Review- CROSSED VOL. 9

CROSSED VOL. 9 (Avatar Press, 2014; Hardcover)

Collects Crossed: Badlands Nos. 44-49 and Crossed 2013 Special (cover dates August, 2013- February, 2014)

Writers: Daniel Way and Simon Spurrier

Artists: Emiliano Urdinola and Gabriel Andrade

Colorist: Digikore Studios

Weep for my humanity, for it is truly dead. I consider myself a compassionate, empathetic human being, I really do. Then why am I no longer shocked or even remotely repulsed by the Crossed? Why am I no longer wincing as their fornicating, entrails unraveling antics play out across the printed page? I must have become desensitized to the mayhem and gore, although there is admittedly less of it going on this time out. There are attempts at characterization and commentary on the human condition in the aftermath of the Crossed.

The 2013 Special saved the day as far as this book is concerned. I was fairly underwhelmed by the first six issues collected in this book, especially the artwork. Crossed needs beautiful artwork to serve as a contrast to the gore. It should make you want to stop and stare when you know that you shouldn't. That was the hook for me when this series started several years ago.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 3 out of 5.

Buy CROSSED VOL. 9 HC at InStockTrades!

Also available in TPB.

The OCD zone- These Avatar Press hardcovers are all Direct Market exclusives.

There are so many variant covers left uncollected. I would like to see a Crossed: The Covers book with all of them in it. That would be cool.

Please note that the cover image provided in this post isn't entirely accurate- the actual cover has brown trim on it. I could not find an image of it anywhere on the Internet. While I have scanned the covers of the past few Crossed hardcovers myself I am too lazy to walk downstairs and fire up my scanner right now, so you get this crappy inaccurate stock cover image.

DVD-style Extras included in this book: #44 Torture cover variant. (1 page)

#45 Torture cover variant. (1 page)

#47 Torture cover variant. (1 page)

#48 Torture cover variant. (1 page)

Crossed 2013 Special Heads cover variant. (1 page)

#44 wraparound cover variant. (2 pages)

#45 wraparound cover variant. (2 pages)

#47 wraparound cover variant. (2 pages)

#48 wraparound cover variant. (2 pages)

Crossed 2013 Special wraparound cover variant. (2 pages)

Crossed 2013 Special Torture cover variant. (1 page)

Paper stock: Thick glossy coated stock.

Binding: Perfect bound hardcover.

Hardback cover notes: No dustjacket. Image is printed on the casewrap, which has the thickest lamination out of any comic publisher. The world would be a better place if all hardcovers without dustjackets used this type of lamination, as it is highly durable and resistant to scuffing.