Which Crossed Comic Issues Are Essential For New Readers?

I've got a soft spot for messed-up survival tales, and 'Crossed' is one of those comics that feels like getting shoved into a nightmare and told to make the best of it. At its core the plot is simple and horrific: an infection spreads and transforms people into what the survivors call the Crossed — marked by a grotesque cross-shaped stain or scar and driven by pure, sadistic impulse. The comic follows different groups of survivors (almost every arc focuses on new faces and settings) trying to navigate a world where law, empathy, and trust have been ripped away. One story might trail a small band escaping a quarantined city, another might follow a cult or a ruined military outpost, and yet another explores how communities rebuild — often revealing that the living can be as monstrous as the infected. What I love and hate about it at the same time is how anthology-like it is: you get the immediate, visceral terror and also glimpses of long-term consequences. Some volumes — like 'Crossed: Family Values' and 'Crossed: Badlands' — dig into interpersonal collapse and moral rot, while 'Crossed +100' flips the script by jumping a century forward to show a society that’s adapted in twisted ways. The tone can be nihilistic and the content extremely graphic, so it’s not for faint hearts, but if you’re into bleak, uncompromising explorations of human nature under pressure, 'Crossed' is a savage, unforgettable ride that asks whether survival really means anything when cruelty becomes the currency.

I still get a little giddy when talking about tracking down tough comics, and 'Crossed' is one of those series that rewards a bit of digging—but you can absolutely read it legally if you know where to look. First place I'd check is the publisher: Avatar Press originally published 'Crossed', and their webshop is the most direct route to legitimate copies. They sometimes sell print trades and digital editions, so if you want a publisher-backed file or a paperback omnibus, start there. After that, mainstream digital stores like ComiXology (Amazon) and the Kindle Store frequently carry issues and collected volumes. Buying through them is easy and supports the creators/publisher properly. Google Play Books is another storefront that sometimes lists indie and mature comics, so it’s worth a quick search. If you’re on a budget, don’t forget libraries: apps like Hoopla or Libby/OverDrive partner with libraries and occasionally have modern horror comics available. Availability changes by region, but borrowing a legal digital copy through your library is a great option. And if you prefer paper, local comic shops and online retailers like Barnes & Noble or Midtown Comics will often have the trades in stock or can order them. I always recommend avoiding scan sites—it's prettier to read a crisp official edition and feel good about supporting the people who made it.

I've been chewing on 'Crossed' in fits and starts for years, and what hooked me from the outset was the bluntness of the premise. The whole concept was dreamed up by Garth Ennis — he's the writer who launched the original miniseries — and the early visual identity was defined by Jacen Burrows' stark, brutal art. They teamed with Avatar Press to bring this nasty, nihilistic virus-of-a-story into comics form, and that partnership is what put 'Crossed' on the map. One important thing people sometimes miss is that there isn't a single, fixed cast of main characters the way you get in a long-running superhero title. Ennis’ original work follows a handful of survivors in his initial arc, but after that the series branched into an anthology-style run called 'Crossed: Badlands' and other miniseries where different writers and artists introduce their own protagonists (and villains). What ties everything together are the Crossed themselves — humans twisted by the infection into crazed, violent caricatures, marked by that horrific cross-shaped scar. So if you want a character list, you’re really looking at many small casts across many arcs rather than one canonical roster. I recommend approaching it like short horror films strung into a shared world: pick a few arcs by creators you like and see how each team treats survivors, morality, and the infected. Personally, I tend to revisit Ennis+Burdows work when I want the raw origin feel, then hop into later arcs for different takes and characters.

I still get a little thrill flipping through my battered trade of 'Crossed'—yeah, there are collected editions. Most of the original minis and later spin-offs were gathered into trade paperbacks and larger omnibus-style volumes by the publisher, so you don’t have to track down every single issue if you’d rather read in chunks. If you like physical books, look for trade paperbacks that collect single miniseries (for example, many printings collect entire arcs like 'Crossed: Family Values' or the various 'Crossed: Badlands' stories). There have also been omnibus collections that bundle several arcs together for binge-reading sessions. If you prefer digital, the same collections frequently appear on platforms like ComiXology and Kindle — super handy when I’m traveling and don’t want to carry heavy tomes. One thing to know: because some runs were limited or printed in small batches, certain collections go out of print and then pop up again as second-hand finds. I snagged a hardcover at a con from a dealer who’d rescued it from a box of returns. Practical tip: check the publisher (look up Avatar Press), the big online retailers, and your local comic shop or library. Also be warned: 'Crossed' is famously extreme, so most editions include content warnings. If you’re new to the franchise, try a single collected arc first to see if you can handle the tone.

