From Cinescape
JLA / AVENGERS
(2003-2004)
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The Best of 2004
Comicscape - December 22, 2004
By: TONY WHITT
(excerpt)
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...
From ICv2
Comics and Graphic Novels Up 7% in September
Despite Tough 03 Comparison
October 18, 2004
(excerpt)
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%.
From Comics2Film,
Thanks to Kirk Philbrick
JLA /Avengers Collaboration
by Junkyard
Tuesday, October 12, 2004 7:32:24 PM
The epic piece, as done by 11 great DCG artists.
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.
[ Read more JLA /Avengers Collaboration by Junkyard ]
From Toronto Metro
Comic legend’s dream finally a reality
Published August 23, 2004
Jonathan P. Kuehlein/Metro Toronto
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JLA / AVENGERS
(2003-2004)
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George Perez, illustrator of the long-awaited JLA/Avengers.
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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."
WIZARD 11th ANNUAL FAN AWARD (2003)
(13 Aug 2004)
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08/14/2004: "2004 WIZARD FAN AWARDS WINNERS"
THE BEAT on 08.14.04 @ 12:10 PM CST
by Heidi Macdonald
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.
FAVORITE MINI-SERIES
JLA/Avengers
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| April 25, 2004 | JLA/A Typos and Errors |
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From Torsten B. Abel
(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.)
| April 23, 2004 | Perez Nominated for Harvey Award |
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From Harvey Awards, thanks to Franklin
Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art Announces 2004 Harveys Nominees
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
Jaime Hernandez | "Love & Rockets"
Fantagraphics Books
George Perez | "Avengers / JLA"
DC Comics / Marvel Comics
Craig Thompson | "Blankets"
Top Shelf Productions
Ashley Wood | "Popbot"
IDW Publishing
(Vu: Both Marvel Comics and DC Comics nominated George Pérez for JLA/AVENGERS, according to A Record Twenty-Three Publishers Nominated for the 2004 Harvey Awards. This is a little surprising because the rest of the list are all independent creators.)
| February 13, 2004 | JLA/A Still Strong on Reorders |
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From Vu
Looking at January 2004's numbers on Comic Book Resources
(newsitem.cgi?id=3270) we can see that DC's JLA/A is still strong on the re-orders.
237 202 1.75 SEP031564 JLA/AVENGERS #3 (OF 4) $5.95 MAR
273 240 0.98 JUL031473 JLA/AVENGERS #1 (Of 4) $5.95 MAR
Even though they're ranked in the 200's, this is pretty good for a book that was available in September and November of 2003.
| January 30, 2004 | Whitt's 10 Best Comics of 2003 |
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From Cinescape
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JLA/ AVENGERS
(2003-2004)
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Tony's Ten Best Comics of 2003
Comicscape - January 28, 2004
By: TONY WHITT
(excerpt)
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.
| January 20, 2004 | Slush Factory's 2003 Top 10 |
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From Slush Factory
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JLA/ AVENGERS
(2003-2004)
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The 2003 Top Ten
A column by Rich Watson, contributing editor
(excerpt)
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.
| January 19, 2004 | JLA/A - Big Money-Makers |
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From Newsarama
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JLA/ AVENGERS
(2003-2004)
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LOOKING AT 2003'S NUMBERS
posted 01-19-2004 02:46 PM
written by Matt Brady
(excerpt)
2003’s Top 10 books by dollar ranking (i.e., which titles brought in the most money) were:
1) JLA/Avengers #1
2) Avengers/JLA #2
3) JLA/Avengers #3
4) Batman #619
5) Amazing Spider-Man #500
6) 1602 #1
7) 1602 #2
8) Superman/Batman #1
9) 1602 #3
10) 1602 #4
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.
[ Read more LOOKING AT 2003'S NUMBERS ]
| January 16, 2004 | Top 10 Rated Comics in 2003 |
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From Scoop
JLA/ AVENGERS #1
(Sep 2003)
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AVENGERS/ JLA #2
(Oct 2003)
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Diamond Announces Top 100 Comics for 2003
Industry News, Scoop, Friday, January 16, 2004
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.
