Kurt Busiek

George Pérez, born June 9, 1954, is one of superhero comics’ most enduring and iconic artists, with a bold, energetic style that helped define both the Marvel and DC visual universes, and an influence on the genre that has stood the test of time. Pérez first made his name at Marvel Comics in the mid-'70s, quickly graduating to high-profile titles such as Fantastic Four and The Avengers. His work on the Avengers story "The Korvac Saga" established one of his hallmarks; he was one of the best artists around if you needed a crowd shot packed with as many superheroes as the page would allow!

Welcome to Give ‘Em Elle, a weekly column that hopes to bridge the gap between old school comics fandom and the progressive edge of comics culture. This week I’ve been thinking about superheroes universes, and what it means to have a whole population of costumed characters running around. Sometimes I think that the population of superheroes (and villains) that you don't have a chance to get to know is almost as important as the heroes at the center of the story.

It’s the third Monday in May and you know what that means… Good Miracle Monday, everyone! Today of course marks the thirty-fifth anniversary of when Superman defeated the great and powerful C.W. Saturn, and the people of Metropolis learned the meaning of joy. Although our collective memory of that monumental day remains hazy, throughout the world humanity celebrates with a day dedicated to friends, family and recreation and --- if it brings happiness --- reflection. The holiday first appeared in Superman: Miracle Monday, a novel by Elliot S. Maggin, published in 1981, which follows a time-traveler named Kristin Wells from the 29th century who journeys back to discover the origin of the holiday and accidentally becomes wrapped up in its very events. While Miracle Monday has become a holiday for Superman fans in the vein of April 27th for Alien fans or May 4th for Star Wars lovers, it remains a fairly obscure piece of the franchise's history that has only been referenced on a handful of occasions.

Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice is in theaters worldwide right now, and whether you loved or hated it, it's certainly an interesting take on The Caped Crusader and The Man of Tomorrow. A great many independent comics have taken the core ideas of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and other iconic characters and given them a unique spin that could only be explored outside the confines of DC Comics mainstream continuity. If you're looking for superhero stories with a bit of an edge, we've got five of the best to recommend to you.

September 16th should become some kind of comic national holiday because it’s the birthday of both Mike Mignola and Kurt Busiek, and as far as making quality comics goes, that is one heck of a dynamic duo. Today is Busiek’s 55th birthday, and this month marks the 20th anniversary of Busiek’s ongoing masterpiece with Alex Ross and Brent Anderson; Astro City. In celebration, we’ve compiled a collection of some of Ross’ best covers to showcase how the world of Astro City has changed over the years.

Today is the birthday of Kurt Busiek, one of comics' most storied and influential creators, born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1960. A thoughtful approach to continuity has long been Busiek's stock-in-trade as. One of his first major contributions to comics was to solve the problem of bringing Jean Grey back to life. As controversial as the resurrection was --- arguably as controversial as her death in the first place --- Busiek's solution was considered and weighted with potential, recasting Jean as a stranger to her own friends and family and carefully making use of established story details with a new spin.

Kurt Busiek, Brent Anderson and Alex Ross's Astro City turns 20 years old this month, marking two decades of --- and I say this without even a hint of my usual exaggeration --- one the most innovative and consistently great comics in the history of the superhero genre. To celebrate that pretty auspicious occasion, DC and Comixology have launched a massive sale on the series that runs until next Monday, the 21st. If you've never read the series, or even if you've just missed a few here and there and need to fill some holes in your run, then this is likely the best news you'll hear all week, but at the same time, it can be a little daunting. 20 years of comics can be a lot to get through, especially when it's all really good. So if you need some recommendations, I'm here to help.

Kurt Busiek and Benjamin Dewey's Autumnlands is set in a fantasy world that may or may not be the far-off future. Magic is dying, and the humanoid animal members of a highly hierarchical society devise a last-minute plan to bring the savior and progenitor of their world to their present day.

In 1995, Kurt Busiek, Brent Anderson and Alex Ross launched Astro City, and in the years since, it's been one of the most consistently amazing superhero comics on the stands. Built around the idea of looking at the lives of superheroes from a perspective that didn't always follow the major cataclysms and battles of good against evil, Astro City gave us a person-on-the-street view of things like secret identities, flight, and even shifting continuity, in a way that no other comic ever had. With this week's Astro City #26, Busiek and Anderson celebrate the 20th year of their universe. To mark the occasion, I spoke to them about how their process has changed over the course of two decades, the way the stories are built, and their favorite moments from the book's long history.

Ever since its return in 2013, Kurt Busiek, Brent Anderson and Alex Ross's Astro City has been one of those comics that's so consistently great that it's almost pointless to talk about how great it is. That story about the superhero call center from #2 and #3 was one of the best superhero stories of all time, perfectly nailing the conceit of superheroes seen through the eyes of normal people and what that means for the world. And the series isn't showing any signs of slowing down. If anything, it's getting better, because we're finally getting around to a story about a gorilla who just wants to play drums in a rock 'n' roll band.