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Project Superpowers #11
Project Superpowers: Blackcross
All small towns have secrets. All small towns have ghosts. Blackcross, in America's Pacific Northwest, has more secrets than most... and it is being haunted by something impossible. Gary Preston has burned himself to death by the lake, but there's no body. Bob Stewart receives chemical burns from a mailbomb, but in the shape of a skull and crossbones. Marietta Chesler practices her trade as a fake psychic medium, but is visited by a masked spirit in red. Something is reaching out from the other side of the night, through the forest and mist of this remote town, to grasp at the hearts of a handful of people... and they may not discover why they're being hunted until it's much too late.
Forget what you know about Project Superpowers, as award-winning writer Warren Ellis and artist Colton Worley take readers on a sinister journey away from the brightly-clad heroes of the Golden Age, and into the shadows of Blackcross, a supernatural noir thriller of ordinary people stalked by an otherwordly killer.
Forget what you know about Project Superpowers, as award-winning writer Warren Ellis and artist Colton Worley take readers on a sinister journey away from the brightly-clad heroes of the Golden Age, and into the shadows of Blackcross, a supernatural noir thriller of ordinary people stalked by an otherwordly killer.
160 pages, Paperback
First published March 29, 2016
8 people are currently reading
78 people want to read
About the author
Warren Ellis
1,950 books5,762 followersWarren Ellis is the award-winning writer of graphic novels like TRANSMETROPOLITAN, FELL, MINISTRY OF SPACE and PLANETARY, and the author of the NYT-bestselling GUN MACHINE and the “underground classic” novel CROOKED LITTLE VEIN, as well as the digital short-story single DEAD PIG COLLECTOR. His newest book is the novella NORMAL, from FSG Originals, listed as one of Amazon’s Best 100 Books Of 2016.
The movie RED is based on his graphic novel of the same name, its sequel having been released in summer 2013. IRON MAN 3 is based on his Marvel Comics graphic novel IRON MAN: EXTREMIS. He is currently developing his graphic novel sequence with Jason Howard, TREES, for television, in concert with HardySonBaker and NBCU, and continues to work as a screenwriter and producer in film and television, represented by Angela Cheng Caplan and Cheng Caplan Company. He is the creator, writer and co-producer of the Netflix series CASTLEVANIA, recently renewed for its third season, and of the recently-announced Netflix series HEAVEN’S FOREST.
He’s written extensively for VICE, WIRED UK and Reuters on technological and cultural matters, and given keynote speeches and lectures at events like dConstruct, ThingsCon, Improving Reality, SxSW, How The Light Gets In, Haunted Machines and Cognitive Cities.
Warren Ellis has recently developed and curated the revival of the Wildstorm creative library for DC Entertainment with the series THE WILD STORM, and is currently working on the serialising of new graphic novel works TREES: THREE FATES and INJECTION at Image Comics, and the serialised graphic novel THE BATMAN’S GRAVE for DC Comics, while working as a Consulting Producer on another television series.
A documentary about his work, CAPTURED GHOSTS, was released in 2012.
Recognitions include the NUIG Literary and Debating Society’s President’s Medal for service to freedom of speech, the EAGLE AWARDS Roll Of Honour for lifetime achievement in the field of comics & graphic novels, the Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire 2010, the Sidewise Award for Alternate History and the International Horror Guild Award for illustrated narrative. He is a Patron of Humanists UK. He holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Essex.
Warren Ellis lives outside London, on the south-east coast of England, in case he needs to make a quick getaway.
The movie RED is based on his graphic novel of the same name, its sequel having been released in summer 2013. IRON MAN 3 is based on his Marvel Comics graphic novel IRON MAN: EXTREMIS. He is currently developing his graphic novel sequence with Jason Howard, TREES, for television, in concert with HardySonBaker and NBCU, and continues to work as a screenwriter and producer in film and television, represented by Angela Cheng Caplan and Cheng Caplan Company. He is the creator, writer and co-producer of the Netflix series CASTLEVANIA, recently renewed for its third season, and of the recently-announced Netflix series HEAVEN’S FOREST.
He’s written extensively for VICE, WIRED UK and Reuters on technological and cultural matters, and given keynote speeches and lectures at events like dConstruct, ThingsCon, Improving Reality, SxSW, How The Light Gets In, Haunted Machines and Cognitive Cities.
