And on the page, the narrative power of Pérez’s pencils was fueled by the undeniable joy that permeated each panel. ever illustrated. Flipping through the pages of his decades of work with Marvel and DC Comics, as well as independent projects, was to know that this man was born to draw superheroes.
As comics changed over the years, his art style remained classic, subtle, and sophisticated. He never gave in to the pressure to lure overly sexualized heroines into suggestive positions or heroes who seemed to be taking superhero performance enhancers, which were the norms for many publishers in the very extreme 1990s.
We now live in a world where comics are woven into the fabric of Hollywood’s DNA. The heroes Pérez drew during the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s have been a part of some of the biggest box office moments of recent times.
You can’t see Thanos walking toward the Avengers wielding the power of the Infinity Gauntlet in the “Avengers” movies and not see Perez’s cover of 1991’s “Infinity Gauntlet” No. 1. That comic has the look of a big-box movie. budget with your group of Marvel superheroes surrounding a towering villain.
Check out Perez’s cover of “Wonder Woman” No. 1 during the heroine’s mid-’80s revival at DC Comics, with her arms raised and her indestructible bracelets clashing together, ringing with power, part of a story in which Pérez is co-author which informed the Wonder Woman lore with Greek mythology. Now watch the Patty Jenkins movie “Wonder Woman” and see how many of those comics Perez drew inspired one of the biggest movies DC has ever made.
Pérez was the teacher of the great fundamental moment of the superhero. His comics were movies before superhero movies were a consistent thing. Who cared if Hollywood didn’t take comics seriously in the ’80s and ’90s? A story drawn by Pérez was all you needed. One could argue that the 2003 Justice League/Avengers crossover that he illustrated and co-wrote with Kurt Busiek was just as monumental as the first “Spider-Man” movie that was released a year earlier.
One of the things that drew me to comics forever was finding out that Dick Grayson, Robin the Boy Wonder, had grown up. He was no longer a child. He was transitioning into a new superhero identity and escaping from Batman’s shadow.
Pérez helped create that moment in an issue of “The New Teen Titans,” a series he drew with writer Marv Wolfman that catapulted them to rock star status. Pérez always drew Robin with muscles the size of standard adult comic book superheroes of the time; he never saw himself as a child. And that was the point. Robin’s growth was important to Wolfman and Perez. And they both knew it was time for him to transition into a new identity (one who would eventually become the superhero Nightwing). You can see both the determination on Robin’s face as he explains to the other Teen Titans that he has to hang up his yellow cape, green boots, and mask forever, and the shock on each of his teammates’ faces when they realize notice that they are saying goodbye. to an icon.
The anguish and uncertainty of the moment were a testament to Pérez’s ability to be emotional. Action is a big part of comics, but the artists who can convey the emotional impact of those actions are the ones who make their mark.
Pérez was also proudly Puerto Rican. As a young Marvel comics artist, he and Bill Mantlo co-created the first Puerto Rican superhero, The White Tiger, who first appeared in “The Deadly Hands of Kung Fu” No. 19 in 1975.
Pérez wanted to make sure that everyone felt that they too could be superheroes, including someone like him, a kid from the Bronx whose parents were from Puerto Rico. After all, what’s the point of drawing Superman, Batman and the Avengers if you feel like someone like you could never make the list? Back in the 1970s, decades before the comics industry really cared about diversity among creators and superheroes, Pérez pushed for inclusion.
Comic book turned Hollywood–heroes Miles Morales and América Chávez owe Pérez a debt of gratitude for showing the world that a Puerto Rican can also dream of flying.
Like a Puerto Rican comic journalist who has also written a superhero story for Marvel, I feel the importance of Perez’s work while recognizing that his success meant I was able to belong in places where I didn’t see many people who looked like me.
Pérez taught us that our superhero destinies are at our fingertips, and there’s nothing wrong with pursuing them. His work will forever be a testament to that.