Crossed and Endings

Crossed is not a series with the most stellar reputation. Honestly, most of the people I have come across and who have knowledge of the series more or less are filled with ire at it. With good reason too, the series operates on a much skewed level of “hit and miss”. As a reader of the franchise, only a handful of Crossed stories are worthwhile, or can even be found worthwhile. But that has changed.  

  That is why the following upcoming events are maybe the biggest, and most interesting, things that have happened to the series in the longest time. Readers are going to be given two separate “out” points. The sort of point where even the most devoted of fans of a series can take to just leave. For cape comic fans this usually coincides with the end of a run by a particular writer. In the case of Crossed, things work much differently, and in this difference lies the intriguing bit. First off, Garth Ennis (creator of Crossed) will be leaving the series. Initial shock aside, this has not been an unwelcome announcement. Ennis lost a lot of credibility among Crossed fans due to the lackluster reception and execution of the much anticipated “Patient Zero” arc. It was a huge waste of potential, personally, so seeing him go gives him the chance for one last hurrah. The main thing being that he will end up skipping 2015 in order to prepare.  

 

  Usually Ennis does a special arc every 25^th issue, but will not be doing so next year – instead focusing on his upcoming webseries Crossed: Dead or Alive. He will return for his final story arc in 2016 for the series’ 100^th issue. This is it, to put it short. This is his chance to go out on top. It’s also going to be the longest Crossed arc to date, at 11 issues, so Ennis has a lot of leeway here to make up for past mistakes. Will there be a drop-off in readership when this occurs? Who can say? But there might be is the point. The second announcement may be much more of a draw toward dropping off the series: a mini-series set 100 years in the future. Really, a draw of the franchise (besides the gorn for some) has been seeing how the survivors survive. A mini set 100 years after the fact is really the ultimate pin in that cushion. It is the finality of that which gives it a great deal of potential. It is pretty much “The End”, if Ennis’ departure were not enough of a sign.  

 

  Did I forget to mention that it is being written by Alan Moore? So, that is seriously a thing. Even if Crossed itself isn’t ending, I couldn’t possibly see Avatar doing that, this is about as good as it gets. This is as close to a definitive ending, on both counts, that Crossed readers will ever have to expect. Will they be good? Who knows? Maybe, maybe not. Yet that is the way it goes with Crossed. I am thoroughly excited even if they are bad, since I may very well use them to get any amount of closure.