(6/17/2003): To be solicited in PREVIEWS vol 13, #7.
(6/20/2003): Comics Continuum has new preview pages.
(6/21/2003): Because of Labor Day, release date has been pushed back to 4 September 2003.
(6/24/2003): Preview of the first seven pages are available in WIZARD #143 (7/20/2003): Will not be overprinted
Getting this project up and off the ground was no easy thing, as there were three companies involved, rather than just two, since George Perez had signed on with CrossGen at the time. Fortunately, George had left a loophole in his CrossGen contract that allowed him to do a JLA/AVENGERS project should one be offered to him by a certain date. It took everybody right up to the last second to get the necessary paperwork to George.
The core of the team-- myself, DC editor Dan Raspler, Kurt Busiek and George-- met in Florida, after the Orlando Megacon at which we announced the project, to work out the broad strokes of the story. We got a lot of good stuff out of that meeting. And when a blizzard warning closed Manhattan airports, Kurt and I rented a car and drove for 26 hours straight to get back to New York. I'd love to be able to say that we came up with all of the genius bits on that trip, but frankly we were both so tired and punchy for most of the trip that it's a wonder we didn't kill somebody.
6. AVENGERS/JLA: It took more than 20 years to get the damned thing, but many of you believe, as I do, that the wait was well worth it. J.A. Fludd calls this book "a celebration of more than 40 years of super-hero traditions with hundreds of characters from the Marvel and DC Universes, centered around the memberships of the Avengers and Justice League. Stunning, breathtaking artistic achievement by George Perez; the pinnacle and summation of George's entire career. Artistically, can't be praised highly enough." (Well, it's certainly better than CRIMSON PLAGUE, isn't it? Of course, a vasectomy with a rusty set of sewing shears would be better than that...) And "Frank" writes that "those of us who mourned this highly anticipated match up's collapse 20 years ago couldn't help but rejoice in its actualization, not to mention a chance to see revel in two mammoth teams penciled by Perez. An opportunity to see Perez art on this scale is unlikely to happen for a long time." Unless there's a sequel, of course, and I have to say I wouldn't mind that one bit...
Comic and graphic novel dollars were up 7% in September, despite tough comparisons with September 2003, when JLA/Avengers #1 contributed over $1 million to the month's dollar total. Comic dollars were up 5%, and graphic novels were up a more robust 19% vs. 2003.
The strength in 2004 came below the top 25 comics, for which dollars were over $1 million less than the dollars in the top 25 comics in September 2003.
The third quarter was another solid one, with over-all sales for the category up 6% over 2003. Graphic novels led the way with a 14% increase; comics were up 4%.
Who did what:
Junkyard- Triathalon and Vision
Poison Ivy- She-Hulk and Hawkeye
MysticMorgan- Thor and the backround.
TRYGONEZ- Green Lantern and Batman
Biohaz_Daddy- Scarlet Witch, Yellowjacket, and Martian Manhunter
Juvenilemike- Flash and Quicksilver
Radogol- Superman and Aquaman
Android- Wonder Woman and Plastic Man
Shaylinn- Warbird and Wasp
Kevin Newburn- Iron Man and Jack of Hearts
ali786- Captain America and the Atom
Some art notes from those who included them:
SUPERMAN
Superman is a Tom Welling dopelanger from alternate earth, where
all the dentists died of a mysterious plague. His body is a
repainted verison of Dean Cain's costume. Also, Tom attended
smudge-barber.
George Perez, illustrator of the long-awaited JLA/Avengers.
It was the series George Perez had been waiting 20 years to draw.
All the legends would be there: Superman, Captain America, Wonder Woman, Iron Man, Batman, Hulk. Oh, and about 200 others.
JLA/Avengers (JLA is the Justice League Of America for those not in the know) brought together the greatest superhero teams from both DC Comics and Marvel Comics in one epic tale, written by Kurt Busiek and pencilled and inked by Perez, who called it: "one of the most thrilling and greatest challenges of my career."
"It was a fanboy dream to draw all those characters from two different companies meeting together, with, of course, the added pressure of 20 years of anticipation," said Perez, also a special guest at this weekend’s Canadian National Expo.
This inter-company crossover series was originally conceived in late 1982, but fell apart just months after it began due to squabbling – in spite of the fact Perez had already drawn 21 pages.
When the plug was pulled it was thought this idea was dead. But the series finally became a reality late last year and it lived up to the expectations of many – including its artist.
"After everyone waiting for 20 years, including me, I couldn’t let that be less than my all-out effort," Perez said.
The series has recently been collected in the Cadillac of hardcover editions, featuring a slipcase containing an oversized hardcover of the complete four-issue series and a fascinating companion volume that outlines its history, complete with annotated copies of Perez’s original 21 pages.
The collection is outstanding and very much befitting the scale of the project.
"I expected that maybe they would give it a hardcover collection, but to do it with this type of production value was really flattering," Perez said. "It galvanized my feeling that both Marvel and DC have been trying very hard to make this project something that I can be proud of."
Having recently celebrated his 50th birthday and completed one of the great showpieces of his career, Perez says he’s in a great place in his life.
"I’m doing exactly what I love to do more than anything else," he said. "At the age of 50 I’m looking at the road ahead that has … so many avenues waiting for me."
The 2004 Wizard Fan awards were announced last night at a somewhat more subdued ceremony than usual. Wizard staffers Mike Cotton and Richard Ho emcee’d the affair, and presenters included Joe Quesada, Jeph Loeb, John Cassaday, Alex Ross, Jim Lee and Kevin Smith. The Loeb/Lee BATMAN continued to dominate the awards, winning for artist, inker, letterer, colorist and ongoing.
Should be "St. Roch", which is Hawkman's base of operation in New Orleans, Louisiana.
(Vu: The reasons why we point out these errors are because we want to see them corrected in the collected editions.
Also, the "LOACLLY" is the other significant typo. See related news for even more errors.)
NEW YORK — New York City hosts the Tony Awards for Broadway, the MTV Music Awards, and the Grammy Awards. This year, the Big Apple will also host the most prestigious award ceremony for graphic storytelling, the Harvey Awards. The new Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art, set to open in October 2004, will host the 17th Annual Harvey Awards Ceremony on Saturday, June 26, as part of the Third Annual MoCCA Art Festival.
More than ever before, the Harveys reflect the full diversity of the comics industry. Comics from twenty-three separate publishers have been nominated, a Harveys record. The Harveys are the only industry award chosen from start to finish solely by industry professionals, and this year the voters found comics and creators of note across the artistic spectrum.
The nominees for the 2004 Harvey Awards are:
Best Artist
Charles Burns | "Black Hole"
Fantagraphics Books
8. JLA/AVENGERS: Say what you will about Marvel getting the short end of the stick or discrepancies in battles between aliens and thunder gods, I still have to agree with M. Ali Choudhury's assessment of this series as "worth waiting 20 years for." Part of the reason I feel this miniseries has so far gotten such negative response is because it throws all those differences between the Marvel and DC Universes into such sharp relief, and yet it does so brilliantly. Kurt Busiek obviously loves both universes, and he takes the sort of care with this crossover that we arguably haven't seen since Chris Claremont and company paired up the X-Men and Teen Titans. (The DC characters got far less to do than the Marvel ones that time, as I recall, but I don't recall a similar backlash from DC fans on that occasion - and that book was well-written, too). I look forward to seeing how this one plays out.
Not everything that broke down stayed that way, fortunately. Mark Waid and Mike Weiringo returned to Fantastic Four after being stupidly kicked off the title. The Superman titles have gotten a creative kickstart with some A-level talent that'll make their mark next year. Two popular titles that were missing in action, Astro City and Planetary, both returned in all their glory. And after twenty years, JLA/Avengers finally got off the ground, controversial fight scenes and all. In addition, Jeff Smith's Bone finally concluded its spectacular run (soon to be followed by Dave Sim's Cerebus), the legendary Alan Moore retired from comics, Los Angeles got its own indy comics show, and we got two dynamite comic book movies in X2 and American Splendor.
Again, the dollar ranking is a function of both quantity and cover price, a high quantity ordered combined with a high cover price would place product at #1 on both charts, while a higher cover price combined with a solid position on the unit ranking (such as JLA/Avengers #1) place it at the top of the dollar rank, that is, JLA/Avengers #1 was the #1 comic book item that brought in the most money to Diamond in 2003.
Retailers will be pleased to find the year-end list of 2003's top rated
comics on the Diamond Retailer Services Website. We thought the rest of our
readership would also appreciate the lowdown on the titles that came out on top
last year.
Batman dominated the top ten, with a total of six issues
included. Wolverine, JLA, the Avengers and the Fantastic Four also found a place
in the top-rated spotlight.
JLA/ AVENGERS #1 BATMAN REMARKED (Dynamic Forces)
(Sep 2003)
I saw this item on Ebay recently (item 2214460522) which is selling the Batman Remarked Dynamic Forces Edition. I did a quick search on Dynamic Forces's website and it seems they are no longer listing or selling the remark editions. This means that they are sold out. It's not too surprising since it was limited to 99 copies.
If you ordered any of these remarked editions, please send me a better scan of it.
BF: Which was the best book (or issue) put out by a different company than yours?
BILL ROSEMANN: Everything written by Brian Michael Bendis was gold...Batman by Jeph Loeb & Jim Lee got everyone excited...Y: The Last Man & The Ultimates kept everyone on their toes...and how fun was JLA/Avengers? Yes, this was a great year to be a comics' fan!
I am thrilled to announce that beginning last night and ending next Tuesday, December 3, at 10:00 PM U.S. EST, The Artist's Choice, George's Exclusive Original Art Sales Representative, is hosting a Private Auction for the Original Cover Artwork to JLA/Avengers #1, Penciled and Inked by George Perez. The Wraparound Cover is done on one giant 22"x17" Board with an Image Area of approximately 20"x15" and features all of the key icons in both JLA and Avengers History on the Cover. This Cover is a piece of Comics History now and this opportunity to own it may not come again. The auction price begins at $5000 and there is no reserve, so whatever the high bid is goes! To see a scan of the cover and the terms for bidding, please stop by the website (www.theartistschoice.com) and click on the Cover's Thumbnail on the main page. Even if the bidding is too much, you should stop by and take a look. There are several detailed close-ups of portions of the cover as well to show the level of detail within the piece that simply have to be seen to be believed.
Issue # 1 Cover Auction Terms & Conditions
1) To bid on this piece, please e-mail your bid amount to JLAAVENGERSCOVER@aol.com . In addition to your e-mail address please include the following information: Name, Location (City is fine, please include Country if outside the U.S.) and a Contact Number where you can be reached both during the day and in evenings so we can reach you if there is a question in regards to your bid.
2) The minimum bid on this piece is $5000 with No Reserve. Highest Bid Gets the piece. Please Bid in Increments of $50 (i.e. $5050, $5100, etc.). In the event of two equal top bids, the first bidder will receive the rights to purchase the piece.
2) The Current Bid Amount will be updated as often as possible. The Date and Time of the last update will be posted at the top of this page next to the current bid amount. Due to the expected high volume of last minute bids, the final price will not be updated within the last hour of bidding (9 PM to 10 PM U.S. Eastern Standard Time)
3) Bid what you feel comfortable paying. The top bid will get the cover. The Bid is not incrementally over the 2nd highest bid. The Cost of the Cover, if your bid if it is the winning bid, will be the Dollar Amount you bid, not the 2nd highest bid + an increment (Ex. If the 2nd highest bid is $5500 and your bid is $6000, the winning bid is $6000, not $5550).
4) Bids are accepted via e-mail only to the JLAAVENGERSCOVER@aol.com address. Any e-mail bids sent to either the SpencerBck@aol.com or theartistschoice@aol.com will be disregarded. No telephone or Faxed bids will be honored as well.
5) Payment must be received within 7 business days of the end of the auction. Accepted means of payment for this piece are Certified Check, Cashier's Check, Bank Check, Money Order or Western Union. No personal Checks, Travellers Checks, Credit Cards, Bank Transfers or Paypal will be accepted as payment for this auction. International bidders must be able to provide one of the accepted means of payment in U.S. Dollars.
6) Due to the Large dimensions of the piece (One 22"x17" Bristol Board), shipping for the Cover will cost $25 within the Domestic United States. International shipping will be determined by location of the buyer. All International Packages are Shipped Via Global Priority Mail and are declared at Full Customs Value on all Documentation. No Exceptions to this policy.
7) Auction bidding ends at 10 PM U.S. Eastern Standard Time on Tuesday December 2. Any bids received via e-mail after that time will be disregarded. The final bid amount will not be disclosed by The Artist's Choice as that amount is at the buyer's discretion to reveal or not. In addition the high bidder's identity will not be revealed unless said buyer chooses to do so themselves.
8) In the event of non-payment, the Cover will be offered to the 2nd Highest bidder. Any defaulting on Payment for this item will result in the defaulting bidder to be unable to purchase any page of Artwork from The Artist's Choice at any future date. No exceptions to this policy.
9) All Sales are final! The piece is sold as is.
If there are questions in regards to these policies please e-mail the JLAAVENGERSCOVER@aol.com address so any concerns may be resolved quickly.
November 12, 2003 | Atom in Color Guide
From Zawawi Ibrahim
Now you see it, now you don't…
JLA/Avengers #1 Page 35
Found this based upon Tom Smith's original color art several weeks ago on Ebay.
Compare it with the printed page.
I guess whoever owns the original art page, this makes it much more valuable to the owner.
(Vu: Image is cropped. It does make sense that the Atom was taken out, as it works well later when we see him hiding and then hitching a ride on Metron's chair.)
WIZARD: THE COMICS MAGAZINE #146 (Dec 2003), features a lot of letters devoted to fan's reaction to JLA/AVENGERS #1. It is also the debut of Wizard intern Richard Ho, who writes equally long replies.
Here is one of the letters and answer:
So far for the first issue, a big fat uhgg! I am not really a fan of superteams to begin with, but this is George Pérez and we've been waiting since the invention of the radio for thismatchup so I figured, why the heck not?
Well, except for the ending, which finally picked up and kicked some ass, I thought the first issue was a snooze fest. I swear I almost nodded out twice! And this is from someone who loves to read and is not on drugs! The storyline seems muddled, and as much as I love George, I think he committed the artist sin of being overly busy on his panels, forcing my concentration to wander too much.
I sure hope the next $5.95 I plunk down gets me a better rinside seat, or else I might be throwing tomatoes at JLA/Avengers.
JR
Bronx, NY
Richard Ho: ...And while I understand your beef about clutter, it sorta comes with the territory. "We're doing a story with nine million characters, so we're going to get tons and tons of interactions," defends Busiek. "If you want to just strip it down to something absolutely plain and simple, there's plent of other crossovers to read. But here, we're dealing with two series that have so much history, texture and such large casts that it's better to revel in it than throw it all out."
