Crossed: Wish You Were Here Volume 1 (CROSSED WISH YOU WERE HERE TP)

The Crossed series was a pretty good series. Overall, I'd give it a 7.5/10. The "crossed" are similar to the infected in the 28 Days Later movies. Once infected, they just want to kill/sodomize any uninfected person. They retain their motor skills/memories so they can drive cars, shoot guns, talk, etc.The things I DID NOT like about the book/series were:1. Some of the characters are from Ireland/Scotland and the authors wrote their dialogue in that way. It took away from the flow of the book because you're reading quotes and having to figure out what the person is saying. I understand why they wrote it like this, but it takes away from the flow of the book.2. The protagonist (Shaky) is very flawed so it's hard to cheer for him. In one way it's nice he's not perfect, but he's not perfect to the point that you don't care what happens to him in the book. He does lots of selfish things.3. 1/2 the book takes place in the present with 1/2 taking place in the past. The book switches between the two. This would be fine except for the main character (Shaky) is a writer so its shown by journal entries. After reading 4 books like this, it gets repetitive, old and kind of annoying.OK, NOW time for SPOILERS - This book is similar to "28 Days/Weeks Later" The infection spreads quickly (bites, body fluid, etc) . [Present Day] The protagonist (Shaky) and about 15 other survivors have been living on an island. They have occasional run-ins with the infected/crossed and lose members here and there. They end up coming across a colony of Americans who have formed a little community by docking several boats together. The crossed attack and kill everyone in that colony and attack the island and kill several survivors there too. In the end the last 7-10 survivors set a trap and kill all of the crossed who have been attacking/stalking them. The book ends with Shaky reuniting with his lost love. They have sex and then commit suicide while the survivors are left to rebuild their community and/or find a new place to rebuild.[Past] Shaky survives the initial outbreak and wonders alone until he comes across a small group of survivors led by an old (survivalist) man known as the gameskeeper. He treats everyone bad and sexually abuses one woman, but nobody challenges him because they know they will be lost without him. Shaky finally mans up and shoots the gameskeeper and leaves him for dead while him and a nun (his love interest) flee. The nun ends up getting infected at one point, but since she's a nice, loving person, she is able to control the other infected/crossed and protect Shaky. However, her nice personality ends up upsetting the crossed and they injure her and attack the survivors. She ends up meeting up with Shaky at the end and they make love and then blow themselves up.

Not that I don’t like the Crossed stories penned by writers other than series-creator Garth Ennis—David Lapham (Stray Bullets) is one the modern masters of hard-boiled crime oriented graphic fiction and of course Alan Moore (Crossed +100) is arguably the most important graphic novelist of the 21st century (and maybe the 20th, too), and the guys that picked up the series and its spin-offs (Delano, Gage, etc.) are no slouches at writing engaging, genuinely horrific apocalyptic fiction either—but for my money, Ennis’s grim realism and extreme black humor (Horsecock, ye left us much too soon!) is where the real party’s at. Having said that, I’m only two issues into the Wish You Were Here storyline, and I’m already feeling the Ennis vibe. Makes wonder if Simon Spurier brainstormed the plots and characters with Ennis or if he’s just that good at mimicking a fellow writers’ style. Whatever the case, WYWH is everything you want from the Crossed-verse, vivid, fleshed out characters and edge of your seat cliff hangers splattered against a sick, desperate world ruled by cannibal rapists. The best thing is that I’m only on book 5 of the main series and book 1 of +100, which means there’s still like 20 more volumes ahead of me! Am I sick for enjoying these images of atrocities? Of course I am! I’m human! And that’s what is special about these books, they show us, our species, at our worst... but that means that we have to be our best to survive. And unfortunately, just as in the real world, good does not always triumph over evil. Which is a refreshing break from the vast majority of comics titles, including the more adult-oriented publishers stuff, where the status quo is returned and resolution is had. The Crossed succeeds at breaking the happy ending rule, keeping us engaged with the constant tension of not knowing if/when our protagonists are gonna get the axe. Yeah, five stars. [and for those waiting for a tv or film adaptation, look no further than the movie Mayhem (2017). Zombie cult bonus: Glenn from The Walking Dead show stars...]

