JLA/Avengers: The Collector's Edition

Rating:
Summary: Poor: Simple characterizations/Storyline is ridiculously old
Review: Comics devolve in this kids story. This is what many critical/educated readers of comic graphic novels have feared and hated about comics. The collected edition has the reading level of a 8 year old and a story as equally idiotic. Frank Miller revolutionized a kids media garnering it respect; yet, we still have this junk. How Kurt Busiek gets the job to write a story of this magnitude is strictly due to the luck of him coming in after the fiasco that was Rob Liefield and getting lucky enough to garner George Perez art. Any have decent writer would have been successfully in this environment; and the only creidt I can give Kurt is his ability to rehash old school Avengers stories. And yes, the Superman/Thor fight is simply an atrocity to readers and fans of both heros. This is definitly not the place, writer, or portrayal for a comics' event it was supposed to be.

---Go back and read The Dark Knight Returns, JLA by Grant Morrison, Mark Waid: Tower of Babel...This is where comics should be heading not backward into a tail spin which is Avengers/JLA

Rating:
Summary: I waited 20 Years for this. At least George Perez was there
Review: I enjoyed this series. Probably as much becuase I had been waiting for so long and the fact that George Perez penciled the entire series. I'll admit, as far as the plot line went, I wasn't bowled over. And I feel strongly that the Avengers got the short shrift in the story. But I was happy to finally get to see these two teams go toe to toe.

I honestly don't collect comics anymore and have stopped collecting since the price went for 65 cents to 75 cents, which for those who have been in the collecting stages for the long haul, know how long ago that was.

I would collect a short series here and there: Starlin's Infinity Gauntlet, The Marvel DC crossover which spawned the Amalgem offshoots and when Perez returned to the Avengers. When he stopped penciling, I stopped collecting.

It disappoints me to hear that fans didn't like this series becuase it wasn't dark enough or goth enough or simply violent enough. This whole "comics aren't for kids anymore" mentality, doesn't mean every comic book story line has to have an NC-17 warning on it.

I wanted more from the story line. I wanted more fight sequences and longer battles. I would have liked to have seen the Avengers pitted agianst the JLA for longer than essentially one book. Being a Marvel Fan and especially an Avengers fan, I would have liked to have seen exactly what Thor had in store for Superman had they got to tangle again, as he shared with Aquaman in book four. What I wanted was at least 2 or 3 more issues to see Perez wield his magic.

I also would have liked to have seen a bit more respect paid to the Avengers in the story, but I can live with the route they went as I always felt that the Avengers WERE more realistic and the DC charecters were more "Comic book-ish". And I mean that in the sense that DC Charecters seemd to stretch the boudaries in what their powers could do. Where as the Marvel Charecters DID have limits and had reasons and explanations why certain charecters could do what they did. Example: How does Superman Fly? Thor has his Hammer, the Vision lowers his density, IronMan has his boot jets, the Hulk jumps. But Superman can just "fly"? Can I get an explanation or is it: He just can.

I guess that Beyond Beleif aura or mentality that DC had was pitted agianst the more "realistic" Avengers and their non hero-worshipping world. And THAT Clash was as big as the actual physical Clashes. That seemed to be more of Busiek's focus than anything else. And while I understand that to a point, it still left me wanting more in the way of actual battles.

For those who have been waiting for this story like I have and for those who still like there comic books to be, just that: Comic books. You willenjoy this story. If you are DC fan, you will enjoy it more. If you enjoy George Perez, you will LOVE it.

I would like to see a paperback compilation at a bit more "ahem" affordable price. I stopped Collecting Comics when they went to 75 cents. $75.00 is just a bit out of whack if you ask me.

Rating:
Summary: 22 years in the making....Better than Crisis Saga!
Review: I have to say I have enjoyed this series on many levels. First I wish that George Perez had his first version of this story available in 1983! It wasn't completed because editor Jim Shooter stalled the project; according to an interview long ago.
I have to say this story is everything I expected it to be. It crosses over both the DC and Marvel universe without taking 12 issues. I think that this could have easily went over 300 pages but due to good editing on Busiek's part we get a lean and coherent story.