And if you still find yoruself falling asleep, try some Ritalin - it's how I stay awake long enough to meet my deadlines.
Other interesting Perez-related news appearing in Wizard is that George is #2 artist, under Alex Ross.
JLA/AVENGERS #1 is ranked #1 "HOT 10 COMICS".
JLA/AVENGERS #1 is also listed as a big "MOVERS & SHAKERS", selling out in most locations in the first day.
Diamond has released its actual sales data for comics and related products ordered by its accounts during the month of September 2003. Surprising no one was DC’s Batman #619 coming in at the #1 for books sold to retailers, with a whopping 254,618 copies, according to Newsarama’s estimate.
Despite the massive number of copies of Batman #619 sold, Marvel ranked #1 in both unit and dollar share for the month, recapturing the latter thanks in no small part to the $5.95 JLA/Avengers #1, which Newsarama estimates, saw approximately 206,852 copies ship from Diamond to retailers.
...
The top 25 titles shipped (and estimated copies of each) in September were:
1) Batman #619 (254,618)
2) JLA/Avengers #1 (206,852)
...
October 12, 2003 | Blockbusters of 2003
From COMICS BUYER'S GUIDE #1562 (24 Oct 03)
HEY KIDS! COMICS: Free Comic Book Day: a Chance to Fly Solo? written by Heidi MacDonald
published in COMICS BUYER'S GUIDE #1562 (24 Oct 03)
website: www.comicsbuyersguide.com
(excerpt)
Item: The Blockbusters of 2003
...In additional, the 20-year-in-the-making JLA/Avengers by Kurt Busiek and George Pérez gave tweeners everywhere something to get all giddy about. JLA/Avengers and 1602 have sold well over 170,000 copies of their first issues, which isn't much by the old standard (hell, when I started reading comics, every issue of Spider-Man sold well over 200,000 copies) but are impressive by today's standards. Endless Nights is more of a bookstore product, so the sales aren't known yet, but the first printing was over 100,000 copies and I doubt it will have much trouble selling.
Straczynski's Supreme Power, Mark Gruenwald, and JLA / Avengers
(excerpt)
Strangely, the first issue of the new JLA/Avengers series reads as if none of the previous DC/Marvel crossovers ever took place. No one in the Avengers recognizes any of the DC characters, and none of the Justice Leaguers seem familiar with anyone on Marvel-Earth. That is a surprise, considering Busiek's devotion to continuity. On the other hand, there are hints that someone is tampering with the minds of Superman and Captain America, who each seem unusually hot-tempered. Perhaps whoever is to blame for this has also temporarily altered the memories of the Avengers and Justice Leaguers. Hawkeye keeps thinking the Justice Leaguers look familiar and then, as noted, realizes they remind him of the Squadron Supreme. But maybe Hawkeye is actually dimly recalling seeing DC characters before.
I expect that Busiek and Perez will indeed explain these memory lapses. There is surely a purpose for them as well, since it enables Busiek and Perez to present the clash between the Avengers and Justice League as if it really is their first meeting since, as far as the heroes now know, it is.
Now that I've read JLA/AVENGERS #1, I wanted to see what other reviewers were saying about the issue. I'd already read Jess Lemon's review over at The PULSE (best response to Jess's review came from J. Kevin Carrier over on the Micah Wright forum: "Yeah. I'm the Bizarro Jess Lemon -- 'Me want superheroes to be MORE ridiculous.' The writers take themselves and the characters WAY too seriously, and have sucked all the enjoyment out of the genre. Grant Morrison is about the only guy writing superheroes who even comes close to getting it. 'Oh boo hoo, they're shooting beams from their hands and fighting giant starfish, it's just too far-fetched.' Amateur hour. Let's give Jess a couple of Bob Kanigher METAL MEN issues and watch her head explode!") but I knew that there had to be some dyed-in-the-wool comics fans who were reviewing this comic. Here's a sampling of what I found...
DC COMICS/MARVEL CHARACTERS Article Last Updated: Wednesday, October 08, 2003 - 2:25:14 PM EST
By JOHN SIMCOE
Test your Justice League
and Avengers knowledge
Trivia contest will have you digging through old comics
Comic-book fans are just like any other fanatic, they pride themselves in knowing the minutest details of every superhero comic book they own.
And now, like "Freddy vs. Jason" or interleague play in baseball, one of comic-bookdom's most anticipated crossover events is upon us.
The monumental "JLA/Avengers," a project fans have waited 20 years for is on the stands. Rather than spend this column yammering on about the book itself, The York Dispatch/Sunday News offers you a trivia contest, with prizes provided by DC Comics and two York comic book stores, Comic Store West and Comix Connection. The questions are based on comic books published from 1941 to the present. If you don't have the comic book, you can either guess, go pick up the old issue or search the Internet for answers.
No matter, just do your best and prove to your mother that it really was worth keeping all those comics, because this is a contest that tests the depth of your back issue collection, not your ability to remember current comic-book continuity.
For contest rules and prizes, see the accompanying box.
It's the single knottiest, longest-running argument in all the recorded history of online comics fandom:
"Could I ever hope, one day, to somehow satisfy Unca Cheeks sexually...?"
Some questions, however, gainsay and frustrate the painstaking attempts of even the doughtiest of fanboys (or -- preferably -- fanGIRLS; particularly ones who bear more than a passing resemblance to Salma Hayek, or Catherine Zeta-Jones. 1-800-PLUSHLUV. Call me, dammit!), in their respective unravelings. ;-))
So: let's move on, then, to the second most frequently (and heatedly) debated comics-related issue of all time.
Namely: "Who Would REALLY Win In a Fair Fight: THE JUSTICE LEAGUE... or THE AVENGERS?"
Well: you're all just good and damned lucky that Unca's here to field the tough ones for you lot, by golly, by jingo. That's all I can say. ;-))
For my money, if the story is solid and the book satisfies, which is the most important thing, the use of these kinds of bits of continuity are just icing on the cake. A little bonus for longtime readers, and some interesting “local color” for the new readers. Everybody wins. Now let’s get to it.
As our correspondent noted, in the first issue of the long-awaited JLA/AVENGERS miniseries by Kurt Busiek and George Perez, the Justice League and the Avengers are manipulated by cosmic forces into what amounts to a scavenger hunt for 12 massively powerful artifacts, six from each team’s respective universe/dimension/whatever.
Naturally, this being written by Kurt Busiek, the poster child for arcane comic-book knowledge, all of these items have deep roots in DC and Marvel history. We’ll go through them one by one:
The Bell, the Jar, and the Wheel: To be more precise, we’re talking about the Green Bell of Ulthool, the Red Jar of Calythos and the Silver Wheel of Wyorlath, as first seen way back in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #10. These talismans were created by a trio of demons, Abenegzar, Rath and Ghast, who held dominion over the Earth a billion years ago. When the demons were sentenced to eternal imprisonment beneath the Earth by a race known only as the Timeless Ones, the Bell, the Jar and the Wheel were their ace in the hole. Anticipating this kind of trouble, the demons had earlier created the mystical items that would, when combined, free them from their subterranean prison. When sorcerer Felix Faust unearthed and combined the items, their plan succeeded, until their subsequent defeat and re-imprisonment by the Justice League.
October 8, 2003 | ICv2: JLA/A #1 is Top-Selling Book
DC Comics took the number spot for comic book sales in September by smashing the 200,000 barrier to smithereens with the final issue of the Jim Lee Jeph Loeb Batman "Hush" storyline, which sold an amazing 233,775 copies. But while Batman #619 was topping the piece chart by some 44,000, the long-awaited DC/Marvel crossover book, JLA/Avengers was, thanks to its $5.95 price tag and sales of almost 190K, the month's top dollar comic by more than a factor of two--a million dollar book. Just goes to show what can happen when the two top publishers cooperate on the right project. One interesting side effect of the financial success of JLA/Avengers is that it has provided artist George Perez with enough of a financial cushion that he can remain at CrossGen (see "Perez Stays At CrossGen").
...
When it came to the top 25 graphic novels sold in September, Marvel and DC's role were reversed, with DC snagging 10 out of the top 15 titles. Tokyopop's Love Hina Vol. 14, which came in at number 6, was the top non-DC title. Marvel placed 5 titles in the Top 25 Graphic Novels, while Tokyopop had three and Dark Horse and Image one each. Neil Gaiman's Sandman: Endless Nights dominated the graphic novels in dollars sold, accounting for more dollars this month than any comic book, with the sole exception of JLA/Avengers.
The Top 25 comics, with our estimates of the quantities sold during September, are:
The quantity ranking is obvious, it's the ranking of comics based on total issues printed. The Retail Rank is based on the price of a specific issue and the overall dollars it produced in sales. Finally, there's that enigmatic "index" number. The index shows retailers roughly how many of a product is being ordered in comparison to the other products. The index says that the average store orders 100 copies of Batman (a consistent seller) and then compares other titles to this. In this months case, if "Batman" #619 sold 100,000 copies (it probably sold more than 100,000) that would mean the #2 comic, "JLA/Avengers" #1, sold around 81,000 copies (once again, it probably sold more than that, too).
“Batman could totally take Captain America."
“Superman is vulnerable to Thor’s magic."
“The Justice League would never lose to the Avengers. Unless we’re talking about the 80’s Justice League who had members like Booster Gold. Man, anybody could beat Booster Gold."
Notoriously basement-dwelling comic book fans (including myself) have been debating these and similar questions for years. Finally, after false starts dating back to 1983 (according to Wizard The Comics Magazine), Marvel and DC’s top superhero teams are facing off in one of the biggest comic book events of the year: JLA/Avengers. The answers to the above questions will be answered definitively, according to Marvel and DC.
Finally, if you didn't know ComiX-Fan's sponsor X-World Comics is offering 25 complete sets of JLA/Avengers #1-4 signed and numbered by Kurt Busiek and complete with a Certificate of Authenticity. Pre-orders (which saves $20 off the price of the set) can be made here: www.x-worldcomics.com/.../id=346#8723
[JLA_Avengers] Survey
Wed, 01 Oct 2003 04:05:25 -0000
My name is Robert Franklin and I am a first year university student
in Australia.
I have joined this Yahoo! Group to ask assistance in helping me
conduct a survey about Issue #1 of JLA/Avengers. I am doing a
textual analysis of the book, and a survey will help me gauge the
response from other readers. I am studying for an Arts Degree,
majoring in Media Studies.
JLA/Avengers Crossover Event
This survey is purely voluntary. If there are some questions you do
not feel comfortable answering, then don't. The information you
provide will be used as part of a textual analysis of JLA/Avengers
#1. You can email your responses to . All
responses will be treated confidentially and all
contributors will remain anonymous.
Your Age:
Your Location:
Your Gender:
How long have you been collecting comics?
Why did you purchase a copy of JLA/Avengers #1? Are you a fan of
either of the teams or are you just a collector?
Which team, JLA or Avengers, are you a fan of? Why?
What are your expectations of the crossover event, and have they
been met so far from Issue #1?
Which fight (ie Batman vs Captain America) are you most looking
forward to?
Which team up (ie Superman and Thor) are you most looking forward to?
Do you believe that the JLA/Avengers crossover event is purely for
fan entertainment, or is it just a money making exercise by DC and
Marvel.
Is Kurt Busiek the best writer for the project? If not, please
suggest someone who you believe would be ideal for the job.
Is George Perez the best artist for the project? If not, please
suggest someone who you believe would be ideal for the job.
Are there any other comments you would like to make about
JLA/Avengers #1?
Believe it or not, I actually sort of like superheroes. Sometimes I even get the craving for them, which I used to quench with watching the BATMAN cartoon show--lately, it's been mostly reading ALIAS books. And this week, once I finished my first paper of the year (just fine, thanks for asking), I decided I wanted a really good superhero comic. Andy's back home, and honestly he and I are having one of those bad sibling moments, so I had to ask the guy at the comic shop what would be a good new superhero comic to get. I should have just noticed the twenty copies of JLA/AVENGERS #1in the window and avoided the first five minutes of what probably would have been half an hour of him being way more helpful than I'm comfortable with if I hadn't "remembered" a mid-afternoon dinner date.
But when I got back to my room and read it, I remembered why I have a problem with comic books about superheroes in general: they let me down. What I want from superhero comic books is what I think Andy and his friends get from them, at least sometimes. I want stories that feel big and exciting, with clever plots and smart ideas and sharp dialogue. I want to be in suspense about what's going to happen next. I think I'm entitled to that.
September 30, 2003 | Isabella's JLA/A Review
From COMICS BUYER'S GUIDE #1560 (10 Oct 2003)
TONY'S TIP: A COMIC BOOK A DAY By Tony Isabella
published in COMICS BUYER'S GUIDE #1560 (10 Oct 2003)
www.comicsbuyersguide.com transcribed by Vu
Tuesday was named for Tyr, a Norse god of battle. Since battle between powerful super-teams to be inevitable in JLA/Avengers#1 (Marvel/DC, $5.95), I decided the first of this four-issue series should be the comic du jour.
An epic gathering like this demands, not just a great writer and great artist, but a great writer and a great artist who will obsess about continuity almost as much as their readers undoubtedly will.
Kurt Busiek and George Pérez certainly fulfilled that requirement - and better than almost anyone else I could name.
It's a given that Busiek and Pérez are going to get the heroes and villains right. Captain America and Superman seem a little out of sorts, but I expect that will turn out to be more than initially meets the eye. Besides, they earn the benefit of a doubt with me for a brilliant scene, even though it's not actually shown, between Batman and The Punisher.
I'm disappointed the teams are being manipulating into duking it out with each other - we've seen that so many times before - but there are so many spiffy bits of business in the issue, especially for us "baby boomer" comics fans, that I can extend the bnefit of doubt to cover this. (I don't know whether to be alarmed or proud that I can identify 11 of 12 items of power being sought by the heroes before those items were named. I can't remember my cell phone number most days.)
I sense the fine editorial hand of Tom Brevoort in this issue, and he, as well as colorists-separator Tom Smith, deserve kudos for their roles in this thoroughly entertaining extravaganza. Resist as I might, JLA/Avengers #1 brings out the superhero-loving kid in me.it picks up the full five Tonys. FIVE TONIES.
‘JLA/Avengers’ writer Kurt Busiek dishes on scripting the ultimate summer blockbuster. How does he juggle all those characters, what's the main story going to be about, and just how long has been attached to this project?
JLA/ AVENGERS #1
(Sep 2003)
1. How long have you been involved with this project, in all of its incarnations?
Well, I can sneak in on a technicality. When the original series was announced 21 years ago, I was working as an assistant editor for Comics Feature magazine, and I edited the news piece that announced it! So that’s how long I’ve been involved! [Laughs] So yeah, I’m working on this book that I reported on as a fan. But to give you the non-technicality, in September 2000, [Avengers Editor] Tom Brevoort made the first call to me to ask if I would be interested in working on this. At that point I said, “Yeah, sure, what do I look like, an idiot?”
