First published within a single compilation volume back in December of 2015, the fourteenth instalment in the post-apocalyptic ‘Crossed’ series was entitled ‘Crossed Volume 14: Badlands’ and collected together issues 75 – 80 of the Badlands comic series. The issues were written by Kierron Gillen with artwork by Rafa Ortiz.
DLS Synopsis:
tribesmen are out hunting an apex predator. The leader of the group, a young tribesman by the name of Lion, hoped to bring back the spoils of a triumphant kill, which might win over the heart of Sun, the most beautiful girl in their tribe.
The hunt had gone well, however, when the tribesmen return to the village, they find it in ruins. In their absence there had been a mass slaughter. Only the youngest were left alive. Lion knew this was the work of the Blood Men. They came and took what they wanted, leaving behind a harrowing reminder of their presence. A monument of heads, turning in the breeze.
Unfortunately, the Blood Men hadn’t fully left the vicinity. Before the four young tribesmen could react, they were run down and captured. Taken off in nets, along with the infants which then Blood Men had captured from the village.
They then travelled in vast boats across the churning seas. Taking their captives to the Blood Men’s camp-of-camps. They were taking them to hell.
For the four young tribesmen, what they faced would be far worse than what their fellow tribesmen had been subjected to. The Blood Men had decided Lion and his friends were surely warriors worthy of the grand ritual. They would be flung into an arena before the Blood Priest and made to fight for their lives for the entertainment of the vast crowds of this terrible tribe.
But when that happened, the plague hit. Violence erupting everywhere, sweeping through the roaring crowd. It was the first time the world had seen such a plague. The first time the world had witnessed the Crossed…
75,000 years later and the disease is back again. The world has been decimated by the Crossed. Everyone everywhere was running scarred.
Washington had made his way up the East Coast after the world ended. There he’d hooked up with a man named Warren in Canada. Washington knew he needed to make himself as useful as possible. Luckily, his knowledge of architecture and weapons manufacture was at least three-hundred years out of date, so just about perfect for the current day predicament.
With Warren at his side, Washington had formulated a plan. Before the had plague hit, Washington had been taught by a professor who was one of the top five minds in the world on Homo Floresiensis. Professor Nelson spoke about a theory he had regarding a plague that had turned people into killers some 75,000 years ago. A disease that almost wiped-out humanity.
But, as the professor surmised, humans hadn’t died out. There was a reason why. A potential cure. They needed to find out what it was. Washington needed to find the professor and find out how, some 75,000 years ago, humanity managed to survive this thing.
However, the professor’s office was in Princeton, close to New York. Insanely dangerous territory. Although the Crossed were less active in winter. They’d go then. Make their way to where the professor was hauled up, and maybe, hopefully, find a cure…
Oh, man, this this a good one! Essentially, it’s a story which runs with two different storylines – 75,000 years ago when the Crossed plague first hit the world, and then the present day, with the return of the Crossed plague.
It’s an interesting new angle for the series to explore. Setting down a legacy for the Crossed plague. An alternative history to that of the Toba Supernova theory. How it was rather the Crossed plague which decimated the world’s population, and not the Toba super-eruption.
For this side of the story, we follow these four young tribesmen who have been captured by a ferocious tribe of Blood Men and thrown into a coliseum style arena where they need to fight against sabertoothed tigers and all sorts of other beasts, before the Crossed plague erupts within the roaring crowds.
This prehistoric angle to the story is packed to the rafters with adrenaline-pumping ferocity and utterly over-the-top extremity. Vicious torture, horrendous depravity, and scene after scene of outrageously violent cruelty.
Then we have the other side to the story – the present day – where we follow the young man, Washington, who’s trying to reach his old professor who he believes might have an idea about a potential cure to the Crossed plague, but more importantly to Washington, might also have his ex-girlfriend with him. It would be fair to say this side of the story is pretty much a textbook ‘Crossed’ plot. Essentially, a group of survivors making their way across the hostile new world, trying to reach someone in the hope of a potential cure.
This second storyline takes a little while to move into high-octane action, but honestly, all the better for it. Instead, writer Kieron Gillen, spends time setting down a powerful backstory, fleshing out the characters, and then drawing the connections with what occurred some 75,000 years ago.
The characters in both parallel running storylines are suitably established – with those in the ‘present day’ given a tad more personalisation. In the team, along with Washington, we have Warren – the leader of the group, who desperately needs some sort of reason to go on. He needs a lie. The lie is hope. Something which Washington has offered him.
Then there’s Ronnie, a cowardly man who’s constantly on the brink of mental collapse. We also have Lewis, who pre-Crossed was a survivalist and hermit. Finally, there’s Curtis – an adrenaline junkie, sporting a bow and arrow, but not the hottest with using it!
Both storylines have their own merits. The prehistoric story offers almost continuous bouts of blood, sweat and violence. It's almost akin to ‘Conan The Barbarian’ meets the dark armies from ‘The Lord Of The Rings’ (1954 – 1955). However, it’s the sheer brutality of these Blood Men which really ups the ante. It makes the whole scenario that much more desperate. That much more gripping. That much more compelling.
With the present-day storyline, the link the writer makes with the prehistoric story is also utterly captivating. Alongside this we have the desperate plight of Washington and how he continuously manipulates those in his group. Repeatedly justifying small lies to himself. Convincing them what they’re doing is for the greater good of mankind, when the real truth is his want to find his ex-girlfriend.
This volume is one of the best ‘Crossed’ stories to date. Creative and ingeniously conceived, with lashings of Crossed brutality on show and two absolute killer storylines.
The graphic novel runs for a total of 160 pages.
© DLS Reviews
