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Posted by Vu Nguyen
AVENGERS/JLA #4
(Feb 2004)
DC Comics/Marvel Comics
Excerpt:
A gentleman, who passed away recently, Mark Alessi, was the publisher
and founder of CrossGen Comics, who wanted me to work at CrossGen. He
was offering me a great, great deal, I was very, very flattered. The
companies are always like, in bidding wars to get my services and I’m
very flattered by that. But Mark really wanted me there, but I was
hesitant.
I said, “What if the JLA/Avengers comes in? I don’t want to be losing it
working a staff job.” I couldn’t work freelance. And Mark said, “Tell
them to get their butt in gear, but if they don’t get this offer to you
on paper by this date, tell ’em, ‘Thank you, but no thank you, I’m going
to go to CrossGen.’”
The day it was due I got a fax with a contract saying, “It’s a go.” So,
if it wasn’t for Mark pushing them a little further, they would have
dragged their feet. So he’s another person to be credited for
JLA/Avengers. I was very saddened to hear of his recent death.
Also, to tell you how lucky I am, he said, “We still want you at
CrossGen. Do JLA/Avengers. We’ll just list you as having a leave of
absence, and then when you’re finished you come back to us.” I don’t
lose anything! I’m always in these win-win situations.
AVENGERS/JLA #4
(Feb 2004)
DC Comics/Marvel Comics
Super-Iron-Man sketch by George Perez.
>>>
Avengers / JLA #4 CGC 9.8 signed by both Stan Lee and George Perez. Also
George Perez did an original sketch on the back of the Man of Steel /
Iron Man.
Also please note there are some scratches on the case shown in the close up picture of Stan Lee's signature.
By: John H, Jordan T. Maxwell, Michael Regan
Editor: Jordan T. Maxwell
70 years ago, in the summer of 1938, two kids from Cleveland, Ohio
changed the world forever. From their collaborative imagination sprang
a hero who has endured for seven decades, transcending his home in
comic books to conquer almost every other medium of art and
entertainment and catalyzing the creation of an entire genre. He is
more than just a fictional superhero. He is an icon (not a bird). He is
an ideal (not a plane). He is...SUPERMAN!
(excerpt)
AVENGERS/JLA #4
(Feb 2004)
DC Comics/Marvel Comics
#7 Avengers/JLA #4
Artist: George Perez
Fierce. Savage. Ruthless. His expression and stance is far from
mild-mannered. Truly a powerful image by George Perez. This image
contrasts greatly with the cover from the previous JLA/Avengers issue. The cover for JLA/Avengers
#3 was an overwhelming kinetic display, with a multitude of characters
jumping in every direction. Following on the heels of that image this
cover, featuring a focused and centered single iconic character bearing
the two iconic objects of other characters, is that much more powerful
in its impact and storytelling. Superman, brutally beaten, the last man
standing, bearing Captain America’s shield and worthy of wielding the
mighty Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir...a combination of great iconic elements
representative of both Marvel and DC. Elements of this gritty image
such as his stance, the way his torn costume reveals his hyper-muscular
physique, the shield...heck, replace the hammer with a sword, and this
Superman cover draws a lot of its energy and strength from its affinity
to the great Conan art of John Buscema, Ken Kelly, Frank Frazetta, Earl
Norem and Boris Vallejo. Fierce. Savage. Ruthless.
CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #7
(Oct 1985)
#2 Crisis on Infinite Earths #7 Artist: George Perez
Like his mild mannered alter ego, Superman is stoic, slow to anger.
Seldom jovial. And rarely repentant, sorrowful or bereft. Yet the
weight of those final three emotions are conveyed so flawlessly in this
single image. Superman’s facial expression is incredibly heavy and
wrought with heartache. The image is often mistakenly called a Pietà
image, named after Michelangelo’s “Pietà” (a sculpture of a seated
virgin Mary cradling the crucified Christ’s lifeless body). It is more
an evolution of the Pietà, where a mournful hero carries a fallen
character, usually a female. The image seems to have first appeared as
a magazine illustration by N.C. Wyeth, The Lost Vein, in 1916. When next seen in popular culture the image-motif was used for a poster of the 1935 monster film, Bride of Frankenstein by James Whale. The image was later used in monster movie posters of the 1950’s such as Creature From the Black Lagoon and The Forbidden Planet. Around this same time it was adapted to comics with Ace Comics Baffling Mysteries and then with Marvel Comics second issue of The Mighty Thor. However, it is probably most recognizable as the cover to the immensely popular and tragic Uncanny X-Men #136 (1980), the death of Jean Grey. The Crisis
cover differs slightly by the magnitude of the heroes gathered in the
background around Superman. And the fact that Superman does not have a
visor to conceal the anguish in his eyes. A powerful image no matter
the origin, and perhaps most resonant here as we stand witness to the
vulnerability of an impervious man. His cousin is dead and he is truly
alone. The image is so powerful and iconic that, despite all of the
similar images to come before, almost every cover done in this style
since have been direct homages to this moment of stark loss and
heartbreak.