Warren Ellis has recently developed and curated the revival of the Wildstorm creative library for DC Entertainment with the series THE WILD STORM, and is currently working on the serialising of new graphic novel works TREES: THREE FATES and INJECTION at Image Comics, and the serialised graphic novel THE BATMAN’S GRAVE for DC Comics, while working as a Consulting Producer on another television series.
A documentary about his work, CAPTURED GHOSTS, was released in 2012.
Recognitions include the NUIG Literary and Debating Society’s President’s Medal for service to freedom of speech, the EAGLE AWARDS Roll Of Honour for lifetime achievement in the field of comics & graphic novels, the Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire 2010, the Sidewise Award for Alternate History and the International Horror Guild Award for illustrated narrative. He is a Patron of Humanists UK. He holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Essex.
Warren Ellis lives outside London, on the south-east coast of England, in case he needs to make a quick getaway.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
August 3, 2016
Like last year’s Supreme: Blue Rose, Warren Ellis takes an obscure superhero title and does some weirdness with it - this is Project Superpowers: Blackcross!
In the small town of Blackcross, a man douses himself in petrol, strikes a flame, and walks into a lake, burning. Elsewhere, bodies are found with the American flag carved into their chests and six random people feel like they’re being haunted - by superheroes?!
Blackcross is a spinoff from Jim Krueger and Alex Ross’ 2008 Project Superpowers comic from Dynamite that can also be theoretically read as a standalone book. Here’s the thing: the concept is pretty solid once you see the whole picture, and the story is entertaining at times but if you haven’t read Project Superpowers (like me) or know anything about these really, REALLY obscure Golden Age superheroes, you’re gonna be a bit lost with this one.
I mean: Pyroman, Lady Satan, The American Spirit, The Green Lama, Black Terror, and The Daring, Death-Defying Devil? Um… who? Are these heroes or villains? What’s their relationship to one another? Why is any of this happening? Is it a prequel or sequel to Project Superpowers? It’s too confusing and Ellis doesn’t help by only providing the bare minimum of info to the reader.
But that’s what you get when you take public domain (there’s reasons why no-one bothered renewing the copyright on them!) characters, slap a new coat of paint on them and throw them out there - very few people are gonna know who they are unless they’re already familiar with them. And god knows what to make of that ending. Yay… nay? Whatever.
Colton Worley’s art was very uneven with some pages looking great and others not. Sometimes his lines were clear, sometimes fuzzy - it was like a different artist kept switching with him! I didn’t dislike the art but not much stood out to me. I really liked one scene where the dude is in a hospital bed bathed in this eerie green glow while his superhero “other” stood upside down on the ceiling looking at him - very cool visual!
Fans of Project Superpowers will probably like this and some Ellis fans too, so long as you’re ok with being confused (though that seems to be par for the course with Warren Ellis comics these days)! I thought Blackcross was ok but this isn’t one of Ellis’ best and definitely not a must-read.
In the small town of Blackcross, a man douses himself in petrol, strikes a flame, and walks into a lake, burning. Elsewhere, bodies are found with the American flag carved into their chests and six random people feel like they’re being haunted - by superheroes?!
Blackcross is a spinoff from Jim Krueger and Alex Ross’ 2008 Project Superpowers comic from Dynamite that can also be theoretically read as a standalone book. Here’s the thing: the concept is pretty solid once you see the whole picture, and the story is entertaining at times but if you haven’t read Project Superpowers (like me) or know anything about these really, REALLY obscure Golden Age superheroes, you’re gonna be a bit lost with this one.
I mean: Pyroman, Lady Satan, The American Spirit, The Green Lama, Black Terror, and The Daring, Death-Defying Devil? Um… who? Are these heroes or villains? What’s their relationship to one another? Why is any of this happening? Is it a prequel or sequel to Project Superpowers? It’s too confusing and Ellis doesn’t help by only providing the bare minimum of info to the reader.
But that’s what you get when you take public domain (there’s reasons why no-one bothered renewing the copyright on them!) characters, slap a new coat of paint on them and throw them out there - very few people are gonna know who they are unless they’re already familiar with them. And god knows what to make of that ending. Yay… nay? Whatever.
Colton Worley’s art was very uneven with some pages looking great and others not. Sometimes his lines were clear, sometimes fuzzy - it was like a different artist kept switching with him! I didn’t dislike the art but not much stood out to me. I really liked one scene where the dude is in a hospital bed bathed in this eerie green glow while his superhero “other” stood upside down on the ceiling looking at him - very cool visual!