I get why people trip over the 'Crossed' timeline — it's like trying to piece together a road map after a hurricane. My copy of the original 'Crossed' mini-series lived on my bedside table for months while I sampled the other stories, and that’s a good place to start: the very first miniseries and the early one-shots show the outbreak and the social collapse in the immediate days and weeks. From there the world fragments into dozens of perspectives — some stories are literally about the first week, others are set months or even years later, and a few jump way forward into a rebuilt-but-worse future. What complicates things is that a lot of the comics were created as anthology pieces or by different creative teams given free rein to explore the premise. So publication order is not the same as chronological order. A neat trick I use when trying to place a story is to scan for contextual clues: the level of infrastructure and technology, the presence of mass graves or institutional responses, or simple things like weathered uniforms and scars. Those tiny details usually tell you whether an issue belongs in the early chaos, the middle scramble for survival, or the long-term societal aftermath. If you want a reading route that makes story-sense for a single sitting, try this mental flow: start with the original outbreak-focused material to understand how the infection spreads; then move into the mid-term survival arcs and multi-issue runs that show groups trying to rebuild or hold territory; finally read the far-future pieces like 'Crossed +100' to see how (and if) civilization reconstitutes. Along the way, treat a lot of one-shots like optional detours — they enrich the world but don’t always plug into a single, neat timeline. I still love re-reading certain standalones for the sheer raw perspective; they feel like postcards from different pockets of the collapse, and that keeps the series startling and alive for me.

I still get a little chill when I flip through the pages of 'Crossed'—it's one of those properties that lives so vividly on the comic page that adapting it is both tempting and terrifying. Officially, the franchise exists primarily as a sprawling set of comic mini-series, collected editions, and anthologies produced by Avatar Press with big names like Garth Ennis and Jacen Burrows involved. Over the years there have been dozens of spin-offs and limited runs—'Crossed: Badlands', 'Crossed: Family Values', and other arcs—so most of what you can consume right now stays in comics form, often gathered in trade paperbacks or omnibus volumes if you want a binge-read session. There have been talks and rumors about screen interest; I remember reading industry chatter about options and producers poking at the property, but nothing big has landed as a released film or TV series. That makes sense—'Crossed' is brutal and transgressive by design, and adapting that level of graphic violence and moral collapse for mainstream screens is a tall order because of ratings, audience limits, and the way streaming platforms weigh controversy. What did pop up more tangibly are fan projects and small indie efforts: short films, fan-made videos, and audio experiments created by enthusiasts who want to explore the world beyond the printed page. If I had to sum up: the property’s strength is in the comics and their collected editions, with fringe adaptations in fan media and ongoing industry interest that hasn’t turned into an official, wide-release screen version. Personally, I’d love a brave, R-rated limited series that leans into character and atmosphere rather than just gore—there’s a lot of human horror to mine under the shock factor, and that’s where an adaptation could actually shine for me.

The first time I dug into the critical reaction to 'Crossed' I was struck by how loudly people argued — it felt like watching a debate at a late-night forum. Many critics praised the series for being uncompromising horror: they admired how writers like Garth Ennis leaned into the bleakness to examine the worst of human nature, and how artists such as Jacen Burrows rendered ugliness with a cold, clinical clarity that made the book hard to look away from. Reviews that loved that side talked about a kind of grim moral experiment—stripping civilization down to its bones and asking what people become. On the other hand, a big chunk of the press recoiled at the book’s graphic content. The depictions of sexualized violence and extreme mutilation brought a lot of condemnation, with some critics accusing the series of exploiting shock value rather than earning its darkness. There were thoughtful pieces that argued the shock sometimes eclipsed character work, making scenes feel gratuitous rather than meaningful. Retailers and review outlets often tagged it with heavy content warnings or said it was ‘not for everyone,’ which is true but also part of what fueled its cult reputation. Over time the conversation softened a bit: later anthology arcs and different creative teams showed the concept could be handled with more nuance, and some reviewers revisited earlier takes to acknowledge moments of real thematic insight. Still, initial responses remain a mix of admiration for craft and discomfort at the brutality—an uneasy handshake between horror fans and critics who worry about where depiction crosses into endorsement.

I get way too excited about tracking down original comic art, so here's the pragmatic part of my collection brain: start local and then branch out. Small comic shops and conventions are gold for finding original pages or prints from series like 'Crossed' because artists and dealers often bring stuff that never makes it online. I’ve scored pieces just by chatting at a table, offering cash, and trading contact info for a follow-up photo. If you can’t make cons, check the publisher — Avatar Press often lists artist contacts or store links, and many creators sell prints or commission slots directly through their webstores or social handles. For bigger, pricier originals, use established marketplaces: ComicLink, Heritage Auctions, and ComicConnect are reputable for authenticated pages. eBay can work too, but requires more detective work: ask sellers for provenance, close-up photos of signatures, art board edges, and any COA. For prints, sites like InPrnt, Etsy, and artists’ own stores offer limited-edition giclée or signed runs. I always prefer signed, numbered prints if I’m not buying the original — they hold value better and look fantastic framed. Don’t forget to ask about shipping insurance and international customs; originals need careful packing and a trusted courier. Last practical tip: join collector groups on Reddit or Facebook and post what you’re hunting for. People often tip each other off about sellers, auctions, and new print drops. If you’re trying to track down a specific 'Crossed' page or a Jacen Burrows piece, direct messages to the artist (or a polite email to Avatar Press) can sometimes yield a surprise — artists sometimes keep original pages or have exclusive print runs that aren’t public yet. Happy hunting — the thrill of finding that one-off page is addictive.