The kind words spoken on those occasions were so heartwarming that I used to quip that 'the only thing missing from those events was me lying in a box. 'At the time I was flattered and humbled by the number of tributes and testimonials given me by my fans and peers. To this end, Kurt Busiek, writer of one of a fan-favorite run on Avengers, and George Perez, artist of Crisis of Infinite Earths, two Avengers runs (including a good chunk of Busiek's run) and the original purposed JLA/Avengers story, bring us the story that fans have been wanting for years in 2003. 'To all my fans, friends, and extended family, It's rather hard to believe that it's been almost three years since I formally announced my retirement from producing comics due to my failing vision and other infirmities brought on primarily by my diabetes,' Perez wrote on Facebook in a message revealing his diagnosis to fans.

He had announced his retirement from comics work three years earlier. At age 67, Pérez revealed in December that he has a terminal cancer diagnosis. Pérez is a founding member of Hero Initiative's board of directors and has also served as the chair of its Disbursement Committee. The reprinting honors George Pérez, the artist who drew the crossover series, and who has long supported The Hero Initiative's efforts.

Jla avengers kurt busiek