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Oct 25, 2003, 02:13 pm
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AVENGERS/JLA #2 REVIEW
 Reviewer: Tan K., tan@comixfan.cjb.net Quick Rating: Excellent Story Title: A Contest of Champions The future of the Marvel Universe is in the hands of the Justice League. Writer: Kurt Busiek Artist: George Pérez Colourist & Separator: Tom Smith Letterer: Comicraft Logo Design: John J. Hill For Marvel: Assistant Editors: Mark Sumerak & Andy Schmidt Editor: Tom Brevoort Managing Editor: David Bogart Editor in Chief: Joe Quesada President: Bill Jemas For DC: Associate Editor: Stephen Wacker Editors: Dan Raspler & Mike Carlin VP - Editorial: Dan Didio President: Paul Levitz WARNING: This review contains spoilers...and is excessively long. My first instinct is to put on my fanboy hat and just rave about each individual battle and express how I felt about them, but that wouldn't much of a review. I will, however, hit on the two main ones and give my editorial since the nature of this issue allows for it. Just to get them out of the way, let me dive straight into the two main matches that this issue was touted to be putting on display before I do the review-review. Captain America vs. Batman: Ever since round 1 between these two took place in Marvel vs. DC in the voter decided battle, message board bandwidth has been eaten up by the endless number of debates these two have caused. I opened issue #2, and after drooling on each beautiful panel, I finally got to this section that I myself had been waiting years for. What did I think? It was perfect...almost. What has placed this series so far above the rest is that Kurt Busiek decided to write a story. What does that mean? Instead of leading all points to a fisticuffs-centric mini-series, he wrote characters and interactions based on how they would normally behave had this been a normal monthly publication. Captain America and Batman being the skilled field generals and strategists that they are tested the waters, assessed the situation, and then acted accordingly. They decided to put their heads together and THINK about the underlying problem as they have so many times in their own universes. That in itself deserves kudos. Busiek did give the readers a semi-sense of closure, however, when he had Batman admit Captain America could possibly beat him albeit after a time consuming battle. In the place of a bloody fight, we get to see Captain America and Batman learning about one another as the issue progresses. The parallel made between Bucky Barnes and Jason Todd as Captain America stares at the latter's uniform was very well done. Editorial: Then what is the aforementioned "almost" about? Even though I thought the outcome was what it should have been, many fans have waited to see this for a long time. I think another page of Perez art depicting the battle would have been appropriate. Obviously, this would have robbed the rest of the issue in some fashion, so I understand the creative team's decision to not go that route. Busiek did admit Perez extended the sequence out further than Busiek's dialogue had intended, so fans should be thankful that they got what they got. I do have to admit as a long time Captain America fan, I would have loved to see Cap standing over the defeated Dark Knight. Alas, that did not happen, which is the only reason this issue didn't get a full score. Here is what Kurt Busiek himself had to say about this "Thrilla in...Metropolis" (source: dccomic.com) "I think Batman's a very good fighter, but he's very good at other things, too. Cap is more of a specialist -- he's The World's Greatest Fighting Machine, to use his old tagline, while Batman is The World's Greatest Detective. If the mission was finding the Maltese Falcon, I'd bet on Batman. If it's a brawl, I'd bet on Cap....That they're both so good they can recognize consummate skill even through only a few movements, and smart enough to admit it and focus on the real threat." Superman vs. Thor: Following the same logic he followed with Batman and Captain America, what path would these two powerhouses take? They would duke it out, and Busiek delivered and with a definite winner. Of course with a definite ending comes one faction berating the writer for an inaccurate depiction of their favorite hero. Busiek did post that this was not the Odinforce powered Thor, however. Editorial: I am a Marvelite at heart, and I like Thor. So it did pain me to see Thor go down. However, in the depths of my heart, I knew this was the way it should turn out. Not because Superman is THE icon, but because even a post-Crisis Superman would win. Many will bring up Thor's ability to create vortexes and all of the other neat tricks Mjolnir can do, but Thor's history is to head in fist and hammer first, and unless he is on the ropes, Thor rarely utilizes his other abilities. I did find Superman's recognition of Thor as maybe his single greatest opponent an appeasement in light of Superman having died at the hands of Doomsday. Here is what Kurt Busiek himself had to say about this "Rumble in the Jungle" (source: dccomic.com): "As for Superman and Thor, it's like he said -- where he comes from, the dials go up to eleven. Superman is stronger and faster, which is probably more about the scales of power in the universe he comes from, but it was enough to let him win a very tough battle. If they fought again tomorrow, it might go the other way. Since being more powerful doesn't make you a better character, I don't see it as a slight on Thor, just as the way things are..." Now to the rest of the issue. Busiek continued his emphasis on defining the differences of the universes. To me that has proven to be the real gem in the first two issues. Many writers and fans approach the Marvel Universe and DC Universe as being the same in all respects minus the heroes. However, when you step back, it's plainly obvious that is not the case, and Busiek has done this series a great service by showing that. It in a way it goes back to the beginnings of Marvel in 1961. