JLA/Avengers: The Collector's Edition [Hardcover]

Kurt Busiek (Author), George Perez (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2004

The most powerful characters in two universes collide as DC's premier super-heroes meet Marvel's. Collected in a gorgeous two-volume oversized slipcased hardcover is perhaps the most eagerly anticipated and memorable crossover of all time, as the Justice League of America unites with The Avengers. Superman, Batman, and the other members of the JLA join forces with Captain America, Iron Man, and the many other Avengers to fight a threat so immense it threatens two entire dimensions. The second hardcover in this deluxe set features art and articles chronicling this historic crossover--which has been over twenty years in the making.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: DC Comics; Collectors edition (December 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401202071
• ISBN-13: 978-1401202071
• Product Dimensions: 12.8 x 8.5 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,282,673 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

77 of 93 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Summit Conference., September 13, 2004

By 

Michael F. Hopkins "A Deeper Groove" (Buffalo, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: JLA/Avengers: The Collector's Edition (Hardcover)

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 Pérez! 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.

Pérez, 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, Pérez 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 indomitable
Henry Pym, you know it's George Pérez 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 Pérez 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
Pérez 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 Pérez 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 Pérez 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.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A worthy tribute!, July 28, 2005

By 

Iron Quinn (Deep South, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: JLA/Avengers: The Collector's Edition (Hardcover)

The boxed set comes with a second book which features art from and the story behind the ill-fated first attempt at this team-up. I remember feeling very bitter back then that company politics had derailed such a dream crossover. Now, however, I have to say I'm happy it happened. If the JLA/Avengers crossover had happened as planned the first time, would we have this treasure? Busiek was the perfect choice to capture the wonder, the history, the majesty and the personalities of these two teams. Perez remained the perfect choice to visualize it.

In fact, company favoritism seems completely absent from this story. Busiek uses a pure fanboy approach to realistically address the situation. Sure the JLA big guns are more powerful than their Avengers counterparts. But the Avengers are no stranger to being underdogs and here, as they always have, they fight harder.

The story is well paced, mixing history from both companies, great dialogue, very humorous situations and, of course, the fights we want to see.

My only complaint is not a valid one. I wanted to see more of some of the characters. But with so many characters they could have easily made this story four times as long. Which would have been fine with me but perhaps not what the companies were looking for in a crossover event. My all-time favorite characters are Iron Man and Wonder Woman. They are prominent enough to make me happy.

I highly recommend the oversized hardcover boxed edition. This story, this art, deserves to be enjoyed in a larger, more vibrant format.

JLA Assemble!

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Fun, Yet Frustrating, November 19, 2008

By 

Frank Adamson - See all my reviews

This review is from: JLA/Avengers (Paperback)

The book starts off well enough, but by the end it dissolves into the kind of visual muck you might find in a "Where's Waldo" book. But let's start with the good. There haven't been many crossovers between DC and Marvel, and those that have come before Busiek's story have usually been of very questionable quality (I'm looking at you, DC Versus Marvel Comics). Busiek is a decent writer--probably one of the best B-List writers in superhero comics today--and during the first two and a half issues he manages to keep a pretty solid handle on the narrative.

The first two issues notify the reader that villains from the opposing universes are crossing over and causing trouble in their respectively alien worlds. Here is also set up what will be a short-lived quest narrative that sends the DC and Marvel heroes on a hunt for a dozen or so macguffins, during which the heroes (who have met many times in the aforementioned crossovers but seem to have forgotten this) get into brawls about who takes better care of their earth, who is more respected by non-powered civilians, and whose mother is ugliest. Superman and Captain America act like jerks for no good reason (though I recall it is explained by something concerning cosmological differences), and the JLA and Avengers simply go out of their way to find fault with the other party. Are they this rude when visiting superheroes on other planets in their own universes?

Issue three is the "mash-up" chapter, imagining what the DC and Marvel histories might have been like if they had enjoyed decades of regular and entertaining crossovers, rather than crossovers that were spotty and soul-deadening. At least, this is the first half of the issue. The last half is sparked by even more extreme rudeness from Superman and Captain America, leading to a realization that their universes were never meant to be this close together because of an inherent incompatibility. Insert meta-commentary here. Then the heroes are led to a moral dilemma which isn't really a moral dilemma (split the universes or be annihilated, which would you choose?), and is actually an excuse to have a multi-page spread of panels depicting the least enjoyable story lines from both publishers over the last few decades.

Issue four, by all rights, should have been the ultimate cosmic climax of any superhero narrative. Here we have the two greatest superhero teams from the two greatest comic publishers, fighting the villain who pridefully caused the greatest destruction ever in the DC universe, in his citadel built on the bones of one of the greatest Marvel villains. Instead we are treated with an all-out brawl featuring a constantly shifting cast of heroes against an bizarre cast of lesser villains. Don't these villains wish to prevent their own annihilation? I guess not. The big villain is defeated in a disappointing occurrence that can only be likened to a child demolishing a skyscraper with a pebble.

Parts of the story are thoroughly entertaining: the imagined history of team-ups, a bit of the commentary by the heroes about the opposing earths, Krona's wager, Metron's interference, the delicious art by George Perez. These things keep my review at three stars.

Still, the deficits are galling. Why is Krona still drawn like a blue pudgy man? Why do the heroes need to hate each other at the start and then switch to brown-nosed fawning at the end? Why is Krona's ultimate cosmic weapon so easily destroyed? Why did every single member of the JLA and Avengers have to make an appearance, including multiple versions of the same character, when sticking to just the "present" versions would have made for a more readable and enjoyable story? Still, kudos to Busiek for remembering that The Phantom Stranger was once a JLA member.

All in all, it's a fun read, but probably not worth paying full price to read.