Crossover #1
Recap
Imagine everything you thought was fantasy...was real. And now join us, in a world where reality is dead…and anything is possible...
Review
I’ve had this book on my radar since its announcement and I can admit what lured me to it at the beginning was the incredible creative team on this which are personal favorites of mine.
So when I sat to read my advance copy of Crossover #1 I thought I knew what type of story to anticipate, the big event, new blockbuster title, I knew this was going to be a good read, I knew this was going to be a good if not great comic.
What I didn’t see coming was how much this book hit on a personal level straight off from the first issue and by that I don’t mean me personally – I mean all of us. All of us comic book readers that got our first issue and taste of Spider-Man, Spawn, Batman or Judge Dredd et cetera and became smitten, whether that be at a young age and carried right through to adulthood or discovering comics at a later stage of your life and feeling like society gazes at you with a judgement as if to dictate what you’re doing is strange or wrong. Admit it or not we’ve all felt like this at some stage throughout our comic filled way of life or hobby to some.
The opening pages explain to the reader how this monstrous event came to be reality with gripping narrative and absolutely striking artwork and colors that will hold any reader like a vice until the last page!
We are then introduced to the new world and all its ramifications after the Crossover and are introduced to our main antagonist Ellie. This character right off the bat is incredibly relatable to comic fans! Looked upon as being different because of her passion for the creative work many don’t understand or appreciate. The world Donny, Geoff and Dee has created drives this outlook into one of hatred and resentment by those who believe comics are the work of the devil and that God hates masks.
I have to give so much credit to how Fredric Wertham and the references to his book are used to reflect on this new world circumstance!
The only place she finds solace is at her comic shop that is under scrutiny by those who believe comics and those who sell them are evil due to the traumatic events that have unfolded. (While not entirely the same doesn’t that feeling sound familiar to us fans! Phenomenal writing.)
The premise is unprecedented. The more you read deeper you think, there’s so much that can be taken for a euphemism.
Geoff Shaw combined with Dee Cunniffe is remarkable formula treating readers to absolute stunning visuals in the interiors. The book allows the team to create some of the most eccentric styles I’ve seen yet! When we first get introduced to a girl who is “one the comic book folks” the art style she is drawn and colored in to set her apart from every other character is outstanding with that classic comic dots appeal!
The massive reveal at the end focuses on a doodle the child from the comic world drew, depicting her savior and familiar to us all is a huge red S and that symbol of hope! It has been highlighted before that this book will have many huge characters and this premise alone has excited as we all will want to see and predict which famous character we know and love will show up next!
Donny Cates and his team have created a concept that whilst you think sound or feels somewhat familiar it is anything but, the more you read you experience how unique this title is, as soon as you finish it begs for a second read through even for the many references alone! That along with many teased reveals to come would leave any superhero fan begging for that next issue!
Final Thoughts
I now completely understand why Image, the creative team and many big-name writers and artists are pushing and raving about this title constantly. What Donny Cates, Geoff Shaw, Dee Cunniffe, and John J Hill have created with this comic is phenomenal, genre-changing and arguably nothing short of perfection!
Crossover #1: Stories, Myths, Legends
- Writing - 10/1010/10
- Storyline - 10/1010/10
- Art - 10/1010/10
- Color - 10/1010/10
- Cover Art - 10/1010/10