Review- CROSSED: WISH YOU WERE HERE VOL. 3

CROSSED: WISH YOU WERE HERE VOL. 3 (Avatar Press, 2014; Hardcover)

Collects Crossed: Wish You Were Here Web comic Volume 3 Chapters 1-24, originally posted between May 10- December 6, 2013)

Writer: Simon Spurrier

Artist:s Fernando Melek and Lee Townsend (Inker)

Colorist: Juan Rodriguez

This is the most subdued and, dare I say it, character driven Crossed story yet. The mayhem, the blood, the carnage...all take a backseat to the personal relationships with the hierarchy of the island. The Driftfleet, a group of cruise ships, stumble upon the island and reach out to the denizens. Egos and insecurities end up working their way in and gum up the works.

Shaky is a scumbug, and the depths of his scuminess make him even more deplorable than the Crossed themselves. At least they are afflicted with a virus (or whatever it is that makes them go nuts) and are not directly responsible for their actions. Shaky is the worst kind of self centered sleaze there is. He would screw over anyone to get what he wants. He is so adept at doing this that even when he tries to do right he does wrong. Then again, what would you or I do if we had to live in World 2.0? It is these mental exercises that keep me coming back to this series. A world gone to Hell in a handbasket makes the problems of this here world seem trivial by comparison. Crossed: Wish You Were Here is escapist fun at it's finest.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4 out of 5.

The OCD zone- Dustjacket free casewrapped image on the hardback...nice paper...sewn binding. I know, you are asking yourself Where do I sign?

DVD-style Extras included in this book: None. To be fair, these were published for free online, so it's not like you are missing any variant covers or anything.

Paper rating: 4.5 out of 5. Decent weight glossy coated stock.

Binding rating: 4.5 out of 5. While the book definitely has sewn binding, I cannot see any stitches.

Hardback cover coating rating: 5 out of 5. Avatar Press' thick waxlike coating remains the one to beat in my opinion. It is seemingly indestructible. Remember those old Krazy Glue and Turtle Wax ads in the '70s and '80s? I am almost ready to start doing such science experiments on them to see how much damage they can take. Of course my OCD will stop me, but it is a thought.

Buy CROSSED: WISH YOU WERE HERE VOL. 3 HC at InStockTrades!

Also available in softcover flavor.