Brainstorm: ... the cover of
JLA/Avengers #4. I wonder if this indicates that it'll be the Hulk
(again) who takes down Onslaught but with a few "artifacts" to help
out. Lol , that if the cover is reliable (not always the case these
days!). Thanks for posting!
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...
Inspired by the Superman cover to
JLA/Avengers #3, I just had to try my hand at this awesome George Perez
image. This auction is for my own original art, black and white on 8.5
X 11 sketch paper and a color laser print of the colored image, 8.5 X
11.
Winning bidder pays actual shipping costs. Payment must be recieved within ten days of auction close.
AVENGERS/JLA #4
(Feb 2004)
DC Comics/Marvel Comics
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.
FAVORITE MINI-SERIES
JLA/Avengers
Jun 03, 2004 09:29 pm | JLA/A #4 Review on Superheroessetc
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.)
April 24, 2004 | A/JLA #4 Estimated at 143k Copies
Estimated sales of the top comic titles
to comic stores by Diamond Comic Distributors were up in March, with 14
of the top 25 titles showing increases in sales over the previous
issues. DC had a stronger month than usual, with 10 out of the top 25
titles, led by Superman/Batman #8 (which has now gone through
two sold-out printings) at #1, and the Superman family of books, which
is riding the red-hot Godfall story arc. Both Superman/Batman and the entire Superman family were up over sales on previous issues.
The final Avengers/JLA, #4, came
in at over 143,000 copies, a little down from sales on #3, but still a
very strong finish for this popular cross-over.
AVENGERS/JLA #4
(Feb 2004)
DC Comics/Marvel Comics
ACTION COMICS ANNUAL #2
(1989)
ACTION COMICS # 329
, art by Curt Swan/George Klein
I mentioned the basics of the following observations on the CBR Message Boards.... I noticed that Perez’s cover for AVENGERS/JLA #4 (comics.toonzone.net) is similar to the Perez/Ordway cover for ACTION COMICS ANNUAL # 2 (image.milehighcomics.com) .
Each cover shows an angry Superman,
wearing the remains of his costume. His stance on the one cover
approaches being a mirror image of his stance on the other cover.
(Supes is of course leaning a bit more sideways on the earlier cover,
and the position of the knuckles of the lower hand in each picture is
different.) Both covers have Superman on an alien terrain, with a
starry background. Lightning is emanating from Thor’s hammer on the
cover of AVENGERS/JLA # 4, and energy is emanating from the weapon on
the cover of ACTION COMICS ANNUAL # 2.
I also see similarities between the cover of AVENGERS/JLA #4 and the Curt Swan/George Klein cover of ACTION COMICS # 329 (image.milehighcomics.com).
Each of the two shows an angry Superman,
headed for a major showdown, with a shield on his left arm, and an
ancient-type weapon in his right hand. (I’m not saying Perez had ACTION
# 329 in mind, and I know a sword isn’t a hammer. I just thought it’s
worth mentioning because I’m not sure how many other covers have shown
an angry Superman standing in the center of the scene, brandishing a
weapon and a shield, with the villain hidden from view.)
Thanks for reading this!
April 20, 2004 | Fan Impression on JLA/A
From
Ralph Ramil Mendoza
April 13, 2004, 6:02:20 PM
BATMAN vs HELLCAT, TIGRA, SILVERCLAW
(2004), art by
Ralph Ramil Mendoza
JLA vs AVENGERS
(2004), art by
Ralph Ramil Mendoza
First things first, I'd wanna congratulate George,
Kirk, Tom and co. for their hard work and dedication on the very
successful JLA/Avengers mini-series! The 4th and last issue may have
been delayed, but it's all worth the wait!
My first impression on the cover was...?
Well.... But Man, was it enjoyably AWESOME on the inside! So okay,
despite being a Marvel fan, Superman looked good with both Cap's shield
and Thor's hammer.
