I will start out this review by saying that I am a big fan of both Busiek and Perez. I will read just about anything either one works on, so I came into the book thinking that I was going to love the art and that the characters would be dead on. For the most part, I wasn't disappointed.

For anyone who has been reading long enough (or has read the TPBs), it reads like a cross between Crisis and one of the Avengers vs Squadron Supreme stories. I appreciated the fact that Kurt isn't afraid to acknowledge this and got a chuckle out of Hawkeye's lines toward the end, "These losers -- they're nothin' but a bunch of Squadron Supreme wanna-bes! Five gets you ten they're mind-controlled!" That being said, the issue does quickly turn into the standard "collect the powerful items before the other team and engage in a battle due to lack of understanding"

One of the biggest pros and cons of the whole book is that, at first glance, it seems to just be reusing old characters and plot devices. The major characters, The Grandmaster, Metron, and Krona have been well used in the past and have been major players in various crossovers in the past. Even the "items of power" seemingly at the center of all this, are nothing new to the longtime reader. While I appreciate having a miniseries that doesn't simply introduce another reality controlling all powerful object and/or character, I am waiting to see where the series can go from here.

One of the most interesting sections were the impressions of the two groups about each other's worlds. The story puts a twist on the normal super hero group battle by exploring how easy it is to put a negative spin on anything you see. Seeing the DC universe through the eyes of the Avengers, the reader can easily understand how everything looks a little too perfect, and on the flip side, places like Latveria and Genosha would be hard to understand without any context. I also have to admit that I enjoyed that section's almost offhanded reference to Batman beating up the Punisher.

In the end, there are enough open areas in the plot to explore, especially the odd behavior of Superman and Captain America and the return of Krona, that I still have high hopes for the book. As long as you don't go into it expecting the next Crisis, I have no problems recommending this book.

[Editor's note: this review will be expanded to include the rest of the series as future issues come out.]