There were a couple little things that I may have done differently, but I think some people were expecting an Alan Moore or Warren Ellis-style yarn where the secrets of the universe were unlocked. Anyone that thought this story was going to break new ground in comic book superhero storytelling needs to get over his or her armchair critic tendencies (like THAT'S ever gonna happen). Kurt Busiek did a superior job with what he was provided. This was meant to be a tribute story to these two storied teams that were long overdue to meet in a tale illustrated by the peerless George Perez. People who say Perez has lost it are failed artists and never-weres. I wouldn't have objected to Perez being assisted by an inking team that was up to his skill level, though, and perhaps Perez's muscle and tendon ailments could've been avoided. Phil Jimenez, Andy Lanning and Jimmy Palmiotti immediately come to mind, but what's done is done. George Perez has been drawing DC and Marvel characters for almost thirty years now, and anyone who thought his skills can't experience some ebb and flow as he gets older have no concept of the human condition. What Perez is capable of now, years removed from his salad days on New Teen Titans and Crisis on Infinite Earths, is nothing short of mindblowing.

The story, as we got it now in the 21st century rather than the early 1980s, has benefited from the two decades that separated the initial idea from its eventuality. Busiek and Perez were given much more history, content and characters to work with, and I believe it has made for a way more fun book. Twenty years ago, we may very well have seen a predictable fight between Batman and Captain America, among other heroes, but in the time that's passed, the superhero genre has been deconstructed enough (in Watchmen, Dark Knight Returns, and Busiek's own MARVELS) that the modern day reader would've scoffed at pointless battles among heroes, and the sad, pathetic fanboys out there would've cried foul if they didn't like what they saw. Look what happened in the brief instance that Superman got the best of Thor in the second issue of the four-part series.

Is there any question that JLA/Avengers was a return visit to the days of Crisis on Infinite Earths? Absolutely not. But then, wasn't that 1985 classic primarily an excuse to give the characters in DC's then-50-year history a chance to shine perhaps for the last time, or for the first time all together (or in the case of the Charlton heroes, a renewed opportunity to shine as they were making their debut in the DC Universe)? Besides streamlining the DC Universe, getting as many characters into the picture was the purpose of Crisis. Busiek wisely saw that story as a solid template to work with to produce a story that heralded the ten decades of combined history between comicdom's two premiere super-teams. JLA/Avengers served as an appropriate follow-up to Crisis on Infinite Earths without actually updating the original story. The bonus this time was that the Marvel Universe was included in the action.

My one caveat with the finale of JLA/Avengers, in the fourth issue, was that it was crowded with characters, sometimes to a fault. It can be really fun to pore over a book to see who is getting included, but occasionally that can be migraine-inducing as well - especially when the book is printed in a style that doesn't allow you to lay it flat on a table, and when the action is supposed to be fast-paced. I'm glad they didn't do this book tabloid-sized, but a size larger than the norm would've done this story justice, no pun intended. Hopefully the deluxe slipcase edition coming this summer has some sort of guide that gives a rundown of who we saw in #4, because my overall Avengers knowledge is at a novice level, and there were a ton of Marvel cameos that went way over my head. I dare say they should have spread the content of the final chapter out a little more. Once you get to the final chapter, why was DC and Marvel bound to a set page count? The middle part of the story got so claustrophobic at times that I think the ending was forced to wrap up too quickly. When the threat was vanquished, the heroes should've been given twice the page space given to sort things out and say their goodbyes. What we got wasn't bad, but it sure felt rushed.

That being said, this four-part story as a whole was loaded with spectacular moments. In Part Four (not to mention Part Three), did anyone expect to see Barry Allen and Hal Jordan given so much airtime to say their piece before ultimately sacrificing themselves, again, for the ultimate good? How cool was that? And the moments before the climactic battle between Hank and Janet, and Wanda and Vision were truly heartfelt. All the instances between the teams when they prepared for the end-all battle with Krona were special. I said in a previous column that I hoped JLA/Avengers would be a good final statement on DC/Marvel crossovers, and I believe the talent on this story achieved that very goal. This story was better than all the inter-company crossovers of the last twelve years combined. Mission accomplished, I say. Thanks you, Kurt, George, and Tom Smith.

DOUBLE STANDARD: I'm looking forward to the home stretch of the third season of Smallville which resumes next week with fresh episodes April 14th. Conventional wisdom and rumors galore have suggested that someone who currently appears in the WB show's opening credits will not be back next season due to a devastating event in the season finale. My money is on one of three people: Pete Ross, Chloe Sullivan, or Lionel Luthor. Should they decide to rub out one of Clark's parents, I will be sorely disappointed with the creators for straying too far from the source material, the comics. I've given the Millar-Gough production team acres of leeway so far because they've come up with some terrific ideas for the "Boy of Steel's" pre-tights history. But keep Jonathan and Martha Kent (John Schneider and Annette O'Toole) in the fold as long as this show is on the air. Clark (Tom Welling) needs these two around as he rapidly confronts his superheroic fate (cue John Williams score).