Fans of Project Superpowers will probably like this and some Ellis fans too, so long as you’re ok with being confused (though that seems to be par for the course with Warren Ellis comics these days)! I thought Blackcross was ok but this isn’t one of Ellis’ best and definitely not a must-read.
August 4, 2019
This is billed as something of a sequel to Alex Ross's Project Superpowers where he took a bunch of public domain superheroes and turned them into their own universe. This is not that. The only thing you'd get from reading that series is a familiarity with those heroes although it's unnecessary for this story. This is more of a seperate Vertigo take on those characters. Ellis doesn't flesh this out enough though. I was constantly wondering what was going on and I read the Alex Ross series. Colton Worley's art is reminiscent to Francisco Francavilla's. Worley's not as good at action sequences though. He uses odd points of view that makes it difficult to follow the action as it moves from panel to panel. I'd only recommend this to Warren Ellis completists.
February 16, 2020
A dark, moody, and weird story about superheroes I NEVER heard about and I've been reading comics like 20+ years.
Who were these "heroes" or super powered people here? No clue. But basically this is a mystery. People are getting haunted by mystical force or some type of person, that's the mystery, because people begin to die one by one. It starts off interesting enough, and the twist is clever, but I didn't give a shit about ANY of these characters. The art also ranges from amazing, some wonderful shots, and some horrible fight scenes that I couldn't tell what the heck was happening.
Overall, it's worth reading if really love super powered people and a fun mystery but it's also pretty forgettable sadly. A 3 out of 5.
Who were these "heroes" or super powered people here? No clue. But basically this is a mystery. People are getting haunted by mystical force or some type of person, that's the mystery, because people begin to die one by one. It starts off interesting enough, and the twist is clever, but I didn't give a shit about ANY of these characters. The art also ranges from amazing, some wonderful shots, and some horrible fight scenes that I couldn't tell what the heck was happening.
Overall, it's worth reading if really love super powered people and a fun mystery but it's also pretty forgettable sadly. A 3 out of 5.
May 8, 2016
This book was included in the Powerless box I received from Comic Bento. It is part of Project Superheroes, but it is a standalone book and my first foray into the series.
The book is presented more as a mystery. It starts with an apparent suicide outside the town of Blackcross in Washington and the police are trying to figure out what happened and why. As the story unfolds, we learn that many of the characters are being haunted by ghosts. I thought there was a pretty good explanation of what was causing this.
There is also a serial killer on the loose that is being investigated. The two aspects eventually come together and reveal what is behind all of this. The characters themselves could have used some more development. What is present is fine, but doesn't go into depth for background.
I like the art. The characters are drawn well and the setting is developed well. There are some contrasting elements that I thought were great. The use of images alone for the beginning and end sequences worked really well.
The book is presented more as a mystery. It starts with an apparent suicide outside the town of Blackcross in Washington and the police are trying to figure out what happened and why. As the story unfolds, we learn that many of the characters are being haunted by ghosts. I thought there was a pretty good explanation of what was causing this.
There is also a serial killer on the loose that is being investigated. The two aspects eventually come together and reveal what is behind all of this. The characters themselves could have used some more development. What is present is fine, but doesn't go into depth for background.
I like the art. The characters are drawn well and the setting is developed well. There are some contrasting elements that I thought were great. The use of images alone for the beginning and end sequences worked really well.
November 27, 2022
Imaginative writer Warren Ellis gets a turn within the Project Superpowers universe and writes a re-birth tale that relies more on human drama and supernatural mystery than superhero antics, and is better for it.
However, without a familiarity with the Project Superpowers characters, this graphic novel (originally published in six individual issues) may prove to be confusing to readers. I don’t think I would have the same appreciation for this had I not previously read some of those PS titles.
Project Superpowers originally debuted as a limited series co-plotted by Jim Krueger and Alex Ross, who came up with the idea of reviving some Golden Age superheroes in new stories. These were all lightweight characters originally published by now-extinct companies like Fox Comics, Crestwood Publications, Nedor Comics and others. No longer under copyright protections, these characters were in the public domain and easy to access.
In the Ellis version of PS, these heroes were subdued and banished to an otherworldly phantom zone in a climatic battle that took place near the small town of Blackcross. In the opening scenes, a man sets himself on fire (a la Pyroman) and walks into the waters of Lake Nedor but doesn’t die. A pharmacist receives a package that releases a gas that sends him to the emergency room and leaves an imprint of a skull and crossbones (symbol of Black Terror) on his torso.
