Reviews- CROSSED VOL. 12 and MOON KNIGHT VOL. 2: DEAD WILL RISE

The only TRUE image of the hardcover on the Internet. I know, because I had to scan it myself!

CROSSED VOL. 12 (Avatar Press, 2015; Hardcover)

Collects Crossed: Badlands #62-70 (cover dates September- December, 2014)

Writer: David Lapham

Artist: Francisco Manna

Colorist: Digikore Studios

Once you have broken societal mores and nearly every taboo, what do you do for shock value? If you are David Lapham, you go even farther down the rabbit hole of depravity. Underage pornography? Check. Rampant heroin and drug use? Check. Selling children into pedophile human trafficking? Check. Rape? Sodomy? Gore beyond gore? Check, check, and check. I have a pretty high tolerance for sick shit, the result of having a parent who felt that taking her 9 year old son to see Psycho 2 and Poltergeist at the theater was a-okay and went on to see Horror movies well before he was ready. While a part of me enjoys the gore and the mayhem, a lot of this book turned my stomach. I guess that's the point, but I didn't have fun with it this time. It's possible that I have reached my point with this title. I guess that the litmus test will be when Crossed +100 comes out.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 2.75 out of 5.

The OCD zone- Some of the variants are presented here. They should release a book with all of the variant covers. That would be cool, as the “stories” seen in the variants seem more interesting than the one found here.

These hardcovers are Direct Market exclusives supposedly not available online. ;)

Paper stock: Good weight glossy coated stock.

Binding: Perfect bound.

Hardback cover notes: Super thick waxlike lamination on the casewrap make this dustjacket-free hardcover a joy.

 MOON KNIGHT VOL. 2: DEAD WILL RISE (Marvel, 2015; Softcover)

Collects Moon Knight #7-12 (cover dates November, 2014- April, 2015)

Writer: Brian Wood

Artists: Greg Smallwood and Giuseppe Camuncoli (#10)

Colorist: Jordie Bellaire

Wow, I am a long-time Moon Knight fan, but this just left me cold. I really enjoyed Warren Ellis' launch of this new series, as it had a different flavor than what had come before. This also has a different flavor, albeit one that totally sucks ass. The writing stinks, the artwork stinks, and the coloring stinks. I have already flushed this turd down the eBay toilet. This marks the end of my buying anything new from Marvel, and I came to that decision before they announced their sucktastic relaunch of “new reader friendly” titles. Yes, 60 new #1s that tie into endless crossovers are sure new reader friendly! I will live for collected editions of vintage material. Make Mine (old) Marvel!

Junk Food For Thought rating: 1.5 out of 5.

The OCD zone- There is a typo that it made it past not only the original series editor but the collected editions editor as well. And to think, these are “professional” writers. Pathetic.

Paper stock: Semi-glossy coated stock, a bit on the thin side.

Binding: Perfect bound trade paperback.

Cardstock cover notes: Laminated cardstock.

Review- CROSSED VOL. 11

This is the ONLY true image of the hardcover on the entire Internet. I made it because I couldn't find one anywhere to swipe. You're welcome, Internet!

CROSSED VOL. 11 (Avatar Press, 2014; Hardcover)

Note: Book actually released in 2015.

Collects Crossed: Badlands #57-61 and Crossed 2014 Annual (cover dates January- August, 2014)

Writers: Justin Jordan and Simon Spurrier (Crossed 2014 Annual)

Artists: Georges Quarte, Geanes Holland (#61), and Rafael Ortiz (Crossed 2014 Annual)

Colorist: Digikore Studios

If Crossed has taught me anything it is that only the sick will survive. Most of these people who arrange compounds or safe havens have a sick, depraved reason for doing so. It kind of makes you think about people in the world who seem normal on the surface and go about their daily life. Who knows what people are like inside their head, though? Your friends or neighbors could be really sick people and just need that push to go off of the deep end. Something like, say, civilization collapsing because of the Crossed.

The Folly, the story from the 2014 Annual, is even better than the main arc collected here. A young boy with asthma who has been bullied and has never accomplished anything in his life is faced with the realization that we are the makers of our own destiny...even a destiny like this. It is the human backdrop against the carnage that keeps me plunking down money time and again for this series. That and the fact that this is just so f**ked up and wrong, like a train wreck that I have to keep taking another peek at when I should just turn and walk away like decent people would do. Weep for my humanity, for it must surely be dead.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4 out of 5.

