News transcript: Hey -- Where's My JLA/Avengers Teamup? from Mania

by Matt Brady

It's one of comics fandom's great stories - over ten years ago, DC and Marvel decided that a team-up between their flagship teams, the Avengers and the JLA would be a perfect special project. A script was written. A young stud penciler named George Perez drew several pages of the crossover, putting his heart and soul into the work. Politics arose, and the project died on the vine. The pages have been seen since, bringing an involuntary drool from fanboys everywhere.

So today, with both teams more popular than they have been in years, it seems like a no-brainer that an Avengers/JLA team-up would be in the works, right?

Wrong.

Both Marvel and DC's key players currently admit that an Avengers/JLA crossover is a slim possibility for the foreseeable future. While it does have support from most who would be involved, any project teaming the current Avengers with the current JLA only exists in 'dream project' state.

"At the moment, there's really not much likelihood of this happening, for the following reason: If such a project were to be done, it would absolutely have to be penciled by George," Avengers editor Tom Breevort said. "He got cheated out of it once before, years ago, and as far as I'm concerned, he's got right of first refusal. In fact, I would actively move to halt any Avengers/JLA project that George was not the penciler of, unless he had turned the assignment down."

Breevort also added that while, in his view, Perez would have to pencil the crossover, he would be very reluctant to give up Perez's pencils on the monthly Avengers book so he could take time to draw any specials. "As fast as George is, he's not really quick enough to manage both projects simultaneously without the schedules suffering," Breevort added. "Additionally I'd guess that George would want to either do one of his insane full pencil jobs on such a project, or ink it himself. Either way, you're looking at a greater investment of time."

Avengers writer Kurt Busiek admitted that he's game for a team-up, as long as Perez is involved. "I'd love to see it happen," Busiek said. "I'm one of the many who's wanted to see it ever since George was working on it over ten years ago, so I'd love to see it now. As for a story, I'd be lying if I said I'd never thought about it, but I'll save those for myself in case the plan ever comes to light."

Penciler in question George Perez admitted that he's game for the projec t as well, and while he appreciates Breevort's concerns, he has a potential solution. "It would be a dream come true, but I can understand any editor's desire not to take their creator away from their own books for doing another," Perez said. "An option might be to do an actual crossover where it stays in continuity of the books where part 1 would be in the JLA, with the regular creative team handling it as a regular issue or an annual, and ditto Marvel's end, where the JLA would guest star in the Avengers. That would also be the first time a thing like that has ever been done, but because of the whole Access character, we're at a time where it actually could be done."

Finally, the sometime-acerbic JLA writer and major selling point of any special of this nature Grant Morrison weighed in with his views on the potential project. "Actually, I've got no interest in writing it," Morrison said. "I'd like to read it if Kurt writes it, but I've got absolutely no interest in it. Honestly, I just don't like Marvel enough to care if they ever meet. Kurt does, so it would be better if he writes it. If I wrote it, I'd heavily favor the JLA, and the story probably wouldn't work. Personally, the JLA could kick the Avengers' ass, and any story that suggested otherwise would seem kind of contrived." Not one to take a challenge like that lying down, Busiek responded, and at least partially agreed with Morrison's view. "Historically, the JLA has had more power, and the Avengers have had better team dynamics," Busiek says. "So if it was just a toe-to-toe slamdown, the JLA's got the advantage. But I'd rather see them grapple with a complex situation, a good story set-up -- and I think the Avengers can more than hold their own on that score."

While it may currently look bleak for any such Avengers/JLA team-up, Perez concludes that in today's market, no one can say what fans will see.

"Naturally, it's something that would have to have high-up approval from both Marvel and DC," Perez said. "And with all the restructuring that Marvel is doing lately, anyone who might've said yes to the deal last week, may not even be there today, and vice versa, so we'll have to wait and see."

Of course, like all 'dream projects' all a JLA/Avengers crossover needs to become reality is strong fan support