One thing came up recently regarding the show that I question, and that was the idea that there may be some sort of sexual tension between Lex Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum) and Lana Lang (Kristin Kreuk) in the making. I can't fault the writers for spicing things up, but Rosenbaum himself recently made an observation that's painfully obvious. "She's very young," he said. Indeed. You see, Luthor's character is in his late twenties, if I understand correctly, and Lana is still in high school. Male twenty-something fantasies aside, the guy can't do it, pure and simple.

Yet on FOX right now, you'll find a storyline unraveling that has the genders in this situation reversed, and statutory rape issues have yet to be raised. On The O.C., high school student Luke has recently been sleeping with the mother of his ex-girlfriend. How many guys out there that watch this show have been high-fiving each other for Luke's fulfillment of one of the ultimate male adolescent fantasies? Yet if this had occurred in the wrong state or county (age of consent laws vary from state to state), the adult - in this case, MILF extraordinaire Julie Cooper - could be brought up on charges, right? If you want to compile a double standards bible of situations that fail to make sense when genders a reversed, this one would skyrocket to the top of the list.

Years ago, former teacher Mary Kay LeTourneau was convicted of the very thing that's almost being celebrated on The O.C. right now. To be fair, the O.C. story is still being played out, but the ex-girlfriend, Marissa, has found out and is justifiably pissed off at Luke (slugged him) and her mom (moved out). But besides a lot of hurt feelings, I'm not to sure the legality of the situation is going to make its way into the show's script. LeTourneau's situation, I think, ultimately gave people the creeps because Mary Kay and her young charge actually fell in love and tried to start a family (before AND after they were caught, if I remember correctly). Their affair went way beyond a few booty calls, and nobody had faith in the rationale of the teenage boy, or the sanity of the teacher. So far Luke and Julie have been relatively sane through the whole affair. There does seem to be one place where this sort of thing is always forbidden: high school. In high school, you don't have to switch gender roles at all to conclude that it's wrong, wrong, wrong. Even on a college level, where age of consent is actually a non-issue, teachers can't fuck students, and it's almost always frowned upon through university policies.

But going back to Smallville, the idea of an amorous relationship between Lex and Lana is something the show's producers should permanently shelve. If some sexual inappropriateness on Lex's part was done in part to expedite his descent into the bad guy role we all know and hate, they may be on to something. Even then I think, for the sake of comic book legend, the idea of making Lex Luthor some sort of sexual predator is no good for fans of this show, and it would only cheapen what's been a great role for Michael Rosenbaum to date.

RICE, RICE, BABY: Too many good Americans have died in the last year for me to cheapen their sacrifices with a simple "I told you so," but is anyone surprised how far south things have gone in Iraq in the last month? That's what happens when oil executives further their agendas under the guise of foreign policy. Damn straight the Iraqi invasion is George W. Bush's Vietnam. The body count is incomparable (for now), but the futility is not. I see a fraud in our presidency every time I turn on the television. For the better part of the last three years, America has been immersed in war, divisiveness, unemployment, reckless spending, and a stifling deficit, and Republican voters saw Bush as an improvement over what we had the decade prior. What has been improved since 1999?

It's been said that if you're watching baseball, football, or basketball, and you learn the name of the referee or umpire that it's a badly officiated game. I think the same can be said for the Bush administration, since we have a whole cast of characters who have contributed to the U.S.'s dwindling reputation as a world power. Cheney. Rice. Powell. Rove. All of them now have a lot of blood on their hands. Point blank, I think we're less safe now than we were three years ago. Shame on you, Mr. President.

IS NEXT YEAR THIS YEAR?? This is the first time since Colorado got its own franchise that I'm excited for baseball in the month of April. That saying a lot, considering the weather here is still better suited for football. With professional baseball, basketball, and to a lesser extent, hockey, I usually don't get too caught up in the first month or two of action when there are so many games to be played (this goes especially for baseball at 162 regular season games). But last October had a lot of Cubs fans wishing the new season started in November, just to wash out the bitter taste of last year's NLCS Game 6. The first thing I would say if I could meet Steve Bartman is "I got your back," because I know he didn't blow the game for us. All it did, ridiculously enough, was add to the legend that is the curse of the Billy Goat. Hey, anything to rationalize a near-century of pain. Good news is that despite the early season ailments of pitching ace Mark Prior, the Cubs are loaded. If anything, there is no way Chicago fans should have to wait until the last weekend of the regular season to see if they're in the playoffs. Not to say the curse will be lifted, but I think a lot of people here will be giddy in October. I for one can't wait.

Happy Easter, everyone!