The OCD zone- Some of the variants are presented here. They should release a book with all of the variant covers. That would be cool.

These hardcovers are Direct Market exclusives supposedly not available online. ;)

Paper stock: Good weight glossy coated stock.

Binding: Perfect bound.

Hardback cover notes: Super thick lamination on the casewrap make this dustjacket-free hardcover a joy.

Reviews- CROSSED: WISH YOU WERE HERE VOL. 4 and CROSSED VOL. 10: BADLANDS- THE THIN RED LINE

CROSSED: WISH YOU WERE HERE VOL. 4 (Avatar Press, 2014; Hardcover)

Collects Crossed: Wish You Were Here Web comic Volume 4 Chapters 1-3 (originally posted on December 20, 2013- January 10, 2014)

Writer: Simon Spurrier

Artist: Fernando Melek

Colorist: Juanmar

This is the finale to the long-running free web comic. By the time that it was done I was relieved to be done with it. Shaky is an unlikable leading man, and that is the point, but if the reader cannot identify, sympathize, or empathize with the star then the story becomes a chore. I was waiting for redemption or some form of self sacrifice or at the very least some self serving action, but I don't feel like I get any of the above. This series ended with a whimper instead of a bang.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 3 out of 5.

The OCD zone- Avatar Press hardcovers are Direct Market exclusives these days.

Paper stock: Good weight glossy coated stock.

Binding: Perfect bound.

Hardback cover notes: Avatar Press hardcovers have no dustjacket, with the image being part of the paper casewrap. They use high quality super thick lamination which will provide a lifetime of reading enjoyment. 

Sorry about the bad cover scans. I couldn't find any actual cover images for the hardcovers anywhere online, so I scanned these two myself. I was tired and they aren't straight. Oh well, at least the true cover images are available online now. You're welcome, Internet.

CROSSED VOL. 10: BADLANDS- THE THIN RED LINE (Avatar Press, 2014; Hardcover)

Collects Crossed: Badlands #50-56 (cover dates March 25- June 18, 2014)

Writer: Garth Ennis

Artist: Christian Zanier

Colorist: Digikore Studios

Sometimes questions are better than answers, at least as far as I am concerned. The end of John Carpenter's The Thing. The end of Watchmen. For Crossed the question has always been not what happens at the end, but what happened at the beginning? Series creator Garth Ennis returns to set the record straight without really telling you the answer. I like that. The answers given only provide more questions.

These are some of the best Crossed comics published in quite some time. Things seem to have become more story and character driven, something not necessary for a visceral experience like Crossed. Fortunately things “return to the roots” here, leaving me cackling like Bart and Lisa Simpson at the end of an Itchy And Scratchy Show cartoon.

So Crossed has survived another round of being crossed off of my to buy list. That is not easy to do these days!

Junk Food For Thought rating: 3.75 out of 5.

The OCD zone- I used to list every single variant in The OCD zone. The most maddening to do was always the Avatar Press books, as there are a shit ton of variants and there was never any indication which cover came from where. I used to sit on the Internet wasting sometimes close to an hour digging all of this stuff up. I virtually bled for my virtual art. I am glad that I don 't do that anymore.

Paper stock: Good weight glossy coated stock.

Binding: Perfect bound.

Hardback cover notes: Avatar Press hardcovers have no dustjacket, with the image being part of the paper casewrap. They use high quality super thick lamination which will provide a lifetime of reading enjoyment.

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. 

Review- CROSSED VOL. 8

CROSSED VOL. 8 (Avatar Press, 2014; Hardcover)

Collects Crossed: Badlands Nos. 37-43 and Crossed 2013 Annual (cover dates January- November, 2013)

Writers: Simon Spurrier and David Hine

Artists: Rafael Oritz, German Erramouspe, Fernando Heinz, and Gabriel Andrade

Colorist: Digikore Studios

The beauty of the Crossed “universe” is that they can jump back and forth at various points in time, leading up to and after the event. Unlike The Walking Dead, which deals with an ongoing cast of characters in a linear continuity, Crossed jumps from scenario to scenario with each new arc.

This book has three arcs: American Quitters (#37-39), a tale of Erroll and Frank, a stoner hippie and a biker who run into each other on the highway and decide to pair up and go out in a blaze of glory. I guess that when the world goes to Hell you should be happy to have something to keep you going.

