Crossover Division 3

written by Will Allred
art by Alice Leclert
color by Ryan Kroboth
letters by Brant Fowler

Published by Midnight Hour
buy it HERE.

(note: I didn't realize this, but the last bundle of comics from Crossover Division I read already contained part 2, so this review is just for part 3)

This is still a fun read.

The last time I went through parts 1 and 2 I was introduced to the concept: by accident the fictitious people and things in a novel length story can appear as reality through the dreams of a person who just read the story. The Crossover Division goes to the place of trouble and stops the invasion of fiction to our real world by reciting the last lines of the book to the sleeper. Investigators Hector and Hank go to the hot spots to root out the interlopers.

Unanswered questions.

The stakes get ramped up in CD 3, which is interesting. Still, the execution of this comic as a whole seems a bit disjointed. Some things I don't get, like why is Hector so buffed, like he's a surfer? Why the arm tattoos? Not that I object to how he's made up, just that his look isn't melded into the story. Alice Leclert's art is anatomically correct and her human figures look real enough. Yet they don't interact very well with their surroundings. A few instances here and there the story does gel nicely and the poses fit the action well. Just not most of the time, which is bothersome for me.

Where does this go now?

Finally, I have to ask myself about Crossover Division as a story. Does it present understandable objectives for the heroes? Are the stakes made clear? Not really. Lots of material is spent in small talk and back and forth banter between the main characters. All the while I don't get a sense of purpose from them. Things muddle through without a clear understanding of what's at stake for our world.

Part 3 leads us into what might be a final showdown between Hank Hector and Elizabeth framed within Two Gentlemen of Verona by Shakespeare. Sounds interesting for part 4 coming up later this year!

Next Tuesday:

John Lees and Alex Cormack's Dig #1: a Sink Tale
Set once again in Edinburgh, Scotland I'm anticipating some extreme violence here! Can't wait!