Several Blackcross residents have bizarre incidents where they experience the feeling of others trying to occupy their bodies. When some also have a run-in with the American Spirit, a demonic presence that seems intent on preventing the hero crossovers, the survivors band together to try and figure out what is happening, under the leadership of a resident possessed by The Green Llama. Other heroes featured in the story include Lady Satan and The Daring Death-Defying Devil.
Ellis maintains the dark and mysterious setting throughout, aided by the atmospheric details of Worley. The art and moody coloring remind me of Francesco Francavilla’s art. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
However, without a familiarity with the Project Superpowers characters, this graphic novel (originally published in six individual issues) may prove to be confusing to readers. I don’t think I would have the same appreciation for this had I not previously read some of those PS titles.
Project Superpowers originally debuted as a limited series co-plotted by Jim Krueger and Alex Ross, who came up with the idea of reviving some Golden Age superheroes in new stories. These were all lightweight characters originally published by now-extinct companies like Fox Comics, Crestwood Publications, Nedor Comics and others. No longer under copyright protections, these characters were in the public domain and easy to access.
In the Ellis version of PS, these heroes were subdued and banished to an otherworldly phantom zone in a climatic battle that took place near the small town of Blackcross. In the opening scenes, a man sets himself on fire (a la Pyroman) and walks into the waters of Lake Nedor but doesn’t die. A pharmacist receives a package that releases a gas that sends him to the emergency room and leaves an imprint of a skull and crossbones (symbol of Black Terror) on his torso.
Several Blackcross residents have bizarre incidents where they experience the feeling of others trying to occupy their bodies. When some also have a run-in with the American Spirit, a demonic presence that seems intent on preventing the hero crossovers, the survivors band together to try and figure out what is happening, under the leadership of a resident possessed by The Green Llama. Other heroes featured in the story include Lady Satan and The Daring Death-Defying Devil.
Ellis maintains the dark and mysterious setting throughout, aided by the atmospheric details of Worley. The art and moody coloring remind me of Francesco Francavilla’s art. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.
August 3, 2018
I loved the Project Superpowers epic maxi-series and though this would be a continuation of that storyline. It is a different standalone story that does not touch on the epic events of the main series. If you liked the maxi-series you will enjoy this different tale of the heroes. Recommended
April 18, 2016
Blackcross is a dark and violent take on a collection of very mentally damaged, super powered characters. The book is a standalone spinoff from the Project Superpowers series, although it isn’t necessary to be familiar with the parent series to follow here. The story deals with an overpowered serial killer that is rapidly approaching the town of Blackcross. A group of seemingly normal characters are revealed to be vessels or reincarnations of super powered entities that were imprisoned ages ago. As they start to wake up into their old selves it comes to light that the killer is hunting them down.
This is a dark book, both in terms of the style of illustrations, but also in the tone of the narrative. While these characters are super powered, they are not superheroes. From the little information readers are able to piece together, it may in fact be that these seeming victims are actually quite evil in nature. However, their true nature is not clearly revealed, either due to design, or to ambiguous storytelling.
The ambiguous storytelling lingers throughout the whole book, which can make it difficult to become too invested. Readers will only get a few brief moments with each of the characters, which may be enough to get a touch of who they are, but in most cases the characters remain complete strangers to their audience. In the end, the visuals and the book’s tone may be enough for some readers, but others will wish for more narrative clarity, and a chance to get to know these mysterious figures.
This is a dark book, both in terms of the style of illustrations, but also in the tone of the narrative. While these characters are super powered, they are not superheroes. From the little information readers are able to piece together, it may in fact be that these seeming victims are actually quite evil in nature. However, their true nature is not clearly revealed, either due to design, or to ambiguous storytelling.
The ambiguous storytelling lingers throughout the whole book, which can make it difficult to become too invested. Readers will only get a few brief moments with each of the characters, which may be enough to get a touch of who they are, but in most cases the characters remain complete strangers to their audience. In the end, the visuals and the book’s tone may be enough for some readers, but others will wish for more narrative clarity, and a chance to get to know these mysterious figures.
April 24, 2017
Ellis and his stellar art team did a smashing job with the brooding black noirish return of the pulp superheroes in a tale of unrelenting dread and disbelief as the team in new bodies grappled to unite before their archnemesis do the reverse to them.
