When I let you all know about THE AVENGERS & THE INFINITY GAUNTLET mini-series a while back, it got me thinking about which crossovers have held up over the years. It’s certainly topical, right now, isn't it? Marvel fans are seeing the end of a series of seven straight mega-crossovers with SIEGE.
I think that, at their best, crossovers link superheroes to their roots in mythology. They capture feeling of something like THE ILLIAD - - an epic fray with an entire pantheon of larger-than-life players. In that respect, I’ll reiterate that I think THE INFINITY GAUNTLET fulfills that the best of any crossover I’ve read. Thanos returning from the dead, collecting all the Infinity Gems and subsequently using the power of the Infinity Gauntlet to snuff out half the universe (with just a snap of his fingers) and single-handedly fight the other half in a frustrated effort to win Lady Death’s love…? That’s DEFINITELY like something out of an epic myth.
Of course, the other criterion for a good crossover is that it needs a conceit that’s fun and natural for all the other company titles to tie in to (it shouldn’t feel intrusive or forced). I’d definitely rank DC ONE MILLION as the best in that respect. The first crossover masterminded by Grant Morrison (with plenty of gonzo ideas to match), the story saw the JLA encounter their future incarnation - - the Justice Legion Alpha, who hailed from the 853 century. While the central mini-series itself was really good (with some excellent art by Val Semeiks), what really makes this stand out is how fun the tie-ins were. Every title got a “millionth issue” where creative team got to put forth a vision of what their title would be like in the far, far future, and the results ran the gamut.
Other favorites of mine are AGE OF APOCALYPSE, IDENTITY CRISIS and MAXIMUM SECURITY. I’d get into detail why, but as the Rock would say... it doesn’t matter what I think!!! What matter is what you maniacs in the Comic Vine community think! I want to hear what your favorites are! CIVIL WAR. FINAL CRISIS. CONTEST OF CHAMPIONS. ZERO HOUR. ONSLAUGHT… how do they hold up? Which one’s the best? Which one’s the worst? What were some especially good tie-ins! Let’s make this our own community wide crossover of opinions. Enter the fray!
-- Tom Pinchuk is the writer of UNIMAGINABLE for Arcana Comics and HYBRID BASTARDS! for Archaia. Pre-order the HYBRID BASTARDS! hardcover now on Amazon.com.
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