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby purposely implanted faults and weakness to differentiate these new heroes and universe as a way of injecting some reality into comics. Busiek's depiction of the village in South America and the museum in the DC Universe has shown that writers consciously or subconsciously have perpetuated those two diverging ideologies. Neither is better or worse than the other, but make no mistake, they are different. The difference don't stop at the ideological level. Busiek wanted to show how much raw power existed naturally in the DC Universe in comparison to the Marvel Univese. This was illustrated in the way Scarlet Witch was amped up and the way Flash got depowered. The sources of energy for the metahumans in the DC Universe is just set up to that much more plentiful. Other than the Batman/Captain America and Thor/Superman events, this issue was full of Avengers and Leaguers going at it in various permutations. It should be noted that none of these were forced at all. What I really liked was that these were not perfectly set up to match the equivalents against one another. Sure, it would have been nice to see them, but realistically, there is no way for either team to know the capabilities of the other. Why would Quasar be sent after Green Lantern? The Avengers don't know who anything about the power ring. So when I saw Wonder Man and Warbird charging after Superman and Green Lantern, overmatched was the first thing that popped in my head, but I kinda liked seeing these odd pairings. There is a certain novelty seeing Superman throwing Wonder Man aside or seeing She-Hulk simultaneously pummel and flirt with Aquaman. There were many of these skirmishes that were left unresolved. Again, perfectly legal and acceptable. Busiek wanted to tell a story, and he stayed the course. Did Marvel and DC get a fair share of wins? Others may disagree, but I think so. I guess I haven't mentioned anything about the actual plot. Honestly, the plot itself may be somewhat basic, but the execution has surpassed many of todays monthly title story arcs. It was plainly transparent that the Avengers and JLA were Krona's and the Grandmaster's chosen champions, but the reward for the game as well as the unexpected ending were additions to the story. There are still some questions that have not answered and I am greatful for that. Busiek did give the readers some hilarious inserts here and there ranging from the "Purple Arrow" comment to the Quicksilver/Flash run-ins. I don't think I have enjoyed Quicksilver this much since Peter David's X-Factor era. George Perez: I cannot say how much this man has made this series the epic that it is. No other artist would be able to attempt and pull off the amount of detail and eye candy this man has been able to squeeze into each page. He truly has a knack for the momentous, and he perfectly placed each crumb of detail in each panel so as to elicit the desired emotion from the reader. I found myself feeling weak and exhausted (metaphorically) as I watched Wanda fight off the taint of the magic, and I felt Superman's rage during his battle with Thor. Simply amazing. The only complaint is that he draws one of the more unattractive She-Hulks I have seen. Avengers/JLA #2 was an incredible production. Kurt Busiek and George Perez were masterful in their handling of the incredible cast. Had this been a simple core cast versus core cast, I honestly, would have been disappointed. Thankfully, they saw it the same way, and this issue alone contained enough stimuli to satisfy the most rabid fanboy. They deserve a lot of praise for being able to pull off such a grand story while maintaining the balance of simplicity. The best part...there are still two more issues to go. ART:  STORY:  OVERALL: Check out ComiX-Fan's comprehensive list of annotations for Avengers/JLA #2 by clicking here! Buy this issue online now from X-World Comics and save! REMINDER: Pre-order the complete JLA/Avengers mini-series signed by writer Kurt Busiek online now from X-World Comics and help support ComiX-Fan! Last edited by Eric J. Moreels; Oct 25, 2003 at 11:04 pm. |
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Oct 25, 2003, 02:40 pm
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Clone
Join Date: Apr 2003
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Excellent review for an excellent comic.
Loved Cap vs. Batman especially. The ending caught me a bit off-guard, and I was glad to see there's more to this entire story than I'd initially anticipated. Can't wait for the next one. |
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Oct 25, 2003, 03:21 pm
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Clone
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warning===spoiler
Pretty chilling, the way the A's beat the crap out of Superman, after he TKO'd the Thunder God......
