The comic series is a notorious extreme horror series initiated by writer Garth Ennis and artist Jacen Burrows. It explores a world overrun by a mysterious infection that turns people into "Crossed"—intelligent, sadistic maniacs marked by a cross-shaped facial rash who act on their most depraved human instincts. Crossed Vol. 1: The Original Run
The first volume (Issues 0–9) is widely considered the strongest entry in the franchise. Exploring CROSSED - Page Chewing
I'm assuming you're referring to the comic book series "Crossed" by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson!
Here's a write-up related to Crossed:
Introduction
In the midst of a post-apocalyptic world, a mysterious phenomenon known as the "Crossing" occurs, causing a significant portion of the global population to experience intense, uncontrollable urges to engage in their darkest and most depraved desires. The world descends into chaos as these "Crossed" individuals wreak havoc on society, while a small group of survivors must navigate this treacherous new landscape.
The Story
The comic book series "Crossed" follows a diverse cast of characters as they try to survive in a world gone mad. The story begins with a mysterious event known as the "Crossing," where millions of people around the world suddenly develop a strange, pupil-like marking on their eyes, known as the "Cross."
These Crossed individuals are driven by their basest desires, leading to horrific acts of violence, depravity, and destruction. The world rapidly deteriorates as governments and societies collapse.
Main Characters
Themes
Art and Writing
The series features the gritty, visceral artwork of Darick Robertson, which complements Garth Ennis's dark humor and intense storytelling. Ennis's writing is known for its unflinching look at the human condition, making "Crossed" a thought-provoking and unsettling read.
Impact and Legacy
"Crossed" has received critical acclaim for its bold storytelling and unapologetic exploration of the darker aspects of human nature. The series has been praised for its originality and its ability to balance humor and horror.
If you're a fan of post-apocalyptic fiction, dark humor, and complex characters, "Crossed" is definitely worth checking out!
The comic series is a visceral survival horror franchise created by Garth Ennis and Jacen Burrows. It is widely recognized for its extreme graphic violence and explores the absolute worst of human nature through a post-apocalyptic lens.
Depending on whether you are looking for the original series or its acclaimed sequel, here is the essential content: Crossed (Volume 1)
The original 10-issue limited series centers on a global pandemic where the infected (the "Crossed") retain their intelligence but lose all moral restraint, indulging in murder, torture, and sexual violence.
The Plot: Follows a group of survivors 10 months after "C-Day" as they trek toward Alaska, hoping the low population and harsh environment will provide safety from the infected.
Key Theme: It is often described as a "poignant human drama" wrapped in depravity, focusing on how survivors maintain their own humanity when faced with pure evil.
Availability: You can find the collected Volume 1 Trade Paperback at retailers like Barnes & Noble or as an eBook on Amazon. Crossed +100
Written by legendary author Alan Moore, this six-issue series takes place a century after the initial outbreak.
Title: "Bikini Bottom's Apocalypse"
Page 1:
[Panel 1: A wide shot of Bikini Bottom. Everything seems normal, with SpongeBob and Patrick walking down the street.]
SpongeBob: Whooo's ready for a Krabby Patty? crossed 1 comic
Patrick: I am! I am!
[Panel 2: A sudden, eerie shadow falls over the town. The sky darkens.]
SpongeBob: What's going on?
Patrick: It looks like a storm...
[Panel 3: The streets start filling with walkers (from The Walking Dead). They're slow at first but then quicken their pace.]
SpongeBob: OH NO! What's happening to everyone?!
Patrick: They're... they're like... Mr. Krabs on a sugar high!
Page 2:
[Panel 1: SpongeBob and Patrick run from the walkers.]
SpongeBob: We need to find shelter!
Patrick: Follow me! I know a place!
[Panel 2: They run into Squidward, who's playing his clarinet, oblivious to the chaos.]
Squidward: (sighs) I was having such a nice practice session...
SpongeBob: Squidward! The town's been overrun!
Squidward: (sees the walkers) Ah... perfect. Just what I needed. More inspiration.
[Panel 3: Squidward joins SpongeBob and Patrick, and they rush to Sandy's treedome.]
Page 3:
[Panel 1: Inside Sandy's treedome, with Sandy working on some scientific equipment.]
Sandy: What's all the commotion?
SpongeBob: It's... zombies!