The use of that Chronal instability was
a terrific gimmick. An intelligent move on the part of Kurt. It gave
George the chance to do what he'd long wanted and to do what only he
can do- DRAW WHOEVER AND OR EVERBODY HE WANTED! Eventually making a
very spectacular panel to panel battle to the finish! The surprising
appearances of various supervillains who've ever fought both JLA and
Avengers was great! I really had fun doing the naming game. then
guessing what their powers were and who they're pitted against! Damn!
Diamond has released the
Top 300 date for March, and more and more, it’s starting to look like a
bit of a DC comeback story, as Superman/Batman #8 was the #1 book for
the month.
While Marvel was #1 in
both dollar and unit shares for the month, the margin by which they
beat DC was noticeably smaller than their February numbers, where
Marvel beat DC by rooughly eight points in dollar share and over
thirteen in unit share.
This month, however,
Marvel was ahead of DC by a little over one percentage point in dollar
share (DC was undoubtly helped by Avengers/JLA #4), and just over five
percentage points in unit share.
The Top 10 comics, in terms of quantity, for March were:
ComiX-Fan concludes its
compilation of annotated references for the mammoth Marvel/DC crossover
series JLA/Avengers with the release of the list for issue #4.
(excerpt)
Wraparound Cover: Superman wielding Thor's hammer and Captain America's shield.
Page 1: Galactus, a powerful
cosmic entity in the Marvel Universe, first appeared in Fantastic Four
(1st series) #48. His origin was first revealed in Thor (1st series)
#169 and retold in Super-Villain Classics #1. Krona, or Entropy as he
later became known in the DC Universe, first appeared in Green Lantern
(2nd series) #40. Krona was also instrumental in setting up events for
the Crisis on Infinite Earths, which prominently featured the hand
surrounding the universe - a homage to how the DC Universe was created,
first shown in Green Lantern (2nd series) #40.
Page 2, Panel 1: Metron, one of the New Gods in the DC Universe, first appeared in New Gods (1st series) #1.
As a comics fan, I’m feeling pretty down
right now. I’ve finished reading the Avengers/JLA crossover #1-4 in one
sitting, and while it was one of the best comics stories I’ve ever read
(and I’ve read a few), I can’t help but feel depressed. Why? Well,
because it’s over. This tale has been on readers’ minds for twenty
years, when George Perez was tapped to draw it for the first time. Then
Marvel Editor-In-Chief Jim Shooter shut down the project, when Perez
had already drawn 22 pages. Finally, we’ve seen the most demanded
team-up tale ever come to reality. Was it worth the wait? I have to
say, yes!
It seemed like the most natural idea in
gaming history: Combine the Avengers and the JLA -- two of the most
popular superhero franchises -- into one ultimate game. Unfortunately,
as seems to happen with most "Big Event" games, expectations far
outpaced execution.
Things got off to a promising start.
Busiek and Perez, two of the most popular superhero developers in the
biz, were hired to bring Avengers/JLA to consoles everywhere. Early
screenshots and demos looked promising. And after a period of
relatively few crossovers, the industry seemed due for a good
universe-meets-universe team-up.
Art-wise, the mad mix of
timelines allows for the appearance of fan-favorite versions of each
character. Not only do GL and Atom go through some major changes in
split-second sequence, but we get to see nearly every costume Wasp has
ever worn (most of them already old Perez designs). While Busiek excels
at scripting both Wonder Woman and She-Hulk, Perez just doesn’t have
the hang of Jen. She’s about as feminine as wrestler Chynna, which is a
very unsubtle way of looking at Banner’s fun-loving relative.
Well, it's not a bad ending. It's the
kind of good solid ending that you'd expect to a major event superhero
story, and that's really my problem with it. This whole series has been
very conventional in tone, and even though that's sort of the point
with something like this, I can't help feeling disappointed. Don't get
me wrong, this comic is very well put together. George Pérez produces
better work than he ever did in his recent Avengers run, and if nothing
else, I can reread this multiple times just to look at the gorgeous
art. Although my main criticism of the series is its conventional
nature, it's very significant that Pérez 's orthodox superhero style
here outshines the back-to-the-Image-days style that Marvel and DC are
making big hoo-hahs about elsewhere. No offence, Messrs Turner, Lee and
Silvestri, but you can't touch Pérez, even if he really can't draw
She-Hulk to save his life.
It's finally here! The big one, or
should I say the last one. Either way, we now have the wrap up of
possibly the most anticipated company crossover ever. For months I’ve
seen so much griping from some fans of both companies about it not
living up to expectations and the Marvel fans in particular seem to
feel slighted as they felt DC’s heroes were receiving better treatment.