Below is a list of the top 10
ranking:
- Batman #619
- JLA/Avengers #1
- Ultimate Fantastic Four #1
- Avengers/JLA #2
- Batman #614
- Superman/Batman #1
- Batman #612
- Batman #617
- Wolverine #1
- Batman #615
| December 30, 2003 | JLA/A #1 Remarked DF Sold Out |
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From Vu
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JLA/ AVENGERS #1 BATMAN REMARKED (Dynamic Forces)
(Sep 2003)
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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.
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| December 29, 2003 | Looking Back on CGE |
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From Broken Frontier
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JLA/ AVENGERS
(2003-2004)
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Looking Back on the Road Behind - CrossGen
Sunday, December 28, 2003 5:34:11 PM
(excerpt)
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!
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| November 26, 2003 | JLA/A #1 Cover For Sale |
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From Spencer R Beck
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.
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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.
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| November 12, 2003 | Atom in Color Guide |
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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.)
| October 29, 2003 | JLA/A in Wizard #146 |
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From Vu
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.
| October 15, 2003 | September Actual Numbers |
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From Newsarama
LOOKING AT SEPTEMBER'S NUMBERS
10-15-2003 08:40 PM
written by Matt Brady
(excerpt)
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 |
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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.
| October 12, 2003 | Comics in Context #14 |
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From Film Force, thanks to Looter
Comics in Context #14: Continuity/Discontinuity
October 10, 2003
written by Peter Sanderson
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.
[ Read more Comics in Context #14: Continuity/Discontinuity ]
| October 11, 2003 | JLA/A Review Roundup |
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From Grotesque Anatomy
Review Roundup: JLA/AVENGERS #1
Tuesday, October 07, 2003
written by John Jakala
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...
| October 10, 2003 | JLA/A Contest in York Dispatch |
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From York Dispatch Online
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.
...
[ Read moreDC COMICS/MARVEL CHARACTERS ]
| October 10, 2003 | Alex's Freedom Fortress |
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From
Scott Bierworth
Found a web site that had a JLA/Avengers battle based on pure logic. I thought everyone here might get a kick out of it.
Alex's Freedom Fortress
ONCE AND FOR ALL, PEOPLE. . .
Settling This Whole Silly JUSTICE LEAGUE Versus THE AVENGERS Business.
Now and Forever!
By his Plushness Kent Orlando.
Originally presented on the Cheeks the Toywonder Home Page! Respectfully edited for this format.
(excerpt)
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. ;-))
....
[ Read more ONCE AND FOR ALL, PEOPLE. . .
Settling This Whole Silly JUSTICE LEAGUE Versus THE AVENGERS Business.
Now and Forever! ]
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| October 9, 2003 | JLA/A's 12 Artifacts |
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From Movie Poop Shoot, thanks to Lightning Strike
COMICS 101: SC-AVENGER HUNT
October 8, 2003
By Scott Tipton
(excerpt)
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 |
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From ICv2
Hush Finale Tops The Charts
October 08, 2003
JLA/Avengers Is The Top Dollar 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:
233,775
189,919
132,737
...
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Batman #619
JLA/Avengers #1 (of 4)
Marvel 1602 #2 (of 8)
...
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| October 7, 2003 | Well Red Press #96 |
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From Well Red Press
WELL RED PRESS: Attention to Detail
VOL. 2, Number 96 - 10/7/2003 - 7:24 P.M.
by by Adam Messano
JLA/Avengers surprised me. I read it with an expectation to dislike it. The expectation came solely from prior experience with Kurt Busiek.
Sure, he's a famous writer, but he's also one of the more verbose men in comics.
So unlike the masses of superhero readers, this was not a project, no matter that it was truly over 20 years in the making, that I was excited about.
That is, until I read it, and my opinion did a complete turn around.