Netflix!!!!
Netflix!!!!
May 2, 2016
This was here, there and everywhere.
They are prisoners, they are the children of satan, they are.... oh who cares.
Found this story in ten different locations all at once. Which let me with questions... lots of questions.
Can anyone save my soul?
They are prisoners, they are the children of satan, they are.... oh who cares.
Found this story in ten different locations all at once. Which let me with questions... lots of questions.
Can anyone save my soul?
June 10, 2016
Blackcross finds superstar writer Warren Ellis attempting to reboot the world of Project Superpowers.
A spectral serial killer draped in the American flag leaves a bloody trail across the country, en route to the small Pacific Northwest town of Blackcross. He mutilates his victims by carving flag-esque symbols onto their chests. In the town itself, several people are hearing voices, seeing ghosts and enduring bizarre experiences that should kill them but don’t. The two phenomena merge, with a handful of locals channeling the powers of their doppelgangers from another world, imprisoned in a mystic urn. The American Spirit is determined to keep them trapped. A brutal showdown is inevitable.
Blackcross is an attempt to jump start the stalled Project Superpowers franchise. That was Dynamite’s attempt to carve out its own superhero universe by updating dormant, public domain characters from the Golden Age and bringing them into the present. Ellis takes a handful of those recreations and infuses them into a dark, moody noir, steeped in horror and supernatural elements.
It’s a fairly interesting idea and Ellis gets some decent mileage out of the mystery. He creates an effective atmosphere of constricting dread and sketches some damaged souls who keep the mystery involving even if they wind up feeling a bit underdone. Ellis upends the original premise of Project Superpowers by suggesting that the imprisoned heroes had earned their banishment and toys with the notion of which side is noble and which misguided. Ellis ends the story on a deliberately ambiguous note. If it’s not his most gripping work, it’s still interesting seeing him play in this sandbox and try to take the characters in a different direction.
Artist Colton Worley deploys a scratchy, shadow-drenched approach that fits the dark noir atmosphere. He’s effective at evoking the subtle horror of the primal natural settings and gives the proceedings the appropriate eerie tinge that makes Blackcross stand out from the average superhero offering. But at times the art can be almost too impressionistic, slipping into sludginess that can make some of the action difficult to track. Colorist Morgan Hickman does some effective work with a muted, moody palette that enhances the dark feel of the storytelling. The book has its own look and feel, but its graphic sensibility might not be for everyone.
Fans of the original Project Superpowers might be confused as to how this new take on the concept fits into the previous series. While Blackcross is an interesting riff, it also doesn’t quite come across with the colorful characters that made the original revival involving. It can also be quite violent, with plenty of scenes that will make even a jaded reader flinch.
Blackcross is a tricky book to recommend. It’s an interesting variation on a concept and Ellis is always worth reading. Beyond Ellis fans, it’s hard to peg just who this book is for. It doesn’t really pack what fans of the existing Project Superpowers books liked about the franchise and these characters don’t have much of a profile beyond that audience. It’s worth reading, even if it doesn’t quite hit the mark, but you really have to be ready to meet the book’s quirks on their own terms.
A version of this review originally appeared on www.thunderalleybcp.com
A spectral serial killer draped in the American flag leaves a bloody trail across the country, en route to the small Pacific Northwest town of Blackcross. He mutilates his victims by carving flag-esque symbols onto their chests. In the town itself, several people are hearing voices, seeing ghosts and enduring bizarre experiences that should kill them but don’t. The two phenomena merge, with a handful of locals channeling the powers of their doppelgangers from another world, imprisoned in a mystic urn. The American Spirit is determined to keep them trapped. A brutal showdown is inevitable.
Blackcross is an attempt to jump start the stalled Project Superpowers franchise. That was Dynamite’s attempt to carve out its own superhero universe by updating dormant, public domain characters from the Golden Age and bringing them into the present. Ellis takes a handful of those recreations and infuses them into a dark, moody noir, steeped in horror and supernatural elements.
It’s a fairly interesting idea and Ellis gets some decent mileage out of the mystery. He creates an effective atmosphere of constricting dread and sketches some damaged souls who keep the mystery involving even if they wind up feeling a bit underdone. Ellis upends the original premise of Project Superpowers by suggesting that the imprisoned heroes had earned their banishment and toys with the notion of which side is noble and which misguided. Ellis ends the story on a deliberately ambiguous note. If it’s not his most gripping work, it’s still interesting seeing him play in this sandbox and try to take the characters in a different direction.
