REVIEW: 'Crossover' #1 by Donny Cates, Geoff Shaw, and Dee Cunniffe

The creative powerhouses behind the bestselling, critically acclaimed GOD COUNTRY, Thanos Wins, and REDNECK returns for the biggest launch of the year.

Imagine everything you thought was fantasy...was real. And now join us, in a world where reality is dead...and anything is possible...

CROSSOVER #1

Writer: Donny Cates

Artist: Geoff Shaw, Dee Cunniffe

Letters: John J. Hill

Publisher: Image Comics

Release Date: November 4, 2020

Cover Price: $3.99

Score: ★★★★☆ (4/5) 

Donny Cates is somewhat of a rock star in the comic world. A grinder whose prolific indie work God Country, Redneck, Interceptor, Babyteeth, Buzzkill, propelled his career to stardom and multiple runs at Marvel. Never lacking ambition or guts, Cates has penned his love letter to the industry he loves with this comic about comics, Crossover. 

Imagine the fictional world of comics suddenly collided with the real world. The inexplicable intrusion of superheroes and supervillains we've only read about come to life. Unfortunately, they bring with them these giant destructive battles we've come to love in comic form but catastrophic to our reality. The public backlash and fear are swift and the only people who can understand this new reality are the same people holding this comic in their hands - nerds. Once derided for their nerdy pursuits then sought-after when big-budget comic films became movie theater staples, comic nerds find themselves the center of attention when the comic universe crosses over into the real world. 

Things get heated quickly, making a comic book store and a girl named Ellipses that works there the epicenter of what's to come. What's not surprising is the artwork from Geoff Shaw and Dee Cunniffe. Shaw's grand cityscapes and aerial battles give the series the opening punch it needs to illustrate the impact of fighting supes on the city. Then the focus becomes more narrow as it introduces Ellipses and follows her story. It's more intimate but with a lot of crowd scenes which are a bane to many artists. In Shaw's hands, it's all well composed and sharp. We've seen a lot of protest scenes this year and this aspect is very timely. Cunniffe's colors are so bright and varied, nothing is held back when it comes to injecting life and energy into the pages of 'Crossover.' Cunniffe knows when to splash a page with a rainbow and when to pull back to create contrast when the mood changes. It's really masterfully done. 

'Crossover' is the new ongoing series that Cates pours his soul into. He's barely scratched the surface of the story. It feels personal and that should excite every comic book fan. With Shaw and Cunniffee on art, this is a must-buy.