News Thu, 11 Jan 2007 02:35:31 CST Ilke

Good Comics, pt. 3
2007-01-10 08:46:44 by Tom Brevoort

(excerpt)

JLA/AVENGERS #1 (Sep 2003) DC Comics/Marvel Comics

Getting this project up and off the ground was no easy thing, as there were three companies involved, rather than just two, since George Perez had signed on with CrossGen at the time. Fortunately, George had left a loophole in his CrossGen contract that allowed him to do a JLA/AVENGERS project should one be offered to him by a certain date. It took everybody right up to the last second to get the necessary paperwork to George.

The core of the team-- myself, DC editor Dan Raspler, Kurt Busiek and George-- met in Florida, after the Orlando Megacon at which we announced the project, to work out the broad strokes of the story. We got a lot of good stuff out of that meeting. And when a blizzard warning closed Manhattan airports, Kurt and I rented a car and drove for 26 hours straight to get back to New York. I'd love to be able to say that we came up with all of the genius bits on that trip, but frankly we were both so tired and punchy for most of the trip that it's a wonder we didn't kill somebody.

JLA/AVENGERS #1 (Sep 2003) DC Comics/Marvel Comics

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...

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%.

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 ]

Comic legend’s dream finally a reality
Published August 23, 2004
Jonathan P. Kuehlein/Metro Toronto

JLA/AVENGERS #1 (Sep 2003) 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."

JLA/AVENGERS #1 (Sep 2003) DC Comics/Marvel Comics

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

I WIELD THEIR ENERGIES NOT as pointed out by Visionary	AVENGERS/JLA #4, page 2, panel 2. Should be read as "I wield their energies now".
NOTHINGESS as pointed out by Torsten B. Abel	AVENGERS/JLA #4, page 2, panel 7. Should be read as "Nothingness"
ST ROCHE as pointed out by Torsten B. Abel	JLA/AVENGERS #1, page 36, panel 11. 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.)

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.)

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.

JLA/AVENGERS #1 (Sep 2003) DC Comics/Marvel Comics

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.

JLA/AVENGERS #1 (Sep 2003) DC Comics/Marvel Comics

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.

JLA/AVENGERS #1 (Sep 2003) DC Comics/Marvel Comics

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 ]

JLA/AVENGERS #1 (Sep 2003) DC Comics/Marvel Comics

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:

1. Batman #619
2. JLA/Avengers #1
3. Ultimate Fantastic Four #1
4. Avengers/JLA #2
5. Batman #614
6. Superman/Batman #1
7. Batman #612
8. Batman #617
9. Wolverine #1
10. Batman #615

JLA/ AVENGERS #1 BATMAN REMARKED (Dynamic Forces) (Sep 2003)

I saw this item on Ebay recently (item 2214460522) which is selling the Batman Remarked Dynamic Forces Edition. I did a quick search on Dynamic Forces's website and it seems they are no longer listing or selling the remark editions. This means that they are sold out. It's not too surprising since it was limited to 99 copies. If you ordered any of these remarked editions, please send me (email)(email) a better scan of it.

JLA/AVENGERS #1 (Sep 2003) DC Comics/Marvel Comics

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!

I am thrilled to announce that beginning last night and ending next Tuesday, December 3, at 10:00 PM U.S. EST, The Artist's Choice, George's Exclusive Original Art Sales Representative, is hosting a Private Auction for the Original Cover Artwork to JLA/Avengers #1, Penciled and Inked by George Perez. The Wraparound Cover is done on one giant 22"x17" Board with an Image Area of approximately 20"x15" and features all of the key icons in both JLA and Avengers History on the Cover. This Cover is a piece of Comics History now and this opportunity to own it may not come again. The auction price begins at $5000 and there is no reserve, so whatever the high bid is goes! To see a scan of the cover and the terms for bidding, please stop by the website (www.theartistschoice.com) and click on the Cover's Thumbnail on the main page. Even if the bidding is too much, you should stop by and take a look. There are several detailed close-ups of portions of the cover as well to show the level of detail within the piece that simply have to be seen to be believed.

Issue # 1 Cover Auction Terms & Conditions 1) To bid on this piece, please e-mail your bid amount to JLAAVENGERSCOVER@aol.com (email)(email). 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 (email)(email) 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 (email)(email) address so any concerns may be resolved quickly.

Now you see it, now you don't… JLA/Avengers #1 Page 35

Found this based upon Tom Smith's original color art several weeks ago on Ebay. Compare it with the printed page.

I guess whoever owns the original art page, this makes it much more valuable to the owner.

(Vu: Image is cropped. It does make sense that the Atom was taken out, as it works well later when we see him hiding and then hitching a ride on Metron's chair.)

WIZARD: THE COMICS MAGAZINE #146 (Dec 2003), features a lot of letters devoted to fan's reaction to JLA/AVENGERS #1. It is also the debut of Wizard intern Richard Ho, who writes equally long replies.

Here is one of the letters and answer:

So far for the first issue, a big fat uhgg! I am not really a fan of superteams to begin with, but this is George Pérez and we've been waiting since the invention of the radio for thismatchup so I figured, why the heck not?

Well, except for the ending, which finally picked up and kicked some ass, I thought the first issue was a snooze fest. I swear I almost nodded out twice! And this is from someone who loves to read and is not on drugs! The storyline seems muddled, and as much as I love George, I think he committed the artist sin of being overly busy on his panels, forcing my concentration to wander too much.

I sure hope the next $5.95 I plunk down gets me a better rinside seat, or else I might be throwing tomatoes at JLA/Avengers.

JR
Bronx, NY

Richard Ho: ...And while I understand your beef about clutter, it sorta comes with the territory. "We're doing a story with nine million characters, so we're going to get tons and tons of interactions," defends Busiek. "If you want to just strip it down to something absolutely plain and simple, there's plent of other crossovers to read. But here, we're dealing with two series that have so much history, texture and such large casts that it's better to revel in it than throw it all out."

And if you still find yoruself falling asleep, try some Ritalin - it's how I stay awake long enough to meet my deadlines.

Other interesting Perez-related news appearing in Wizard is that George is #2 artist, under Alex Ross.

JLA/AVENGERS #1 is ranked #1 "HOT 10 COMICS".

JLA/AVENGERS #1 is also listed as a big "MOVERS & SHAKERS", selling out in most locations in the first day.

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)
...

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.

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 ]

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...

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 ]

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! ]

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.

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 ...

Batman #619 JLA/Avengers #1 (of 4) Marvel 1602 #2 (of 8) ...

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...

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).

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

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.

JLA/AVENGERS #1 (Sep 2003) DC Comics/Marvel Comics

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

[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 (email)(email). All responses will be treated confidentially and all contributors will remain anonymous.

Your Age:
Your Location:
Your Gender:

1. How long have you been collecting comics?

2. 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?

3. Which team, JLA or Avengers, are you a fan of? Why?

4. What are your expectations of the crossover event, and have they been met so far from Issue #1?

5. Which fight (ie Batman vs Captain America) are you most looking forward to?

6. Which team up (ie Superman and Thor) are you most looking forward to?

7. 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.

8. Is Kurt Busiek the best writer for the project? If not, please suggest someone who you believe would be ideal for the job.

9. Is George Perez the best artist for the project? If not, please suggest someone who you believe would be ideal for the job.

10. Are there any other comments you would like to make about JLA/Avengers #1?

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.