Crossed by Ennis & Burrows

[Mr Wallstreet]

Pre and Post Apocalyptic story by Ennis - picked it up; no brainer (no pun intended).

This story -about people suddenly becoming mindless murderers, sadists & rapists called The Crossed- was very visceral, brutal, savage and any other word you can use to describe horrid things that people do to each other. A small pack of survivors having survived becoming infected and then becoming Crossed themselves make their way across America and try to get to Alaska.

This being Ennis, I had an idea of what to expect but obviously not down to the detail. To Ennis & Burrows credit, they didn't excessively display the savagery & brutality for shock value or for kicks. It was there in the background and the only time we, the reader, saw acts committed by the Crossed, was when the survivors saw it which was a good move I felt.

Several years ago, I would have read a story like this and probably raised an eyebrow here or there but the story wouldn't have bothered me at all really. However, lately I find myself becoming less and less comfortable with stories featuring excessive & graphic violence; specifically violence towards children. I don't know if my tastes are changing, if it was Ennis pushing the envelope too far or if it's nothing at all new or groundbreaking territory for Ennis but me just getting soft due to my older age as well as being affected by having had a big hand in raising my nieces.

And I'm certainly not saying that Ennis or any other creator should stop or reign in their creative process because readers like me are getting squeamish.

The story was intense & strong and stayed with me for many hours after I'd finished reading it which is the mark of a good story & story teller. I guess it boils down to what my tastes are becoming. Perhaps I'm just losing my affinity for post-apocalyptic tales.

Has anyone else felt a similar way after reading a particular story?

[wolf_2099]

I just remember them jerking off onto the bullets.

I found the next cross mini-series to be a littler better (done by David Lapham), but have dropped them.

The whole thing floats a little too close to torture porn for my liking. The story was nothing new, the only thing new was the shock value put in. In a time when I am seriously cutting down on my comics, I didn't feel the need to spend it on this.


I do wonder though who they thought this was going to sell to? I mean, it does sell, I would just be curious to hear how those discussions went.

[Mr Wallstreet]

The whole thing floats a little too close to torture porn for my liking.

That's it, exactly. I get that there were some really horrific things happening in the context of the story but it was just way too intense and for me. I usually read a book in one or two sittings, this took me 3 or 4.

I do wonder though who they thought this was going to sell to? I mean, it does sell, I would just be curious to hear how those discussions went.

Probably zombie aficionadaos like myself but I think they may have taken this just a tad too far. I think they underestimated the effect some of the stuff may have had on people. Or maybe not - maybe they knew exactly what they were doing and how it would play out. Either way, I don't think I'll be getting the follow up to this.

The Walking Dead series deals with issues like this, but they do it far more appropriately and without making it gratuitous. i.e.The issues that dealt with children killing each other, cannibalism & the whole shebang about the Governor. We all knew what the Governor was doing to Michone, and we all knew how Michonne got her revenge on him but Kirkman wisely muted those scenes nd kept them "off panel" and it gave the story a far more profound effect without cheapening it.

[wolf_2099]

The stuff n Walking Dead always felt like part of the story, and while shocking, not gratuitous.

Crossed is pure gratuitous

So I agree!

Ennis never did a follow-up. Lapham was more horror-centric, less gratuitous, but even more twisted. Incest, abuse, etc, from the people still alive.