Read More...
| October 6, 2003 | CBR's Market Share |
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From Comic Book Resources
MARKET SHARE, TOP 300 COMICS, TOP 50 GRAPHIC NOVELS ACTUAL SALES FOR SEPTEMBER, 2003
by Jonah Weiland, Executive Producer
Posted: October 6, 2003
(excerpt)
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).
| October 5, 2003 | Top Comics for Sept |
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From Comix Fan
TOP 300 COMICS
|
Qty
|
Retail
|
Item Code
|
Title
|
Price
|
Ven
|
|
1
|
2
|
JUL035132-5133/0148
|
BATMAN #619 |
$2.25 |
DC
|
|
2
|
1
|
JUL031473
|
JLA AVENGERS #1 (Of 4)
|
$5.95
|
MAR
|
| 3
|
3
|
JUL031512
|
MARVEL 1602 #2 (Of 8)
|
$3.50
|
MAR
|
| ...
|
...
|
...
|
...
|
...
|
...
|
| 141
|
141
|
JUN032187
|
SOLUS #6
|
$2.95
|
CRO
|
| October 4, 2003 | JLA/A Review on Silver Chip |
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From Silver Chips Online
Justice is avenged in comic book crossover
by Josh Gottlieb-Miller, Online Associate Entertainment Editor
10/1/2003
(excerpt)
“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.
| October 3, 2003 | Comix Fan Covers Pérez |
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From Eric J. Moreels
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JLA/ AVENGERS #1 (X-World)
(Nov 03)
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JLA/ AVENGERS #1-4 X-CLUSIVE CREATOR SIGNED SET (X-World)
(Feb 04)
|
|
Just a few George Pérez-related items @ ComiX-Fan I thought you'd be interested in.
First, our coverage of George's open letters:
UPDATED: PÉREZ COMMENTS ON CROSSGEN SITUATION
Next, an annotated list of all the characters on the cover to JLA/Avengers #3:
JLA/AVENGERS #3 COVER ANNOTATIONS
Our comprehensive annotated list for all the characters and events in JLA/Avengers #1:
JLA/AVENGERS #1 ANNOTATIONS
And our review of JLA/Avengers #1:
JLA/AVENGERS #1 REVIEW
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
X-World are also offering 200 copies of issue #1 signed individually here:
www.x-worldcomics.com/.../id=346#8358
| October 2, 2003 | JLA/A Survey |
|
From Robert Franklin
[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?
| October 1, 2003 | Pulse's JLA/A Review |
|
From Pulse
EXTRA CREDIT REVIEWS: JLA/AVENGERS #1
posted 10-01-2003 08:09 AM
written by
Jess Lemon
(excerpt)
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.
| September 29, 2003 | Five Questions with Busiek |
|
From Wizard
I'M WITH BUSI
written by RICHARD HO
5 Questions With...Kurt Busiek
‘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?
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JLA/ AVENGERS #1
(Sep 2003)
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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.
| September 29, 2003 | The Answerman (Sep 29) |
|
From Silver Bullet Comics
It's BobRo The Answerman: Still More Q&A
Monday, September 29
By Bob Rozakis
(excerpt)
FEEDBACK DEPARTMENT:
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) |
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From CINESCAPE #73 (Oct/Nov 2003)
CINESCAPE #73 (Cover A)
(Oct/Nov 2003)
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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."
CINESCAPE #73
(Oct/Nov 2003), Page 81
|
| September 28, 2003 | JLA/A In Knox News |
|
From Knoxville News Sentinel
Superheroes collide in eye-popping epic comic
By TERRY MORROW
September 12, 2003
(excerpt)
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 |
|
From The Star Online (Malaysia)
A master class crossover
Friday September 26, 2003
written by kaleonrahan@hotmail.com.
