The writer behind JLA/Avengers is disputing rumors among fans about what happened to bring crossovers between DC and Marvel to an end. It's been years since readers have seen the all-stars of the Big Two mingling together and to this day speculation continues to pop up wondering why. Fortunately for comic book fans, Kurt Busiek has decided to step in and put an end to the conspiracies once and for all.
In the past, Marvel and DC were much more willing to play ball with one another and publish some truly creative stories. Marvel vs. DC/DC vs. Marvel spawned Amalgam Comics, a line centered around a world populated by DC and Marvel fusions. The Uncanny X-Men and The New Teen Titans is looked back on as one of the most well-regarded crossovers of the bygone era. Even with the difficulties in getting Busiek and George Pérez's JLA/Avengers (or Avengers/JLA) published, it eventually hit the shelves and became a beloved fan-favorite. At some point the crossovers dried up and someone is stepping forward to tell the fans why.
Kurt Busiek posted on Twitter in response to a now deleted tweet that posited Marvel was angry at DC for the events of JLA/Avengers. Busiek called the message "a crazed conspiracy," highlighting that the theory was quite old but "no truer now than it was then." He went further in a follow-up tweet claiming that the termination in partnership actually came from DC's ire at "something Joe Quesada said that blew up the chance at future crossovers." Busiek also noted that Disney's landmark purchase of Marvel "put the rivalry on a whole new level."
The last thing Busiek notes in his follow-up is that "Marvel didn't get mad over a story Marvel approved," which makes sense based on the history. Though envisioned back in 1979, the crossover stayed dormant for years amid editorial disputes, cancelations and writer changes. When an agreement was finally reached, Kurt Busiek planned the event with Mark Waid, the two writing Avengers and JLA respectively. One final dispute prevented Waid from working on the crossover due to his commitment to the comics company CrossGen, but the decades-long journey to bring the crossover between the Avengers and the Justice League to life had finally ended, with the blessings of both companies. Busiek no doubt looks unkindly to baseless accusations, because as he says, "imagine trying to tell this to people who were there at the time."
Fans are, of course, left in the dark when it comes to the behind-the-scenes workings of their favorite publishers. When something as beloved as these crossovers suddenly disappears, it can be alarming and conjecture is no doubt to follow. For Kurt Busiek though, getting the facts out in regards to Avengers/JLA is an important part of understanding this significant change in Marvel and DC's history.