Crossed #1 (OF 9)

Finally!!! I can't wait for this. I'm already calling this as my POW. Hope I'm not disappointed.

I picked up the #0 issue (horray for $1 books!) and it got me pretty interested.  Hope this issue hooks me in

Am I the only one that hates the smell of Avatar books?

Well anyways, I'm really excited for this issue.

#0 was a big pile of shit

heh. 

Big pile of shit?

Explain. Sure it wasn't my pick of the year, let alone my pick of the week, but it sure as hell wasn't a brown fecal mess.

It did what #0 are supposed to do, which is introduce you to a story and make you interested in where its gonna go.  And all for a low low price.  I have never seen brown/green/occasional red fecal matter do that at all.

@Ruo21: I noticed the smell too when I read No Hero #1 last week. I have also noticed that IDW books also have a similar smell yet not nearly as strong as Avatar books. It would take a much stronger and worse smell to stop me from reading Crossed or No Hero though.

I agree that #0 did its job. It left me with more questions than answers and excited for the first issue. I can see how some might have been left unfulfilled but what did you expect for a dollar? I just wish each issue wasn't 4 bucks, that's gonna hurt at 9 issues but I think it will be worth it.  

@comicdork37-I love the smell of IDW books.  Well, at least Locke & Key, not sure if they all smell like that.  The smell of Fables pisses me off, but No Hero did as well

It wasn't because it was an issue #0. I've read #0s in the past that have introduced the story and got me interested in whats to come. I just thought this one was rubbish. It was like "Here is some extreme violence. The next 9 issues are going to be more extreme violence. That's the story". No substance, no intelligence, no point.

@deadspace: What kind of story did you expect from "the most twisted book" of Garth Ennis's career? The point of this book appears to be how far can one push the hyper-violence and shock value. I don't watch horror flicks for the story telling (usually) and I think the same can be said for Crossed. However, with this being 9 issues I got to think that there has to be a story in there somewhere that we just aren't aware of. 

Hmm. When I hear that something is twisted I don't automatically assume there is no story. The Saw movies are pretty twisted but they have an excellent story to them. Preacher is dark and sick and has a story. The Boys is the same. I don't know what the series is going to be like but #0 seemed to be appealing to the lowest common denominator. Lots of killing and a shagging of a knife wound really doesn't wow me. It just makes me dumber for having read it.

@deadspace-Well your arguement pretty easily.  You brought up the movie Saw, which has tons of violence and likes to push the gore factor.  It could easily be said that those movies stopped having real stories and basically have just resorted to being a gorefest, the lowest common demoninator.  If  someone where to watch the first scene of one of those movies and say "oh its just going to be gross and bloody, it won't have a story." you would slap them in the face and tell them to wait until they see where its going before they make such a bold statement as that.

So like you stated, you don't know what the series is going to be like and you can't say that this has no story.  You can't judge the story on an introductory #0, its just not logical.  You can say it after #1 comes out, if the story presented doesn't sound interesting/original/whatever.  But a statement like that doesn't hold true until you actually see what story Ennis is going to tell using this gory and demented backdrop.

Sorry, first setence is supposed to say "Well your arguement falls apart pretty easily."

@drakedangerz - I was replying to comicdork37's point that I shouldn't have been expecting much of a story given the solicitation. The Saw example was pointing out that sick doesn't mean there's no story or substance behind something. All I've said is that #0 made it seem like the story consists of "here is some extreme violence". And let's face it, the solicitation doesn't do much to counter that. So I really don't see how my argument falls apart at all.

I like ennis, but issue #0 was way over the top and put me off buying the rest, will be giving this a miss.

@deadspace - My point is that you are just assuming that this is not going to have a story and is just going for the shock value.  Your arguement falls apart because you are just making assumptions without having any real knowledge of the plot.  Maybe it will be a weak plot, maybe it won't be.  But you just don't know yet, so you can't/shouldn't draw conclusions.  As Spock says, its illogical :-P

The first issues story elements:

1. What is causing this? Im guessing something religious knowing Ennis and seeing how the title is Crossed. This is going to be the largest part of the story imo and knowing Ennis it will be the best part.

2. How is the world going to cope with this?

Have faith... not hate.

@deadspace: You say that the boys is sick/twisted but with a story. If I am remembering correctly a lot of people hated the first few issues of The Boys because they felt that it lacked story and was more about shock value. It wasn't until later that it became apparent that there was a deeper meaning to The Boys aside from hyper sex and violence. Personally I am curious as to the cause of people going crazy in Crossed and will reserve jumping to conclusions until after reading a few issues. Even if the story doesn't quite pan out I always enjoy the shock value of what comes out of Ennis's sick and twisted mind.

@drakedangerz - i think you should read what i've written. i've even said "I don't know what the series will be like".

@Ruo - I'd be happy if this series had something deep behind it, but if it does, he should write better solicitiations.

@comicdork37 - from what i remember, the boys had a story from day 1. i don't see how i'm jumping to conclusions just by giving my opinion on #0 and what the solicitation says. 

