Windsor-Smith later said that he was talked into illustrating Wildstorm Rising, and regretted participating it. He related that in reading the story and illustrating it, he could not understand the motivations of any of the characters, even when he read earlier Wildstorm books featuring the characters. He says he "mucked with the plot awfully" in order to improve it and his enthusiasm for it, saying, "After intense thinking, I realized what I was doing wrong: I was looking for characters!
Windsor-Smith later confessed that he was persuaded to contribute to Wildstorm Rising, but later expressed regret over doing so. During the process of reading the story and creating illustrations, he found himself struggling to grasp the characters' motivations, even after reviewing earlier Wildstorm publications featuring those characters. He acknowledged making substantial changes to the plot in an effort to enhance it and his own enthusiasm for the project.