2. Can you describe the premise of the story in one sentence? [Quickly] No! Honestly, I don’t wanna tell people what the premise of the story is. In the case of something like Arrowsmith, I think we have to tell people what the idea is so that they’ll say, “Oh, that sounds interesting, I’ll pick it up.” In the case of JLA/Avengers, it’s got the JLA and the Avengers in it, you’ve been waiting for it for years and George Pérez is drawing it…you don’t need to know anything more to go pick it up! So why not be surprised?
3.What’s the biggest challenge of writing the most anticipated crossover of all time? The biggest challenge is fitting it all into 200 pages. There were things we would have loved to get in there that there just wasn’t room for. But that’s what happens when you build a story that’s got so much good stuff in it, with bits and pieces that’ll make fans of any era go, “Ha ha, that one’s in there for me!” Hopefully there’s enough so that we won’t end up 50 years from now going, “Oh, if only I could have gotten in that one Red Tornado bit!”
4.Writing hundreds of characters between the two rosters: fanboy fun or completely confusing? Mixture of both. But it’s not a matter of everybody getting an equal spotlight. It’s a matter of telling a story and bringing in characters who make sense to bring in at a particular point in time. Luckily, I’ve read so much JLA, and I’ve read all of the Avengers, that getting the characters right is not all that difficult. I know what Blue Beetle’s like. I may have never written Vixen before, but if I have to, it’s not really a problem.
5.As the fan who first reported on JLA/Avengers all those years ago, is this like the Holy Grail? On one level, yeah! It’s nice to be working on this project that was going to be so cool back when I was a fan. On the other hand, it’s also a matter of luck. I was writing Avengers at the time, the guy who was writing JLA at the time [Mark Waid] had just signed an exclusive deal with CrossGen, which kind of limited the field! But nonetheless, it feels good to be the guy who got asked. This is the biggest damn roller coaster ride in comics, and our job is to make it enormously fun. We may be coming out in September, but we’re trying to make a really good summer blockbuster, as opposed to trying to make an Oscar winner.
Actually, the Crime Syndicate (and all of Earth-3) was destroyed in CRISIS, though they were brought back by Grant Morrison in the JLA: EARTH 2 graphic novel. I have yet to receive JLA/AVENGERS #1 (on it's way by snail-mail to Israel), but I have to assume that the story is out of continuity. -- Harry Tzvi Keusch
A case of "they were dead but they got better."
September 29, 2003 | JLA/A Review in Cinescape (Oct 03)
From CINESCAPE #73 (Oct/Nov 2003)
CINESCAPE #73 (Cover A)
(Oct/Nov 2003)
CINESCAPE #73 (Cover B)
(Oct/Nov 2003)
Excerpt from article:
CRISIS ON TWO EARTHS published in CINESCAPE #73
(Oct/Nov 2003), www.cinescape.com written by Arnold T Blumberg
Imagine a cosmic threat so powerful that only the premiere super-teams of two Earths could hope to defeat it. Now imagine that fans have been waiting for 20 years to read this epic saga and you're ready for the monumental impact of JLA/Avengers, a four-issue miniseries debuting this month from Marvel and DC Comics. Scripted by Kurt Busiek and illustrated by George Pérez, this is a project that became a legend long before it was published.
…
"We knew this was going to take a long time, with George penciling and inking 200 pages," says Busiek. "So we didn't work too hard to fit into continuity. Costumes would change, characters would undergo trauma and what not, and if we tried to keep up, we'd go nuts. The main point isn't whether it fits the timeline but weather it's a good read. That's what we concentrate on."
Only comic book fans can appreciate the splendor of an event like "JLA/Avengers" (in stores now), but I'll try to translate for the rest of you.
Imagine The Beatles and the Rolling Stones uniting and putting out their best song ever.
Picture a crossover between "Law & Order" and "CSI."
Envision the Chicago Cubs and the Boston Red Sox facing off in the World Series.
"JLA/Avengers" is as big as it gets in the comics world. The four-issue miniseries is a huge adventure in which characters of the Justice League, published by DC Comics, and of the Avengers, put out by rival publisher Marvel, meet.
September 28, 2003 | JLA/A Review in The Star Online
AFTER lying in cold storage in most collectors’ “wish list” for more than two decades, the comic scene’s most-anticipated project has finally materialised. To make sure that we are on the same wavelength, we are (definitely) not talking about a Dark Knight-Catwoman wedding or Franklin Richards sitting for his SATs. Instead what we have here is the ultimate milestone in comic book history – The JLA-Avengers team up!
This tantalising team-up has long fuelled debates in comic forums. Don’t blink; it’s the best of DC and the best of Marvel in one comic. Now that’s a story to tell the grandchildren.
Many thought that it would only materialise if Marvel and DC merged. More so when the “dud” Marvel vs DC project excluded the titanic clash from its score sheet and its “equally dud” sequel Unlimited Access (# 3) made a mockery of the epic encounter.
September 26, 2003 | 'Endless Nights' More Profitable Than JLA/A?
DREAM A LITTLE DREAM
The release of Neil Gaiman’s Sandman: Endless Nights was a huge boost for retailers. The $25 hardcover book sold in quantities that in some locations equaled sales of JLA/Avengers! This has caused a small resurgence of sales on key Sandman issues from its 1989-1996 run. Sandman #1 has been selling at $35 and Sandman #8, the first appearance of Death, is going for $20. Additionally, a huge amount of Sandman merchandise has been selling online as Goths around the world celebrate the return of their hero.
September 23, 2003 | Wolvie & TT in JLA/A
From SunWuKong
WOLVERINE (James Howlett, but goes by the name of "Logan")
art by George Perez.
I just remembered another tidbit regarding JLA/Avengers:
-Wolverine and the Teen Titans will be making an appearance in some shape or form in the later issues.
I should also emphasize that all talks regarding the collected edition are all that, just talk. All members of the team are still busy concentrating on putting out the rest of the series.
That still doesn't stop me from campaigning for an "Absolute" edition for the collected edition. I think that format is perfect for the series. Tom Smith wished fans could see the art in a larger size and George said that DC thinks there is a market for it since the first issue did so well.
(SH) - This month sees the advent of a comic-book miniseries that I can say, without hyperbole, is the most breathlessly awaited superhero book in the history of superhero books! I hope that piques your interest enough that you'll take a little stroll with me down memory lane (don't worry, it'll be painless):
When the Captain was a boy, sometime during the last Ice Age, he would draw his own comic books. Primarily, he would draw comics that would mix the heroes and villains of the two major comic-book companies, who otherwise would never meet.
Those two companies, then as now, are Marvel Comics and DC Comics. Marvel owns characters like Spider-Man, X-Men and Incredible Hulk; DC boasts the likes of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. Like competing television networks, the two companies (and their lawyers) have regularly resisted allowing their characters to "cross over" to meet each other. For decades it was as unthinkable for Superman to meet Spider-Man, as it would be today for the cast of "Friends" to show up on "Law & Order."
ADD: I grew up on George Perez superhero comics, I admit it. I wasn't even in my teens when Perez arrived on Avengers the first time around, bringing with him a slick, dynamic style that even the inking of Vince Colletta (on Perez's first outing) couldn't completely mask. Once a more compatible inker -- Pablo Marcos -- became Perez's regular inker, on both Avengers and Fantastic Four (the only two titles I ever subscribed to), a real era of exciting supergroup comics had dawned for Marvel readers. At least, 12-year old ones like me.
Perez has done a lot between then and now, but the one thing that has always hung over his career like the Sword of Damocles was the aborted, original iteration of this mini-series, which fell victim to disagreement between Marvel and DC after Perez had completed work on nearly two-dozen pages. (Perez discusses the situation in this interview). The original story and those pages of art are not a part of this 2003 incarnation, which is written by Perez's former Avengers colleague Kurt Busiek. Now, I would maintain that Perez mostly fulfills expectations, with plenty of intricate backgrounds and exciting action scenes. The key flaw, and it's a big one, is the paint-by-numbers script by Busiek.
CA: Or, in other words, "the freakin' GRANDMASTER?!"
This first issue, as you say, finds both creators more or less fulfilling expectations, showing the Avengers and Justice League in action, meeting and arguing, showing the differences between the teams, and the general difference in tone between the Marvel and DC Universes. Busiek's worked extensively in both. It's not a bad idea at all for the Flash to arrive on Marvel-Earth (I'm calling it this just for purposes of the review; it's not so designated in the comic) and be horrified by the lynch mob chasing the poor teen mutant. It's a bit of a stretch for Flash to take one mob as representative of the entire population, but okay, we've got a lot to cover and a lot of characters who need face time, so space is limited. There is an amusing joke involving the Justice League reminding the Avengers of the Squadron Supreme, who of course were a Marvel in-joke version of the JLA in the '70s and beyond. I'm ambivalent whether even a lengthy series such as this merits the space given to winks and nods to old fans, since I imagine plenty of newer readers will be drawn in as well. I don't care that much either way, but wish that a better main story was in place.
September 21, 2003 | Baltimore Con Report (Sellers)
GEORGE PEREZ
(21 Sep 03) at
at the Baltimore Con, photo by Sellers
BATMAN VS JLA
art by Jim Lee and George Pérez, photo by Sellers
Baltimore Comic Con 2003 Report Sun, 21 Sep 2003 20:26:31 -0400
written by ES
I had a great time at the con. George wasn't sketching due to Carpel
Tunnel Syndrome (Note: Brace in Photo) but he was signing. I was there
both days and had George sign by Crisis TPB on Saturday and on Sunday a
copy of the More Fun Comic and two copies of JLA/AVENGERS. Even though
George wasn't sketching he was signing up a storm and posing for photos.
Everybody Loves George.
I attended the CrossGen Panel on Saturday. Ron Marz and George talked about THE WAR coming out this spring. Sounds
Great!!! I was unable to attend the JLA/AVENGERS panel due to them
change time slots on Sunday. Sorry No Transcript this time.
I also met a lot of comic creators, some for the first time and
some that I have met before. Tom Brevoort, Frank Cho, Geoff Johns, Karl Kesel, Scott Kollins, Martin Nobel and Family, Howard Porter and Mark
Waid.
Everybody was great!!!
September 22, 2003 | Baltimore Con Report (SunWuKong)
Just got back from the Baltimore Comicon 2003 and, as usual, I had one hell of a time (and hell on my finances). Here's what I can remember from the con regarding Perez:
Crossgen's "The War" is going to be 3 issues long and it's going to be written by Ron Marz. The first issue is going to be solicted in May of 2004. It's going to resolve many storylines in many of the Crossgen titles.
Perez is jubelent about JLA/Avengers first issue success. He says that he can finally clear out is debts and then some. The selling of the art alone is going to provide his wife with a new car! He also is very glad that this series is totally going to be for the fans.
As of today. 1/4 of issue 4 of JLA/Avengers is pen & inked. It looks like it will meet the Dec 31st release date. Perez is very commited to meeting the deadline so that all of the issues will be released before 2004.
There is talk of about what format the collected edition is going to be. Perez said that DC is talking to put it into an "absolute" HC format (which I will lobby to no end!). They also said that the prior JLA/Avengers art might be printed in the collected edition as well.
Perez needs the cover to issue 3 back because he needs to draw 4 more characters in it! It took 3 weeks for him to draw it. Tom Smith was asking fan at the con to find him color references for some of the characters!
I did get one nugget of exclusive info. Hawkeye and Black Canary will meet in issue 3.
That's all I can think of right now. I'll see how much will get back to me later on in the week.
September 21, 2003 | CBG's JLA/A #1 Review
From COMICS BUYER'S GUIDE #1559 (3 Oct 03)
REVIEW: JLA/AVENGERS #1 (of 4) by Maggie Thompson
published in COMICS BUYER'S GUIDE #1559 (3 Oct 03)
website: www.comicsbuyersguide.com
It's here at last: George Pérez and Kurt Busiek's team-up is a feat paralleling the challenge of teaming the DC and Marvel heroes. Out of the two universes, 12 items must be assembled "or countless billions will die." And Pérez will be there to draw each and every one, if that's the way the story goes. As it is, the reader quickly loses count of just how many costumed characters (each and every one meticulously depicted) are already featured.
And it's a spot-the-reference delight, as even such icons as Fin Fang Foom confront heroes from another universe. In a story like this, it's a matter of course that the super-folks will come into conflict - and Busiek sets things up nicely with more complex action to come. And maybe it'll be a little guy who saves the day. Here's rich, exciting story-telling to gladden a true fan's heart.
New Superman/Batman Variant strikes gold; Marvel sporting big numbers
DREAM TEAM
We warned you it was coming. Comic dealers who attended Diamond Comics Distribution’s Ft. Wayne summit received the retailer exclusive cover of Superman/Batman #1. It didn’t take long for those comics to go up for sale. Trading has been very dynamic for these comics, ranging from $100 to $250! Prices seem to be settling in the $175 range.
BIG NUMBERS Marvel announced via a press release that two of their recent books have reached sales numbers that haven’t been seen in the comic book market for a long time. Kurt Busiek and George Perez’s JLA/Avengers #1 reached the 200,000 sales mark! Close behind, Marvel: 1602 #1 sold an estimated 150,000 copies! It’s a sign that the comic book market is very healthy when stores order this many books and still manage to sell out.
Normally, I stay away from industry inside news but this product is so flippin’ good I'll not hesitate to crow about its success.
JLA/Avengers #1 sales have crossed the 200,000 mark, Marvel said. Issues #2 and #4 are being published by DC with #3 coming out from Marvel.
If you haven't picked up a copy yet, do so! Kurt Busiek and George Perez have made the 20-year wait well worth it. More concentrated and fun than Marvel vs. DC, this mini-series promises to make old school super-hero concepts red hot again. Comic fans get to experience the excitement of discovering the heroes and locations of the competing universes through the eyes of those characters crossing the dimensions. Don't miss it!
September 18, 2003 | More JLA/A Breaks 200k Coverage
For a business such as the comic book industry, any positive news these days is coveted and appreciated. Sales have been falling for a decade and books that once sold hundreds of thousands of copies now seem to be barely able to break six figures. So when Marvel Comics announces that over 200,000 copies of JLA/AVENGERS #1 have been published for shipment to the direct market, it's cause for celebration.
Marvel Comics is both proud and encouraged to announce that unprecedented demand has led to the production of over 200,000 copies of JLA/AVENGERS #1 for shipment to the direct market.
It took 20 years of planning and waiting — mostly waiting — but George Perez finally realized his dream project. The cold war between DC Comics and Marvel Comics thawed long enough for him to draw "JLA/Avengers."
