Crossgen Comics appreciation and memories thread.

Comic universes no longer active, Bravura, Continuity, CrossGen, Future, Malibu, Ultraverse... and others that are 'no longer with us' today (or only recently brought back).

Moderators: Daniel Jackson, greg

User avatar
Chiclo
I'm Chiclo. My strong Dongs paid off well.
I'm Chiclo.  My strong Dongs paid off well.
Posts: 21667
Joined: Tue Oct 03, 2006 1:09:11 am
Favorite character: Kris
Location: Texas
Contact:
Re: Crossgen Comics appreciation and memories thread.

Post by Chiclo »

I never really got into CrossGen but my wife read Ruse #1 a few years ago and asked me to track down the rest of the run. :thumb:

User avatar
maraxusofkeld
I was young and silly and only read Marvel books.
I was young and silly and only read Marvel books.
Posts: 3129
Joined: Fri Jan 25, 2008 1:30:40 am
Valiant fan since: UNITY
Favorite character: Magnus
Favorite title: Magnus
Favorite artist: Bob Layton
Location: Liberated from enemy lines!
Re: Crossgen Comics appreciation and memories thread.

Post by maraxusofkeld »

Chiclo wrote:I never really got into CrossGen but my wife read Ruse #1 a few years ago and asked me to track down the rest of the run. :thumb:
Was such a great run and Butch Guice's artwork was top notch from that series.

User avatar
Ramses818
Rockin' out in Torquehalla
Rockin' out in Torquehalla
Posts: 2449
Joined: Sun Mar 11, 2012 3:46:41 pm
Valiant fan since: X-O Manowar 14
Favorite character: Rai
Favorite title: X-o but maybe soon to be Rai
Favorite writer: Joshua Dysart
Favorite artist: Clayton Crain
Location: Southern California
Re: Crossgen Comics appreciation and memories thread.

Post by Ramses818 »

I went to a friends store a few weeks back and bought several first and last issues of these series. A bunch of them signed by the creative team, and even a couple preview books. It’s still fun for me to grab these books when I see them.

User avatar
SwiftMann
Is it Dee-no or Die-no? Dunno.
Is it Dee-no or Die-no? Dunno.
Posts: 504
Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2014 11:09:42 pm
Valiant fan since: 1994
Favorite character: Solar
Favorite title: 90s Shadowman
Location: PA
Re: Crossgen Comics appreciation and memories thread.

Post by SwiftMann »

Just read all 24 issues of The Path in 3-4 days. These books are so amazingly decompressed. For most of the first 20 issues, each one is a single scene that would be 3-4 pages in any other company's books. I lost track of how many issues spent the entire issue restating the premise of the series for no apparent reason. And the cancellation made for a whole unsatisfying, rushed wrap up.

Those complaints aside, I like what Ron Marz was aiming for here, especially with Bart Sears as artist. I had forgotten just how much he'd switched up his style to do this book. Comes off very Frank Miller influenced in artwork and colors. I didn't love the constant use of two page spreads (like Ruse), but it was pretty from time to time. Unfortunately, the picked an artist at the other end of the spectrum with Matthew Smith to follow Sears. Smith was in full-blown Mignola clone mode with these issues, but nowhere near as good as Mignola. Ah well.
"If you think any of these [older comics/shows/movies] do not carry a political content and is not using the medium of science fiction to explore real-world ideas, than you have not been paying attention." - Dan Abnett, VCR #246

User avatar
SwiftMann
Is it Dee-no or Die-no? Dunno.
Is it Dee-no or Die-no? Dunno.
Posts: 504
Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2014 11:09:42 pm
Valiant fan since: 1994
Favorite character: Solar
Favorite title: 90s Shadowman
Location: PA
Re: Crossgen Comics appreciation and memories thread.

Post by SwiftMann »

Frustrated. Wrote this once already this morning and somehow lost it.

Way of the Rat - At first I thought this just wasn't a book for me. After looking up his work history, I realize I've never been a fan of his art - a whole lot of linework, but nothing in a panel is the focus. But the longer this book went on, the more I came around to the idea it wasn't for anyone. The entire thing is cliche and probably fodder for the game "Is It Racist?" It doesn't seem like Dixon is all that interested in his own main character, but the rest aren't any better. I remember Po Po the talking monkey being all the rage for a few months thanks to Wizard, but in reading this, he's not funny, just annoying and mean.

Silken Ghost - An entire first issue devoted to introducing 4 characters. Three issues of walking. Final issue a somewhat unclear battle against an unclear villain resulting in life changes for one secondary and one tertiary character. This seems more like they gave Dixon a place for him to spotlight Silken Ghost because she was turning into his main character in Way of the Rat. There's no good reason for this mini to have been green lit. The character wasn't interesting in Rat and there's zero character development here.

Worst of all, in 29 issues of total story telling, there is ZERO connection to the bigger CrossGen universe, so it felt even more pointless to dive through these.

