What’s this? Marvel and DC Comics working together? You may think it’s not true, but it is. Both Marvel, owned by Disney, and DC Comics, owned by Warner Media, are joining forces to re-release their last major crossover book JLA/Avengers; which ran from September of 2003 – March of 2004. They will be reprinting the book in a limited quantity of 7,000 copies and will retail for $29.99 in its March 2022 release.
So why are these two rivals, both owned by even bigger rivals, coming together after nearly two decades of nothing? Simple. To honor legendary comic book artist George Pérez.
George Pérez is a highly respected comic book artist know for working at both DC and Marvel from the 1970s up until his retirement in 2019. He is credited for co-creating The New Teen Titans in 1980 with writer Marvel’s Wolfman. Together they created character such as Cyborg, Starfire, Raven and Deathstroke among others. In 1984 George and Marc took a break to work on Crisis on Infinite Earths, one of the biggest event books of all time. He also wrote for both Wonder Woman and Superman.
In 1991 he left DC while working on War of the Gods and went to Marvel to pencil the six-issue mini series Infinity Gauntlet with Jim Starling. After that, throughout the 1990s, he worked on multiple Avengers book and in 2003 he worked on JLA/Avengers; a crossover between Marvel’s Avengers and DC’s Justice League. The project had been in development since the 1980s but in 2003 it finally saw print.
After briefly working at CrossGen he eventually went back to DC in 2006 up until his retirement in early 2019.
So why are both Marvel and DC honoring him?
Sadly in November of 2021 he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and was given 6 – 12 months left to live. He is currently in hospice care until his eventual passing.
So how could both companies honor him in a meaningful way?
By reprinting one of his most famous books as a way to remember the time he spent at both companies. Hopefully hearing this news will bring a smile to his face.
Again the book releases next month, and with only 7,000 copies you may want to pick it up as soon as possible.
Source: IGN
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