Unfortunately, that’s what we seem to get in this growing online world.
The complaints get the attention, but the praise seems lost.
Personally, I enjoyed every minute of it. Kurt Busiek and George Perez
really deliver the goods with this mini-series. We got the big cosmic
danger, the fight between teams, the merging of teams and finally an
all out war between heroes and villain to save two universes. With
everything all said and done, you really couldn’t ask for more.
Aww shucks ..sure here you go..
Posted by Tom Smith on Sunday, April 04 2004 at 02:55:24 GMT
in reply to Request for Tom coz you are the greatest...., posted by benjman on Saturday, April 03 2004 at 20:03:10 GMT
> Hi Tom, let
me first thank you, Kurt and George for one hell of a ride. It was all
worth the anticipation and the hype and would definitely be one of my
treasured collections... my precious.....
>
> With that, can you post, just what you did before with
previous issues, one of my favorite images? It's a two page spread,
28-29 i think. I'd really appreciate it for it would be a great
wallpaper on my desktop:)
>
> More power and best regards
>
> benjman
Sure here you go ! #nt
Posted by Tom Smith on Friday, April 02 2004 at 18:50:46 GMT
in reply to Now it's out... (Tom...?), posted by TBA on Friday, April 02 2004 at 15:44:36 GMT
> Could we get a hi-res version of the full
cover art (front and back) of issue 4, like we got for the previous
issues? Just for the sake of completness.
Avengers/JLA #4
Off the Presses, Scoop, Friday, April 02, 2004
DC Comics; $5.95
The long-awaited conclusion to the
longest-awaited Marvel/DC crossover is here. Cutting to the chase: it's
worth the wait. And it also features what is probably the coolest
DC/Marvel cover since Superman and Spider-Man first met all those years
ago. Or is this one actually better?
Superman carrying the shield and hammer? Come on! You know it's going to be good.
(excerpt)
WARNING: This is a choppy review and it contains spoilers.
Where do I start? In my opinion, the
past couple months have been a let down. Super-hero comic books have
fallen short, and not a single one really has stepped up save for maybe
Superman/Batman. Thank God for Avengers/JLA #4. Even with a two month
hiatus, this concluding issue has blown every other comic out of the
water.
And if you think I'm going to tell you
what's up with Superman and that shield and hammer he's holding on the
cover... dream on! Spoil the best moment of the whole book? Suffice it
to say that, yes, what you see on the cover indeed occurs in the book, and the whys and wherefores will be explained when you actually pick it up and read it.
And you will pick it up and read
it. Even though the bulk of the issue is fists and fury, power beams
and pulverizing, fans have waited far too long for this series (and far
too long since the last issue) not to see it through to the end. All of
which leaves only one question to be answered:
Can we do it again real soon?
March 24, 2004 | A/JLA #4 Preview Available in Stores
I am getting reports that some stores got preview copies of AVENGERS/JLA #4. I won't post spoilers on the front page, but feel free to post in the forum with SPOILERS in the headers.
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.
DC, Marvel, $5.95
Writer: Kurt Busiek
Artist: George Perez
Celebrate
the finale of the biggest crossover in comics history! The World's
Greatest team-up of Earths' Mightiest Heroes climaxes with the fate of
both universes hanging in the balance! This one is crammed full of
everything you read comics for. Don't miss it!.
March 7, 2004 | Brevoort Signing at Hanley's Universe
Just thought I'd let everybody know that I'll be doing a signing at my comic shop of choice, Jim Hanley's Universe
on 33rd Street in Manhattan this coming Wednesday, 3/10, from 6:00 to
8:00, along with SHE-HULK writer Dan Slott. So anybody who's going to
be in the neighborhood, feel free to come by and complain about Chuck,
or where JLA/AVENGERS #4 is, or whatever else you'd like to talk about.
In celebration of the
release of She-Hulk #1 join us for an evening with She-Hulk writer DAN
SLOTT (Arkham Aylum: Living Hell) and Marvel editor and "comic-know-
it-all" TOM BREVOORT.
Re: JLA/AVENGERS #4
Posted by Kurt Busiek on Wednesday, March 03 2004 at 22:39:44 GMT
> According to the DC newsletter the shipping date for this issue is no longer March 17th but March 31st.>
On the other hand, the book is finally
at the printer, so this is the first date DC's been able to give htat
was more than a guess. Up 'til now, we've just been estimating when
George might be finished, but now that everyone's done, the process is
much more certain.
If the guy running the presses gets
tendonitis, after all, they'll just have someone else do it -- not an
option on the art front.
