REVIEW: ‘Crossover,’ Issue #4

Crossover #4 is published by Image Comics, written by Donny Cates, illustrated by Geoff Shaw, colored by Dee Cunniffe, and lettered and designed by John J. Hill. After the events of Crossover #3, Ellie and her friends, alongside Madman and the Paybacks, formulate a plan to go to the site of the Crossover and get Ava back to her home. However, they will have to utilize a mysterious item to breach the barrier surrounding the Crossover site.

With every issue, Cates continues to flesh out the world of this comic and showcase the fallout from the Crossover. Even with all the chaos caused by fictional characters pouring into their world, Ellie, Ryan, and Otto have genuine reactions of awe when meeting the Paybacks and Madman. Who wouldn’t want to meet their heroes? Cates also ties the events of the series back to the Paybacks, whose adventures he co-wrote, as well as another Image Comics title that he and Shaw worked on. To say any more would spoil the surprise, though fans of Cates’s work will definitely find it to be a pleasant surprise.

The small details matter just as much as the big reveals in Cates’s scripts, too. An interlude to the Lowe Ministry Baptist Compound reveals the sadism that Father Lowe engages in, and also explains why Ryan is scared of his father. A “post-credits” scene consisting of two pages also hints at a gruesome fate for the heroes that the government captured and spells trouble for our heroes.

Shaw’s artwork, while always stellar, takes on a new dimension now that he’s drawing actual superheroes. Nowhere is this more evident than with Madman, who moves with all the grace and elegance that one would expect from his comic adventures. The Paybacks are also brought perfectly to life, from Bloodpouch and his multiple pouches to Doctor Blaqk’s long black trenchcoat and flip flops. Considering Shaw also co-created the Paybacks, it’s like witnessing a reunion between long-lost friends. And in keeping with the visual language established in previous issues, the comic book heroes are drawn with dots peppering their skin.

Rounding out the artistic team is Cunniffe on colors. Cunniffe utilizes brighter, more eye-popping colors for the heroes-Madman, in particular, is a standout with his ghostly white costume-and more muted colors for the real-world environments and characters that populate them. The sole exception is Ellie, with her bright yellow raincoat and purple hoodie. A flashback sequence features a bluish tint to it, as if it was playing on an old-school TV.

Crossover #4 features its heroes pulling off a daring heist, as well as several surprising connections to another of its creative team’s endeavors, including the use of the Paybacks. Given the ending of this issue, as well as its “post-credits” scene, the series is about to kick into another gear. And I can’t wait to see what happens on the journey to the Crossover site, as well as the potential appearance of other comic characters.

Crossover #4 is available now wherever comic books are sold.