Reviewer: Daron Kappauff
Story Title: N/A
Written by: Chuck Dixon
Penciled by: Steve Epting
Inked by: Roland Paris
Colored by: Frank D’Armata
Lettered by: Dave Lanphear
Editor: N/A
Publisher: CrossGen
Now here’s a title that’s had more than it’s share of ups and downs during it’s two year run. When the title launched, under the guidance of Mark Waid, it instantly became one of my favorite CrossGen titles, but for last year or so it has suffered from long, drawn-out, stories that never really seem to go anywhere. In fact I was to the point of dropping this title until the “Key Issue†came out.
Now let’s talk about that Key issue and the Key issues in general. To be honest, I haven’t been all that impressed with them in general. They were marketed as great jumping on points for new readers, but realistically they were just points in the individual series that started a new direction for the story. In some ways that is a good place for new readers to get on board, but there should also be some discussion of the back-story so new readers know what came before. (Now I know people will say, “but all of CrossGen’s titles have a few paragraphs on the front cover giving a synopsis,†and that’s fine, but they should also talk about the history in the actual issue. Some people don’t like to read those synopsizes, and if this is suppose to be a “jump-on†issue everything should be done to make it new reader friendly.)
But back to the point, unlike many of these Key issues, Crux’s Key Issue was great. It had enough back-story in it, and even more importantly, it reenergized the series. The new direction the series started on was refreshing and much needed. The problem is two issues later the story’s already dragging again.
The problem with this issue is a simple one, and that problem is that this issue was nothing more than a setup issue. Normally I don’t mind these types of issues providing they move the story along somewhat. But instead Crux #24 was just filled with setup. (And the gratuitous fight scene in the first few pages was almost unneeded, most long time readers could probably care less what happens to the one dimensional character that it centered on, and I for one would have rather had 6 more pages of story instead.)
As much as I might complain about the nature of this issue, there were some nice moments. I particularly liked the two pages centered around Galvan trying to mentally contact his brother Gamid who’s trapped over in the Negation Universe.
Also I can’t say enough good things about the art. As I’ve said in earlier discussions about this series, Steve Epting is doing the greatest work of his career, and he does so consistently. Can anyone tell me if there has been one fill-in issue of Crux in its two-year history? I can’t remember a single one, and if there have been they’ve been few and far between. Steve’s pencils are dramatic when they need to be, often touching, and his attention to detail is astounding. And while were talking about the art, I have to commend Roland Paris and Frank D’Armata, their inks and colors respectively are and have been amazing on this title.