Sandy: (calmly) Not zombies, exactly. These are reanimated corpses. We need to figure out what's causing this.
[Panel 2: Rick Grimes (from The Walking Dead) appears at the treedome's entrance.]
Rick: You're not from around here, are you?
SpongeBob: Uh, no. We're from... Bikini Bottom.
Rick: (sees the walkers outside) We have a problem. My people and I have been dealing with these... creatures.
Page 4:
[Panel 1: A massive horde of walkers surrounds the treedome.]
Sandy: We have to protect our home!
Rick: We'll work together. My people know how to deal with walkers.
[Panel 2: Rick, Daryl (from The Walking Dead), SpongeBob, Patrick, and Sandy prepare to fight off the walkers.]
Daryl: (to Rick) You sure these sea creatures can handle themselves?
Rick: When it comes to survival, you'd be surprised what people can do.
[Panel 3: The group fights off the walkers with a combination of Krabby Patty-fueled courage and TWD-style survival skills.]
Page 5:
[Panel 1: After the battle, the survivors stand victorious but weary.]
SpongeBob: We did it!
Rick: For now, we've secured a safe haven. But we need to find a cure.
[Panel 2: A shadowy figure watches from the distance, reminiscent of Negan from The Walking Dead.]
Mysterious Figure: (whispers) A cure? I think I have something better. Something that'll make these little sea creatures wish they'd never swum into our world...
[Panel 3: A cliffhanger with a walker in the background, wearing a Krabby Patty hat.]
The End (for now).
This crossover brings together the comedic elements of SpongeBob SquarePants with the intense survival aspects of The Walking Dead, creating a unique storyline that blends both worlds.
Crossed #1 is the debut issue of the 2008 comic book series created by writer Garth Ennis and artist Jacen Burrows , published by Avatar Press
. It introduced a bleak, extreme-horror world where a mysterious infection turns humans into "Crossed"—monsters who act on their most depraved and violent impulses. Publication and Series Overview Release Date : Premiered in September 2008. Original Run
: The first volume, often referred to as "Crossed Vol 1," is a nine-issue limited series that concluded in 2010. : The series' success led to numerous spin-offs, including Crossed: Family Values Crossed 3D Crossed: Psychopath , and the long-running anthology Crossed: Badlands Core Premise and Story
The series follows a small group of survivors trying to reach safety in a world overrun by the infected. The "Crossed"
: Infected individuals are marked by a cross-shaped rash on their faces. Unlike traditional zombies, they retain their intelligence and can use tools, but they are driven by an insatiable urge to commit heinous acts. The Protagonists
: Volume 1 primarily focuses on Stan and Cindy, who lead a group across the United States. It is known for its "Downer Ending" style, where hope is a rare commodity. Collecting and Purchasing If you are looking for Crossed #1
, it is available in several formats and editions. Note that the series is intended for mature audiences ( MR - Mature Readers ) due to extreme violence and graphic content. Single Issues
: Original first-printing copies can be found on collector sites like Collected Editions
: Most readers find it more accessible through trade paperbacks (TPBs) or hardcovers that collect the entire first volume (Issues #0–9). Availability
The "Crossed" comic book series, specifically its debut in 2008, is widely regarded as one of the most extreme and controversial entries in modern horror literature. Created by writer Garth Ennis (known for Preacher and The Boys) and artist Jacen Burrows, the series redefined the "infected" subgenre by pushing the boundaries of graphic violence and psychological depravity. The Core Premise: A World Without Inhibitions The comic series is a notorious extreme horror
The story begins with a sudden global outbreak of a mysterious virus. Unlike traditional zombies, those infected—known as the Crossed due to a distinctive cross-shaped rash on their faces—retain their human intelligence, memory, and physical skills.
The virus functions by essentially "turning off" the moral switch in the human brain, forcing the infected to act out their most sadistic, depraved, and violent impulses without any restraint. Because they can still use tools, drive vehicles, and set traps, the Crossed are far more dangerous than mindless undead. Plot Summary of Crossed #1 (and Volume 1)
Crossed Vol. 1 is the foundational nine-issue limited series created by writer Garth Ennis and artist Jacen Burrows
. It is notorious for its extreme graphic violence, nihilistic tone, and exploration of human depravity in the face of a global pandemic. Core Premise
The story follows a group of survivors during the initial outbreak of a virus that turns humans into " the Crossed Page Chewing The Infection
: Victims develop a cross-shaped rash on their faces and lose all inhibitions, acting out their most sadistic, violent, and depraved thoughts. Intelligence
: Unlike typical zombies, the Crossed retain their human intelligence and skills, making them cunning and highly dangerous predators. : The plot centers on a small band of survivors—led by
—as they attempt to reach safety in the wilderness while witnessing the complete collapse of civilization. Why Read Vol. 1 First?