Fans have been waiting, too, ever since Perez's first sample art appeared back in the '80s. But the wait was worthwhile, if only because now Kurt Busiek ("Astro City," "Marvels") is around to write the story for Perez to draw. If Perez is the perfect artist for "JLA/Avengers," having done stints on both "Justice League of America" and "The Avengers," then Busiek is the perfect writer for it. He knows more about superheroes than anyone else writing comics today. Together, they are a fanboy's dream team.
Marvel announced that 200,000 copies of JLA/Avengers #1 -- a "mega-event 20 years in the making" -- were produced for shipment to the direct market. Following in the wake are JLA/Avengers #2 from DC, which goes on sale October 22nd, and #3 from Marvel, on sale November 26th.
Marvel says that it has also had success with other recent launches. "Since May, from Wolverine #2 to July's Spectacular Spider-Man #1 to August's 1602 and Supreme Power #1, sales of all our big launches have surpassed our already high expectations," said Marvel Marketing Communications Manager Michael Doran. "And that trend continued into September with JLA/Avengers #1."
Marvel Comics is both proud and encouraged to announce that unprecedented demand has led to the production of over 200,000 copies of JLA/AVENGERS #1 for shipment to the direct market. The George Pérez-Kurt Busiek created mega-event 20 years in the making - which initially went on sale 9/4 – has exceeded all sales expectations for this co-publishing initiative by Marvel and DC Comics. Thanks to the strong support and show of faith by comic book retailers and readers, JLA/AVENGERS #1 has joined the ranks of a small group of modern classics that have captured the imagination of our fans and continue to propel the business forward.
"I knew JLA/AVENGERS was going to do well," said writer Kurt Busiek, "but to have it do THIS well is just amazing. I'm delighted retailers had so much faith in the project, and I'm delighted readers bought 'em all up and sent the retailers back for more. And the reaction we're getting on the series is terrific - it seems like people thought it was well worth the wait, and I'm very glad to have been a part of it."
The Interest in this special once-in-a-lifetime event is also another strong indicator of a growing overall sales phenomenon that began this past spring.
"Since May, from Wolverine #1 to July's Spectacular Spider-Man #1 to August's 1602 & Supreme Power #1, sales of all our big launches have surpassed our already high expectations," said Marvel Marketing Communications Manager Michael Doran. "And that trend continued into September with JLA/AVENGERS #1 and ULTIMATE SIX #1. We're also seeing very positive growth in our other top titles like Ultimate Spider-Man, Ultimate X-Men and New X-Men, and we expect the trend to continue into the fall then straight into the holiday season and into next year. So to the fans and retailers fueling this remarkable run, Marvel would like to say thank you."
"This is great news for everyone in our industry," added Marvel Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada, "...from readers and creators to retailers and publishers. And the even better news is projects like JLA/AVENGERS won't be just the occasional random spike we've seen on the sales charts over the last few years. Marvel has been working tirelessly to raise the bar for the industry and today we can finally see the seeds of those labors bearing fruit. It seems like almost every month the sales ceiling on top-selling titles is being raised and with ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR and MARC SILVESTRI's return to the X-MEN upcoming, we're sure to see more of the same. I fully expect that in the near future the 300K mark is just around the corner."
AVENGERS/JLA #2 goes on sale October 22nd from DC Comics. JLA/AVENGERS #3 goes on sale from Marvel on 11/26 and retailers are reminded its Final Order Cut-off (FOC) date is 10/30. The four-issue prestige format limited series concludes in December with AVENGERS/JLA #4, published by DC.
Greetings, Faithful TalkBackers. Welcome to the TalkBack League of @$$holes Roundtable Review. I am the Moderator, the omniscient and lonely voice of reason haunting the hallowed halls of @$$hole HQ. Every now and again, a comic book comes along that deserves special attention. At these times, the @$$holes gather from the four corners of the globe to discuss, deliberate, and debate about it ad nauseum. JLA/AVENGERS is such a book. Two titans of comic book creation, George Perez and Kurt Busiek, have joined forces to bring together two of the most powerful super teams.
...
MODERATOR: What about the art? Did Perez do a good job handling this plethora of characters? Is there anyone you would've chosen that you think would've handled this book better?
VI: The art was absolutely amazing. The way Perez managed to const-- wait a minute, did you just use the word "plethora"?
VROOM: A plethora of bliss, maybe.
COMEDIAN: Christ, someone get Vroom a bib, he's starting to drool.
BUZZ: No. Busiek is an excellent writer, but the art is the first draw on this one! This is George muther-grabbin’ Perez, one of the greats to emerge from the Bronze Age! George was the young star when I was deep in my Marvel Zombie days and he instantly became king of the team book. AVENGERS, FANTASTIC FOUR, INHUMANS. Later TEEN TITANS.
CORM: I'll tell ya, if we could raise the late, great John Buscema from the grave, I think he'd give Perez a run for his money. Gene Colan (with Tom Palmer inks) would be pretty slick, too. Only problem is that I don't think either of those gents had a great love of the genre, and for a project like JLA/AVENGERS, you need someone who loves superheroes so much *he'd marry them*. And that's Perez. Also, Perez's storytelling strikes a particularly nice blend between classic American "snapshot" storytelling and the more cinematic traditions of the East. He's absolutely the best man for the job.
SUPES: Perez is a great storyteller. No doubting that. I like that he gives each character individual features, but... The main reason I'm not a Perez fan is that Thor has a pig's snout on the cover, and Wonder Woman goes from beautiful to plain in the same issue. Perez doesn't render the character's features consistently. Whatever, it's really unimportant and I'm being superficial. The opening with Eternity holding the Milky Way Galaxy in his hands was absolutely beautiful and cinematic.
BUG: No one. And I mean no one. Draws like Perez. Okay Phil Jimenez does, but he always makes his women characters look mean and witchy. For me, George Perez is THE super hero artist.
SUPES: Can we have a comic book fashion moment? My one irk about this project is Wanda having the Cher "Gypsy, Tramps and Thieves" outfit. I know Perez designed it (horrible), but Busiek is going for classic here. Wanda looks like she would win a prize for the worst perm of the 80's. As a chick reading comics, I've never understood why artists don't peek at Vogue mag once in awhile.
SLEAZY: Call me picky, but I think Perez should draw Emma Peel as Uma. And he should give Connery’s balls more hair and oldness.
The majority of the reviews I've read on JLA/A #1 have been positive, but there are some that did not like it.
You can't really trust critics, you, as a reader, is the best judge of what is good and what is bad.
Anyway, here are some links and excerpts, feel free to email me additional links and/or comments:
>>>
Bureau42.com
posted September 3, 3:05 pm by fiziko
The artwork by George Perez is very much on target. He's got great story-telling skills, and can pack a lot of detail into some very character-filled pages. He's got a huge task to accomplish here, and he's pulled it off. I give it 6 out of 6.
The story is well crafted so far, even if it does use some stock elements. Still, it's hard to avoid some of these given the nature of the material. I give it 5 out of 6, again expecting more from later issues.
JLA/Avengers #1 receives 35 out of 42.
Gamepro.com Friday, September 05, 2003 3:07:07 PM
Review by: Dr. Zombie
This is George Pérez at his finest. He's been quoted in the fan press to say that he wants this to be his defining piece of work and there's no doubt that it will be. There is so much detail, action, characters and elements on every page that it simply boggles the mind. You can't just breeze through this book like you can with most comics or you'll miss the incredible amount of visual details such as Plastic Man's fingers forming the word "Halt", or the cult-favorite monsters of the Marvel's Silver Age such as Fin Fang Foom threatening the JLA. The sheer amount of Marvel and DC characters portrayed is staggering and this is only the tip of the artistic iceberg for Pérez is quoted to say that by the end of this maxi-series, he wants to have portrayed every single JLA and Avengers member ever. That's a LOT of characters, but he's able to render each one individually in both face, shape, and form. No template bodies for this master artist! In an age of computer graphics and enhancements, it’s awesome to see hand-drawn special effects such as people disintegrating, cosmic power blasts, and intricate computer screens and effects as only Pérez can. Of course, all his art would be flat no matter how detailed if not for the incredible colors by longtime collaborator Tom Smith. Just as Pérez needs to draw every little detail of every costume, he's got to break the color palette wide open to render all the costumes encompassing the entire spectrum of colors.
Did anyone have a chance to pick up JLA/Avengers #1 from Busiek and Perez? I have not seen this one yet, so if you have, please start a discussion below to let me know what you think.
September 10, 2003 | Television (NBC) Covers JLA/A
It's a treat for the superhero geek in all of us: publishers Marvel and DC are out this week with JLA/Avengers, a four-issue miniseries 20 years in the making.
Writer Kurt Busiek and artist George Perez are at the controls, as The World's Greatest Superheroes (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, etc.) share the same panels with Earth's Mightiest Heroes (Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, etc.)
Perez, who has tried to get this project completed for the past two decades, turns in what some are saying is his best artwork of his legendary career. Early reviews are generally positive for the series.
A few years back, the comic companies published DC vs. Marvel, but the storyline was more broad and didn't focus on the specific super-teams.
JLA/Avengers is a so-called Prestige Format book. Here's a preview, courtesy Marvel online.
With an estimated 186,000 copies ordered by retailers, JLA/Avengers #1 will certainly be one of 2004’s biggest sellers. Newsarama asked retailers to give some data about how many they ordered, and how the issue is moving. By and large, the answers were “a lot” and “quickly,” respectively.
With a $5.95 cover price, the estimated copies ordered by retailers represent $1,106,700 in retail sales. While the sales of the issue were a given to be very good, many retailers found themselves with a queasy feeling at the amount of money they had to put out to pay their Diamond bill for the week’s shipment. For example, if a retailer ordered 245 copies of issue #1, and even at a 50% discount, they had to pay roughly $728.88 for their copies from Diamond – before they saw a dime of the full retail price from customers. As W. Alan Davis of Silver Bullet Comics said, it all “was a bit scary. I mean, you know they will sell, it's a no-brainer, but until the money started hitting the register, I still kept thinking ‘I paid how much for one book?’”
While the responses from both retailers and customers was overwhelmingly positive, a few retailers pointed out one possible problem in potential sales momentum as well as their own record-keeping: due to the Labor Day holiday in the United States, the first issue hit stores on a Thursday (September 4th) rather than a Wednesday. As many retailers report, one-day shifts in shipping due to a holiday shipping schedule by Diamond often result in slightly altered customer traffic and buying patterns for the week. Or, as Chris Shorb of Third Planet in Torrence, CA said, “Coming out on a holiday, which forces the books to be sold on Thursday is going to fubar any normal sales notes for ‘Wednesday’ sales.”
Perez's artwork is professional and, at times, exciting. He doesn't take the easy ways out. That's the mark of the professional. When faced with two double-page spreads to introduce the two title teams, Perez chooses a dramatic upshot on the Avengers and a lower perspective on the JLA to help emphasize the villains they're both fighting.
I do have some problems with a scattered few figure drawings. Superman's nose on the cover, for starters, looks like it's bent to the right. Thor's nose, just above, is pointed to the right and bent back at the tip. There's a lumpy Flash head that I lost track of already. Superman's head on the second panel three pages from the end looks no better proportioned than what most people would lance into Rob Liefeld for. (Or maybe the problem is Superman's right arm being too bulky?) I can forgive the few minor transgressions, however, on a project of this scale. It features hundreds of characters and has taken nearly two years to finish, as it is. Every now and then someone is going to look askew, and it's a credit to the artist that the occasional quirk sticks out so much.
September 7, 2003 | JLA/A #1 Annotations from Comixfan
With the recent release of the long, long, long awaited JLA/Avengers #1, some fans may not be aware of the vast number of references to characters, places, and events in both the Marvel and DC Universes. To help everyone keep abreast on what's happening in the epic story, the ComiX-Fan staff have taken on the task of compiling an exhaustive and complete list of annotated references to characters, places, and events in both the Marvel and DC Universes. To help everyone keep abreast on what's happening in the epic story, the ComiX-Fan staff have taken on the task of compiling an exhaustive and complete list of annotated references.
Hopefully, this'll be of some help to Marvel fans who don't know the DC Universe and DC fans who don't know the Marvel Universe. It's still a work in progress so bear with me!!
September 2nd, 2003 - The 9/5 issue of Entertainment Weekly's "Listen to This" section features three DC titles!
(excerpt)
An A- For JLA/AVENGERS!
The lead review is on the penultimate DC-Marvel cross-over JLA/AVENGERS. Comparing the cross-over to Freddy vs. Jason, writer Tom Russo gives the landmark miniseries an A- and states "writer Kurt Busiek offers some deft contrasts between the turmoil-filled Marvel universe....and the comparatively rosier world of DC. Perez supplies the art, and his fantastically detailed old-school line work has only grown finer over time."
What happened this month? We went back and tracked the number of titles that were sold out, and August just went crazy. I counted 12 DC books that sold out, and the largest number we found for any other month in the last year was three. What happened in August?
I think August is when a lot of changes we've done editorially in the DC Universe hit critical mass. I also think that we've continued to have some other successes, in particular the return of Planetary from WildStorm, the launch of Arrowsmith, Y, and Fables from Vertigo, the build-up to Sandman: Endless Nights. I also think we had a lot of momentum we picked up just from talking to consumers at Comicon International in San Diego with our booth there, and with the same type of interaction with fans at Wizard World Chicago. I think everything that's changed as far as the quality of the books, and the retailers' expectations of the books, and the fans' expectations of the books has all kind of come to a critical point here at the end of the summer and going into the fall. And with Sandman: Endless Nights coming up and with at least two issues of JLA Avengers coming up that we're in charge of, we're very enthusiastic looking into September and October and beyond.
September 6, 2003 | JLA/A #1 Original Art For Sale
So everyone from around the world will have an opportunity to see the issue prior to the pages being made available (and as per George's wishes), the Pages from Issue 1 will not be available for order until Sometime on Wednesday September 10. The information will be placed online sometime that day, though at no specific time. Any orders received prior to the prices being posted will not be accepted. Please note that all pages are unlettered (no lettering is on the board).
All orders will be taken on a first come/first serve basis. Orders will be accepted via e-mail only. The time stamp on the e-mails is the best most accurate way to ensure whose e-mail came first. This is the fairest way to ensure everyone has an equal opportunity.
The pages are for sale immediately. These are not pre-orders.
No covers will be offered at this time. The covers will be sold in the near future. Watch this space for future details.
All orders related to JLA-Avengers will have confirmation e-mails sent out as soon as possible.
Payment is required to be received by The Artist's Choice within 7 business days of the confirmation request going out. No exceptions to this policy. If after 7 days the payment is not received, the page will go back up for sale. Accepted forms of payment are personal & business checks (which must clear the bank before artwork will be shipped), certified checks, cashier's checks, money orders and Western Union. For International Orders, payment methods accepted are Money Orders in American Funds, Checks drawn from American Banks or Western Union. Shipping and Handling are in addition to the cost of the art. No Credit Cards or Paypal accepted.
