GARTH ENNIS RETURNS TO HORROR WITH CROSSED: BADLANDS #25

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