Hey Otakus and Geeks fans, today we're bringing you some news and previews of Garth Ennis's return to horror in Crossed Badlands #25 which will be onsale in March. Now I've been a fan since a friend recommended I read the original Crossed series. For those of you who might not be familiar with Crossed Badlands, here is a quick run down of the series.
Crossed Badlands features short story arcs of varying length, by
different authors. Issues #1-3, by Ennis and Burrows, follows a group of
United Kingdom survivors traveling across Scotland. The leader of the
group, Ian, relates his introspection on the purpose of survival when
there is no hope. By the end of the third issue, the entire group is
killed and/or turned.
In issues #4-#9, by Jamie Delano and Leandro Rizzo, the story follows
individual survivors in the Everglades banding together, only for their
individual psychosis to ultimately cause them all to become Crossed, the
last survivor coming over willingly.
from Wikipedia
GARTH
ENNIS TALKS ABOUT HIS RETURN TO HORROR WITH CROSSED: BADLANDS #25
The
Second Annual C-Day this March will do more than just celebrate a year of
publishing two issues of Crossed: Badlands every month on time... it
will also mark the long-awaited return of the man who created Crossed, Garth
Ennis!
In the comics industry, no doubt you have heard the name.
Perhaps you think of his grueling reinvention of The Punisher for Marvel. Maybe you cringe and chuckle at his Preacher epic with Vertigo. Perhaps you
thought he “Out-Preachered” himself with Dynamite’s The Boys.
But if you haven’t read Crossed
by Avatar Press, you haven’t seen Ennis at his most extreme.
This March, Ennis returns to the world he created with Crossed: Badlands #25.
"Funny
thing is," Ennis admitted, "I never really intended to be a horror
writer. I'm not the world's biggest fan of the genre. I like a book here,
intermittently follow a writer there. I like one zombie movie, one vampire
movie, a couple of werewolf flicks, but I'm not really what you'd call
dedicated. Yet here I am."
Listed
in this month's Previews catalog, Ennis returns to the plague-infested world where those infected carried out the vilest of acts. These
are not mindless zombies that survivors would run from or fight. These are
living sentient beings who act upon their most evil thoughts, committing the
most heinous of acts ever known to mankind. Their sole unending drive is to
satiate their basest of needs and cruelest of thoughts to whomever is closest,
usually former loved ones and friends.
This is real horror.
Ennis
sees his new story as a great jumping-on point for fans of horror, as Crossed:
Badlands arcs are normally self-contained and easy to pick up.
"Like
any worldwide horror setting," Ennis explained, "... the
possibilities are endless. You can do stories about anything, anywhere. Ideas
suggest themselves all the time. And I do feel a sense of responsibility to
come back from time to time, help keep things ticking over."
Ennis’ new story arc, “The
Fatal Englishman,” is Ennis at his best; interesting characters with dialogue
that is both thoughtful and full of particular dialect, meticulous details
regarding the militaristic cast, a nod to the history of the land, as well as
the over-the-top brutality and insanity one expects in the world of the
Crossed.
The story centers on a small
band of soldiers who have decided enough is enough, and decided to fight back.
They will take the fight to the Crossed hordes and have a plan for wiping them
all out. But can they actually follow through?
Ennis
is committed to exposing more people to the infection that is Crossed, as he
will be writing and directing live Crossed webisodes later this year. These 4-6 minute stories will be available for free
online, hoping to attract new interest in the world of the Crossed comics, as
well as generate interest for a possible feature film.
Prior
to the webisodes debuting, however, Ennis returns to tell a new story in the
comic, with the first issue to publish on March 13, 2013. That day, comic shops
all around the globe are planning on celebrating the Second Annual C-Day (or “Crossed Day”) with cos-play for
staff and fans, creating videos, store displays, contests and generally having
fun with letting their inner-Crossed play for a little bit.
To
help comic shops celebrate C-Day on March 13th, Avatar Press is offering a
Promo Kit in the January Previews catalog, filled with Crossed temporary
tattoos, buttons, postcards, stickers and new Crossed masks.
To
help create more excitement, Avatar Press is increasing the amount of covers
for Crossed: Badlands #25, giving fans more choices for which
cover(s)
they want to celebrate Ennis' return (eight $3.99 covers, one $14.99
leather cover, two retailer incentive covers and one collector's box
set). Also, available for the first time in the
January Previews catalog are Crossed T-Shirts - starting at only $8.99
retail.
2013
promises to be a big year for Crossed. It all starts with the return of Garth
Ennis and the Second Annual C-Day this March.
Information provided by Avatar Press.
Crossed Badlands # 25 looks like it's going to be a great story arc and I will be sure to give a review of the new issue. Until then here are some previews of the upcoming covers.
Interior art pages
