Here's A Case Where I'm Glad I Didn't Wait For The Collection
I completely missed this earlier, but the DC solicitations for June 2004 list a hardcover JLA/Avengers collection...that costs seventy-five bucks:

JLA/AVENGERS: THE COLLECTOR'S EDITION
OVERSIZED, SLIPCASED HARDCOVER

     It’s an event that will never be forgotten.

     That’s why the once-in-a-lifetime crossover event that brought these two historic super-teams together and rocked the comics world receives the deluxe treatment it deserves in August! JLA/AVENGERS: THE COLLECTOR’S EDITION is an oversized, slipcased two-volume set collecting the legendary 4-issue miniseries with a full complement of bonus features!

     The 224-page first volume in the slipcase contains the 4-issue miniseries written by Kurt Busiek (ASTRO CITY, SUPERMAN: SECRET IDENTITY) with stunning art by George Pérez (WONDER WOMAN) and introductions by Stan Lee and the late Julius Schwartz, the architects of the original iterations of the Avengers and the Justice League of America, respectively. This volume also features a key to the characters on the intricately detailed cover of JLA/AVENGERS #3.

     The 64-page Compendium, featuring a new cover by Pérez, contains the original 21 pages of pencils from cancelled 1980s crossover by Pérez and writer Gerry Conway, plus an article on it by former DC editor K.C. Carlson, a look at several other unofficial crossovers, and more! But that’s not all — this volume also features the JLA/AVENGERS miniseries proposal and plot synopses, and annotated notes from Busiek for all the obscure characters and creatures crammed into the pages.

     There are no plans to reprint this historical set, so this is the only opportunity to own the material reprinted in the Compendium. Don’t miss out on what’s sure to be a crown jewel in any comics collection!

     This project is supported with house ads.

• 224-page hardcover
• Advance-solicited; in stores August 11
• $75.00 U.S
• Co-published with Marvel Comics

$75?  For 224 pages of material?  Yipes!  And of course DC is pulling the old "there are no plans to reprint this set" trick to scare fans into coughing up the dough for this "once-in-a-lifetime" collection.  (I wonder if DC could get in trouble if any of the material in the Compendium is ever published outside this expensive "collector's edition"?  DC isn't as evasive in that statement:  "this is the only opportunity to own the material reprinted in the Compendium," not this "might be" or this "could be.")

And are they really going to use that floating heads shot for the cover of the collection?

Meanwhile, the fourth and final issue of the mini is supposed to hit stores on March 31st according to the revised countdown clock on GeorgePerez.com.
  ¶ 11:00 PM | |