Written by Donny Cates
Art by Geoff Shaw
Published by Image Comics
Madman is here!
That’s right, folks. Mike Allred’s snappy superhero brings the crossover to Crossover.
He’s not alone as the lesser-known group called The Paybacks (written by Cates for Dark Horse) are with him. Ellie, Ryan, and Otto are completely starstruck in the presence of Madman.
It was fun watching them geek out because the chaos of superheroes and supervillains entering the real world made comic books persona non grata. Ellie and Ryan kept the faith and take in the moment of meeting a real deal hero.
Ryan handles it a little differently as his joy is diluted by the secret mission forced on him by the federal government.
Donny Cates fleshes out this world more and more with each issue.
A new element is added to the already plentiful plot points of domes, portals, and superhuman prisons. We get a quick but memorable visit with Ryan’s preacher; dad; Father Lowe has somehow become even crazier and begins to take matters into his own hands. It’s starting to look like Lowe will serve as the linchpin, making things go from bad to worse.
The how is the intriguing part, and Cates no doubt has a doozy up his sleeve.
Going back to Madman, Cates uses him in all of his zany glory. Geoff Shaw wonderfully illustrates the character’s trademark and violent use of a Yo-Yo. Seeing death by Yo-Yo on a “true” crossover meant more than it usually would because the immersion of fiction over fact made it real.
Cates missed one opportunity with Ava using her powers out in the open for the first time in the middle of the heist. Ellie has been Ava’s guardian angel and, up to this point, believed she was helping a defenseless little girl. There was no look of shock or special reaction from Ellie when she saw Ava unleash heat vision.
A counterargument could be made that it takes a lot more to shock people these days since people with superpowers are the new normal. Still, Ellie’s kinship with Ava resonates too strongly for there to be no reaction at all. The book concludes with a fantastic post-credit sequence, which is executed exceptionally well. I thought the book had ended until the new scene begins, followed by another.
Both add to the overall story while helping the uninitiated become acquainted with the next crossover element. It comes from Cates previous work, and while he alluded to it last July, I don’t want to spoil the surprise. Overall, Crossover’s ever-growing narrative keeps readers coming back for more.
Rating: A-