Each subsequent issue will be offered approximately 1 week after the book comes out on the stands in the USA.
There are a few exceptions to note for future issues:
For those who may be interested in complete issues, this will not be possible. One person who did a tremendous personal favor for George and his family has been afforded the opportunity to purchase either Issue # 2 or Issue # 4 complete with the corresponding cover. If that person chooses not to, than those pages will be made available for sale in the same fashion as Issue # 1.
Issue # 3 contains several people George knows or whom he chose to draw into the story as he saw fit. For the specific pages in question, those people will have first opportunity to buy those pages. If they pass, then they will be available for sale as well through the website in the same manner as all other pages.
If questions about any of these policies, please e-mail me at SpencerBck@aol.com with any questions
Comic creators weigh in on the JLA/Avengers fights they can’t wait to see
WIZARD: THE COMICS MAGAZINE #144
(Sep 2003)
JLA/Avengers is a miniseries 20 years in the making. So with the first issue finally hitting stands this week, even the buzz amongst the comic community was at an all-time high. Everyone from Greg Rucka to Judd Winick to Geoff Johns and more had a matchup they'd love to see, so Wizard gave these guys a call to find out just what they are.
BATMAN vs. CAPTAIN AMERICA
“When [former Green Arrow writer] Brad Meltzer and I were attending the University of Michigan, he sat with me one night while I was inking a pile of comic strips for our school newspaper. We planned the JLA/Avengers battle and who would win. We agreed on most, disagreed on Hulk and Superman, but felt that of course Batman would beat Captain America, because Batman would cheat. Education at its finest.” - Outsiders and Green Arrow writer Judd Winick
SUPERMAN vs. THOR
“You’re not going to beat the Man of Steel. Thor’s got a bigger family, he can get anybody down from Asgard to come down and lend him a hand, but Superman can move the world. Did you see in DC Comics Presents, he’s up there on a mountain, [artist José] Garcia Lopez’s got that drawing of him pushing the world back into orbit? Please! [Laughs]” - Hawkman artist Rags Morales
RED TORNADO vs. VISION
“Red Tornado and Vision should prove really interesting. Of course, even though I like Tornado, Vision is gonna trounce on him. Air elemental or whatever, Vision will tear him limb from limb. His density powers, solar beams—phasing alone will make any wind Tornado might whip up useless.” - Avengers and Flash writer Geoff Johns
GREEN ARROW vs. HAWKEYE
“They both have bows and arrows, it seems natural. I think Green Arrow would win; he gave up on those trick arrows and he’s got those really sharp ones. He’ll happily put them through anybody who gets in his way. [Laughs]” - Wolverine writer Greg Rucka
ZATANNA vs. SCARLET WITCH (AND THE ENTIRE AVENGERS)
“Oh, Zatanna. She can do anything she can think of [as long as she says it] backwards. “Maybe they should define those abilities a little better, but they haven’t. Zatanna vs. the Avengers, that’s it. She says, ‘You’re all a bunch of nice bunnies’ backwards, and they’re all a bunch of nice bunnies! That’s it!” - Fables writer Bill Willingham
Don't forget, Wizard wants your opinion as well! JLA/Avengers: Does it live up to the hype? Give us your thoughts on the most anticipated comic book crossover of all-time. Just click here or on theimage to the right to drop us a line.
> Just curious what stages of production are:
> Issue #2
> Issue #3
> Issue #4
> at?
I've never been much for sharing the trafficking schedule with the readers -- I'd rather have you focus as much as possible on the story and the characters and as little as possible on the mechanics of putting lines on paper.
#3's being lettered, inked and colored, #4's being scripted and penciled.
George Pérez was born to draw this series, and while the wait between the announcement of this crossover, and the actual arrival of this first issue was certainly a lengthy one, I'm pleased to learn that most of the issues are already in the can, so to speak, as now that this train is moving, I don't want it to have to endure any waiting along the way. George Pérez offers up some of his most detail intensive work since Crisis, and you can clearly see he's invested his heart and soul into this project, as each and every panel offers up something to either discover, or admire. Now of course the big appeal of a book with art by George Pérez is that he's one of the few artist who can deliver an army of characters in a clear, exciting manner, and he certainly doesn't disappoint, as this issue offers up two large scale battles, and in addition to the truly magnificent double-page spread that open these sequences, there's also some wonderful little moments as well, from the Flash's rock barrage, to the wonderfully ominous shot of the rain of Starros reflected in Iron Man's face-plate. The double-page shot where the two teams finally meet face to face is also well worth the wait, as not only is it a poster worthy image, but the background cityscape is a truly wonderful display of how much care & attention to detail George Pérez employs. Then there's the money shot of the entire issue, as we see Thor does something that is sure to get fandom buzzing.
JLA/Avengers #1
Off the Presses, Scoop, Friday, September 05, 2003
Marvel Comics; $5.95
How could this one possibly be worth the wait? Well, it just is.
Fans (and even other professionals) have been waiting for two decades for this mini-series to happen. Ever since it was squashed editorially twenty years ago - and in truth, even for a long time before that - readers have speculated what would happen if the World's Greatest Super Heroes met Earth's Mightiest Heroes.
Some projects and their creators need no introduction. JLA/Avengers and writer Kurt Busiek (and oh yeah, artist George Perez). The first issue of this 20-years-in-the-making four-part miniseries comes out tomorrow. SBC asked Busiek a few questions and he answered them.
Tim O’Shea: You're a writer who clearly has a great deal of ideas (the amount of subplots, characters and "little moments" that you jam in a standard 22-page comic assures folks seemingly get their money's worth). With that in mind, did you find yourself wishing you had more pages/issues to work with, so that you could fit in more characters or character interactions?
Kurt Busiek: Always. We went into this knowing there was no way to fit it into the 48 pages an intercompany crossover usually gets, so we expanded it, making it 4 issues -- 192 pages. But with so many characters, so many opportunities so much of a rich legend to explore in the case of both teams, let's face it -- we could have gone 24 issues and there'd still be more cool stuff to do. Turn it into a regular monthly book, and I doubt I'd have run out of material by #50.
It's the JLA and the Avengers. There's a lot to work with.
TO: As a long time fan of these characters, in addition to being a creator of comics, do you think you'll be able to step aside and just enjoy the work itself as a consumer? What I mean is, while you've written the story, there's something unique about seeing those words turned into sequential art drama, particularly when drawn by the likes of Perez. Will you be able to step out of the role as a creator and enjoy the book as a reader yourself?
KB: It's wonderful to see the pages come in from George, to see the colors from Tom, the lettering come in from Comicraft and see the story come to life on the page, but that's still a different thing from experiencing it as a reader. I can't ever divorce myself fully from the process and come to a book I've written as if I'm just completely a reader. Maybe in ten years, twenty years, I can get some idea of it, but I'm one of the guys that built it -- that just gives us a different perspective.
WHY IT'S COOL?
Two legendary superteams, two superstar creators, 20 pages - after two decades, the most anticipated comic book crossover of all time has finally arrived. Need we say more?
IN ISSUE 1
DC and Marvel are pretty tight lipped about the details, but by the end Perez will have penciled every single member from both the JLA and Avengers and the story will have featured hundreds of characters - both hero and villain - from both universes! By Kurt Busiek and George Perez. $5.99
September 3, 2003 | JLA/A #1 Available in Canada
From Brett Weston
Just thought I'd drop you a line. I live in Victoria BC Canada and I just picked up the first issue of JLA/Avengers today from my local comic store.
I expected comics to not arrive until Thursday, due to the Monday holiday, but I guess we got lucky.
It truly looks awesome. I'm a huge Perez fan and this is some of his best work. I used to think his New Teen Titans/Wonder Woman work was the best, but this is amazing. It's pretty obvious he put his heart & soul into this project.
I just want to give you a heads up that I will doing a Avengers /JLA #1 signing at Zapp Comics in the Freehold Raceway mall in Freehold, NJ next Saturday from 11 AM to 5 PM .
Stop on in if you live in NJ or NY and get your books signed and or just to say Hi.
Call the store for more info or directions ..(732) 866-6655
Avengers/JLA Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2003 5:33 pm by wrighty47
Just been rereading the page about the new Batman comic from Panini Comics
and noticed that the forthcoming Avengers/JLA crossover is set to appear in AU, starting in issue 33. Now I for one think this is excellent news, to get this series so quickly (issue 1 still isn't out in the Sataes). I don't know how it will effect any continuity, or if the mini-series is indeed set in continuity, but to be honest, I don't really care. To get such a prestigious series released in the UK so quickly is an excellent coup for Panini, and I hope the series is as good as hoped for and brings them the extra sales the move deserves.
So, next issue Alan Davis takes over the art, Hulk guest stars, kind of (gee, he's getting everywhere these days!) and it seems that Quicksilver and Silverclaw will be guest starring... for one issue at least. Can't wait!
And of course, this issue confirms that AU#33 will indeed be reprinting the JLA/Avengers mini-series. I'm very excited about this - don't really have the time and money to pick up any DC stuff, so would have otherwise overlooked it. But, with Busiek and Perez at the helm, you just know it will be great! Counting down....
PLEASE NOTE: Due to the Labor Day holiday, U.S. (including
Puerto Rico) and International accounts will receive their
product on Thursday, September 4. Canadian delivery
of shipments will be made on Wednesday, September 3.
Also from Comics Continuum at Wizard World, is news of the culmination of the cross story of the entire CrossGen comics coming Spring 2004. George Perez will be drawing The War, a mini-series from CrossGen Entertainment next spring that CEO Mark Alessi said will result in characters dying and books being canceled. The War will see the heroes of the CrossGen Universe colliding with the denizens of the twisted Negation Universe in all-out combat.
==========================
Page 5
Speaking of George Perez, the first issue of Avengers/JLA crossover with pencil and ink by George Perez and written by Kurt Busieck is due out soon. Issue #1 will be in the stores September 3rd published by Marvel, 48 pages for $5.59. DC will publish issue #2 October 22nd.
Here’s a shot from page 5 of the first issue of the series where the Marvel character of Eternity ponders "There Once Was A Universe…" and the "Journey Into Mystery" begins. Catchy title – seems I heard that one somewhere before…
If you haven't been paying attention, all of the major comic book websites are showing off Marvel's official release of the first 7 pages of JLA/AVENGERS #1.
The
long wait is over. After more than two decades since the project was
first proposed, JLA/Avengers will finally see the light of day this
September courtesy of writer Kurt Busiek and artist George Pérez.
ComiX-Fan Staff Writer Erwin Rafael recently caught up with Busiek to
talk about his experiences writing the most anticipated Marvel/DC
crossover event ever.
"Feels pretty good," Busiek said about being appointed for the coveted
job. "In part, I have to figure I was in the right place at the right
time - I was the regular writer on Avengers and the regular writer on
JLA {Mark Waid} had just signed an exclusive with CrossGen - but if they
didn't figure I could handle the job, they wouldn't have given it to me.
And George and I have certainly shown that we work well together. But it
does feel like quite an accomplishment to be the guy tapped to write a
monster assignment like this. When I broke in to comics, I never
imagined I'd be doing top books - a run on Iron Man was about the height
of my dreams. So I went a little farther than I'd expected..."
Busiek is well known for his love of the Avengers, and it appears that
he's a fan of the JLA as well. "I'm a pretty big fan of the characters
and of the concept - I like the traditions of the team. And I've been a
big fan of the book at various periods, most notably Len Wein's and
Steve Englehart's turns as writer. I also like the Giffen League a lot,
though I think it strays from the core concept of the series, but
manages to create its own identity and have a lot of fun along the way."
While a lot of fans are excited about the project, some naysayers
believe that JLA/Avengers would turn out to be yet another generic
Marvel vs DC crossover. "If they really want to decide what's in the
book ahead of time, I really can't stop them," responded Busiek, "but
I'd suggest to anyone that instead of making up your mind that it's
going to suck - OR that it's going to be the greatest thing since
Belgian waffles - take a look, give it a read, see how we do."
"What's
special about this book? It's the Avengers and the Justice League,
together after so long, in a big, sprawling cosmic adventure that takes
200 pages to tell. It's got art by George Pérez, and a story by some
moron who's managed to do okay in the past. What's not special about that?"
After 20 years in the making, one of the most long-awaited and eagerly-anticipated events in comic book history is just 3 weeks away, with the release of JLA/Avengers #1, the debut issue of the epic four-issue Prestige Format limited series co-published by Marvel and DC Comics.
Written by Kurt Busiek and illustrated by George Pérez, the series fea ...
CARLIN ON JLA 08-08-2003 01:04 PM posted by MattBrady
The times, they are a changin’ for the Justice League of America. As DC announced in San Diego, a spin-off title is coming, while rotating creative teams will handle the main title. We caught up with JLA editor Mike Carlin for a roadmap.
Carlin inherited the series as a result of the editorial restructuring that went on at DC earlier this year which saw former JLA editor Dan Raspler fired by the publisher, and Carlin stepping down from VP – Executive Editor to Senior group Editor.
(excerpt)
“With a spin-off and double shipping for six months at least, there’s going to be a lot of JLA projects out there, which I think is part of what we’ve been wanting for years on the title – to capitalize on something where clearly, there’s room for more. Obviously, if we put out a bunch of stinkers, it’s not going to help, but I think that if we can put out five Batman books and four Superman books every month with just the one character in them, why can’t we just do two Justice League books a month every now and then.
“And obviously, I think JLA/Avengers is going to satisfy the world. It will sell, but it will satisfy as well, which is not always the case. People have been waiting a long time for this, and it could have easily been something that was ruined by anticipation, but I really think that Kurt and George have hit the mark. I think it’s going to be great. Hopefully, that will help to whet people’s appetites for a little more JLA than they’ve seen in a while – and we’ve got that covered.”
JLA/AVENGERS #1 COLOR GUIDE
art by George Pérez, colored by Tom Smith
From the color artist's own collection.. Attention !! George Pérez /Tom Smith/Avengers /JLA fans, You have loved the comics, Now you can own the color guide. This is the 1 of a kind cover color guide for Avengers / JLA #1. This full size 11" by 17" George Pérez/Tom Smith color guide comes signed by color artist.."me.". Tom Smith.
Color Guides are the actual hand painted coloring done for the comic/cover by the colorist of the comic. It is only one of a kind and really used in the process of coloring the cover or page of the comic. You can also have it personalized to you. S&H is paid by buyer. US money orders or Paypal preferred.
Note: This is not the Original B&W art painted but the fully painted XEROX color guide art used in the process of coloring the page/cover. A full description of What color guide art is..... Color guides are used in the process in which comics are colored. The original black & white art is copied and then the copy "color guide" is then painted with dyes, markers, and sometimes watercolor by the colorist and used as a guide /rough idea of what the final computer colored file / page or cover will look like. It is on 11 "by 17" XEROX paper and is only one of a kind original color art and really used in the process of coloring the cover or page of the comic. It is buy one of the creative team of artists of the comic "Colorist Tom Smith" whose name appears on the credits page with the rest of the artists. It is also signed by him.
