Fans are asking for JLA/Avengers to be re-released in honor of revered comic book artist George Pérez, who recently announced he has been diagnosed with stage 3 pancreatic cancer. As a way to raise money for Pérez’s family, fans are pitching that DC and Marvel should reprint the legendary crossover.
Originally released in 2004, the miniseries JLA/Avengers written by Kurt Busiek with art by George Pérez united the two universes in an epic story. DC and Marvel have not been known for crossovers throughout the past decade and a half, making the Justice League’s adventure with the Avengers the most notable one in recent memory. With the last hardcover edition no longer in print, copies are only available through secondhand sellers for hundreds of dollars.
On Twitter, fans like @BillyHynes are rallying for a reprinted hardcover edition of DC and Marvel’s JLA/Avengers, with the proceeds benefiting George Pérez’s family. Since the artist announced publicly that he has a terminal diagnosis with pancreatic cancer, many have voiced their admiration and support. Pérez has famously illustrated both universes, which makes it fitting for both Marvel and DC to contribute to the cause by republishing the miniseries and donating to his family. In @BillyHynes’ tweet which quickly gained traction, he wrote, “How about @Marvel and @DCComics bury the hatchet and rush out a short run of a JLA/Avengers HC/Collection to benefit George Perez’s family? Even reissuing the previous one. He’s spending so much energy on trying to see fans etc. RT to support. @CBCebulski @JimLee @KurtBusiek”
Considering that JLA/Avengers hasn’t been collected as a trade in several years, many casual fans might be unaware that the two teams ever crossed paths. The bestselling title would bring in longtime fans and new readers alike, who might not be aware that such a universe-colliding story was possible. As Pérez has had much of his most popular work commemorated, the miniseries which made comic book history deserves to be more accessible to fans. As tweeted by @UpToTASK with a photo of the hardcover edition pictured, “Dear Marvel/DC…time to put y’alls differences aside and drop a reprint for JLA/Avengers. For the culture. Too many people aren’t even aware of this greatness by @KurtBusiek & George Perez.”
At the time of publication, Kurt Busiek and George Pérez were bringing modern iterations of the teams together for the first time. As these versions remain close in spirit to each other, Pérez’s work on JLA/Avengers continues to satisfy fans who were always curious to see Captain America and Batman join forces. To honor George Pérez’s legacy in comics, Marvel and DC will need to join forces again to re-release JLA/Avengers.
