Following an explosive “Jim Lee and Friends” panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2026, which featured surprise appearances by Clayface director James Watkins and star Tom Rhys Harries, the spotlight shifted squarely onto the legendary DC President, Publisher, and CCO himself for one of the most personal conversations of the convention.
Announcing all the many family members there to visit, Lee couldn’t help but mention the two little members having recently joined the family and another who’s on the way: “Superman shoes and a Batman shirt, we are raising this kid right.” He even changed his shirt, into one that said HARABOJI, meaning “grandpa” in Korean.
From there, Lee turned the conversation toward legacy. When asked what he wants his legacy to be, Lee first focused on the current success of DC Comics.
”We are kicking ass in publishing,” he said. “We had the single best year at DC, ever. DC’s Finest, the compact line, DC GO. We are putting comics everywhere trying to grow the business. I’ve been doing this for a while, and not everything goes as planned.”
On the compact line, Lee put the spotlight on the enduring appeal of print comics in an increasingly digital world and passionately defended physical media, explaining the unique experience of reading a comic book from beginning to end: ”Nothing beats holding the book and having the psychological, subtle cue of getting closer to the end of the book.”
Lee ended the discussion on an important note: ”I’m glad the younger generation is realizing physical media is so much better, and that whatever is on the cloud can be taken away from you.”
In a time where the future of comics seems bright, but the uncertainty of a technological future worries creators, it’s incredible to have DC’s CCO be upfront about this reality with readers. Lee’s message is simple: protect the stories, preserve the medium, and never stop creating.
Stay tuned to The Beat for more news from SDCC ’26.