On the plus(?) side, it only took 3 days to read through all these issues because there is so little meat on the bones.
"If you think any of these [older comics/shows/movies] do not carry a political content and is not using the medium of science fiction to explore real-world ideas, than you have not been paying attention." - Dan Abnett, VCR #246

User avatar
SwiftMann
Is it Dee-no or Die-no? Dunno.
Is it Dee-no or Die-no? Dunno.
Posts: 504
Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2014 11:09:42 pm
Valiant fan since: 1994
Favorite character: Solar
Favorite title: 90s Shadowman
Location: PA
Re: Crossgen Comics appreciation and memories thread.

Post by SwiftMann »

Brath - Who was looking for a Braveheart/Gladiator mash-up? With whole scenes taken right from Gladiator? I don't know Braveheart well enough to recognize, but I assume from there too? This is wholly unoriginal but an easy read. DiVito's art at the onset was pretty awesome. There was a shift to early days digital inking and possibly colors, it lessened the artwork. And it seems that Dixon had zero interest in the sigilverse as he flatout removes the sigil from Brath in the first few issues and we never acknowledge anything about the universe again. This is one of the very few series that was mid plot when CrossGen folded, so that was extra disappointing.
"If you think any of these [older comics/shows/movies] do not carry a political content and is not using the medium of science fiction to explore real-world ideas, than you have not been paying attention." - Dan Abnett, VCR #246

User avatar
SwiftMann
Is it Dee-no or Die-no? Dunno.
Is it Dee-no or Die-no? Dunno.
Posts: 504
Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2014 11:09:42 pm
Valiant fan since: 1994
Favorite character: Solar
Favorite title: 90s Shadowman
Location: PA
Re: Crossgen Comics appreciation and memories thread.

Post by SwiftMann »

Chimera - Vanity project? Early days digital artwork that feels like early days digital artwork. Story by an artist that feels like a story by an artist. This was very generic and one-note. And while there was at least some sigilverse connection, it wasn't much of one and never came back around. Couldn't help but thinking the villain was Dr. Silk though. I mean, the design is pretty spot on, if generic enough to deny it. Oh, and the tramp stamp location of the sigil was just plain tacky.

Solus - This mostly incoherent short-lived series was Barbara Kessel at her worst. And George Perez at his most bored (or undermined by the inker, hard to tell). The first issue was a nearly incomprehensible introduction of the two main characters. The second issue was a more readable intro, but still all set-up. Then four of the remaining six issues were stories addressed in other books (Brath, First, Mystic) now told from Solusandra's point of view, which was completely unnecessary. The other two were stories with characters we hadn't seen before and were a bit of fun, but inconsequential. A strange book, especially considering the hype that it was to be the "most important" book in CrossGen sigilverse lore. It wasn't.

So, I wrap up my CrossGen reading with those two duds. It seems like I did pretty good selection (for my taste) when they were originally published by picking CrossGen Chronicles, Crux, Mark of Charon, Negation, Route 666, Scion, and Sojourn. The rest which I've noted here and above really didn't do anything for me (or the bigger story as a whole).
"If you think any of these [older comics/shows/movies] do not carry a political content and is not using the medium of science fiction to explore real-world ideas, than you have not been paying attention." - Dan Abnett, VCR #246

User avatar
leonmallett
My mind is sharp. Like a sharp thing.
My mind is sharp. Like a sharp thing.
Posts: 9444
Joined: Sun Jul 09, 2006 9:39:01 am
Valiant fan since: 2006
Favorite character: Shadowman (Hall version)
Favorite title: Shadowman (under Hall)
Favorite writer: Fred Van Lente
Favorite artist: Clayton Henry
Location: hunting down paulsmith56 somewhere in the balti belt...
Re: Crossgen Comics appreciation and memories thread.

Post by leonmallett »

Chiclo wrote: Sun Feb 10, 2019 7:45:24 am I never really got into CrossGen but my wife read Ruse #1 a few years ago and asked me to track down the rest of the run. :thumb:
Sorry for the threadomancy, but your wife has good taste. :)
VEI - I look forward to you one day publishing MORE than 9-10 books per month

User avatar
leonmallett
My mind is sharp. Like a sharp thing.
My mind is sharp. Like a sharp thing.
Posts: 9444
Joined: Sun Jul 09, 2006 9:39:01 am
Valiant fan since: 2006
Favorite character: Shadowman (Hall version)
Favorite title: Shadowman (under Hall)
Favorite writer: Fred Van Lente
Favorite artist: Clayton Henry
Location: hunting down paulsmith56 somewhere in the balti belt...
Re: Crossgen Comics appreciation and memories thread.

Post by leonmallett »

I am doing what may be unthinkable for some, but binding my CrossGen books to make reading easier. they will be going onto shelves in my man cave as i begin to get rid of single bagged and boarded issues as far as is possible over the next few years. Ruse, Rout 666, Solus and Crux are in the pipeline first. :)

Having so far only read Ruse (love it), Negation (really enjoyed it) and Chimera (not bad), I am looking forward to the varied delights knowing that not all will read like winners.
VEI - I look forward to you one day publishing MORE than 9-10 books per month


Post Reply