(excerpt)
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? |
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From Wizard
SANDMAN: ENDLESS NIGHTS
|
WIZARD MARKET REPORT
Friday, September 26
By Karl Cramer
Crossgen strikes gold; Gaimen dreams big
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 |
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From SunWuKong
WOLVERINE (James Howlett, but goes by the name of "Logan")
art by George Perez.
|
My Baltimore Comicon Report
posted 9/22/03 8:28 AM
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.
| September 23, 2003 | JLA/A In SC's The Herald |
|
From The Herald
CAPTAIN COMICS: Get ready - The superheroes are getting together
By ANDREW A. SMITH, Scripps Howard News Service
(Published September 2‚ 2003)
(excerpt)
(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."
[ Read more CAPTAIN COMICS: Get ready - The superheroes are getting together ]
| September 23, 2003 | Comic Book Galaxy JLA/A Review |
|
From
Comic Book Galaxy
Giant Superhero Team-Up Crossover Crisis Review!
09.10.03
Movie Poop Shoot's Chris Allen and Comic Book Galaxy's Alan David Doane cross the barrier between their two sites to bring you the review event of the year, et cetera.
(excerpt)
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) |
|
From ES
THE BALTIMORE COMIC-CON 2003
(20-21 Sep 2003)
|
GEORGE PEREZ, ES, TOM SMITH
at the Baltimore Con (20-21 Sep 2003)
|
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 had Tom Smith color some of my previous sketches from George and they turned out beautiful. George had some pieces at the CBLDF auction on Saturday. I was
not there the whole time but I did see two of his pieces MORE FUN
COMICS cover ($1,000.00) and Original Jim Lee/George Perez
Sketch ($1,600.00) sold. George always gives his all when it comes to the
CBLDF.
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) |
|
From SunWuKong
My Baltimore Comicon Report
posted 9/21/03 7:29 PM
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.
| September 19, 2003 | Wizard Market Report (9/19) |
|
From Wizard Universe
WIZARD MARKET REPORT
Friday, September 19
By Karl Cramer
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.
| September 18, 2003 | DF's Coverage of JLA/A |
|
From Dynamic Forces
JLA/Avengers Breaks 200,000 Mark
September 17, 2003
by Bob Gough
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 |
|
From Vu
More JLA/Avengers breaking 200,000 copies
From Cinescape
Cinescape: JLA/AVENGERS #1 sells 200K+
Tuesday, September 16, 2003
By: PATRICK SAURIOL
(excerpt)
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.
From Captain Comics
Captain Comics: JLA/AVENGERS BREAKS 200K!
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.
Comix Fan
Comixtreme
Silver Bullet Comics
| September 18, 2003 | Pulp Culture's JLA/A #1 Review |
|
From Pulp Culture
'JLA/Avengers'
is worth the
20-year wait
September 11, 2003
By Franklin Harris
(excerpt)
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.
| September 17, 2003 | JLA/A #1 Breaks 200k |
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From ICv2
JLA/Avengers #1 Breaks 200,000
September 16, 2003
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."
| September 16, 2003 | JLA/A #1 Over 200k |
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From Newsarama,
thanks to Andy Mangels, ES, Joe Wolfe and Orlando Teuta Jr
JLA/AVENGERS #1 BREAKS 200K
posted 09-16-2003 04:17 PM by MattBrady
COVER TO JLA/AVENGERS #3
art by George Pérez
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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.
| September 15, 2003 | JLA/A Review in AICN |
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From Ain't It Cool News, thanks to
Rev. O.J. Flow
AICN COMICS! @$$Holes Round Table Review On JLA/AVENGERS!!
Monday, September 15, 2003
Moderated by Moriarty
(excerpt)
Greetings, Faithful TalkBackers. Welcome to the TalkBack League of @$$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.
[ Read more AICN COMICS! @$$Holes Round Table Review On JLA/AVENGERS!! ]
| September 10, 2003 | JLA/A #1 Annotations in German |
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From
Torsten B. Abel
We've updated our JLA/Avengers section,
including a review of the first issue
(cover scan taken from my copy, pastejob of front, back & side done by me)
and huge annotations.
If I find the time, I'll probably do an English version as well. :-)
| September 10, 2003 | JLA/A #1 Reviews |
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From Vu
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
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Thu, 11 Jan 2007 02:35:31 CST