Jay McKiernan: Now let’s get to the big one: JLA / Avengers. This might just be the most anticipated book of the year, and that’s saying a lot considering 1602 is coming out soon. How did this project come about and how were you approached?
Kurt Busiek: JLA/AVENGERS was originally slated to come out in 1982 or 1983, but rather famously fell apart over editorial disagreements and communication problems between Marvel and DC. Over the years since, every now and then, either Marvel would approach DC about trying again, or DC would approach Marvel, and each time the other side didn't want to do it for one reason or another. So it kept not happening and it became something of a holy grail for superhero buffs -- a legendary "lost project." A few years ago, shortly after DC had approached Marvel again, Joe Quesada became editor in chief at Marvel, and started looking into why it hadn't been done. To Brevoort outlines for him the various attempts over the years and why they'd fallen apart, and Joe said, "Well, none of that applies now. Let's do it."
So Tom contacted whoever at DC had made the latest overture, and the project got rolling.
George Perez was the obvious and only choice as artist, since he'd been the artist on it the first time around, he's considered one of the all-time greats among superhero artists, and he was just coming off an acclaimed run on AVENGERS. At the time, I was writing AVENGERS and Mark Waid was writing JLA, so the easiest thing would be for the two of us to co-write, but Mark had just signed an exclusive deal with CrossGen about a week before JLA/AVENGERS became a go project, so the book got offered to me solo. For which I will always be grateful to both Mark Waid and Mark Alessi.
JM: Was it difficult to work on this book, feeling the pressure because of all the expectations, or was it very easy to get a handle on this mini-series?
KB: We knew that there was enormous expectation out there, but we also knew that there was no way we were going to meet it all -- no matter what we do, some readers are going to be disappointed. So we just made sure we'd have enough room to do a big, sprawling project where we could go places that maybe the readers weren't expecting, tried to come up with a storyline worthy of the two teams, and stopped worrying about it. The pressure's there whatever we do, so it's not too much of a factor.
Beyond that, I'm familiar with both teams, and am working with good editors and a top-notch artist. So some of it was tricky, some was easy, but we came up with what we think is a sweeping and enjoyable adventure with a lot of scope, a lot of action, room for character stuff and a few surprises. With any luck, the readers will have at least as much fun with it as we did.
JM: Did the presence of George Perez as the artist make this much easier? You had a great working relationship with him on the Avengers and did that continue with this book?
KB: Absolutely. After three years of working with George, I have enormous faith in his storytelling abilities -- I know that I can give him pages I wouldn't dare give to another penciler, and he'll make them work. I also know a lot about what he most likes to draw and what he doesn't, and he knows that I trust him, that he can take the story and rework it, staging it his way as long as it tells the underlying story. So yeah, that familiarity and experience gave us a very solid grounding. Plus, George is very much the 800-pound gorilla on this book -- polite and considerate, but he's indispensable to the project, and having George saying, "I want to do it this way" made it easier to set it up the way we wanted it.
MY JLA/AVENGERS DIARY By George Pérez
As told to Mike Cotton
transcribed by Vu
Comic's ultimate crossover has been 20 years in the making, and with the project debuting in September, the artist details the challenges, the exhilaration and how he almost called it quits.
WIZARD ZERØ #0
JLA/AVENGERS #1
I've waited my entire life for one day - the day JLA/Avengers became reality.
Sure, for the last two years, I've been drawing the JLA/Avengers match-up pitting the classic superteams from the rival publishers DC and Marvel Comics. And after pushing for 20 years, a handful of false starts, scuttled plans and missteps, I wasn't sure if JLA/Avengers was ever going to see the light of day.
Back in 1983 we came close. I actually drew 21 pages of a JLA/Avengers one-shot, but company policies and editorial wrangling torpedoed the project before I ever put pencil to paper on page 22.
And, of course, there were always rumors. A comic convention ever went by when someone didn't asking me, "When are you going to do JLA/Avengers?" over the years, the project took on mythical proportions with expectations and speculation rising with each passing year. And if it were up to me, I would've done it in a second. But when you're dealing with the two biggest publishers in comics (and some of the biggest egos to boot), nothing's easy.
But today, June 27, 2003, as I finished off the inks (did I mention, I'm penciling and inking the entire series?) on issue #3, I can hardly believe JLA/Avengers is almost complete.
This is my diary from the first time I seriously began talking to Marvel and DC about the updated version of the crossover. Everything from the first phone calls in 1999 to today as I review the colors of the Batman/Captain America fight. If you think you know everything there is to know about the new JLA/Avengers, think again.
>>>
Martian Manhunter & JLA
FALSE START
Jan 10, 1999 - I've been approached on and off over the years about a JLA/Avengers project. But now that both JLA, with Grant Morrison and Howard Porter, is successful, and Avengers is successful under Kurt Busiek and myself, it looks like we might get a shot at actually doing the series. Kurt and Tom Brevoort believe it's a perfect time. Now that these two books are hot, why don't we start negotiating it? Everyone is a little concern that I won't have time to draw the regular Avengers series and the crossover, so we decide it just take place in both regular series and I'll draw the Avengers half with Howard drawing the JLA half. It's a terrible monster to coordinate, though.
Apr 15, 2000 - Thankfully, Marvel and DC have cased negotiations. No one wants to do this series more than I do, but I don't think Grant really had any enthusiasm to do a crossover book like this. I'd rather draw the entire thing myself. This is my baby and I don't want anyone else breast feeding her.
Aug 5, 2000 - Now that Mark Waid's been tapped to write JLA, there's been talk of working out another crossover with Mark and Kurt co-writing it. But this time, I'll draw the entire series. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Aug 28, 2000 - I finish my last issue of Avengers today. I'd hope to be working on JLA/Avengers by now, but who knows when that will happen.
Sep 3, 2000 - Joe Quesada took over as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics a few days ago. I am a little disappointed when I called to congratulate him and he tells me that he isn't interested in doing any more crossovers with DC. Joe feels that the novelty of inter-company crossovers has been diluted by the recent glut of such projects. I can't really disagree. Even I wrote one, the Silver Surfer/Superman crossover in 1997! Joe doesn't dash all of my hopes though. According to him there's one crossover he'd do - JLA/Avengers. He also says that the project's mine if he can get it approved. He says he'll keep me informed. I won't hold my breath.
Oct 5, 2000 - I just started doing CrossGen Chronicles and Mark Alessi calls me today to ask if I'd be interested in working for his company full time. I'm seriously considering his offer, but with JLA/Avengers being talked about again, I'm not sure if I want to lock myself down in an exclusive contract with CrossGen even though it's very enticing.
Oct 18, 2000 - Both DC and Marvel have now expressed interest in having me pencil JLA/Avengers, but no one's even started talking about contracts yet. Also Mark [Waid] just signed an exclusive with CrossGen , so Kurt would have to write it solo. I wonder if this is just going to turn into another debacle.
Nov 22, 2000 - I've informed Marvel and DC that if I don't receive a written agreement by Dec 15, I'll sign and exclusive contract with CrossGen and won't be able to work on JLA/Avengers for at least two years.
FIRST THINGS FIRST… written by Mike Cotton
What happened with the 1983 JLA/Avengers crossover?
In the early 1980s, it looked like nothing could stop a JLA/Avengers crossover- nothing but Marvel and DC Comics.
Following up on a very successful string of crossovers like 1976's Superman vs Spider-Man and 1982's X-Men/New Teen Titans, Marvel and DC agreed to a JLA/Avengers one-shot crossover.
Gerry Conway plotted the story and George Pérez was assigned to pencil it, but before long, problems began to surface that would eventually torpedo the project. Conway's initial plot, which reportedly revolved around time travel and set the JLA/Avengers up in a Contest of Champions-style competition, took almost two years to complete.
By February of 1983, though, Marvel Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter was finally able to review a plot - he refused it flatly, claiming the story made no sense.
Everyone agreed that a revised plot was needed. Unfortunately, no one told that to Pérez who began drawing the rejected plot.
"It was excruciatingly annoy," says Pérez today, the only person to work on both the original one-shot and the current four-issue crossover shipping in September. "I drew 21 pages before I got the call to stop penciling immediately."
Eventually writer Roy Thomas re-scripted the initial plot but the infighting between Marvel & DC's editorial teams put the project in jeopardy.
Everyone from Pérez to Thomas to Shooter did interviews about the project's continued delays and by May of 1984 both published officially scuttled the one-shot.
GO TIME
Dec 15, 2000 - I finally received the contract for JLA/Avengers and I inform Mark Alessi I will go exclusive with CrossGen as of October 2002.
Jan 17, 2001 - While Kurt, Tom and Dan [Raspler] work on a plot, I work on the first promo art for a joint announcement at March's Orlando Megacon and Wizard #116 in March. I can hardly believe I'm being paid for an actual piece of artwork for JLA/Avengers. This isn't a fan commission - this is the real deal!
Mar 2, 2001 - By the time we all get together in Orlando to announce the project, everyone was already talking about it. I guess a project this big can't be kept under wraps for too long. And since Marvel and DC already announced they'd be co-hosting a panel, most fans and pros have already put two and two together.
It eases my mind a little bit now that everyone knows JLA/Avengers is a go again. Now that DC and Marvel have put their collective reputations on the line, I don't see anything holding this project back anymore.
Mar 24, 2001 - as expected the plot is taking a long time to be approved. I'm already receiving pieces, but I can't get a real feel for the story without everything. I like what I see so far, though.
Apr 6, 2001 - Wizard wants to run the first art from JLA/Avengers, so I'm jumping ahead of my work to push through the pencils and inks on the first two double-page spreads. I can't wait for fans to get a look at this stuff. So far, I haven't drawn any pages of the JLA and Avengers interacting, so we picked out pages of the JLA fighting a major Marvel Villain (Terminus) and the Avengers taking on a major DC villain (Starro).
Apr 8, 2001 - There's so many characters in this series, I'm doing research like crazy. I literally couldn't remember what Terminus looked like today!
Apr 15, 2001 - Marvel and DC have a very different vision of what the coloring on JLA/Avengers should look from mine and Tom Smith's. I feel bad that Tom's caught in the middle.
Apr 20, 2001 - I am growing increasingly annoyed with the coloring on the two spreads we're sending Wizard for their "First Look". When I voice my displeasure to Tom and Dan both decide that Tom Smith and myself are more than welcome to make any grievances public. I guess no one wants to be the person who has to go to their bosses and say, "I'm the one responsible for George Pérez quitting this book."
May 3, 2001 - I just finished page #21 of the first issue. As I wrote "JLA/Avengers issue #1, page #22" on the next art board, I realized this is further than this project has ever gone before. I called Tom Brevoort immediately to celebrate. This is a landmark day!
May 17, 2001 - The plots are slowing down and I don't think it's Kurt's fault. Dan Raspler doesn't want to approve anything until he gets a complete plot. I'm getting annoyed. He seemed to be very indecisive and that's something we can't allow with a project this big.
May 21, 2001 - Since a holdup in plot approval doesn't allow me to continue penciling, I start to ink what I've already penciled for issue #1. I want this project to be "all George Pérez", a complete representation of my art.
Jun 7, 2001 - Now that issue #1 is penciled and I'm halfway through penciling issue #2, DC's business department want to have a firm date when JLA/Avengers will ship, but that's impossible at this point. There's no way this book should have a ship date until we know it can ship. I tell Marvel and DC that I'll walk away from the project if they don't hold to their word when they said, "JLA/Avengers will ship when JLA/Avengers is ready to ship."
Jun 18, 2001 - I work on the first meeting between the JLA and Avengers today, and Thor cracks Superman with his hammer in a scene that's going to be huge! I would expect no less from Kurt!
Jul 10, 2001 - As I'm inking the last pages of issue #1, I learn I'm going to have to go back and redraw Green Lantern's costume. DC recently updated his look and it'll need to be reflected. After speaking with everyone involved, we agree that this will be the last costume change we make. If costumes or characters change from now on, they won't be reflected in the crossover.
Aug 1, 2001 - With the pencils on issue #2 almost complete, I make preparations to take a brief vacation to France with my wife this September. I look forward to taking some time off.
Sep 11, 2001 - As my wife and I prepare to go to the airport we hear the news about the World Trade Center disaster. I can't believe any of this. We cancel our trip.
THE NIGHT SHIFT
Jan 5, 2002 - Looking over my bank records, I realized that I'm losing about 30 percent of my income now that I'm only working on JLA/Avengers. I'm very worried about bankruptcy, I've called my art dealer and he's set me up doing some commissions pieces to help out.
Jun 3, 2002 - The plans for my new CrossGen book, Solus, haven't been finalized yet, so I've got a one-month reprieve to work on JLA/Avengers. Plot approval remains slow. I'm at a stand still on issue #3 pencils, and I continue inking #2.
Batman Vs Captain America
Aug 20, 2002 - I draw the Batman versus Captain America fight today. This one will make the fanboys go crazy!
Oct 1, 2002 - My CrossGen contract has gone back into effect. From now on, I'll only work on JLA/Avengers at night and on weekends. I'm still penciling and inking issue #3. I'm jazzed to be working on Solus with Barbara Kesel, but I wish I had a little more time to devote to JLA/Avengers.
Mar 7, 2003 - I can't ever recall working longer days. I work on JLA/Avengers off the clock constantly. Even when I sti down to watch TV with my wife these, I find myself bring a board and pen with me to finish the inks on issue #3.
Apr 23, 2003 - We're in the home stretch. Although the final plot is still being worked on, I begin penciling the first third of the JLA/Avengers #4. We decide to solicit the project for September - the first issue debuting Sep 3 - and I'm confident we can meet that deadline, but it's still going to be tight. We may have to go to a six-week shipping schedule, but I'm sure each issue will be worth the wait.
Jun 27, 2003 - Now that we're less than three months away from shipping issue #1, I've finally got some breathing room. Although most of my week is taken up working on Solus, the pencils on JLA/Avengers #4 are coming along nicely and the inks on issue #3 are almost done.
Looking back, this has been one of the most enjoyable and creative experiences of my 30-year career. People ask me how I feel and I tell them to get back to me Sep 3, I'll feel a lot better then.
DC's Director of Sales and Marketing, Patricia Jeres, said that the company could not go into any detail on the JLA/Avengers mini-series. When asked why, she replied, "It's a collaborative project with Marvel. Without a Marvel presence here at the con, we can't say anything because they have to know what's being said." Gather what you can from that, but at least we know that this is a very serious project.
In a notable show of restraint, DC Comics managed to have a major panel Sunday at Comic-Con International in San Diego without mentioning yet another Marvel Comics creator that they'd managed to lure over to DC exclusivity with a better offer (presumably including a fat Warner Brothers check).
