Lee Bermejo reflects on his industry beginnings and acclaimed work

One of the most celebrated comic artists in the industry today is Lee Bermejo, whose painted art style and gritty sensibilities give a harder edge to even the most established comic book universes and characters. From working with Brian Azzarello on bestselling titles like Luthor and Joker to his own projects as artist and writer with works including Batman: Noël, Bermejo has provided many fan-favorite takes on the darker corners of the DC Universe.

Bermejo’s popular artwork for DC Comics has been compiled in a gorgeous art collection, showcasing Bermejo’s impressive body of work. In addition to this collection, Bermejo’s haunting covers for Detective Comics have been compiled into the upcoming DC title Batman: Dear Detective. The unique project links the artwork into an overarching story written by Bermejo, with a serial killer taunting the Dark Knight from afar through a series of letters as the Caped Crusader endures the grueling gauntlet of defending Gotham.

In a spotlight interview with Popverse, Bermejo recalls his career origins with WildStorm, shares his influences and comic creators that he personally admires, and chats about his work on Batman: Dear Detective.

Popverse: What was the first comic book that you remember reading and have you revisited it since becoming a comic creator yourself?

Lee Bermejo: I'm pretty sure my first comic was an issue of Batman from the early ‘80s. For the life of me, I can't remember which one.

You got your start as an intern at WildStorm right around the time it was acquired by DC. How was it building up your artistic chops during this period?

Wildstorm was a great “college” experience for me. It was my first introduction to being a professional artist, and it was a very fertile ground for learning and exploration. The closest thing I can equate it too is like being in university. I felt like my career really started after I left, even though I did a good bit of work while I was there. But it was all me trying to find myself amidst the pressures of working in a studio environment.

How do you think starting out in the consumer product department helped inform your style?

The best thing I can say about that is that it taught me a good bit of versatility. You had to be nimble on your feet and go from basketball toys to video game maps to drawing Resident Evil comics. Again, it was like my college years. I was so young and new to the game that I had to learn how to crawl before I could run anywhere.

Do you remember the first time you met Brian Azzarello? How