The pulse-pounding conclusion to the
greatest team-up of them all is here! Best of all artists George Perez
and Tom Smith are both signing this final issue exclusively for DF!
Each Signed copy is hand-numbered sealed with a DF Holo-Foil Sticker and includes a numbered certificate of authenticity!
I don't know when it'll hit stores. I would guess it won't be in the
next couple of weeks, but since Tom is coloring pages as George
finishes them and I've scripted the whole thing from George's layouts
(and Comicraft and I are tweaking the script and lettering as we see
the finished art), it'll be off to the printer within a couple of days
(maybe less) of George laying in that last line. Which is dependent on
how fast he can work through his tendonitis.
If George
has a hard-and-fast date for that, or if Marvel and DC have a
hard-and-fast date for when the book will be on the local shelves, they
haven't told me. Which is no sweat by me, since telling me wouldn't
make it a guarantee, nor would it make anything happen faster. I'm just
making it as good as I can, and it'll be out as swiftly as it can be.
I'm
thinkin' that after DARK KNIGHT STRIKES BACK, Frank Miller decided to
sneak into George's house and mess up his wrist, just to slow him
down...
>
People keep commenting that the upcoming final issue of the
JLA/Avengers mini-series being delayed again until March 17? Now I
haven't heard anything official yet from anybody connected to this
project, Tom Brevoort?, Mike Carlin?, Kurt Busiek?, George Perez?, Tom
Smith?. If it is delayed again, argghhh, but as long as George gets
back to full strength, thats the important thing afterall, it would be
good to know whats happening thats all.
Things are moving along very smoothly. We are almost done.
Believe me , Perez detail lovers , it will be well worth the wait !
> Hey guys just curious,
>
> How is #4 coming along?>
Fine, as far as I know.
> How many pages are complete?>
George
did layouts for the whole rest of it for me to work from, so we could
have it scripted and lettered while he and Tom were doing the ink and
color, so I don't know for sure how many pages are finished. But I
haven't heard of any further problems.
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!
New information on products since Previews was released.
PRODUCT UPDATES from the OCTOBER PREVIEWS
PREMIER
DC COMICS
Due to a case of tendonitis suffered by series artist George
Pérez, Avengers/JLA #4 (OCT030233, $5.95) has been delayed. Originally
set to ship on December 31, it will now ship on February 18.
December 11, 2003 | A/JLA #4 Rescheduled For Feb 18
The climactic fourth issue of AVENGERS/JLA has been rescheduled for an in-store date of February 18.
"What
happened is that I worked myself into tendonitis with the cover to
issue #3," says artist George Pérez. "No one else is to blame but me:
not Marvel, not DC. I've been slowed down a tad, but I'm determined to
get this thing done. I just don't want to let anyone down by rushing at
the end. I'm grateful to everyone involved for being so patient. And
I'd like to point out that despite having two creators who've had their
share of physical ailments in the last few years, we've delivered three
issues on time!"
AVENGERS/JLA #4 (OCT030233) is available for advance reorder and now is scheduled to arrive in stores on February 18.
johnpif:
The only thing that bothers me is that I read somewhere that George had
to finish the series before anything could be printed, so the series
would not be late, and /or actually EXIST.
Since you seem to be considering this as a serious possibility...
George
and I suggested that we get the whole thing done before it got
scheduled. DC and Marvel settled on having most of it done, to the
point that they'd be assured #4 would be done in time. Nobody was
expecting tendonitis.
But no, it wasn't all done.
I think that George may have wanted to re-do some scenes, or make the book even more formidable.
The
book's plenty formidable. George isn't redoing any scenes. I'm having
dinner with him Friday, and with luck the pencils will be done by then.
I'll take 'em home and script them within the next week or so, and then
it'll just be a matter of inks, colors and letters.
No
replotting. No redrawing. The scripting can't be done 'til the art is,
so we couldn't "rescript" something that isn't actually fully dialogued
yet.
Have a little faith in these guys!
You bet -- especially when we tell you that this whole rumor is a complete fabrication with no basis in fact.
The
inaugural Wizard World Texas convention is well underway this weekend
in Arlington, Texas, and live from the con floor Patrick James and Omar
A. Safi have provided ComiX-Fan with a wrap-up of news from the first
two days.
At the DC Comics panel on Day 1, the publisher revealed a host of news and information as follows:
TITANS: GAMES GN
(Dec 2004)
Writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Pérez will complete their New
Teen Titans original graphic novel from 1987, Games. Pérez originally
completed 73 pages of the project before it was put on hold due to the
artist's increasingly busy schedule. Now, the OGN will include a new
framing sequence set in current continuity that will lead into the
flashback tale. Look for the hardcover in late 2004 or early 2005.
