, this style is also well reflected in the Marvel AAPI Heritage variant covers produced twice, in 2021 and 2023. This series consists of 13 covers in total: nine in 2018 and four in 2023.

Finally, for fun — if you could wear one of the outfits from that comic cover series, which would you pick?

Of course, it’s Spider-Man’s costume. Spider-Man’s jacket is actually a piece of clothing I own, and most of the clothes I dress Spider-Man in are based on my own.

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What are your favorite InHyuk Lee covers or art prints? Do you have any of his variants in your collection?

Join the conversation with other super hero art fans over at Sideshow Social Network or in side.show/geekgroup, and don’t forget to Let Your Geek Sideshow!