The second arc is Gore Angels (#40-43), which takes place at the zero hour of the Crossed outbreak in Japan. Three college-aged friends are taking in a Buddhist temple when it hits the fan. Without giving too much away, this arc is a riff on It's A Small World After All, with rape, revenge, and underground Manga (of all things) factoring in to make this the most offbeat Crossed tale yet.

The final story is from the 2013 Annual. Th' Big Yin was almost a colossal disappointment. I thought that they were spelling out the entire thing, how the Crossed came to be, so on and so forth. I hope that we never find out. The best stories leave the readers with questions and not answers. Look at Y: The Last Man. We never did find out exactly why things happened, and it made the ending all the more powerful. Luckily this story banked hard at the end and was fabulous.

I am now numb to the blood, gore, and carnage of Crossed. I am not sure what that says about me, but I hardly wince at it any more and instead wind up cackling like Bart and Lisa Simpson at the end of an episode of The Itchy And Scratchy Show. I find myself enjoying all of the violent mayhem in this series, and that saddens me. I once was a human being with a heart...now there is no hope, no escape, nowhere for me to run or hide. There is only the Crossed.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 3.75 out of 5.

The OCD zone- Avatar Press releases a maddening number of variants, and they do not list the issues where they are from on them in the book. Praise be www.comicbookdb.com for their invaluable assistance in helping me identify the covers. Not all of the variants are included, and one can only hope that Avatar Press issues some deluxe hardcover collection down the road featuring all five thousand variants.

DVD-style Extras included in this book: #37 Torture Cover variant. (1 page)

#39 Torture Cover variant. (1 page)

#40 Torture Cover variant. (1 page)

#41 Torture Cover variant. (1 page)

#43 Torture Cover variant. (1 page)

Annual 2013 Grizzly Cover variant (1 page)

Annual 2013 Torture Cover variant. (1 page)

Annual 2013 Wraparound Cover, split across two pages, not as a center spread (2 pages).

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

Binding rating: 4.5 out of 5. While the book definitely has sewn binding, I cannot see any stitches. It is stiff at first but loosens up as you read it.

Hardback cover coating rating: 5 out of 5. Avatar Press' thick waxlike casewrap coating remains the one to beat in my opinion. It is seemingly indestructible.

Buy CROSSED VOL. 8 HC at InStockTrades!

Also available- CROSSED VOL. 8 TP at InStockTrades!

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.

Review- CROSSED VOL. 7

CROSSED VOL. 7 (Avatar Press, 2013; Hardcover)

Collects Crossed: Badlands Nos. 29-36 (cover dates May- August, 2013)

Writers: Christos Gage and David Lapham

Artists: Christian Zanier and Miguel Ruiz

Colorist: Digikore Studios

This has been a brutal winter here in Metro Detroit, and for much of the rest of the country for that matter. It's bitterly cold all the time, with sub-zero windchills a common occurrence. It also seems to snow a few times a week. In short, it sucks. The best thing to do when it is like this is to blow off some steam, and what better way is there to do that than there is with escapist violent fun like the Crossed? No matter how shitty life seems in the dead of winter I felt much better after reading this book. After all, winter will end eventually, while the Crossed will never end. It helps put things in perspective.

This book contains two arcs: Quisling, a tale of a spineless jellyfish of a man who sells out anyone and everyone around him in order to survive. While I cannot say what depths I might sink to if the world went to Hell like this, I would like to think that I would meet my end with more dignity than this loser. It is fun to go through these types of mental exercises while the gore and mayhem ensue. The new development of the Crossed in this arc is most interesting indeed. The second arc is Breakdown, a sort of sequel to the Crossed: Psychopath mini-series collected in Volume 3 of the collected editions. 

As always, there are no taboos or societal mores that are spared. Everything decent is raped or fucked during the course of these arcs and the body count is nearly incalculable. And as always, I am disappointed with myself as a father and a human being for enjoying this series so much. I have considered going to a counselor to talk about where I have failed as a human being, seeing as how no decent, moral, upstanding member of society could enjoy Crossed. Either that or it is just fun to read because it so over the top. Christ, people, it's only a comic book. That's what I keep telling myself, anyhow...

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4 out of 5.

The OCD zone- As usual, the cover image for the trade paperback is superior to the one used on the hardcover. The signed hardcover editions have a better image still. The hardcovers are now Direct Market exclusives, but truth be told, I have never seen Crossed on the bookshelf outside of a comic book shop anyhow.

DVD-style Extras included in this book: All are one page each.

#29 Reflection cover.

#29 torture cover.

#31 torture cover.

#30 torture cover.

