DC Comics legend Jorge Perez, often considered one of the best comic book artists of all time, died Friday of pancreatic cancer. He was 67 years old.
Last December, Perez announced that he had pancreatic cancer. The news of his death was circulated by his close girlfriend, Constance Isa, who posted a statement on Perez’s Facebook page and on her personal Twitter site.
“Everyone knows George’s legacy as an innovator,” said Isa’s statement. His art, characters, and stories will be revered for years to come. But, as towering as that legacy is, it pales in comparison to that of man George. George’s true legacy is his kindness. It’s the love he had for bringing joy to others – and I hope you carry that with you always.”
Thank you. You are all for the love and support you have shown George through all of this.
It meant the world to him. pic.twitter.com/zputTLO2sF
– Constance šæ (SunshineCVE) May 7, 2022
Known for his detailed realistic depictions that captured the power and humanity of superheroes, Perez rose to prominence for his work on “The New Teen Titans,” which saw him co-create such famous characters as Starfire, Cyborg, Raven, and the Death Strike. He has written some of the most popular superhero comics of all time, including two run-down shows on “The Avengers” and the groundbreaking series of events, “Crisis on Infinite Earths.”
Although primarily an artist, he has also written several comics, including a popular run on “Wonder Women”, which is often considered the definitive story of the famous heroine. The accolades he has received during his tenure as an artist include four Eagle Awards, two Jack Kirby Awards, an Inkpot Award, and an Inkwell Lifetime Achievement Award for his work as an artist.
Born in 1954 to a Puerto Rican family in the South Bronx, Perez aspired to be an artist from an early age. When he was 19, he started working for Marvel Comics as an assistant to “Fantastic Four” artist Rich Buckler. In 1974, he made his debut as an artist in the story anthology series “Astonishing Tales”. He would go on to do art for many other Marvel titles, and co-created White Tiger, the company’s first Hispanic superhero, with Bill Manto in Deadly Hands of Kung Fu.
Other titles he had include stints in “Fantastic Four” and “The Inhumans,” but his most notable Marvel titles were “The Avengers.” Perez was a regular artist on the title from 1975 to 1980, and he sketched many of the comics’ storylines, including “The Korvac Saga” by Jim Shooter. He also co-created the characters Henry Peter Gyrich and Taskmaster while it was running.
In 1980, DC Comics called on Perez to do art on “The New Teen Titans,” a relaunch of the teen superhero team led by Marv Wolfman, with whom he had previously worked on the “Fantastic Four Annual.” Perez penned the title for five years, and it proved to be a huge hit, becoming DC’s best-selling comedian. Over the course of his tenure on the series, Perez has drawn attention with his dynamic page layouts, honing his detailed and expressive style. After leaving the title in 1985, he would make a comeback in 1988, as he began planning and co-creating a new original for Wonder Girl Donna Troy.
After his initial run of “The New Teen Titans,” Perez teamed up with Wolfman on “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” a DC Comics 50th-anniversary action series designed by the company as a simple reboot of its characters. The 12-issue limited-edition epic series, which sees the DC heroes coming together to defeat an intergalactic Anti-Monitor as they attempt to destroy the multiverse, is often credited as an influence on many of the crossovers in other large-scale events in the comic books. Perez’s artwork for the series, which saw him draw many highly detailed crowd scenes depicting the capital’s heroes, attracted praise. His cover of the seventh issue of “Crisis,” which shows Superman in mourning over a dead Supergirl, has become one of the most famous and most welcome covers in comic book history.
After the end of “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” Perez joined forces with the “Wonder Woman” comic book to help relaunch the character on a large scale. Although he initially served as co-writer for writers Greg Potter and Lynne Wen, Perez eventually took on full scripting duties, writing either solo or with co-writer Mindy Newell. Perez’s portrayal of Princess Diana was more sporty and lively compared to other artists’ take on the character, and the reboot dramatically changed her background, giving her a more profound association with the pantheon of Greek gods. Patti Jenkins has stated that Perez’s career has been a major influence on her 2017 blockbuster film Wonder Woman.
Perez left Wonder Woman in 1992, after a falling out with DC over their handling of his mini-series “War of the Gods,” which he created to celebrate the character’s 50th anniversary. Perez felt DC wasn’t doing enough to celebrate the anniversary, particularly when they neglected to put the story on newsstands, making it available only in specialty comic book stores. After DC prevented him from marrying characters Steve Trevor and Etta Candy in the series’ final issue, in favor of having writer William Messner-Lopes include the next “Wonder Woman” the wedding in a future release, Perez stopped working with DC for several years.
During this period, Perez returned to Marvel to sketch Jim Starlin’s “Infinity Gauntlet” series of events, which became a bestseller and would serve as inspiration for the Marvel films “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame”. Due to his heavy workload with “War of the Gods” and the tension caused by his feud with DC, Perez was unable to finish “Infinity Gauntlet,” where artist Ron Lim tackled the last two issues.
However, after the Infinity Gauntlet, Perez began working more extensively with Marvel again, including the 1992 mini-series “Hulk: Future Imperfect” with writer Peter David, often considered the character’s best story ever. In 1994, David and PĆ©rez also collaborated on the 1994 miniseries “Sachs and Violens”, and later worked as a writer on “Silver Surfer”.
In 1998, Perez returned to “The Avengers” to relaunch the series with writer Kurt Busiek. The Back to Basics series saw Perez receive praise for his clean, dynamic artwork. After leaving the series, Perez and Buzek reunited for the 2003 crossover series “JLA/Avengers,” which saw the two teams confront each other and team up to confront a threat. Perez was one of the original performers of the planned ’80s “JLA/Avengers” crossover, which was canceled due to company disagreements, and whose pages will be published in the collector’s edition of the miniseries. Perez filmed many fun moments for audiences over the course of the series, including Thor Superman’s dual-use hammer and Captain America’s shield.
After “JLA/Avengers,” Perez’s production slowed, although he remained active as an artist for many years. In 2005, he was one of the artists in “Infinite Crisis”, a follow-up to “Crisis on Infinite Earths”, and in 2008 he was the lead artist in “Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds”. In 2007, he charted the first ten issues of “The Brave and the Bold” in collaboration with writer Mark Wade.
In 2012, he again stopped working for DC after leaving his role as writer and cover artist for “Superman,” which he led during the reboot of the new DC Comics 52. Perez explained his decision as a result of controversies regarding his material rewriting and poor editorial planning regarding the re-release of DC Comics. Employment. After leaving the capital, he wrote and illustrated the science fiction series “Sirens” for Boom! Studios from 2014 to 2016. He announced his retirement due to health issues in 2019.
Aside from his legendary work as an artist and writer, Perez has served as a member of The Hero Initiative, a comic book charity dedicated to providing health and medical assistance to comic book professionals. Perez was co-chair of the nonprofit’s board of directors and served on the Exchange Committee.
Perez is survived by his wife, Carol Flynn. In her statement, Eza announced that an official memorial to Perez will take place this month during the Orlando Megacon Comedy Conference. The service will be open to all.
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