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Oct 25, 2003, 04:15 pm
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World Conqueror
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Amazing!Inter-company crossovers can have a story!!:O
Love the Batman/Cap A. thing! And i'm growing tired of Hawkeye going on and on about the Sqaudron Supreme!
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Communist Ninja Robot Monkeys are your friend LJ--words and things The Philosophy of Time Travel(Donnie Darko) Last edited by Youri Zoutman; Oct 25, 2003 at 05:00 pm. |
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Oct 25, 2003, 06:00 pm
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Metahuman
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Dammit, Tan! Why do you have to make sense?!
I was rather angry that Thor went down to Supes. But, as you explained, it does make perfect sense. Thor, while definitely more powerful and more experienced, just doesn't have the depth of abilities to use that Supes has. Supes should have won, I now realize. The Captain America/Batman thing made perfect sense to me and I wasn't that mad that I didn't see a kick-ass fight. Because, honestly, the only way these two teams were gonna come to an understanding is if Cap and Bruce had a heart-to-heart, so it was expected. Brilliant execution by Busiek and Perez and the series has been well worth the wait.
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Crozack: Your home for Internet Smug and Sarcasm Open Daily: 4:20 AM to 4:20 PM (special Midnight appointments available for ladies) Closed Holidays: Festivus; April 20th; All Hallow's Eve; Labor Day; Super Bowl Sunday Appointments Available! Problem with my tone? Take it up with my secretaries, Bill Mahr and George Carlin. They'll care as much as I do. |
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Oct 25, 2003, 06:17 pm
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Visitor
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 This will rank up there as one of my favorite comic stories of all time. Truly golden. Is it just me or is George's art near perfect when he inks it instead of anyone else? That's not true of all pencilers. Byrne is terrible when he inks his own stuff (always looks like he does it with a Sharpie). Byrne needs Austin. George just needs George. |
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Oct 25, 2003, 07:23 pm
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Mutant
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I love the aforementioned events, but i also like how black panther just stole the artifact way before anybody got there. BP rules!
Great review, btw!
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Oct 25, 2003, 09:21 pm
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Banned
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Oct 25, 2003, 10:06 pm
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Human
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This was just awesome. Simply incredible. The art is fantastic and the story is good, which is impressive because with JLA vs. Avengers on the cover probably could have skimped and gotten away with it.
I'm surprised no one has mentioned the Darkseid cameo yet. Wow. I have one minor concern... Why has Busiek been consistantly writing the Avengers short handed? For the fight at the beginning of this issue the Avengers were outnumbered 8 to 7. Then for the fight at the end they were outnumbered 16 to 15 for the big fight at the end (18 to 16 after the reinforcements arrived). Considering that the average JLA is probably stronger than the average Avenger (IMHO) that's a surprise. Especially seeing Quasar and Triathlon who appeared eariler left out at the end and could have evened the odds. Still, great. I wonder if either company will incorporate this into continuity?
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Oct 25, 2003, 10:26 pm
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Metahuman
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Great review my fellow texan and my question was where was namor. Aquaman summon a water beast which i would've though might have tip off namor.
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from red vs blue Sarge: ANyone what to guess why I gather you here today. Grif: Is it because the war over and your sending us home. Sarge: That excatly it private. The wars over we won. Turns out your the big hero and we're going to hold a parade in your honor . I get to drive the float and Simmons here IS IN CHARGE OF CONFETTI!!!!! |
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Oct 26, 2003, 12:54 am
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Metahuman
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I guess that this is worth the cover price. Hilariously I borrowed my friend Tone's and he had to get picked up before I finished it. Didn't see the Supes/Thor fight and past that... still, it was awesome. I wish that I would be stupid enough to use my credit card on this thing... Oh well, next paycheck!
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Oct 26, 2003, 12:59 am
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Metahuman
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Quote:
Anyway, my point remains. The issue was brilliantly executed and made sense from any perspective.
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Crozack: Your home for Internet Smug and Sarcasm Open Daily: 4:20 AM to 4:20 PM (special Midnight appointments available for ladies) Closed Holidays: Festivus; April 20th; All Hallow's Eve; Labor Day; Super Bowl Sunday Appointments Available! Problem with my tone? Take it up with my secretaries, Bill Mahr and George Carlin. They'll care as much as I do. |
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Oct 26, 2003, 01:24 am
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Slayer
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I LOVE this series!!!
