Written by: Gail Simone
Art by: Cat Staggs
Publisher: Image Comics
Gail Simone has long been one of the most important voices in comics. She approaches the medium from a unique perspective and injects that perspective into her work, meaning her books don’t read like anything else on the market. Crosswind is no exception.
Of course, it also helps that Simone attracts some of the best artistic talent in the industry. In the case of this book, that means Cat Staggs. Visually, this issue is stunning, in no small part thanks to the incredibly vibrant color work. Staggs’ colors draw an effective contrast between the dual narratives of the book–one is downtrodden and occurs against the backdrop of an overcast sky. The other is bright, packed with glowing reds and yellows. The snow in the opening pages shines against the sunlight.
The shifting color schemes make the two narratives feel visually distinct, lending weight to the driving force of the book. Crosswind is a body-swap story, and the two subjects of the swap could not be more different. Despite this, Simone transitions smoothly between the voices of Cason, a hitman, and Juniper, a housewife in Washington.
This issue acts almost solely as an introduction of the characters and the conflict. Most of the background we get is implied–Juniper’s nuclear family is in disarray; Cason seems unsure about the work he’s doing. Simone doesn’t explicitly tell the reader anything about the characters.
Instead, we see the two leads put in situations that offer this background far more effectively. Further, their responses to their situations act as effective characterization. Juniper arguing with her son in the car and her husband on the phone lends insight into who she is. Similarly, Cason’s reluctance to kill an alleged double agent at the beginning is informative.
Staggs’ art provides characterization just as effectively as Simone’s writing. There are panels where body language is far more expressive than the dialogue being delivered. This is especially relevant after the switch occurs. Distinct changes in posture are demonstrative of the characters existing in one another’s’ bodies. It’s an effective touch.
If there’s a through line between the two narratives, it’s that the two characters are put in excessively situations. The swap doesn’t come until the very end of the issue, and it just… happens. Simone and Staggs waste no time trying to explain it, or set it up. The book is packed from cover to cover with characterization.
At times, Crosswind #1 is difficult to read. There are scenes of sexual harassment that are deeply uncomfortable, but not in a gratuitous way. The way characters in Carson’s story talk about women, and the continued excuse of “boys will be boys” are a sad reflection of reality. This isn’t necessarily at the forefront of either story, but Simone handles the themes of misogyny incredibly well.
Crosswind #1 is not perfect by any means. But it is an excellent start to a story that I’m already engaged with, and that’s more than enough.
