REVIEW: ‘Crossover,’ Issue #6

Crossover #6 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.  The finale to the “Kids Love Chains” arc features Ellie, now armed with the enchanted blade Valofax from God Country, and her friends as they enter the site of the Event to get Ava home. In the process, they encounter a multitude of characters from other comic book universes, and a startling secret about one of the characters is revealed.

Cates continues to be one of the best writers in the business, packing immense amounts of emotion and action into 22 pages. On the action side, there’s a massive dust-up featuring a multitude of characters from Image and other publishers. And on the emotional side, the issue takes a tragic turn with the fate of one character that’ll stab deep into readers’ hearts.

Cates also manages to touch on nearly every plot thread introduced in the last five issues, including Ellie’s quest to get into the dome and the sheer destruction that the warring heroes and villains leave in their wake. The ending of the issue features a massive cliffhanger that I never saw coming. Another indication that the story is shifting is the narration, which takes on a horrifying tone, and Hill painting the caption boxes as fading away adds a sense of urgency to the story.

Artwise, Shaw turns in some of the best pages of his career. A two-page spread features multiple heroes and villains engaged in battle, with energy blasts and super strong punches thrown. Half-wrecked buildings and smoldering chunks of rubble are left in their wake as well, as some characters are literally chucked through buildings. Shaw also gets to put his own spin on characters from across comic book history, including Colonel Weird from Black Hammer and Image mainstays including Witchblade and Shadowhawk. Eagle-eyed readers will recognize most of these characters, including other series Cates has worked on, such as Atomahawk and Buzzkill. Cates and Shaw promised that other characters would show up, and they did not disappoint. A page at the back of the book lists all of the characters who appear as well as their creators and the series they first appeared in.

Cunniffe also brings the series to life with his colors, especially in the aforementioned fight scene. It’s a wild mix of palettes, from the Darkness’s jet black armor to Savage Dragon’s lime-green skin. Blue seems to be the most prominent color in Cunniffe’s arsenal, with the ever-present glow of the Dome casting an electric blue light on things. Valofax’s blade is a light blue, forming an arc the color of the sky as it cuts through a horde of the undead. And the final scene takes place at night, with cool blues setting the scene for the aforementioned cliffhanger.

Crossover #6 wraps up the series’ first story arc, tying up several plot threads while ending with a massive cliffhanger. I’m not sure where the series intends to go from here, but I’m looking forward to what this creative team has in store. I highly recommend this series to avid comic book readers or comic readers of all shapes and sizes as there’s literally something for everyone here.

Crossover #6 is available wherever comics are sold.