Legendary comic book artist and writer George Pérez recently revealed his diagnosis with stage 3 pancreatic cancer. This sad news has led to a great outpouring of love and respect for Pérez, and it's also an occasion to revisit some of George Pérez's best comic books ever. He has been at the center of some of the greatest superhero comic books in DC Comics history.
Pérez's remarkable career includes iconic runs on The Avengers and The Teen Titans, drawing virtually all of both Marvel and DC's greatest characters. He certainly got to the vast majority of them in drawing two key storylines in both company's history, Crisis On Infinite Earths and The Infinity Gauntlet, two monumental events with lasting impact.
Sirens
George Pérez is primarily known for his legendary work with the big two, Marvel and DC, but in recent years he's done some creator-owned work. Perhaps the best is Sirens, which capitalizes on his talent for massive sci-fi action and vistas with new characters.
Sirens was a six-issue mini-series from Boom! Studios in 2014 that followed an all-female superhero team as they fought alien threats across the multiverse. It's a fun series and could easily become a movie or streaming series.
Fantastic Four
Pérez spent some of his early career drawing some of the best Fantastic Four comics of the 70s. His work was a marked departure from that of Kirby and John Buscema, adding new energy to the title as well as inventive storytelling.
One of the best issues from his run is issue #176, in which the Impossible Man attacks the team and warps reality. This becomes one of the earliest examples of meta storytelling in Marvel Comics, including a visit to the Marvel bullpen with a cameo by Pérez.
The New Titans
Pérez in many ways made his name in The New Teen Titans early in the 1980s, and in 1988, he returned to the title, now called The New Titans. This run would become one of his best comics, starting off with an iconic story exploring the past of Wonder Girl.
The run was typical of Pérez's outstanding sense of action and scale, with the ability to draw a wide variety of characters that all look unique. This iconic run also crossed over with Batman during the storyline that would introduce Tim Drake, one of the best versions of Robin.
The Infinity Gauntlet
George Pérez did some of his greatest work in of cosmic scope and talent for drawing endless characters for The Infinity Gauntlet, easily one of the most influential Marvel Comics ever thanks to its impact on the MCU.
Pérez establishes the incredible scale of the conflict immediately and delivers some of the most iconic s in Marvel Comics history with Thanos' infamous snap. Pérez drew the first four issues before handing over the reins to Ron Lim.
The Avengers (Vol. 1)
George Pérez also contributed to some of the most cosmic battles in Avengers history. He drew a number of issues in the late 70s, including parts of "The Korvac Saga," one of the best Avengers arcs of all-time and a key story in expanding the team's cosmic scope.
Pérez contributed amazing art with complex page and designs that were early evidence of why he was the perfect choice to draw the massive cosmic stories like Crisis On Infinite Earths later in the 1980s.
Future Imperfect
Some of Pérez's best work is also one of the best Hulk comic books of the 1990s. Future Imperfect is a landmark story in the history of the Hulk, introducing the Maestro, a dark future version of the Hulk who has since become one of the hero's greatest villains.
It also continues Pérez's signature ability for amazing vistas and incredible detail, perhaps best exhibited in a scene where Hulk visits the Maestro's trophy room, absolutely jammed with references to Marvel comic book lore.
The Avengers (Vol.3)
George Pérez had a fantastic run in on The Avengers in the late 70s, but his best work with the team came in the late '90s. The best Avengers comics of the '90s come from Pérez's run on the book, where he brings in a new and acclaimed era for the team with writer Kurt Busiek.
Pérez's work on the title includes a lot of great and rewarding character work on the Scarlet Witch, as well as major battles with Kang The Conqueror that could very well inspire future battles in the MCU now that the supervillain is in live-action.
Crisis On Infinite Earths
Pérez's astounding talent for drawing huge battles with many characters reaches a creative peak in Crisis On Infinite Earths. This 1985 mini-series provided some of Pérez's - and comics' - biggest vistas of all time with entire universes being destroyed.
Crisis On Infinite Earths had a profound impact on DC Comics history, with the death of many characters like Supergirl and the introduction of many others like the Charlton Comics characters, including Peacemaker. Pérez drew hundreds of characters from across DC Comics history, bringing them all together in cataclysmic battles that left the DC Universe as one singular whole for the first time ever.
Teen Titans
Teen Titans is arguably the book that made George Pérez a star. His iconic work on the book introduced many important DC Comics characters like Raven, Cyborg, and Starfire, as well as the supervillain Deathstroke, all of whom have become major figures in other media.
His talent for nuanced facial expressions and unique skill for deg characters made the book one of the most popular of the '80s and certainly one of the most influential in DC Comics history.
Wonder Woman
The Wonder Woman relaunch coming out of Crisis On Infinite Earths is perhaps the best comic book in George Pérez's career. Pérez dramatically revises Diana's origin and updates her villains for the modern age, especially Ares, who emerges as one of her biggest villains.
Pérez brought his highly detailed and dynamic style to the book, creating a costume for Wonder Woman that likely inspired the DCEU version, which has become arguably the most successful character in the DCEU so far.