Writer: Kurt Busiek
Artist: George Pérez
Publisher: D.C. and Marvel Comics
Plot:
As both teams race to retrieve the various items of power, the Avengers and the JLA also engage in numerous clashes against each other. However, with the final item of power in the Savage Land, and all the players gathered at this single location what follows is a frantic battle, in which the fate of an entire universe rests in the balance. In the end one of the groups emerges victorious, but the game takes an unexpected turn when one of the players refuses to play by the rules of this game, while the other takes advantage of the items of power that have been gathered together.
Comments:
I guess the one complaint that I would make about this second issue is that it's more a collection of little moments that are never really given much room to play out. I mean yes we get the much awaited encounter between Batman and Captain America, and the question of who would win in a battle between Superman and Thor is addressed, but even these all important scenes seem like they are fighting for space in what is a very crowded story. Now I'm not going to make too much of a fuss though as there wasn't a single moment in this issue where I was completely fascinated by what was playing out of the page, and there's a wealth of cooler than heck moments, from the scene where the Avengers powerhouses gang up on the battle weary Superman, to Aquaman's arrival on one of the Marvel monsters. Also while some fans might be disappointed by the idea that Captain America and Batman never really go at it, I have to say the way this encounter was handled was far truer to the characters, and I rather enjoyed the fact that they are both shown to be smart enough to realize that such a fight would be a pointless exercise. I do want to issue a formal complaint about the scene where we learn the battle between Hawkeye and Green Arrow never played out, as if there is one battle I wanted to see in this crossover, that was it. Still, it was nice to see Quicksilver rewarded with his unexpected victory, and the final moments of this issue are certainly cosmic enough in scope that one can't help but be impressed.
As for the art, I suspect this is one of the rare occasions where the art is more important to me than the story, as I've always been a steadfast believer in the idea that while art is very important, it's the writing that can make or break a comic for me. However, George Pérez is the real reason people should be excited about this project as not only is it the one that he has spent his entire comic career waiting to draw, but he's the only one who could come close to meeting the demands of this project. I mean there a sequence in this issue where 30+ characters are going at it in a heated battle, and George Pérez is able to give each and every one of them a moment in the spotlight in a truly amazing eight page sequence. In fact this entire issue is one big fight sequence and the art is what truly sets this issue high above the hundreds of comic book slugfests we've seen in the past. I mean the non-battle between Captain America and Batman alone is worth the price of admission.
Final Word:
This is an issue that is going to appeal to longtime fans far more than readers who have just come aboard, and it also helps if one has a fairly solid grasp of the histories of both teams involve in this crossover, as Kurt Busiek isn't shying away from digging pretty deep into the lineup of both groups. Now this expanded focus does result in a rather crowded issue in which even the main event battles have to struggle for space, but in a project like this there is something to be said for this quantity over quality approach, as I'm sure there's at least half a dozen moment in this issue that will leave every fan happy. I mean how can one not love the idea of Darkseid getting his hands on the Infinity Gauntlet, or Photon's highly effective attack upon Green Lantern. There's also the Vision's discovery that the Red Tornado is more than just a simple artificial construct, and the rivalry between Quicksilver and the Flash made for a fine little exchange. All in all, this is a highly engaging read, that is somewhat hurt by its attempt to do everything under the sun.
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