Rating:
Summary: This encompasses everything that is wrong with the medium
Review: In an era where the medium could use more visibility and sales, a book starring both The Avengers & The Justice League should be anything but banal. Yet, writer Kurt Busiek manages to do so in a manner that is quite reminiscent of Bill Buckner's unforgettable blunder in the 1986 World Series. How pathetic it is to see a script filled with all the boring clichés that the super-hero genre is sadly renowned for. The kind which continuously stigmatises that comic books are only for kids and adults who lack a social life. The customer who can afford this collection and willing to purchase it is entitled to a story that does not insult their intelligence.

The script is filled with trite dialogue and anal retentive narration that would make Chris Claremont jealous. My gag reflex simply went on overload when Busiek explains in narrative prose that the JLA are unstoppable champions and that The Avengers do not scare easily. Are kindergarten students the target audience of this series? I guess the physical laws of the Marvel and DC universe do not abide by the same rules as ours. Falling debris as well as acts of physical movement must have a rate that mimics The Matrix's Bullet Time since the characters all have the occasion to blab numerous sentences to each other before real time acceleration kicks back in order to continue their course of action. If Kurt Busiek can prove to me that he can blurb out a minimum of 10 words before a rock hurled by a youngster can hit his head at a distance of 20 feet, I will retract my review. After all, the suspense of disbelief can only be stretched so far even in a fantasy world that is populated with men in tights!

It should also be noted that for a comic book filled with super-heroes and God like beings, action sequences are very few and far in between. A copy of Thor: Vikings should be sent to Busiek to show him how fight scenes and high octane story telling can be inserted into a script to make a super-hero epic interesting.

For those familiar with George Perez's pencil work, prepare yourself to be enthralled-once again. Even after twenty years at the drawing board, Perez never ceases to amaze me with his detailed and realistic style. It is a shame that he is teamed up with a writer who believes that comic book art must be plastered over with numerous speech bubbles and narrative captions.

JLA/Avengers encompasses everything that is wrong with the medium; An overpriced wankfest where the characters are one dimensional, the dialogue is insipid and a plot that obviously caters to the lowest common denominator.


Rating:
Summary: Summit Conference.
Review: Picture the one great meeting a superhero reader would enjoy,
and many an enthusiast across the decades will tell you that
a book featuring the best characters from both DC and Marvel
Comics would be a fan's delight.
Those fortunate enough to be enjoying the comics of the past
few years know that Marvel -thanks to Editor-In-Chief Joe
Quesada- has not only been putting out some of their best
efforts in 25 years, but has been in a cooperative mode
with DC which is unlike anything that either company has
shown towards the other.
The ultimate payoff can be summed up in one phrase - JLA/
AVENGERS: THE COLLECTOR'S EDITION by Kurt Busiek
and George Perez! Those who thought this pair to be
superb in the recent AVENGERS ASSEMBLE will find their
work on this summit conference to be utterly exceptional.