(excerpt)
And while "JLA/Avengers" #4 is still being penciled by George Pérez, the first issue is already at the printers, and the other issues are at stages in between, but "it's really happening this time," writer Kurt Busiek said.
(Mike) Carlin said that issue #1 of Avengers/JLA is at the printers, while issues #2 and #3 are bring lettered and colored. Issues #3 and #4 are being scripted, and issue #4 is currently being penciled by Perez.
(Vu: I believe it was Kurt Busiek that spoke about JLA/AVENGERS, not Mike Carlin.)
In speaking about Avengers/JLA, moderator Bob Wayne quipped that people should hurry and buy issue #1 (published by Marvel), because he anticipates it will be gone by the end of the day. Wayne then said that, in October, people can take their time in getting their issue, because DC is printing it (hinting that they will be overprinting). Wayne continued, saying that hopefully people won’t have family obligations in November, because they’ll have to get to the comic book store to get their copy of issue #3 (published by Marvel), but in December, people can once again take their time in getting to the shop for issue #4.
“So, in summary,” Wayne said, “Avengers/JLA, two issues hard to find, two issues very easy to find.”
One of the biggest upcoming events from DC and Marvel comics is the crossover of their icons in Avengers/JLA. The miniseries begins this September and features tons of heroes, lots of action, and adventure. Written by Kurt Busiek with art by George Perez, this series is sure to thrill mainstream superhero fans. Perez commented this may be his last “mainstream hurrah” here.
JLA/Avengers is nearing its publication date in September and THE PULSE thought it was the perfect opportunity to catch up with Busiek and ask him a few quick questions about his thoughts on the series. Was this a Holy Grail? If not what is? Why should you spend your hard earned money on this crossover of epic proportions? Busiek offers answers to all this and more ...
THE PULSE: How does it feel to be so close to finally having an issue in hand of this series?
KURT BUSIEK: Pretty damn good. It's been a long road, but seeing color proofs of #1's artwork, seeing it all put together as *comics*, was a real treat. Seeing it printed and bound will be even more so -- particularly since that's when we start to find out whether the audience *likes* this monster we've been building for years...
THE PULSE: Was this like your comics holy grail of projects you always dreamed of doing? How is the reality to what you thought it would be like?
BUSIEK: No, actually, I never really dreamed of doing JLA/AVENGERS -- I never expected to be the guy they'd tap to do it, when and if it ever happened. I'd come up with a scenario or two, just for fun, but hey, I was bowled over when I got offered AVENGERS in the first place. To be in the right place at the right time, and get offered JLA/AVENGERS too was nothing I ever expected was going to happen.
Back when I was a wanna-be pro, my holy grail, the book I wanted to write more than any other, was X-MEN. I got over that years ago, though, and have been having fun doing all kindsa stuff.
THE PULSE: Which characters have been your favorite to have interact from each team?
BUSIEK: Nice try. I'm looking forward to people coming to this without a whole lot of insider information -- just letting 'em wait and see what happens, rather than giving tidbits away before they read it.
THE PULSE: If you had to give the pitch of why people should check this out … what would your pitch be?
BUSIEK: It's the JLA, it's the Avengers, it's George Perez with the pedal to the metal, drawing the book he was born to draw, and it's been twenty years of waiting. That's enough, I think -- if you don't want that, then this ain't the project for you.
If you like my stuff, hey, that's cool too -- but I think "JLA. Avengers. Perez. Finally." pretty well covers it.
Newsarama: Well, I was thinking more along the lines of an early 19th century British orphanage with fans saying, “Please, sir, may I have some more?”…
Kurt Busiek: What I've just outlined will keep me busy on Astro City for quite a while. Beyond that, Carlos Pacheco and I are just now launching Arrowsmith, that fantasy-adventure WWI series I mentioned. I have a TPB of the first ongoing title I ever created, The Liberty Project, which James Fry and I did for Eclipse -- that's just out from About Comics.
In September, JLA/Avengers starts, with sensational art by George "All of Them" Perez. Sometime after that, I've got Conan, with Cary Nord, for Dark Horse, and Superman: Secret Identity with Stuart Immonen, for DC. And there are at least two other projects after that -- since a couple of those are minis -- but they're not announced yet.
That's enough to keep me at the keyboard for a good while to come...
Lea Hernandez: So talk to us about JLA/AVENGERS?
Kurt Busiek: What do you want to know?
Lea: Well, it comes out in September, I know this. I did my research. And, erm, tell us something that you've haven't told anybody else, just because we're pals.
Kurt: Well, I haven't told many people much. But let's see. I really have no idea what to say. It's a fun story, we're -- George (Pérez) is working on issue four. It's going to come out in September. It looks fantastic. I don't know. I don't want to tell you. I don't want to tell you any secrets.
Lea: Oh well, that's what I was sort of rooting around for.
Kurt: I know that's what you're rooting around for, but I'm not going to do it.
Lea: Tell me a secret.
Kurt: Because I know, you know, that you're going to tell the public at large.
Lea: Of course, we are!
Kurt: Yes.
Lea: That's the whole of having--
Kurt: And I'm not going to do it. You've got to buy the comic!
Lea: Well you know, this has been in the offering for years and years, it's almost legendary how long it's taken this to happen. So what made it happened this time, as opposed to all the other time it's been talked, and kicked around.
Kurt: It was me. It was me - I did it!
No, actually, it was - every-- over the years it occasional started to come together and then fell apart again for one reason or another. And this case, it came together as time... DC had approached Marvel about doing it and Marvel hadn't been interested. And then there was, what we now call, a Regime change. And Joe Quesada was in charge, and Joe said to Tom Brevoort 'Tom, why didn't JLA/AVENGERS ever get done?' And Tom explained to him the various reasons. And Joe said, 'Well, none of those apply anymore. Let's see if we can do it.'
So Tom contacted DC, this was only a little while when DC tried to contact Marvel, and they put it together. George was the only choice for the artist. And since Mark Waid was writing JLA, at the time, and I was writing AVENGERS, at the time, it made sense that we were going to co-write it together. Except to my eternal joy, to my surprise, Mark had juuust signed an exclusive contract with CrossGen.
Lea: That's a while ago!
Kurt: Well that's when it happened. So I got the deal solo. Lucky me, ha ha and you, eh?
In this installment of the
DivaLea Show, Joey talks about his disastrous vacation, Lea and Joey spend a great deal of time critiquing Scott McCloud's "The Right Number," and mainstream comics writer Kurt Busiek (JLA/Avengers, Astro City), wearing his meanie pants, describes the time that Mark Waid fell on his knees in the lobby of the DC building and begged forgiveness. Kurt also talks, cagily, about the upcoming JLA/Avengers book he's working on with George Perez, and his various other projects (Arrowsmith, Astro City, etc.)
(Vu: Kurt does not show up until half way into the MP3 file. There is a little profanity in the first half, so if you're not cool with that, just skip the first 13 minutes.)
Since it has been asked many times, here is how orders will be handled for JLA/AVENGERS artwork.
With respect to complete issues ... a friend of George's did him a MASSIVE favor when he needed it most, and as a result, George has granted him (and only him) first right of refusal for any ONE complete issue of his choice other than issue #3.
Issue 3 is going to be broken up as George has drawn some of his friends into the issue (no more than one person per page, so there won't be any fights). The rest of the series will be up for grabs.
The pages will be listed for sale on my website ... http://www.theartistschoice.com as soon as possible after the book ships ... orders will be filled on a first come first serve basis.
** NOTE ** I WILL NOT take any orders until the prices are posted publicly and everyone has a chance to see it. So PLEASE, if the prices are not yet up, do not send an order in. Until the prices are posted, any orders that come in beforehand will be discarded. Also, I will NOT accept phone orders ... all orders MUST be placed by email .
As of today (although not set in stone) with rare exception, the prices will be as follows:
panel pages will be STARTING at about $500 a page
splash pages will be STARTING at about $1,500 a page
two page spreads will be STARTING at about $2,500 a spread
The status of cover sales is still under review as George and I have a couple of different ideas what to do with them. As soon as a final decision is made, I will let everyone know.
For those who are thinking does Mr. Perez know how high Spencer has set the prices? The answer is YES ... he is well aware of how high I have set the base prices at. It is our feeling that this is a once in a lifetime job for him and once everyone sees the artwork, it will be worth the price. Especially since this is going to be the last time he draws mainstream super heroes for forceable future.
George has said that even if there is a decision to do a sequel, he will not draw it. When you see how much work he put into the artwork you will understand. Having pushed himself to the limit artistically with this story, NO ONE will ever be able to say he took the easy road.
Payment methods accepted will be the same as always ... Payment will be due in my hands within 10 days of confirmation. Accepted forms of payment are personal & business checks (which must clear the bank before artwork will be shipped), certified checks, cashier's checks, money orders and Western Union. For International Orders, payment methods accepted will be Money Orders in American Funds, Checks drawn from American Banks or Western Union. Postage will be in addition to the cost of the art as usual as well.
I hope this answers as many advance questions as possible. More will be spelled out clearer when the artwork is closer to being available for sale.
Thor - JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY
Iron Man - TALES OF SUSPENSE
Hank Pym - TALES TO ASTONISH
Wasp - TALES TO ASTONISH
Hulk - INCREDIBLE HULK
Captain America - CAPTAIN AMERICA COMICS
Hawkeye - TALES OF SUSPENSE
Quicksilver - X-MEN
Scarlet Witch - X-MEN
Swordsman I - AVENGERS
Hercules - JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY
Black Panther - FANTASTIC FOUR
Vision - AVENGERS
Black Knight - AVENGERS
Black Widow - TALES OF SUSPENSE
Mantis - AVENGERS
Beast - X-MEN
Moondragon - IRON MAN
Hellcat - MISS AMERICA MAGAZINE (as Patsy), AVENGERS (as Hellcat)
Wonder Man - AVENGERS
Ms. Marvel/Warbird - MARVEL SUPER-HEROES (as Carol), MS. MARVEL (as Ms. Marvel)
Falcon - CAPTAIN AMERICA
Tigra - CLAWS OF THE CAT (as Greer/Cat), GIANT-SIZE CREATURES (as Tigra)
She-Hulk - SAVAGE SHE-HULK
Captain Marvel II/Photon - AMAZING SPIDER-MAN
Starfox - IRON MAN
Mockingbird - ASTONISHING TALES (as Bobbi), MARVEL SUPER ACTION (as Huntress), MARVEL TEAM-UP (as Mockingbird)
Iron Man II/War Machine - IRON MAN
Sub-Mariner - MOTION PICTURE FUNNIES WEEKLY
Thing - FANTASTIC FOUR
Dr. Druid - AMAZING ADVENTURES (as Dr. Droom), WEIRD WONDER TALES (renamed Dr. Druid in reprints)
Moon Knight - WEREWOLF BY NIGHT
D-Man - CAPTAIN AMERICA
Gilgamesh - ETERNALS (as the Forgotten One), AVENGERS (as Gilgamesh)
Mr. Fantastic - FANTASTIC FOUR
Invisible Woman - FANTASTIC FOUR
Firebird - INCREDIBLE HULK
USAgent - CAPTAIN AMERICA
Quasar - CAPTAIN AMERICA (as Marvel Boy/Marvel Man), INCREDIBLE HULK (as Quasar)
Original Human Torch - MARVEL COMICS
Sersi - ETERNALS
Stingray - TALES TO ASTONISH (as Wendell), SUB-MARINER (as Stingray)
Rage - AVENGERS
Sandman - AMAZING SPIDER-MAN
Spider-Man - AMAZING FANTASY
Living Lightning - AVENGERS WEST COAST
Spider-Woman II - SECRET WARS
Crystal - FANTASTIC FOUR
Thunderstrike - THOR
Machine Man - 2001 A SPACE ODYSSEY (as Mr. Machine), MACHINE MAN (as Machine Man - first MU appearance)
Darkhawk - DARKHAWK
Iron Man III (Teen Tony) - AVENGERS TIMESLIDE
Justice - DEFENDERS (as Vance), MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE (as Marvel Boy), NEW WARRIORS (as Justice)
Firestar - X-MEN (first MU appearance)
Triathlon - AVENGERS
Silverclaw - AVENGERS
Jack of Hearts - DEADLY HANDS OF KUNG FU
Ant-Man II (Scott Lang) - MARVEL PREMIERE
Great Lakes Avengers: Big Bertha - WEST COAST AVENGERS
Dinah Soar - WEST COAST AVENGERS
Doorman - WEST COAST AVENGERS
Flatman - WEST COAST AVENGERS
Mister Immortal - WEST COAST AVENGERS
16 months after it was originally announced, JLA/AVENGERS #1 sees print. George Perez's preview pages have looked great so far. It ought to be a fun fall with this mini-series.
Westfield Comics's latest comic book catalogue features AVENGERS/JLA #1 on their front cover. It is similiar to WORLDS OF WESTFIELD vol 23, #2, which feature SOLUS #1 on the cover. It is not essential to your collection, but if you're a hardcore Pérez collector, this is a must-have in your collection.
The cover price is $4.25, but I'm sure you can get it for free if you buy something from them.
Please see bottom for further information on how to contact them. If they ask for a referral, just tell them Vu sent you.
>>>
ABOUT OUR COVER - JLA/Avengers, the colossal crossover by Kurt Busiek (Astro City, Avengers) and George Pérez (Avengers, Wonder Woman), was decades in the making, and is sure to be an event remembered in comics for years to come. Boasting an appearance by every JLA and Avengers member, this limited series is gonna be big.
The Westfield Company
8608 University Grn * PO Box 620470 * Middleton, WI 53562-0470
Phone: 608-836-1945 Ext. 10 * Fax: 608-836-6950 * Web: www.westfieldcompany.com
I asked Diamond, if it was possible to overnight JLA/AVENGERS #1 to me. They will not.
However, according to a source from Diamond, there are "indications that JLA/AVENGERS #1 will ship early."
Early shipments are not that uncommon with distributors, so I would not be surprise if this happens.
I am guessing that if there is enough demand for it (and if they have the product already), that it will ship earlier than expected.
Everything you need to know about the World's Greatest Super-heroes!
JLA-Z #1 (of 3)
Get ready for a 3-issue handbook to DC's greatest super-team featuring artwork by some of the biggest names in comics, timed to coincide with JLA/AVENGERS, the biggest inter-company crossover of the decade!
JLA-Z, written by Mike McAvennie, features a who's who of top comics artists: Jim Lee, Scott McDaniel, Scott Kolins, Rob Haynes, Patrick Gleason, Dan Jurgens, Jeff Parker, Pascual Ferry, Tom Nguyen, Peter Pachoumis, Scott Williams, Christian Alamy, Kevin Maguire, Joe Rubinstein, Howard Porter, Dean Haspiel, Steve Lightle, Chris Batista, and more! Plus, JLA-Z #1 features the first of a triptych of covers spotlighting every member of the JLA family illustrated by Phil Jimenez (originally featured in Wizard magazine)!