Artist Colton Worley deploys a scratchy, shadow-drenched approach that fits the dark noir atmosphere. He’s effective at evoking the subtle horror of the primal natural settings and gives the proceedings the appropriate eerie tinge that makes Blackcross stand out from the average superhero offering. But at times the art can be almost too impressionistic, slipping into sludginess that can make some of the action difficult to track. Colorist Morgan Hickman does some effective work with a muted, moody palette that enhances the dark feel of the storytelling. The book has its own look and feel, but its graphic sensibility might not be for everyone.
Fans of the original Project Superpowers might be confused as to how this new take on the concept fits into the previous series. While Blackcross is an interesting riff, it also doesn’t quite come across with the colorful characters that made the original revival involving. It can also be quite violent, with plenty of scenes that will make even a jaded reader flinch.
Blackcross is a tricky book to recommend. It’s an interesting variation on a concept and Ellis is always worth reading. Beyond Ellis fans, it’s hard to peg just who this book is for. It doesn’t really pack what fans of the existing Project Superpowers books liked about the franchise and these characters don’t have much of a profile beyond that audience. It’s worth reading, even if it doesn’t quite hit the mark, but you really have to be ready to meet the book’s quirks on their own terms.
A version of this review originally appeared on www.thunderalleybcp.com
October 4, 2018
Maybe it's a little on the nose, when the spine of the American Spirit gets ripped out by Vigilante Social Justice Warriors.
Three stars, mostly for the art. I'm a left leaning flower hippy, and I fully support the cause but damn it all if this story is just thin as a communion wafer.
The (Social) Justice League gets trapped. Can't escape, except to another parallel world. They haunt their parallel selves until they're let in. It feels a little..... Non consensual.
Three stars, mostly for the art. I'm a left leaning flower hippy, and I fully support the cause but damn it all if this story is just thin as a communion wafer.
The (Social) Justice League gets trapped. Can't escape, except to another parallel world. They haunt their parallel selves until they're let in. It feels a little..... Non consensual.
May 18, 2019
Warren Ellis brings the Nedor superheroes into his noir storytelling realm. Colton Worley's art is eerie and moody. This is a pleasurably disturbing tale. It is a quick read, but worth it.
September 11, 2023
Ellis does this dark superhero/sf/horror intersect really well. Art is great: I'll be watching this artist, too. You can't hurt old characters, even with stories. Real people, though...
Hard to forget Ellis' own dark side, despite long reading. So, checking for updates regarding #MeToo and etc., I find updates here: https://somanyofus.com/updates
Only recommended for readers already aware of Ellis and his behavior.
Hard to forget Ellis' own dark side, despite long reading. So, checking for updates regarding #MeToo and etc., I find updates here: https://somanyofus.com/updates
Only recommended for readers already aware of Ellis and his behavior.
May 20, 2016
A fuller review later, it's my birthday so I'm busy but:
Warren Ellis's "Blackcross" is a fun, pulpy horror/superhero comic that is highly entertaining and gory. The images are basic but often times beautiful, the colours are rendered wonderfully (lots of absinthe greens and blues and reds), and the narrative plays out like an early 90's thriller in that we got the small town and its characters (yes, every woman in this is slim with large breasts, a problem, maybe, but also a staple of movies from that time, sadly) that include a medium, a Dale Cooper-like character (in fact, there are bits similar to Twin Peak's whole use of the otherworld and Cooper's dark side being able to access it etc.), and there is an emphasis on style over substance that will either please you or leave you feeling a little underwhelmed. I don't know, I really enjoyed it but at the same time it is not on par with "Injection" or "Trees" nor his older classics. Still a quick read with a lot to admire and images aplenty to take away.
btw Emma you're the best, love you
Warren Ellis's "Blackcross" is a fun, pulpy horror/superhero comic that is highly entertaining and gory. The images are basic but often times beautiful, the colours are rendered wonderfully (lots of absinthe greens and blues and reds), and the narrative plays out like an early 90's thriller in that we got the small town and its characters (yes, every woman in this is slim with large breasts, a problem, maybe, but also a staple of movies from that time, sadly) that include a medium, a Dale Cooper-like character (in fact, there are bits similar to Twin Peak's whole use of the otherworld and Cooper's dark side being able to access it etc.), and there is an emphasis on style over substance that will either please you or leave you feeling a little underwhelmed. I don't know, I really enjoyed it but at the same time it is not on par with "Injection" or "Trees" nor his older classics. Still a quick read with a lot to admire and images aplenty to take away.
