PEREZ ANNOUNCES EXIT FROM AVENGERS

In an interview this week with Jamie Coville of the www.Collectortimes.com website, recent CBG Fan Awards Favorite Penciler winner George Perez announced that with the expiration of his exclusive contract with Marvel this July, he’ll be stepping down as penciler of Marvel’s The Avengers with September’s double-sized issue #34. " I just need to take a break from the monthly grind for a while and I`ve been offered a few short-term assignments that I`m looking forward to working on," Perez told Coville.

"I should explain that this decision has nothing to do with my working relationship with anyone on the Avengers team," Perez continued. "I love them all. It`s just that, according to my last medical check up, I need to slow down. My blood pressure`s up and my diabetes needs to be controlled better. That means more exercise, among other things, and my current schedule just doesn`t allow that. I`ll still be doing a lot of work; it just won`t be on a monthly title for a year or so."

Discussing the move with the Comics Continuum (http://comicscontinuum.com/index.htm) that same say, Perez said there was a "remote possibility" that he could remain on the title for a little longer in a "diminished capacity" - doing layouts for another penciler as he did several years ago for artist Kerry Gammill on DC’s Action Comics – in an effort to complete storylines he and writer Kurt Busiek started, but said that is a decision that Busiek and editor Tom Brevoort would make dependent upon what artist would immediately follow him.

HIS EDITOR AND WRITER RESPOND

Brevoort and Busiek responded to the departure later that day. While expressing appreciation for his long run and dedication to the title, they also said it’s still a bit early to discuss the title’s post-Perez future.

"It`s all pretty new news, at this point," said Busiek, when asked for comment. "I`m thrilled to have been able to work with George this long, and I`d jump at the chance to work with him again, on practically anything. I sympathize with his health troubles, knowing what it feels like, and completely understand and support his decision."

"George has been on Avengers for three years now, including four double-sized issues," added Brevoort. "Which is a pretty substantial run these days, particularly from an artist some naysayers feared would crap out by issue #3. While we wish George were able to stay with the book even longer, we appreciate and admire the work he`s done these last 36 months, and look forward to working with him again in the future."

As for what artist will be taking over the title following George`s departure, both writer and editor say it`s too early to say anything just yet. "But Kurt and I have been discussing the possibilities, and as soon as we`re ready, we`ll make announcements as appropriate," said Brevoort

And as to Busiek’s own future with the title…when asked if he’s stay on following Perez’s departure, Busiek responded, "I`ll be staying for the near future at least, since there are open plot-threads to be dealt with. Beyond that is an open question - so much depends on who the new artist might be and where we might want to go with the book. It`s certainly tempting to make a clean break and be satisfied with what George and I accomplished, handing the book to someone else to chart a new course - but it`s also tempting to take on the new challenge of finding a new voice for the series to go with its new look, and seeing if we can take the whole thing higher still. But right now, we just don`t have enough information to announce anything."

And on possible future collaborations with Perez? "George and I have talked about working together in the future and we`d both love to. We`ve talked about a project or two - but right now, George needs to concentrate on recovering from three years of drawing with the pedal to the metal. He`s done a fabulous job, and I`m sure he`ll talk about his future (which includes Crimson Plague, of course!) when he`s ready to."

AND THE BEAT GOES ON

So with George Perez leaving the Avengers this September, to the immediate forefront of all his fans’ minds is what will he do next? Well, an artist of Perez’s stature doesn’t remain wanting for work for long, and Perez told Newsarama he’s already lined up his next gigs in addition to this upcoming revival of Crimson Plague at Gorilla. One of these new projects might come of somewhat a surprise to fans, the other just might send true comics fanboys into a dream-come-true lather...

First up is a series of four specials for CrossGen Comics. According to Perez, the specials will be similar in vein to the series of Tales of the Titans books he did with Marv Wolfman for DC years ago, meaning each special will provide background to characters and concepts in the four initial CrossGen titles - Scion, Meridian, Sigil and Mystic.

"I think I’m probably one of their first freelancers, I’m not on staff," explained Perez. "One of the things I look forward to working with CrossGen is working with a lot of new people, as most of the creators working there are relatively young newcomers, so I’ll be the eldest statesman.

"I’m also very much looking forward to working with Barbara Kesel, whom I’ve wanted to work with for years. She was my editor for a time on Titans, so it’ll be nice to work with her and Ron Marz, who will write the series of specials."

According to Perez, the specials probably won’t be coming out until sometime in mid-2001 and a spokesperson for CrossGen said the early tentative plan is to probably release the specials on a quarterly basis.

As to the second new project, Perez reports he’ll be illustrating one of the Just Imagine Stan Lee Creating…specials for DC. Which one..? Well, that would be Just Imagine Stan Lee Creating THE CRISIS of course!

"Big Surprise!!" exclaimed Perez, though details are still sketchy at this point.

"Beyond the title, I don’t have the faintest idea where Stan is going to go with it," he said. "I’ll be as surprised as everyone else. My only hope is that it will be something like the old Crisis wherein I get to draw everybody that Stan creates and all the other artists have designed prior to my involvement. I don’t know yet if I’ll be designing any new characters, that will be up to Stan."

Concluded Perez on his future…"So with that, the CrossGen specials and Crimson Plague, that’s a pretty full plate."

AND STAYING WITH THE AVENGERS

Kurt Busiek and Tom Brevoort are looking for some input from the title’s readers, and according to the writer, the responses could affect the Avengers title.

In Wednesday posts entitled AVENGERS POLL: Clear & Present Dangers to Marvel and Avengers messages boards like Usenet’s rec.arts.comics.marvel.universe newsgroup, Busiek presented a question for fans "to mull over, while you`re taking in the news about George leaving."

"Who would you say are the five top menaces currently at large in the Marvel Universe?" asked Busiek. "I`m not asking for your favorite villains, or even the villains you`d most like to see the Avengers face. And Magneto doesn`t count, because he`s technically not ‘at large’ - he`s in compliance with a UN agreement that`s given him his own country."

"So who`s out there that`s the biggest danger, the most trouble? Not dead guys, not guys that you`d like to see come back. Who`s at the top of the current Threat List?" Readers wanting to add their two cents and maybe influence a future Avengers story can head on over to Usenet to participate.