The first stunning issue covers villains and heroes from Amazo to Green Arrow, and subsequent issue will continue with biographical information and stats on every hero every affiliated with the JLA in alphabetical order! Don't miss this essential resource for anyone who plans on picking up JLA/AVENGERS!
JLA-Z is a 3-issue miniseries co-edited by Ivan Cohen and Stephen Wacker. The 32-page issue #1 arrives in comic book stores September 3 with a cover price of $2.50.
(Vu: This series does not contain any Pérez material, as far as I know, I just thought it would be a nice companion series for anyone picking up JLA/AVENGERS.)
The greatest heroes in comics, GEORGE Pérez art and a KURT BUSIEK story add up to 'JLA/AVENGERS,' the most anticipated project in comics history!
WIZARD: THE COMICS MAGAZINE #143 (Cover A)
WIZARD: THE COMICS MAGAZINE #143 (Cover B)
AVENGERS/JLA #1
Twenty years in the making, two iconic superteams and the end of the universe - the hotly anticipated JLA/Avengers mega-project literally has it all.
"This has been a massive undertaking," admits writer Kurt Busiek (Astro City). "I'd love to make this 300 pages, but that would kill George [Pérez]. And no one will want this guy out of the picture after they see these pages."
According to Busiek, who's working on the four-issue mini-series (each done in a 48-page Prestige Format) with artist Pérez (Solus) for over two years, this project will give fans everything they want out of a Marvel/DC crossover when it debuts Sept. 3.
"Remember, this is not DC versus Marvel," warns Busiek to fans that may expect a four-issue slugfest between the two teams. "Yes, the JLA and the Avengers will act independently, will act together and will act against each other. Certainly you'll see various conflicts in ways that no one will be expecting. This isn't the superhero elimination, though. It's about teams - not individuals."
Pérez, who toiled almost all of the last two years working solely on JLA/Avengers -- even taking a sabbatical from his exclusive CrossGen contract at company president Mark Alessi's behest - explains that the 20-year wait for the mini-series lives up to the hype surrounding the project.
"I just wish I was faster," chuckles Pérez, who claims to be drawing every JLA and Avengers members in the two teams' huge rosters, totaling over 200. "Just the pressure of doing this much work can get to a person. But I've loved every minute of the actual drawing.
"I really took a look at what this project meant to my career, as well as the fans base anticipating it," continues Pérez, who's worked on both Avengers and Justice League of America during his career. "I never want to be accused of taking a short cut on this book. For better or worse, you're getting my most dedicated art."
What? You're still reading the intro? What are you waiting for? Check out the next seven pages for the first sequential look at JLA/Avengers.
PAGE ONE On the planet Polemachus, we see Arkon and Thundra. Vizer appears on a screen and warned the two of panic on the streets on the "Day of the Imperion".
THUNDRA
PAGE TWO An unknown figure seeks an answer to a secret and destroys Polemachus.
THUNDERERS
ULTRAMAN
PAGE THREE On another universe, Qward is attacked by The Crime Syndicate. The Thunderers doesn't stand a chance against Ultraman, Superwoman, and Power Ring.
SUPERWOMAN
POWER RING
JOHNNY QUICK
OWLMAN
PAGE FOUR Johnny Quick, Owlman, and the Crime Syndicate looked up at this unknown figure and their world is destroyed. We see the hand at the Origin of the Universe (as seen in CRISIS).
ETERNITY
PAGE FIVE Eternity is holding a birth of a universe.
GRANDMASTER
PAGE SIX En Dwi Gast, the Grandmaster is observing a new universe.
He is knocked down by an unknown force.
KRONA
PAGE SEVEN It is revealed that the unseen enemy is Krona.
George Pérez has always had one dream in comics—a JLA/Avengers crossover. This September, the artist’s dream comes true as he and writer Kurt Busiek’s four-issue JLA/Avengers mini-series hits shelves after almost two years of work. Of course, Pérez, who worked on an eventually scuttled JLA/Avengers project as far back as 1983, feels like he’s been working on the series even longer.
1. How did JLA/Avenger get back on track after almost 20 years?
When Joe Quesada became editor-in-chief at Marvel, he wanted to find out what type of bureaucracy, what type of politics and what was slowing it down, and what can Marvel do to assuage it—assuage any concerns that DC might have and remove any stumbling blocks. Joe, in addition to being a fan, he’s also a friend, and he felt like it was a book that was owed me and owed the fans. Everyone was excited about it nearly 20 years ago and its had so many stops and starts, he wanted to see what he could do to rekindle the project. It was a nice little feather in his cap to have it done on his watch, as it were.
2. How did DC respond?
I knew for a while how much Joe wanted to promote this project and [Marvel editor] Tom Brevoort had been championing it, Kurt [Busiek] had been, even [colorist] Tom Smith was adding his two cents and was trying to talk to people he knew who might get this project going. And Wizard did its share when it did ‘The Last Team Standing’ with the JLA and The Avengers. All this to show that there was a genuine feeling of the fact that this project should be done. Then it seemed like all the people at DC were all gung-ho for it.
3. How has your work been different on this JLA/Avengers than on the first try?
One of the things that I learned from the first time around on JLA/Avengers is to watch over my artwork. It took 10 years before I got the artwork back from the cancelled JLA/Avengers project. The artwork on JLA/Avengers, the current version, never leaves my office. I have a tabloid scanner. I scan the files, I clean the files and then, I send those over to Marvel and DC and they make the final version for colorist Tom Smith. So then, not a single piece of JLA/Avengers artwork has left my studio. That’s modern times, and that probably would not have been a possibility in 1983.
4. At one time, there was talk of Mark Waid co-writing JLA/Avengers, right?
Yeah, it would’ve been wonderful to have had Mark in there too because I really enjoy Mark’s knowledge of DC’s history. He would’ve played to both strengths, but at the time, Mark wasn’t available and at the time that this project was announced, this creative team was set. Then, one of the things that I did tell Kurt, and I have no reason to regret it, is that I did not want to get involved in the plotting sessions. They know what I want, they know that I want to draw everyone. I trust that Kurt, who has a great regard for the Golden and Silver Aged characters, to come up with a story that worked,
5. Mike Carlin eventually took over as DC’s editor for JLA/Avengers. What was it like to work with him?
Mike is the smooth gear. I’m very, very happy to have Mike Carlin there. Mike and I have had our disagreements in the past, but I’ve always had a great respect for him as an editor even if he voted against me on something or sided on something that I didn’t like. I had great respect for him. I had great respect for him because he acts like an editor. Mike is top drawer for me.
***BONUS QUESTION***It’s taken you almost two years to complete four issues. Is that the time you thought it would take?
There are times that the book is taking longer only because I totally, totally underestimate how fast I can keep working at a regular pace and that by the seventh day in a row, I realize, ‘You know, I’m getting tired and I’m having a hard time focusing on the page.’ So, I mean, for some of the pages, a detail that I do in pencil, it’s even more detailed in ink because I can ink a lot crisper. So, I say, ‘Okay, I’ve got to not rush it.’ I can make it come out on time. It won’t be the best that I can do, and I think that everyone pretty much agrees that this book needs the best you can do.
For an exclusive preview of JLA/Avengers, pick up Wizard #143, available this Wednesday, June 25th!
To check out Wizard's "Last Man Standing - JLA/Avengers" click here.
JLA /AVENGERS #1 (of 4) LS Written by KURT BUSIEK
Wraparound cover & art by GEORGE PÉREZ
THE WAIT IS OVER! The most eagerly anticipated comic book crossover of all time has finally arrived, with alternating Prestige Format issues by Marvel & DC Comics!
What cataclysmic threat could endanger two universes - and dwarf the combined power of both Earth's Mightiest Heroes and the World's Greatest Super-Heroes? The world finally learns the answer in September 2003!
48 PGS./PRESTIGE FORMAT/MARVEL PG...$5.95
UPC: 5960605369-00111
· THE EVENT 20 YEARS IN THE MAKING!
· WITH APPEARANCES BY EVERY AVENGER & JLA MEMBER … EVER!
* PREVIEWED IN THIS MONTH's WIZARD #143!
* Look for the AVENGERS LEGENDS V. 3: GEORGE PÉREZ TPB in the Graphic Novel Section
JLA /AVENGERS #1
Written by Kurt Busiek, art and wraparound cover by George Perez.
The most eagerly anticipated comic book crossover of all time has finally arrived, with alternating Prestige Format issues by Marvel & DC Comics. What cataclysmic threat could endanger two universes - and dwarf the combined power of both Earth's Mightiest Heroes and the World's Greatest Super-Heroes? With appearances by every Avenger and JLA member … ever.
The most eagerly anticipated comic book crossover of all time has finally arrived, with alternating Prestige Format issues by Marvel & DC Comics! What cataclysmic threat could endanger two universes, and dwarf the combined power of both Earth's Mightiest Heroes and the World's Greatest Super-Heroes? The world finally learns the answer in September 2003! Prestige Format.
FC, 48pg..........$5.95
June 17, 2003 | Previews vol 13, #7, Shipping Jun 25
The following products are expected to ship to comic book
specialty stores next week. Note that this list is tentative
and subject to change. Please check with your retailer for
availability.
MAY030004 PREVIEWS VOL XIII #7 PI
(Vu: Previews to solicite and most likely feature AVENGERS/JLA #1 on the cover.)
Joe Madureira is doing a variant cover for one of the "Street Fighter" comics for Udon, as well as the internal art for the Ryu vs. Sagat fight from the end of "Street Fighter" 1, as a back-up story in the first issue.
I also hear that one of the first issue covers is going to be a wrap-around featuring over 50 characters, essentially every character from every Street Fighter game, all at once.
Joe Mad left the comic industry to pursue his video game career. This appears to be a rare chance for fans to get their MAD! Fix. It's also coming out the same month as the "Transformers/GI Joe" crossover and "JLA/Avengers." Looks like a very interesting Top Ten that month.
June 3, 2003 | Cup O' Joe Transcription
From ES
Eric: Ah Yes, Joe (Quesada). Tom (Brevoort) announced yesterday that JLA/AVENGERS
is coming out in September and George (Perez) has said you were one of the
catalyst to get this project up and running... Was it one of those things that
when you started up as Editor-in-Chief that you wanted to get done?
Mr. Joe Quesada: Ah Yeah, there were a bunch of little dream projects and things
that were just sort of sitting around.. and things just didn't get done because
things became a pissing match between MARVEL and DC... you know... Ah... So one of
the first things I did was... I just pulled Tom (Brevoort) aside... and I had a list
of things I wanted to get done and I pulled Tom aside... who, who... if you don't
know Tom Brevoort is... he is one of the greatest comic historians EVER.
Tom could tell you everything about the history of comics. I said, 'Tom just give me the
history of why this project didn't happen' and he just laid it out for me. I was
like 'Wow'... So it just like, you know, someone handed in something late to one
company so the other company retaliation, handed in their end even later and
then someone insulted someone and so on and so on... and the thing never got
done.
So I figured you know what... (jokingly) before I start insulting people at
DC, let me get this project going. (jokingly) OK so I got the project going
then started insulted people at DC... but It ws just one of those things we just
sat down with DC and said "look lets just do this". You know, George is not
getting any younger, and no of us are getting any younger, and the fans have been
asking for this forever.. Lets just do it!
We got all the pieces in place and then once these guys started, we just all stepped away and just let them finish
it. We worked out a nice little clean deal were it's all happy... and everybody's happy go lucky and we'll have a great book out that will live forever. So George can know... you know... Someday when George leaves this mortal plane it will be on his tombstone: 'JLA/AVENGERS... Finished' (laughs)
When asked, Quesada said that JLA/Avengers had always been a dream project, but had been ruined by inter-company rivalry. When Joe stepped in, he researched the history, which involved one side hitting a delay, so the other side would likewise stall, until it hit a standstill. Joe decided "Let's just do this," developed it in-house, then brought what they had to DC. He joked that someday George Perez can have an epitaph on his tombstone acknowledging that it was completed.
...
As an offshoot of that question, he mentioned how often Bendis wants to kill off a character, usually secondary characters. Joe says "Okay, but next month we're killing off [Alias's] Jessica Jones in Avengers. That shuts him up." When he initially planned on killing White Tiger, he was excited about it. Who cares about some B-level character like that. Joe told him to call George Perez, White Tiger's creator, and ask what he thought of the idea.
June 2, 2003 | Seller's WWE Highlights
From ES
WIZARD WORLD EAST CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS photo and text by ES
ES and Barbara Kesel
Tom Brevoort and ES
Joe Quesada, at the Cup O' Joe Panel
CrossGen Wizard World Poster
ACTOR table
CrossGen's Solus Convention Stand
Friday Highlights
Mr. Tom Brevoort (AVENGERS/JLA Co-Editor/Great Guy) announced at the
Marvel Universe/Max/Marvel Knight Panel on Friday about AVENGERS/JLA #1
coming out in September 2003.
I met Mr. Geoff Johns (AVENGERS, JSA, TEEN TITANS, HAWKMAN) Another great
guy.
Saturday Highlight
I attended Cup O' Joe Q & A Panel. Where I ask a JLA/AVENGERS to Mr. Joe
Quesada (Marvel Editor-in-Chief), I still transcribing the response, so look
for that later in the week.
I attended the DC: Expanding Our Universe Panel. Where the folks at DC
announced that JLA/AVENGERS #2 and 4 would be coming out in October and December of 2003.
I also attended the 1 on 1 panel with Mark Alessi (CROSSGEN) minus Mr.
Alessi who couldn't make the con due to last minute commitments. Ron Marz
was there along with one of the CROSSGEN heads.
Sunday Highlights
I meet Mrs. Barbara Kesel (SOLUS) at the CROSSGEN Booth (Nice Lady) I got a big hug when I ask her if I could get my picture taken with her.
I attended Mr. Geoff Johns Panel: Juggling Team Books
There were four or five total limited edition posters (CROSSGEN) that were given away during the con through free raffles. These posters featured original art done exclusively for WIZARD WORLD EAST and signed by everyone at CROSSGEN.
Thu, 11 Jan 2007 02:35:31 CST
JLA/AVENGERS #1 (Sep 2003)
Greetings, Faithful TalkBackers. Welcome to the TalkBack League of @$$holes Roundtable Review. I am the Moderator, the omniscient and lonely voice of reason haunting the hallowed halls of @$$hole HQ. Every now and again, a comic book comes along that deserves special attention. At these times, the @$$holes gather from the four corners of the globe to discuss, deliberate, and debate about it ad nauseum. JLA/AVENGERS is such a book. Two titans of comic book creation, George Perez and Kurt Busiek, have joined forces to bring together two of the most powerful super teams.
