|
News: JLA/Avengers HC Reviewed in Washington Times
|
The Escapist must stop postwar Nazi activity
Published January 29, 2005
By Joseph SzadkowskiThis chronic feature lets me review what's recently passed my bloodshot pupils. So pull up a chair, break out the sarcasm filter and welcome to: Mr. Zad's comic critique.
(excerpt)
• JLA/Avengers: The Collector's Edition, slipcased hardcover (Marvel Comics/DC Comics, $75).
JLA / AVENGERS: THE COLLECTOR'S EDITION HARDCOVER (Aug 2004)
A 20-year dream to cross over the two mightiest superhero teams spawned by rival comic-book publishing universes came to fruition last year: Legendary writer Kurt Busiek and artist George Perez delivered a four-issue miniseries chronicling what would happen if the Justice League of America met Marvel's Avengers.
This collector's edition contains a pair of hardcover books that serves as a way for sequential-art lovers to relish the rich, detailed pages illustrated by Mr. Perez, in a format almost twice as large as the standard comic. It also gives amateur historians a chance to find out what took so long to get the project to print.
The secrets are revealed in the second book, which, as a summary of the entire sordid affair, reprints interviews with the primary protagonists, Jim Shooter from Marvel and Dick Giordano from DC. It offers the original 21 penciled pages done by Mr. Perez in 1983 and concludes with an encyclopedic set of footnotes revealing that the superhero comic book mythology has more textured complexity than a DNA strand.
What's it worth? Mr. Perez's fans gladly would pay double for this enlarged reproduction of one of his most significant works. Superhero lovers will consider this the ultimate coffee-table set to display to friends.
• Zadzooks! wants to know you exist. Call 202/636-3016; fax 202/269-1853; e-mail jszadkowski[a]washingtontimes.com or write to Joseph Szadkowski, The Washington Times, 3600 New York Ave. NE, Washington, DC 20002.
