Crossover #5 Review

“Stories never leave you.”--Dee

Story: Donny Cates

Geoff Shaw: Art

Dee Cunniffe: Colors

John J. Hill: Letters and Design

Mark Waid: Story Edits

Geoff Shaw w/ Dee Cunniffe: Cover

Before we even begin with the review of this comic, did you all look at that magnificent cover by Shaw and Cunniffe? I love that landscape cover and the colors they blended into the background. Holy smokes! Right at the beginning, the book is already stunning. Now, let’s get into the review. 

This issue picks up right where issue four leaves off. We have a mysterious hero in the basement of Father Lowe and our heroes are in the museum where all the superhero memorabilia is kept and we see that Valofax from “God Country” is calling our heroes. And the action really begins! 

Cates is telling a wonderful story here. I’m loving the “Crossover” theme where there are amalgams and other characters that Cates has co-created in recent years. This try is so well thought out and pretty near perfect. Donny Cates is one of the best writers going right now and this book really helps drive that home. We get a nice little surprise with Ellie and Ava right at the end of the book and “surprise” we end with a cliffhanger. Do you really expect Cates to do anything else? That just makes me excited for the end of this volume of the story with issue 6 next month. I'm also really digging the name of this arc "Kids Love Chains." I need to get some swag from Donny Cates store now that I think about it. 

The art by Geoff Shaw with colors by Cunniffee is just absolutely stunning. They do a great job at telling the heroes from other planets apart from our “normal” people from the Earth in Crossover. If you haven’t noticed in previous issues, the superheroes look like they are drawn with the dots that have been the sign of the comic books of old with how they were printed. There is a lot of action in this issue and there are several splash pages that are absolutely breathtaking! This book is certainly a case where the art amplifies in the writing. Without this art, the story would still be good but it wouldn’t be as great as it is. This issue is pretty near perfect. 

This issue has set up the readers for the finale of this current volume. Crossover will be continuing and there is an issue that will be dropping soon featuring none other than another great comic book writer in Chip Zdarsky. Hold on tight everyone this series is just getting started. If you haven’t read the first four issues, pick those up before you read this. You’ll need the previous stories to explain everything. You can always trade wait, but I’m sure you can get those floppies as well. Get this book and enjoy the ride. I totally wish I could give you more details about this issue but I think that if I give you anymore, I'll spoil the issue. I certainly don't want to do that.