Btw good job defending your opinion so well Deadspace. Taking on 3 people at once is no easy task and with each response I've seen you justify your opinion. Even though I don't agree with your opinion, I'm glad to see you have a reason behind it.

@ruo21 posts like that are the reason i love this website

Anyway, the 0 issue had me intrigued. it set up an impossibly horrifying situation and did so in what i found to be a suitably horrifying manner. I'm interested to see if this evolves into an intellegent no-holds-barred horror story or if it just ends up being more "torture-porn" (i hate that term, by the way, but it seemed like the most suitable one at the moment.)

heh, thanks Ruo21. I guess I was just really disappointed with #0 since I know Ennis can produce good work. I'm not a fan of "torture-porn" as MisterBlank put it. I think it's a total cop-out on the part of the writer. obviously i'm still interested in where this series goes out of an interest in Ennis but I'll be waiting til I read some reviews because based on the solicitation and #0 it seems it might be heading in the 'shock and violence for the sake of shock and violence' direction. but we'll see.

Yeah people, can I just say, "well done."  Any other site, and this discussion would have become an argument.  You're awesome.

You know...I am kind of on the rocks about this after reading #1.  It got me interested, wasn't TOO over the top (at least for me)  Sure it had some graphic parts, which were expected, but it had enough meat in the story to make me come back for another issue.

That being said, some of the dialog boxes had funky wording that left me confused a few times.  And wouldn't her tire have been punctured when she ran over that girl with her truck?  I mean...there was a knife sticking out.  

Well, the torture porn certainly continues with this issue.  My oh my, let me just say, this is some of the most disturbing art work I have ever layed eyes on.  I almost feel guilty for owning this book as if I just watched a snuff film.  I will say, the reveal of the art/panels leading up to the extremely horrific scene is brilliant.

@Wetwork-yeah, I literally stopped for a few seconds at the end of the page before that and said to myself "oh god, oh god, what going to happen?  Please don't"  It was hard to turn that page, cuz you knew something bad was waiting.

I thought this was gruesome, grisly, and horrifying -- and ultimately well-done. There is a place for horror-torture-rape-hopeless-evil stories in the world, and I totally understand if you don't go for it. I'm of the mind that Garth Ennis happens to be very good at that sort of thing. For some reason, he greates great straw-men to see walked into the meat grinder (see Herr Starr).

And yeah, what's up with the Avatar odor? 

I asked someone from Avatar what the deal with the smell of their books was at WW Chicago. He said that they are generally more recently printed (prior to release) than books from other companies, so you're smelling the ink/printing remnant scent. I haven't smelled an older Avatar book to check out this theory.

It's very good of Garth Ennis to give me new nightmares. Thanks, Garth!

This was pretty fucked up & had a couple of laughs, but the story isn't much. I don't think I'll keep reading it.

Hmmm a Warren Ellis book about zombies and religion? Sounds great!

*reads comments that says there is rape and tons of violence inside*

.....Never mind >_<

@TheNextChampion - Not Warren Ellis

@TheNextChampion - Also not about religion...yet

Speaking of Warren Ellis...

I stumbled across a thread on his website where fans have been posting their responses to the book as well as the artist Jacen Burrows who assures that the "rules" of Crossed are explained in issue #2 and addresses the issue of character development (he says the story is more of a slow burn). If you are interested check out the link below, there are opinions from both sides (like here) with the added creator input.

http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=3814&page=1 

@conor: GAH! Why do I get these guys confused!? For some reason I think Ennis is Ellis and Ellis is Ennis...So confusing, still you get the point of the post...

@Drake: Well if religion isnt the focus of the first issue, it certainly feels like it'll be the overall theme once we get into the meat of the story. Just still dont see why hugh amount of violence and a hint of rape is something to sell in a book...and that's coming from a guy who loves Punisher MAX by Ennis.

Blair Butler's Video Review:

 http://www.g4tv.com/thepile/videos/29266/Fresh_Ink_Online_Secret_Six_Crossed_Invincible_Iron_Man.html

Loved this. I think reading the thread from Warren Ellis's website with input from the artist Jacen Burrows helped me enjoy it even more since he described the story as a "slow burn". Even though I didn't care about most of the characters after this first issue I can easily see that the story will focus on Cindy and her son Patrick. Looking forward to the next issue.

I bought this knowing nothing about it and really just despised it.  It seemed like a good, if familiar premise.  But the end of that book was just disturbing and felt mean-spirited.  The awful scene on the second-to-last page or so didn't seem like it was there as a horrifying lesson about the dangers of this world and these monsters.  Instead it seemed like it was being played for a laugh, like we were supposed to enjoy watching this horrible violence.  I'm only here posting my comments because I need to get this out of my head, I really just feel sick after reading this book.  I will definitely not be checking out the next isssue.

I've got an idea for a new Jeff Foxworthy bit: "You Might Be  Serial Killer"

If you like Crossed by Garth Ennis...you might be a serial killer.