On Day 2, Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada held his regular Cup O' Joe panel in which he discussed several topics.
AVENGERS/JLA #4
(Feb 2004)
DC Comics/Marvel Comics
JLA/Avengers artist George Pérez announced that issue #4 will be
delayed due to stress injury he incurred from the three weeks he worked
on the cover to issue #3. Pérez said that the delay should only be
about three weeks, and the issue should be out by mid-January.
Pérez also stressed that JLA/Avengers has no continuity connections to the previous Marvel Comics Versus DC mini-series'.
*
JLA/Avengers artist George Perez, who has a hand injury, said that the
fourth and final issue won't be out in time to meet its originally
solicited Dec. 31 release.
"It'll
probably be out two or three weeks after that," Perez said. "Do not
blame Marvel or DC or Kurt (Busiek, the writer) or anybody else. Blame
me. I am the sole person to blame."
TEEN TITANS
George Perez reunites with Marv Wolfman to complete The New Teen Titans graphic novel Games, begun in 1989.
...
Perez said that the final graphic novel will be about 160 pages.
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.
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.
AVENGERS/JLA #4
Written by Kurt Busiek; art and cover by George Pérez
Celebrate
the finale of the biggest crossover in comics history! The World's
Greatest team-up of Earths' Mightiest Heroes climaxes with the fate of
both universes hanging in the balance! This one is crammed full of
everything you read comics for. Don't miss it!.
DC UNIVERSE | 4 of 4 | 48pg. | Color | $5.95
On Sale December 31st, 2003
September 15, 2003 | JLA/A #4 Cover
From ES
AVENGERS/JLA #4
(Feb 2004)
DC Comics/Marvel Comics
I sent you a scan of the cover. It comes out officially at midnight. Here
is the link to the cover.
George Perez will soon be taking a break from Solus to finish up the final issue of
JLA/Avengers, and gear up for CrossGen’s Mega-Crossover The War.
The early buzz is that The War will run for six issues, and give George
the chance to work with the entire library of CrossGen characters.
Makes perfect sense. After all, when you think of galaxy spanning
crossovers, who else comes to mind?
Afterwards, George may be moving onto a new series. But details are still sketchy there.
This Has A “Breakdown Crisis Of Infinity Gauntlets” Factor Of Six Out Of Ten
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.”
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
AVENGERS/JLA #4
(Feb 2004)
DC Comics/Marvel Comics
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.
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.)
AVENGERS/JLA #4
(Feb 2004)
DC Comics/Marvel Comics
(excerpt)
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.”
AVENGERS/JLA #4
(Feb 2004)
DC Comics/Marvel Comics
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.
Superheroes
take center stage at the 4th Annual New York International Sci-Fi &
Fantasy Creators Convention, which is being held this weekend at
Madison Square Garden. The show features a mix of media and comics
guests, including a rare East Coast appearance by Brian Michael Bendis.
The con was cool - with a ton of guests. The convention program featured the new TEEN TITANS by Phil Jiminez and Scott Hanna.
(excerpt)
George
Perez was a guest at the 4th Annual New York International Sci-Fi &
Fantasy Creators Convention in NYC. As he sketched, George revealed the
Titans will be appearing in JLA/Avengers. When asked "which incarnation
of the team?" he answered "several." George is presently working on the
last issue [#4] of the crossover. Looking forward to seeing George draw
the Titans characters again!
I too had
the pleasure of seeing the man once again in NYC! It was rather strange
actually...I was up on Sunday, and was strolling around and I rounded
the far corner of the show where the artist booths were and there he
was. Sitting there alone and sketching! I was surprised because when he
comes down to Baltimore for Marc's show, he is instantly swamped!!
Booked up for sketches all weekend in like 5 minutes.
Anyway, I
asked if he had time to do more, thinking he wouldn't... but again to
my surprise he wasnt backed up at all. I got on the list, and in less
than 2 hours was the proud owner of a Hellcat headshot! Crap... I was
sweating for a minute there too trying to think of who to get. All of a
sudden, I kept drawing a blank...I wanted to get a girl, and one he
hasnt drawn 5 million times. I also got my brother a sketch of Batman I
will be giving him for his birthday in Oct. so shhhh...dont anyone
tell!
As usual,
the money went to charity, and he was really busting them out that day.
