Story by Donny Cates. Art by Geoff Shaw. Colors by Dee Cunniffe. Letters and Design by John J. Hill. Story edits by Mark Waid. Published by Image Comics.

I’m going to say it. The back cover of this collection is the worst part of the series. Too much is revealed. The best part of this book is being surprised over and over again.

The story is that one day out of no where every super hero and villain battle landed on top of Colorado. Every character ever is there, fighting the never ending four color battle now in the real world. The real world tries to keep this contained, and at some point a dome is put around the battle. Comics are now both hated and studied. Fictional characters are rounded up. Government, politics, religion, and more all have their own agendas. Some people like our hero Ellie just want to get back to their families who are stuck inside of the dome.

And that is all I want to reveal. Ellie works in a comic store which is a completely different dynamic now in a world in which they’re now selling non fiction stories. The hate is real and thick. Comics have been attacked multiple times and almost been wiped away a few times, so this fantastical idea has firm grips in reality. Bad things happen, a mission is set, new characters come in, and some of those characters are very familiar.

That’s my anger towards the back cover. The previously established hero just showing up here as a major part of the story is such an amazing reveal, yet it’s right there on the back. A little girl who needs help, Ava, is a crazy twist that can only be pulled off in comics, and there it is. Thankfully there are many more moments to come. A two page spread that I poured over for a long time to see every detail. Ellie has some secrets. Well, maybe everyone does. The final page makes me angry I didn’t keep buying this title after issue one. There’s only so much money!

Of course had I added this comic, I would have to add more. One of the joys of this open sandbox is discovering so many other characters. Familiar and new to me. Who are these heroes? Are they new? No! To the bag issue bins! Over and over again. A love letter to comics that gets me to spend more money on comics at my local shop. Crossover is a tide that raises all ships.