DC Comics just dropped a major update for fans tracking the Avengers/JLA Facsimile Edition releases. This August, we’re getting a brand-new Alex Ross connecting variant cover for issue #4. It’s a massive move that ties two powerhouse publishers together through a single piece of art. Ross created this image specifically for these 2026 facsimile reprints. It serves as a direct homage to George Pérez and his iconic work on the 1983 Comics Interview Special Edition #6.
The Logistics of a Cross-Publisher Connecting Cover
You’re going to need to shop at both sides of the aisle to finish this image. Marvel Comics is handling the first half of the art on their JLA/Avengers #3 facsimile, which hits shelves in July. That side of the board features the Avengers. DC Comics follows up in August with the second half on Avengers/JLA #4, showcasing the Justice League. When you put them side-by-side, you get a full-scale face-off between the two most famous teams in comic history.
Why the Busiek and Pérez Run Still Matters
The original 2003-2004 crossover remains the gold standard for team-ups. Kurt Busiek wrote a script that managed to juggle decades of continuity without dropping the ball. George Pérez provided the pencils, and his ability to fit every single member of both teams into the panels is still legendary. These facsimile editions are faithful reproductions. You’re getting the original trade dress and the cardstock wraparound covers. Even the old-school ads from the early 2000s are part of the package.
The story itself is high-stakes cosmic chaos. You’ve got the Justice League dealing with the Marvel villain Terminus. Meanwhile, the Avengers have to figure out how to stop the DC menace Starro. It’s a literal collision of universes that took years of legal back-and-forth to actually happen. Seeing it back in print with new Alex Ross art is a treat for anyone who missed the original run or just wants a crisp new copy.
Completing the 2026 Facsimile Set
Local comic shops are taking preorders for all four issues right now. Since these are facsimile editions, they’re designed to look and feel like the single issues that landed on stands over twenty years ago. Collecting all four gives you the complete story as it was originally presented. The Alex Ross variants are the cherry on top for collectors who want a modern touch on a classic celebration of George Pérez’s legacy.
Title(s): JLA/Avengers #3 (Marvel)Avengers/JLA #4 (DC)
Release Month: July/August 2026
Featured Team: The Avengers, The Justice League
Artist: Alex Ross
Format: Facsimile Edition