I wish I would have gotten there Saturday, because that was full body
sketches day, Sunday was headshots only. George said that ish
#1 of JLA/Avengers will be out by the time March's show rolls around (Vu: Release date for JLA/A #1 is set for Sep 4, 2003), and he hopes that everyone will have at least 5 copies for him to sign! He
said he's almost done all the art for the last issue (if I heard him right) and he is having a ball finishing it up.
As usual,
he was/is the nicest guy in the world to talk to, and if anyone on the
list hasnt had a chance to talk with him, I highly recommend going to a
comic show near you to meet him in person. It will be well worth the
tavel time! If anyone is interested, I'll post the headshot sketches in
the files section or something.
June 2, 2003 | Seller's WWE Highlights
From ES
WIZARD WORLD EAST CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS
photo and text by ES
Barbara Kesel
Tom Brevoort
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.
"Worth the Wait?"
written by George Nelson
published in COMICS BUYER'S GUIDE #1542 (6 Jun 03)
transcribed by Vu
related websites: www.comicsbuyersguide.com
Pérez promises late 2003 release for JLA/Avengers
Publishers of the long-awaited JLA/Avengers
DC-Marvel crossover should be closer to setting a release date within a
few weeks, artist George Pérez said at April's Pittsburgh Comicon.
"This is going to be a very, very intensive two months," said Pérez,
who is penciling and inking the crossover, written by his fromer
Avengers collaborator Kurt Busiek. "It will be very nice in 2004 to be
able to draw one page a day, five days a week, because that's all that
CrossGen ever wants as output from their artists." Pérez draws Solus
for CrossGen.
The first two issues of JLA/Avengers
are pencilled and inked, and Pérez has pencilled all but four pages and
inked 16 pages of #3. Covers have been colored, as well as all of #1.
the plot for the fourth and final issue also has been approved. "The
book is definitely coming out the last quarter of this year," he told
CBG. "As I've told many people, I refused to have this as the cover
feature for Wizard's 2004 preview. It's been the cover feature now for
two years. I've got to get that book out."
The
Avengers have 81 members, honorary members, and hangers-on - and the
JLA includes more than 100. "As Kurt Busiek put it, when people say the
Avengers have pretty low standards for members, the JLA have none,"
Pérez joked. "And, as was my desire - and they're honoring it - I
wanted every single character who's ever been a member of either group
to be in this book." There may be another 200 characters who have
cameos. In the last issue alone, close to three dozen super-villains
appear who had not previously shown up in the story.
Though he
would not disclose plot details, Pérez said the story - which takes
place, he quipped, on "Earth-$" - has time - and dimension-spanning
aspects that allow him to draw things that he would not have had the
opportunity to draw, if he had to stick to literal timeline, such as
Wonder Woman with an eagle on her bodice.
AVENGERS: HEROES REBORN, art by Rob Liefeld/Jon Sibal
WONDER WOMAN (Eagle Bodice), art by Pérez/Giordano
"When I
was in issue #1, when I got to draw the Spectre, I said, 'OK at least
Hal Jordan does appear.' Little did I know what Kurt had in mind. I get
to draw the classic Green Lantern in the classic costume - even the one
without the shoulder epaulets and the V-shapes: the very, very early
version of his costume." Even Heroes Reborn versions of the Avengers
might appear. Yes, Kurt is going to try to make this as logical as
possible, but there's going to be some stuff you're just going to have
to, as Marv Wolfman said, spray the fairy dust on and let your
imagination run wild," he observed. "We're going to have fun with this
book. It's a lot of work, I hope it's going to be worth the wait for
you. For me, I'm just looking forward to not having to answer, 'When is
JLA/Avengers coming out?'"
AVENGERS MANSION, art by George Pérez/Bob McLeod
ASGUARD, art by Ron Frenz/Brett Breeding
JLA SATELLITE, art by Chuck Patton/Romeo Tanghal
Locations for the story include the Flash Museum, Asgard, Avengers
Mansion in its different incarnations, and the various headquarters of
the JLA. It also include nods to the original version of JLA/Avengers, started in the early 1980s but never published.
Announced
in 2001, the crossover has been the subject of much speculation
regarding its eventual release, and Pérez acknowledged that he had
hoped the four-issue mini-series would have been finished sooner, as
well.
"When
people ask why this book is taking so long, a lot of them don't know
that I'm inking myself - so, when they find that out, suddenly all is
forgiven," he said. He added that he has had to take on outside work to
be able to afford the project, noting that his income dropped 60%
during the year he worked on the series exclusively.