Crossed #1 is not a comfortable read. It is not a "fun" comic. It is a stress test. It asks the reader to look into a mirror and wonder if the only thing keeping them from becoming a Crossed is a minuscule virus.
For the collector, it is a controversial gem. For the horror fan, it is the final frontier. And for the uninitiated, it remains a warning: some comics are entertainment, and some comics are trauma.
Crossed 1 comic is the latter. But like a car crash on the highway, you simply cannot look away.
Are you ready to get Crossed?
Crossed #1 is the debut issue of the ultra-violent horror comic book series created by writer Garth Ennis and artist Jacen Burrows. Published by Avatar Press in September 2008, it serves as the foundation for one of the most controversial and graphic franchises in modern comic history. Overview and Premise
The story is set in a world where a mysterious virus turns infected individuals—known as "The Crossed" due to a cross-shaped rash on their faces—into homicidal maniacs. Unlike typical zombies, the Crossed retain their human intelligence but lose all moral inhibitions, gleefully indulging in unthinkable acts of violence and depravity. Key Issue Details Writer: Garth Ennis Artist: Jacen Burrows Format: Full color, 32 pages Original Publication: September 2008
Series Structure: The initial volume consisted of a 9-issue limited series. Characters and Plot
Issue #1 introduces a group of survivors attempting to navigate the immediate aftermath of the outbreak.
Lead Characters: The story follows survivors like Stan and Cindy as they try to reach safety, eventually heading toward Alaska in later issues.
Narrative Tone: The comic is noted for its "horrifically visceral" exploration of evil and has been described by reviewers on Amazon as containing "grisly violence" intended strictly for mature audiences. Legacy and Market Value
Due to its extreme content, the series has developed a cult following. Digital editions are available through platforms like Amazon's ComiXology.
The genius of Crossed +100 (set, as the title suggests, 100 years after "Crossed +1"—the day the first infected appeared) is its language. Moore, working with artist Gabriel Andrade, introduces a future dialect of English. Characters speak in a compressed, linguistic shorthand born from isolation and the loss of media, education, and context. “Future” becomes “futch.” “Probably” is “probly.” They refer to the original Crossed outbreak as “the surfacing.”
This isn’t a gimmick. It’s archaeology. The fractured grammar reveals a fractured psyche. These are people who have never known a world without the Crossed. The horror of the original comics—the visceral, screaming terror of being eaten alive—is for them history. Legend. The survivors in Crossed +100 don’t flinch at gore; they’re bored by it. Their horror is existential: they fear losing the memory of what sanity was.
To understand Crossed #1, you must first understand the rules of its universe. Unlike zombies (slow or fast), the "Crossed" are not mindless. They are infected by a pathogen (airborne, bloodborne—the ambiguity adds to the terror) that strips away every layer of human empathy, conscience, and restraint.
The infected develop a red, cross-shaped rash on their faces—hence the name. But the physical transformation is irrelevant compared to the psychological one. The Crossed retain their intelligence, memories, and motor skills. They can talk, set traps, drive cars, and use weapons. But they are enslaved by a singular, maddening desire: to inflict the maximum amount of suffering possible before they die.
This is not a plague of hunger; it is a plague of hate.
In the first few pages of Crossed #1, Ennis establishes the collapse of the world through the eyes of our protagonist, a hardened, pragmatic Brit named Salt. We witness the "turn"—normal people suddenly scratching the cross into their faces with broken glass and turning on their families. The horror of Crossed is not the monster; it is the sudden realization that the monster is still your neighbor, your spouse, or your child, laughing while they torture you.
Ennis employs short, urgent scenes and abrupt tonal shifts to generate disorientation mirroring societal collapse. The story compresses events into a rapid timeline, favoring shock and momentum over extended exposition. This pacing intensifies the horror while limiting deep backstory, aligning reader experience with characters’ confusion. Holly: A young girl who becomes a central