We could be nice about this…no we can’t.
Crossovers, especially lately, suck. “Crisis On Infinite Earths” was a wonderful thing, but it touched off a trend that continues to this day of huge crossovers that demand you buy every freakin’ book, even the ones you deliberately avoid because they’re awful, just to get the full story, which usually isn’t that good anyway.
Lately, though, it seems like the companies get it, a little. DC is so far limiting its crossovers to one or two issues between two characters (Swamp Thing and Animal Man, OMAC and Frankenstein). And now we’ve got “The Omega Effect” from Marvel.
The plot: Reed Richards, being useless as usual, downloads all the information about the major crime syndicates into something he calls “The Omega Device”, because Reed won’t use anything so pedestrian as a thumb drive, and heaven forbid he just send this information anonymously to the authorities. Daredevil gets his hands on it. Then the Punisher shows up, for obvious reasons. Then Spider-Man shows up to reclaim it for Reed.
Here’s why we’re looking forward to it.
#5) It’s Short
Three issues, one issue of “Daredevil”, “Punisher” and “Avenging Spider-Man” each. No twelve issue limited series, no books vaguely tied into it, no hardcover…just three single issues. Also probably some variant covers, but you can’t have everything.
#4) Greg Rucka and Mark Waid are Handling the Writing Chores
It’s like they finally hired writers who understand the value of “pacing” and “action” instead of “decompression” and “shock value!”
#3) Daredevil and the Punisher is the great Marvel rivalry
It’s always fun to see these two play off each other, especially as they got better writers and dealt with more serious issues of justice and crime.
#2) All the Book Involved Are At Least Solid
We go back and forth on “Avenging”, but it’s never made us say “Well, we can take THIS off the pull list.” “Punisher” and “Daredevil” are both fun reads as well.
#1) It’s Actually Tied To The Plotline of The Books Involved
There’s not a gizmo falling out of space, no gods are showing up, none of that garbage. They’re actually setting this plotline up in the comics it will be featured in right now. So it’ll be a crossover that’s completely organic and makes sense in context.
Finally!
image courtesy Marvel Comics