Perez, the original artist slated to render this historical meeting
in the early 1980s, finally gets to do his dream project, and
all who suffered through the corporate nonsense which
derailed this book for over 2 decades will be thrilled to
learn that JLA/AVENGERS was well worth the wait. Not only do
we have the finest all-around illustrator of Sequential Art
since Jack Kirby at the heart of his game, but now the pictures
have one well-told, meticulously written story which more than
brings the art forth with stunning eloquence.
Beginning his career at Marvel in the 1970s, and establishing
his degree of excellence in helping to forge the DC juggernaut
which defined much of the 1980s, Perez offers sheer delight in
his stunning, unerring depictions of each and every character,
in every type of action sequence, adventure motif, and
quiet interlude imaginable.
When you see body language as distinctive as one's
facial expression, a capsule history of the many costumes
worn by The Wasp, or the changes endured by the indomintable
Henry Pym, you know it's George Perez at work. No one else
would be wild enough to try that! Always game, the artist
continues to be one daring adventurer.
Busiek, having proven his depth at depicting superheroes with
topical pertinence and adventurous zeal, has the time of his
life here. A proven master at drawing upon the Thomas/Englehart/
Stern runs to produce a rich AVENEGERS legacy all his own,
Busiek wastes no time in delving into the deep pockets of DC
continuities forged by Julius Schwartz, Gardner Fox, John
Broome and more across the span of some 65 years, showcasing
a tale from one who has placed his own stamp on superheroics
as he has done with MARVELS and, even more significantly,
ASTRO CITY.

Producing a masterpiece which all but defines the term, Busiek
and Perez deftly weave a colossal tale of parallel universes,
delicious time/space dilemmas, all that's at stake, and how
the best must overcome even their own suspicions of one
another's style to prevail against all odds.
The authors plays the myriad nuances of character play and
personality clash as only these narrative masters can,
magnifying the traditional focal points of each group.
Pinpointing the long-perceived differences between each
company's approach to superhero storyline, Busiek and
Perez forge a magnum opus which celebrates the diversity
of the heroic ideal, and the vast contributions made by
both DC and Marvel to contemporary myth and folklore.

There is so much to recommend about this handsome slipcased
hardcover 2-volume set. For those who want the story of
what happened to JLA/AVENGERS the first time around, we
get the skinny from each company in the second volume,
set for you to decide who told the truth, and who fumbled
the ball. Those who collected JLA/AVENGERS in its celebrated
mini-series form will be floored by its collection into
Sequential Novel form in Volume 1. Its larger size gives
the reader ample opportunity to fully appreciate just
how precise and imaginative Perez really is.
Those who bemoan that the artist has "slowed down" because
he's not churning out multiple titles a month any more are,
quite simply, missing the point. The man who helped put
THE TITANS on the map, and brought WONDER WOMAN
to full fruition as a major icon, is far deeper, and far
more creative now than ever before.

Anyone looking at his colossal wrap-around cover for the
third chapter (Damn near featuring a century worth of
characters!) can see how he developed Tendonitis at
the time. That Perez was able to overcome the stress,
bring it all together, and finish the project with his
finest work is a miracle, and provides some major
profile in courage, considering that Busiek's finest
characterizations of the saga strike deep in the final
chapter.
For all the eye-popping wonder of the saga's many battles
(The Mighty Thor mixing it up with a certain Man of Steel
is a particular must!), the ensuing dialogues are even
richer in dynamic content, and the contexts for each
moment prove to be staggering.
Picture Superman and Captain America having a quiet
confessional about what each is most afraid of, or
the munition-making Iron Man exchanging sensibilities
with the gun-despising Batman, and one begins to warm
to the task of tackling such a rewarding, sumptuous
read.
Many decisive conversations take place, and the creative
duo deliver the sheer drama & humanity of the tale in its
poignant reflections from people who will not be the same
at tale's end. Note the talk between loving couples,
knowing that victory will mean tragic personal loss,
and marvel at how each courageously arrives at the
decisions they feel compelled to make.

Watch for one particular conversation between two old
friends -both categorically deceased- discussing their
lives, their choices in living, and what they must do
even at the cost of having a second chance. Anyone
curious about why this idiom still holds so much wonder
and quality, even after years of hackery and corporate
disdain, are advised to read the talk between
one Barry Allen and one Hal Jordan, poised at the
most essential of crossroads.
If you don't know why such characters are so vital to the
legacy of the superhero, and the mandates of Sequential
Fiction for over 50 years, reading this sequence will
provide a sharp, clear, and moving education.

JLA/AVENGERS. The heroic ideal at its very finest.
Sequential literature that is not to be missed.