This was my 1st entry into the “CROSSED” universe. Went off the rails on the 1st page. You should not do that to a dolphin.Earth has become a living Hell. No Zombies, Vampires, or Karens. Just the Crossed. Folks with an urge to maim, rape, cannibalize, and kill. The Crossed have a blood-red rash on their faces in the shape of a cross hence the name.Our narrator, a comic book writer in his former life, is Shaky, short for Shakespeare.Shaky and his fellow survivors found refuge on a little Scottish island but remain on constant watch for The Crossed.As Shaky says”…Daydreamers never last.” He’s not lying.As with most Survivalist stories, the greater threat often comes from within. A lesson learned in Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead” right? Maybe these characters have not seen it or the film doesn’t exist in the Crossed universe.More Shaky wisdom. “The truth is: No one is happy here. We live to live, and that’s all.”Still more Shaky wisdom. “Terror brings us together, and that’s the truth.”And also, “The rest of us try and cope… Mostly we argue.”Some solid character moments like survivor Elisa, female badass, who breaks down seeing a resemblance between a captured Crossed and her dead Mother, flirty teenager Roshan who is bored, looking for a diversion, any diversion, the ultimate survivor Jackson who’s just looking for a sheep for comfort, any sheep will do, and quiet Sofia who suffers in silence until she doesn’t.And there’s the Lottery. Names drawn from a box that will brave the new world in a quest for supplies.As Shaky says, “The ones who want to go we can’t afford to lose.”Shaky’s name is drawn. He got what he wanted.Onto Vol. 2.For fans of “Spread”, “The Walking Dead,” and other Survivalist horror. “Crossed” would not approved by the Comics Code Authority.

So I've read Spurriers work before, mainly his 2 hellblazer graphic novels and they were incredible reads so I was delighted to find out him and Ennis ( another brilliant writer - Preacher/ The boys/The Punisher ) were writers throughout the crossed many books.I've read the first 10 crossed books and these 2 writers stick out like a thumb being miles better than the rest.That said this wish you were here series is absolutely amazing. Easily the best crossed storyline going with Ennis close behind.The crossed series is basically torture porn and brutality off the mark with every book trying to out do each other on the violence and rape scenes.This series though, whilst also containing violence and rape, is easily less so than the others.And that's a nice change in my books as it was getting tedious.Spurrier can clearly write and his charactization is second to none.It's all about the story here.Remarkable read.

It's a good introduction to the story and the infection is interesting & different. I want to see more of this group and the world at large. I think people like me are a bit twisted so we can enjoy sick stuff like this, but if you're the faint of heart don't even consider this book, there's a lot of blood and gore and quite frankly "sick 💩" happening that you'll definitely be offended/disturbed by. If you love that kind of stuff then this is definitely the book for you. I like some of the social commentary touched upon in this issue and hope it gets expanded upon in the next few issues. I'll be reading Vol. 2 for certain (read Vol.2 and it's also good).ABOUT THE DELIVERY & ITEM:- The delivery was quick and the driver left the package outside instead of forcing it through my letter box, so props to the driver for thinking that one through. The item looks like it's been on a comic book store shelf, it's got scratches on it and a few bent corners, nothing too serious, but if you're super annoyed about things being damaged, even slightly, maybe wait until you can go to the store and pick the freshest looking one off the shelf, I'm finicky and was able to get over the slight marks but anything more than this and I'd be annoyed, SO BUYER BEWARE.

Crossed Wish you were here; is the first ongoing series in Avatars Crossed franchise. The other three soon to be four volumes have all been stand alone tales. Crossed Wish you were here is set in a world where a disease has infected most of earths human population turning them into deranged amoral psychopaths, called the Crossed; because of the cross shaped rash that appears on their faces. Once infected it takes seconds for you to change, and you become a raping, murdering monster, taking joy in pain, and causing pain. The crossed are very similar to the sufferers of Rage in 28 Days later; only way more destructive and showing a sick destructive glee in the sometimes quite creative misery they sow.The first series got itself a reputation as one of the sickest comics ever, and it was well deserved. This volume is a little more reserved in its tone. Although it does have a few standout sick moments, on the first page alone there is a member of the crossed raping a Dolphins Blow hole. Wish you were here, is about what it's like to survive in this post apocalyptic world. The characters are no longer running; they are holed up on a small Scottish island. Every now and again they meet random crossed that wash up on shore, and we get flashbacks of the main characters journey to the island after the fall of society, this serves to give you your quota of violence and mayhem. While the rest of it is devoted to character development and island politics. Concentrating mainly on exposing the failings of the main characters, making it the most nihilistic and misanthropic title in a franchise that has already embraced these theme's wholeheartedly. This is because Wish you Where here is an ongoing series, meaning that there is more time build up the characters; rather than trying to get an explanation of who they are out there, in the open, in the first few pages.By the end of this book you can clearly see where the title is going, but that's not to say it's predictable. I won't say to much because I don't want to ruin it for you but. Wish you were here spends it's time building up to a mystery that I can't wait to see answered. If you're getting tired of The Walking Dead, and aren't easily offended then I think this will be a good place for you to get your post apocalyptic kicks. If not give the tamer 28 Days later comic a go.

Harrowing

Excellent