Reviewer: Chris Delloiacono
Story Title: A Journey into Mystery
Written by: Kurt Busiek
Art by: George Perez
Colored by: Tom Smith
Lettered by: Comicraft
Editors: Tom Brevoort, Dan Raspler, Mike Carlin
Publisher: Marvel Comics & DC Comics
I doubt I’m the only one who thought this book was never going to happen. The two greatest comic book teams, apologies to X-Men and JSA fans, and more than forty years of sharing spaces on spinner racks the world over, the JLA and Avengers finally meet. Following an aborted attempt in 1983, and constant wrangling by both Marvel and DC, the wait is at last over.
With all of the team-ups that the comics industry has seen, especially in the past ten years, this is the last one of any stature that’s not happened. While many of these characters have actually teamed in one crossover or another, the fact is every JLA and Avengers member will be here in the four issues, and the art is by the legendary George Perez. This is a truly monumental event!
It’s hard not to lead with the artistic merits of this book, but I must give credit to Kurt Busiek. The master who’s brought us Marvels and Astro City, was a great choice for this project. He has a command of the minutiae of both the DC and Marvel universes, and perfectly grasps both worlds, and their casts of hundreds.
It isn’t my way, so I’m not going to give away much with regards to the story. I will tease you though!
Busiek, with a lot of “help†from the editors of both companies, has gone all out to tell a grand storyline befitting this occasion. Due to the nefarious goals of the villainous Krona, the barriers between universes are breaking down. Bits of the DC Universe are slipping into the Marvel Universe, and vice versa. The storyline is kind of odd because it feels a lot like the Crisis on Infinite Earths, a work that George Perez had a big part in.
It’s very cool to see the two teams exchange villains, as the JLA struggles against Terminus, and the Avengers face off against Starro. Two of the most powerful characters each pantheon can offer, Marvel’s Grandmaster, and DC’s Metron, devise a scheme that puts the JLA at odds with the Avengers. Twelve powerful objects, six from each world must be gained to stop Krona’s advance. Busiek integrates a smattering of each company’s characters, and does a good job keeping things balanced.
I’m not going to go deeply into my feelings on George Perez’s artwork. I could talk all day about the seeming impossibility behind the rich panels, and the vast assemblage of meticulously drawn characters. This is a labor of love for Perez, if you’re interested check out the recent Wizard #0 for a great diary by Perez following his time on the book. Much of this was done on Perez’s own time, since his agreement with CrossGen had already kicked in. Perez was able to do the work, but not during the normal business week. The dedication that Perez instilled in this book is blatantly clear on each panel of every page, as his beautiful pencils, and wonderful inks are flawless!
Busiek doesn’t try to tell a ridiculously convoluted story, instead allowing the characters and artwork to shine, and giving us a big story that showcases the talents of as many as possible. I don’t hate inter-company crossovers, but they’re not one of my favorite things either. The worlds of DC and Marvel are so vastly different that the characters never really mingle that well for me. One of the reasons I liked this so much, is how well Kurt Busiek plays up the differences throughout. Oh, and did I mention the art?
