Wildstorm

Wildstorm is the American comic book imprint founded by artist and publisher Jim Lee. Originally established as an independent company to publish through Image Comics, it was acquired by DC Comics in 1998 and operated as a separate editorial studio in California until its closure in 2010. The imprint’s name combines elements from Lee’s early series *WildC.A.T.S.* and *Stormwatch*.

Wildstorm is best known for its shared superhero universe, which featured core titles including *WildC.A.T.S*, *Stormwatch*, *Gen13*, *Wetworks*, and *The Authority*. Beyond its own continuity, the imprint published creator-owned works such as Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner’s *Red*, Brian K. Vaughan and Tony Harris’s *Ex Machina*, and the first six issues of Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson’s *The Boys*. It also housed Alan Moore’s America’s Best Comics line and licensed properties like *Gears of War*, *Resident Evil*, and *The X-Files*.

DC shut down the Wildstorm imprint in December 2010. The following year, its characters were folded into DC’s main continuity as part of The New 52 relaunch. In February 2017, writer Warren Ellis revived the universe as a standalone line with *The Wild Storm*, though the characters were returned to DC continuity in 2021. Wildstorm’s legacy endures as a distinct creative hub that nurtured both superhero genre work and ambitious independent projects.