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​​​​​​​Southern Cross: Volume Two (Image Comics, 2015; #7-12)

Southern Cross likes to surprise me.  And I love it for that.

  • For its second arc, Cloonan moves the story to a different location and follows a (mostly) different group of characters.
  • And instead of being a mystery aboard a ship, the book takes on a conspiracy thriller vibe.
  • All of these changes feel natural and like a logical evolution of the plot—and making such drastic changes feel natural is no easy feat.
  • Belanger and Loughridge’s art, through what I can only assume is some kind of sorcery, blends pulp and punk and sci-fi vibes into a style that I could not imagine the book without.

If you’re into sci-fi and thrillers, then this weird, anxious, well-paced comic is for you.

Collected in

  • Southern Cross, Vol. 2 (#7-12)

Credits

Writer: Becky Cloonan | Artist: Andy Belanger | Colorist: Lee Loughridge | Letterer: Serge LaPointe

​​​​​​​Runaways: Live Fast (Marvel Comics, 2005; #19-24)

​​​​​​​The Demon: Hell’s Hitman (DC Comics, 1990; #46-49)