btw Emma you're the best, love you
Read
July 7, 2016I do love a story about superheroes breaking through into the 'real' world - not least because it seems like as good a chance as we've got for sorting out the intractable mess we've got ourselves into (people just chilling the fuck out and developing some of that allegedly common sense? Now that really is an outlandish impossibility). But trust Warren Ellis to play it as a horror story, with people drawn together in a remote Washington town and gradually possessed by or merged with their uncanny otherworldly equivalents. Colton Worley's art has the perfect blend of brooding and numinous, conjuring an eerie mountain settlement to rival Twin Peaks or Les Revenants, and the team do a great job of making these slightly hokey old heroes (the same public domain characters with whom Alan Moore and Peter Hogan populated Terra Obscura) into genuinely chilling figures. If I have an objection it's the final twist, which feels every bit as forced and obligatory as Ministry of Space's.
November 19, 2016
Well, that was different. It's an origin story of sorts, but also a rebooting in one of the weirdest manners I've ever seen. It's muddy in style of both art and story - there aren't any clear heroes or villains - everyone's varying shades of gray. Having read Project SuperPowers, there's a little bit that I picked up from that reference, but honestly this stands on its own just fine. Some of the character artwork is problematic - especially when it comes to the government officials, several of whom blended into each other. But in spite of that, this is a fascinating approach to a story and it has some interesting things to say. It's just really hard to glean some of it from the too-heavy darkness of the artwork.
April 6, 2016
Of the Project Superpowers books I've read, this is the best one to date, but that's not saying very much. I've found the others to be dull, convoluted and jammed with scenes of characters standing around arguing with each other. There is some of the latter here, but not as much, and at least Warren Ellis wisely decided to dress this story as a horror/mystery than as a straight superhero tale. The distinctive art by Colton Worley adds a nice creepy atmosphere to things, but sometimes I just couldn't decipher what was going on in a panel. Overall, not bad, but not special enough to get me to read more books about these characters.
February 28, 2017
Blackcross is a reboot of a superhero series I have never heard of. Despite that, it starts out strong and creepy, moving the traditional caped crusader narrative into horror. The premise is intriguing, but it all falls apart at the end. Just as the story was getting interesting, it just... stops. The ending is supposed to be ambiguous, but it feels trite and abrupt instead. Rather diminished the effect of the book overall.
January 31, 2017
I was thrown into this story, discovering pretty quickly that it was connected preestablished superheroes because I felt like it was all a soft reboot. But it was a good soft reboot. Ellis promised a lot: a mysterious location, a small town, complications, but that wasn't really here. These events could've taken place anywhere, and they followed a pretty simple origin-story background. But DAMN was that origin-story setup rewarding, to see strangers come together and discover their backgrounds and powers and whatnot. So it was fun, but when I finished I tried to see if there was a continuation, but I couldn't see. It just ended. All these interesting characters and a small series of conflicts and then one (maybe?) dies and the others do . . . what? What's going on?
So structure/infodumping: brilliant—it confused me but filled in enough that I didn't have to read other comics
Plot: eh
Coloring/art: brilliant
Ending: what?
So structure/infodumping: brilliant—it confused me but filled in enough that I didn't have to read other comics
Plot: eh
Coloring/art: brilliant
Ending: what?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 5, 2017
Warren Ellis takes on these corporate IP projects from time-to-time. He's generally never given the big toys that he can damage. But I feel like he's treated as the crazy uncle with the eccentric basement hobby.
As such--he's thrown in a room with properties like Moon Knight, Karnak, Thunderbolts, Wildstorm, Iron Man (before the films), to see if he can catch lightening in a bottle. Or at least some of his madness.
Sometimes, this leads to Warren slumming it, as the case of Astonishing X-Men.
Project Superpowers is him, slumming it. He takes all these public domain characters and recasts it into slightly Twins Peak-ish, but of the superhero told as a "Ghost Story". I'm rereading these six issues.
They aren't bad--but I don't remember what happens to most of the characters, nor do I care. Again, the end is ultimately a chance to make superheroes look silly--he Warren tends to be want to do.