 I am going to cherish this mini forever, if this pace keeps up. So much good characterization and detailed study. If only every writer were this good and thorough,a nd every artist as detailed and caring...
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Oct 26, 2003, 03:21 am
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Clone
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I just love this book. I think everything has been great so far. Ok so Superman beat Thor, I still think Thor should have won, but i have to say that superman would have butt handed to him if he had to fight the Hulk. I just look forward to this book each month, i cant wait for the hardcover to come out, and it better come out too.
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You've fought my xmen a thousand times, a million in your mind. but you have never fought me.~Professor X |
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Oct 26, 2003, 03:48 am
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Human
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I loved this issue. It started to get really high-energy as soon as Warbird and Wonderman came flying overhead.
It's kind of sad that Wonder Woman doesn't have a true match/equivalent on the Avengers though; and I've said it before and i'll say it again- WHERE WAS MOONDRAGON!? (and to a lesser extent, Tigra).
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Oct 26, 2003, 04:20 am
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Banned
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Oct 26, 2003, 12:34 pm
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Slayer
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2nd: Never sat to count. Interesting... 3rd: Busiek stated that there are two writers who are planning on doing stories following this up. Does this mean in-continuity stuff or more crossovers? I guess we'll have to wait. Quote:
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Oct 26, 2003, 12:59 pm
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World Conqueror
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The Avengers ganging up on Supes after Thor went down for the (short) count, was, i think, meant to show how tight these guys are, but it came out weird!!
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Communist Ninja Robot Monkeys are your friend LJ--words and things The Philosophy of Time Travel(Donnie Darko) |
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Oct 26, 2003, 01:01 pm
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IMO Marvel characters getting no...
...respect in these battles. WonderWoman pounds out Hercules (you would think that he could put up a better fight)... the way that Superman totally dismissed Warbird and Wonderman (he abused them like the were some super-villian's low-level lackeys)...Captain America doesn't even get the chance to prove he can beat Batman...and why does Wanda have problems with her powers, when the thought of Superman having problems (the difference between DC's red sun and Marvel's red sun) isn't brought up? I love the books, though. Hopefully the biased slant that I see, will even out in the end.
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Oct 26, 2003, 03:39 pm
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X-men :swear::swear::swear::swe ar::swear::swear:
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Man that was an absolutly incredible issue. I have to say that this is possibly the best comic to come out since Origin
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Oct 27, 2003, 03:40 am
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Boy #6
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Great review. So Cap does defeat Bats... in a way. [ mumbles under his breath ]
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Oct 27, 2003, 09:07 am
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Human
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Great review, Great issue.
I liked the Batman\Cap fight. One thing I thought strange...Both Superman and Cap have been acting strange. Both have been extremely harsh critics of the other's universe. So much so that their teammates have noticed it. So why is Cap behaving normal this issue but Supes is still weird?
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Oct 27, 2003, 09:11 am
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Slayer
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Oct 27, 2003, 10:04 am
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#24 |
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Metahuman
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AWE-SOME
That sums up my feeling about Captain America and Batman this issue. By far my favorite characters from their respective teams, the fact that they come to conclusion that they are being played and then go on to do something about it is outstanding. I have never much cared for Superman's "I'll just beat the crap out of anyone who gets in my way and destroy half a city do it." attitude. I am firmly on the side of Batman in the Batman vs. Superman debate. I also liked how Batman basically said "You could beat me, but after a long, drawn out, bloody fight." Great moment. As for Darkseid, I enjoyed the cameo. Gauntlet is useless to me?...ok fine...take the damn thing, just get the hell out of my house. Superman/Thor: Outstanding fight, kinda figured it would go to supes, but given the fact that the Avengers kicked the hell out of Superman after Thor's defeat says something about their team. BTW, on a side note, I'm pretty sure Marvel takes place in "our world" which has a yellow sun, not a red one, so I'm not sure about your arguement there mrkyll. Anyway, heres to the continuation of a good series.
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"Getting two tickets to an execution is like getting two tickets to NASCAR, except you *know* Jeff Gordon's gonna die." -Deputy Travis Junior, Reno 911! |
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Oct 27, 2003, 02:15 pm
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#25 |
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Slayer
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I hadn't much cared for buying this book, but with all the good reviews it's been getting (and more due to the way Busiaek seems to have handled the different universes) I think I may want to pick up this when the trade comes out.
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