He
acknowledged that fans might be tiring of news regarding the project
but said he thinks that will be taken care of, once an official release
date is announced. "There have been a lot of false dates. Fans have
made assumptions based on the Internet version of 'telephone', where
news was actually disseminated incorrectly that there was a release
date. No, there was a hoped-for date. I had hoped to get this
book done a lot sooner, but it became apparent that, if I wanted to
earn a living, doing this book alone without something to supplement my
income was going to be a financially disastrous for me."
He said
the project is moving faster with DC Executive Editor Mike Carlin
stepping in as DC's editor. He described former Editor Dan Raspler as
"a bit of a tehnophobe," which slowed down approval of coloring.
"Another great thing about having Mike Carlin involved - having nothing
to do with Dan's ability or any disagreements - is that Mike Carlin was
the late Mark Gruenwald's assistant editor, when Mark was the editor of
the original JLA/Avengers, so Mike, is the only other personal
involved other than me from the original. Having worked with Mike, I
have a great, great respect for him as an editor: the type of editor
who believes that, if you hire good people, let them do their jobs," he
continued. "If he has suggestions, he'll be the first to tell you, but
in the end he says we all have to be happy with the book."
Pérez
said he is satisfied with the work by colorist Tom Smith and remarked
that working with Busiek reminds him of working with Wolfman: "The
greatest compliment I can give to any writer."
(Note: This is still Mr. Perez's opening comments on the panel)
George Perez: The WASP will wear one costume for the most of the issue
except for issue three, which will be more like a strobe effect, and
she will probably be wearing a costume in every single panel
differently. Just because I can. (George laughs)
Lets see
here. There's a possibility. I don't remember, I will have to check the
list again that even the Heroes Reborn version of the AVENGERS will
make an appearance, ah, for no other reason than they were on the
AVENGERS Banner and they feel duty bound to have/to do every character
I desire. I don't want a fan to come in and say you left someone out
and then they will say 'Oh My God we forgot because they know they're
dead.' (George and crowd laugh).
It took a week to come up with a finalized list of the JLA and AVENGERS primarily for the covers of issue three and issue four,
which is going to be one crowded, ah, mess actually, right now the
greatest number of characters that I have drawn in any single panel is
thirty-six (36) and there are eight (8) other panels on that page. So
for anyone who thinks I am taking any short cuts on this story (George and crowd laugh)
to be continued...
April 30, 2003 | JLA/A Page Count
From ES
AVENGERS/JLA #4
(Feb 2004)
DC Comics/Marvel Comics
JLA/Avengers Page Count confirmed on auto tape via JLA/Avengers Panel at the PITTSBURGH COMICON 2003 (April 27, 2003).
(George said he had no problem with me taping the panel when I ask.)
SDCC: JLA/JSA PANEL HIGHLIGHTS
posted August 01, 2002 08:47 PM
written by mattbrady
(excerpt)
More
preview pages from JLA/Avengers will be trickling out, although DC
sources did not say as to how. Reportedly, George Perez is on issue #3
of the crossover, while Kurt Busiek is plotting issue #4.
An Interview with Kurt Busiek
by Randy "Moonstonelover" Burtis
(excerpt)
JLA/AVENGERS
Q: JLA/AVENGERS.How far along is the project?
A: George is working on #3. I'll be plotting #4 soon.
Q: Have you been deluged with "who should beat/meet who" emails from fans?
A: Of course. Many of them will be disappointed, of course, since
we got just as many people insisting that Thor should beat Superman
decisively as people insisting that Superman should beat Thor
decisively. And we got so many lists of who-should-fight-who that even
if this book -was- called JLA/AVENGERS: TAG-TEAM FIGHTS, we'd run 12
issues and still wouldn't fit them all in. But this book is about
teams, not about solo battles. And for that matter, the two teams
-fighting- has never been the main point, only part of the story.
Q: As you have been working on this project, what has been some of the surprises you have encountered?
A: There've been some surprises about how the plot developed, as we
discovered nice bits that fit in easily, or moments that made the whole
project that much better -- but I can't tell you about them. In terms
of the working arrangement, there haven't been surprises -- it's gone
more or less the way I'd have expected. Slower, but as expected.
AVENGERS/JLA #4
(Feb 2004)
AVENGERS UNITED #41 (UK)
(Apr 2004)
AVENGERS/JLA #4 (Mexico) (May 2004)
CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #7
(Oct 1985)
Sun, 17 Dec 2006 15:50:01 CST
JLAAV004.jpg (193 kb)