#32 torture cover.

#33 torture cover.

#34 torture cover.

As you can see, there are many variant covers which have been omitted from this collection, at least 20 by my estimate.

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

Binding rating: 4.25 out of 5. Sewn binding with the book block glued square into the casing. It is tight but loosens up as you read it.

Hardback cover coating rating: 5 out of 5. Avatar's super thick coating on their hardbacks remains the best in the industry. I have grown quite fond of dustjacket free books (I know, I know, blasphemy!) with the images printed directly on the cover.

Buy CROSSED VOL. 7 HC at InStockTrades!

Also available in trade paperback flavor!

Review- CROSSED VOL. 6

CROSSED VOL. 6 (Avatar, 2013; Hardcover)

Collects Crossed: Badlands Nos. 19-28 (cover dates November, 2012- April, 2013)

Writers: Garth Ennis (Nos. 25-28), David Lapham (No. 21-24), and Si Spurrier (Nos. 19, 20)

Artists: Raulo Caceres (Nos. 19, 20, 25-28) and Miguel Ruiz (Nos. 21-24)

Colorist: Digikore Studios

This volume collects three arcs. The Fatal Englishman takes place five years after the whole Crossed event originally occurred. In this story, Father Dennis Kingston and his flock of children are rescued by a group of ragtag survivors armed to the teeth and on a mission to rid the world of the Crossed once and for all. Garth Ennis returns to the fold after a few years away to write this one.

Livers is the most disturbing tale in this trilogy of terror. Amanda is one crazy bird who has survived two years in the Crossed-infested world. She stumbles across a guy who is just as crazy who goes by the name Danger Montana. He takes her to their basement kingdom in the sewers, where she meets Sir Killweather and The Great Kong. They have their own little world hidden away from the Crossed and have been without the company of a woman for a long time. They are all completely insane, and things end as well as they can for folks in this insane world. Some of the gore and mayhem in this series becomes white noise after a while, but Livers has a few scenes that really shocked me. Well done!

Conquers All (Nos. 19 and 20) takes place two days after the initial event. Serena Long is a police officer with the Los Angeles County Probation Department. She and Mattias Vichnyak crossed the line between probation officer and parolee just before the world went to Hell in a hand basket.

What would you do if someone you loved became infected with a virus/plague like the Crossed? This is the most intriguing premise of this series. What would I do if my family fell victim to something like this? What would any of us do? Could anyone survive in a world gone mad? Would you even want to? It's thinking of scenarios like this that keeps my mind spinning and keeps me turning the page in these books.

There was an article on Heidi MacDonald's The Beat recently which posed the question “So what kind of person buys a “Torture Variant”anyways?” In the article and the comments section below, fans of Crossed are portrayed as adolescent and/or mentally ill, with folks coming this close to saying that the title shouldn't be allowed to see print. I have bought every single Crossed collected edition and don't plan on stopping anytime soon. The series doesn't fill some “sick void” or provide me with “torture porn” fantasies. It's over the top and is intended to be so. I find myself cackling when I read every issue, not unlike Lisa and Bart Simpson after watching an episode of The Itchy and Scratchy Show. Crossed is sick and wrong and that is why I love it. It's shocking and repulsive and everything that is wrong with Horror done right. Why anyone is up in arms over a Mature Readers title that you have to be 16+ to buy is beyond me. It's not like they have Crossed toys or bedhseets on the shelves at Target that my 6 year old son is begging me to buy for him.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4 out of 5.

The OCD zone- The issues are arranged out of original publication order. The Fatal Englishman arc is chapters 1-4 in book but is issues 25-28, Livers is issues 21-24 and Conquers All is 19 and 20.

They read fine in the order they are collected in but thought that I would pass this news along for those with an acute OCD about such things. Here at The OCD zone we care because we understand...

DVD-style Extras included in this book:

Some of the variants are included in a cover gallery in the back. It is difficult to track down the information as to what issue belongs to which cover. Even the chapter breaker pages and images are of little help. Suffice it to say that they are not all here.

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

Binding rating: 4.25 out of 5. The sewn binding is stiff due to the casing being glued square to the spine. It does loosed up as you read the book, and I am confident that the binding will be better after a few reads.

Hardback cover coating rating: 5 out of 5. The super-duper thick lamination on these Avatar Press hardcovers remains the gold standard for these dustjacket-free hardbacks.

Buy CROSSED VOL. 6 HC at InStockTrades!

Also available in softcover.