Let's be honest... this crossover book isn't exactly high-minded or even innovative. This is a celebration of six decades of super-hero storytelling by the two giants in the field. This is just about fun, nothing more, nothing less. Busiek nevertheless manages to throw in some wonderful character-driven moments that really show how much thought and effort has been put into this story. Perez's meticulous artwork is an absolute wonder, and it invites multiple readings so as to absorb all of the little touches he's included here.
The Avengers and the Justice League see no choice but to continue the game set out for them by the Grandmaste and Krona, with the survival of their universes on the line. As the heroes compete against one another so they can retrieve the remaining artifacts of power from both realities, the main teams call in their reserve members to help in the protection/retrieval efforts. Meanwhile, two heroes team up to investigate the Grandmaster's and Krona's real motives, and they're able to do so thanks to a loan of technology from a heroic ally.
I can see how some might come to describe George Perez's artwork here as being crowded, but I've always loved his proclivity for jamming an awesome level of detail into every panel. Even though he fills the cosmic settings with an overwhelming and thrilling arra of visuals, he still conveys the grand scale of those otherworldly locales. He really gets to play with the super-speedster characters in this issue, and I love how well he conveys the impossible level of motion. Perez conveys the kinetic quality of the action incredibly well. He's aided a great deal by Tom Smith, who really brings out the energy of the characters' powers and the pulsing, magical quality of the more cosmic story elements.
There are brief moments in this book when Busiek goes just beyond the standard super-hero teamup/crossover vein, when he touches upon connections these characters share and differences that set them apart. Wonder Woman's anger with Marvel's Hercules is a powerful moment, as his DC Universe counterpart victimized her mother. The Batman's cynicism contrasted against Captain America's trust and optimism made for some interesting moments as well.
As this series progresses, more and more characters are included in the story. For some, there will no doubt be some moments when they scratch their heads and wonder who some of these new players are. I'm a stickler for accessibility most of the time, but for a story like this, half the fun is getting to know these new characters. That was the case with when I read Crisis on Infinite Earths as a kid. And today, online resources offer new readers easier access to information on these colorful figures. In its own way, Avengers/JLA is a great introduction to the worlds of wonder to be found in the DC and Marvel Universes.