As such--he's thrown in a room with properties like Moon Knight, Karnak, Thunderbolts, Wildstorm, Iron Man (before the films), to see if he can catch lightening in a bottle. Or at least some of his madness.
Sometimes, this leads to Warren slumming it, as the case of Astonishing X-Men.
Project Superpowers is him, slumming it. He takes all these public domain characters and recasts it into slightly Twins Peak-ish, but of the superhero told as a "Ghost Story". I'm rereading these six issues.
They aren't bad--but I don't remember what happens to most of the characters, nor do I care. Again, the end is ultimately a chance to make superheroes look silly--he Warren tends to be want to do.
January 30, 2019
Estranhos acontecimentos desenrolam-se numa pacata cidade do interior americano. Algumas pessoas são aparentemente tomadas por espíritos, e ganham super-poderes. A juntar à confusão, parece haver um assassino em série que atravessa a américa em linha reta, deixando vítimas mutiladas, tendo como destino a cidade de Blackcross. Este acaba por se revelar um carcereiro, que quer capturar seres super-poderosos de um mundo paralelo que, em fuga, decidiram manifestar-se no corpo dos seus duplos no nosso mundo. Fica no ar a dúvida, quem realmente é herói ou monstro.
Warren Ellis explora de uma forma inesperada antigos heróis dos comics, personagens esquecidas de editoras que faliram e, com isso, se perderam. Um projeto da Dynamite, que recuperou heróis dos pulp e comics dos anos 40 e 50, aqui com aquele retoque de inversão de conceitos que carateriza a obra do argumentista.
Warren Ellis explora de uma forma inesperada antigos heróis dos comics, personagens esquecidas de editoras que faliram e, com isso, se perderam. Um projeto da Dynamite, que recuperou heróis dos pulp e comics dos anos 40 e 50, aqui com aquele retoque de inversão de conceitos que carateriza a obra do argumentista.
January 31, 2021
Won't recommend this. At all. Unless a nonsensical zombie superhero/Gillian/antihero police witness detective spirits multiverse potpourri is your cup of tea.
Awakened spirits from a different timeline posses some townfolks by killing them and reviving them.
In one installment they are evil, in the next, not, and then in the next they are evil again and so the cycle continues. Do yourself a favour and skip this, you'll but only be disappointed.
It had me tearing strands out of hair towards the end in frustration.
Awakened spirits from a different timeline posses some townfolks by killing them and reviving them.
In one installment they are evil, in the next, not, and then in the next they are evil again and so the cycle continues. Do yourself a favour and skip this, you'll but only be disappointed.
It had me tearing strands out of hair towards the end in frustration.
January 19, 2023
This is a variation on Project Superpowers which uses a number of public domain superheroes from the 1940s and has them reemerge in modern society. This book is not directly tied to the other series, but a different take on it. In the original the old heroes are locked up in a magical prison for decades until the escape. In this version, we see the heroes escaping by sending their souls to an alternate universe to merge with different versions of themselves. Naturally a powerful guard follows to bring them back. Fun, with amazing art, but a little predictable.
November 17, 2019
Without having read any other Project Superpowers books, "Blackcross" was still very accessible and enjoyable. The art is very appropriate with its energy and and "smokey," soft-edged feel, but it does make the storytelling a bit hard to follow at times, panel to panel.
Overall, Blackcross is a good stand alone, and it makes me want to read the other PS books.
Overall, Blackcross is a good stand alone, and it makes me want to read the other PS books.
December 22, 2021
Justice League Dark???
I thought it was going in a different direction, that I wish it would have, But never went there. I was a fan of the Artwork, it was freakin beautiful and dark....the art is the reason it got a 2 from me. NOT A FAN, will not continue to read
I thought it was going in a different direction, that I wish it would have, But never went there. I was a fan of the Artwork, it was freakin beautiful and dark....the art is the reason it got a 2 from me. NOT A FAN, will not continue to read
September 24, 2018
Not bad? But not great.
July 3, 2019
Dumm und überflüssig.
October 29, 2019
Maybe 3.5
June 28, 2021
Art was a mess; couldn't follow what was going on for a good deal of the time. It only seems barely related to the other Project Superpowers stories. The whole thing was very unclear and not enjoyable.
February 26, 2017
Love Warren Ellis. But this one left me a bit flat. Seemed like it was a great starting point but the story didn't really go anywhere. I found the art a tad muddled. Couldn't make out the action, or distinguish the characters from each other.
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