First Comics, initially based in Evanston, Illinois and then eventually headquartered in Chicago, was co-founded by Ken F. Levin and Mike Gold in 1983. The company quickly set itself up as a home to a variety of creator-owned properties that had only their quality in common. Howard Chaykin’s American Flagg!, a revival of Charlton’s E-Man, Mike Grell’s Jon Sable, Freelance, the continuation of Grell’s Starslayer (originally at Pacific Comics), and the science fantasy series Warp led their early offerings.
The addition of Grimjack and Mars, the acquisition of Nexus, Badger and Whisper from Capital Comics, and Jim Starlin’s Dreadstar moving over from Marvel’s Epic imprint, among other titles, gave First an impressive roster.
While Nexus and Badger clearly inhabited the same universe, the rest of the company’s line-up just as clearly did not. It was Grimjack that could have made any discussion of a crossover between their diverse titles possible. Grimjack is the nom de guerre of John Gaunt, a mercenary, veteran of many conflicts, double-crosses, and betrayals, and present owner of Munden’s Bar in the pan-dimensional city of Cynosure. With access to a frequently changing array of other universes, the Cynosure itself provided the means to do crossovers without violating the continuity of the respective series.
Despite its obvious appeal, though, the city wasn’t used as a story device for all of First’s only epic crossover, Crossroads. A five-issue, prestige format miniseries that brought together many of First’s characters – though not exclusively the headliners – Crossroads stood out on the stands thanks to its format and an impressive set of covers by artist and Nexus co-creator Steve Rude.
Crossroads #1 (“Dance To The End Of Love,” July 1988) teamed Whisper and Jon Sable. It was written by Whisper creator/writer Steven Grant and illustrated by Cynthia Martin. Crossroads #2 (“Payback, August 1988) featured Sable and Badger. The creative team for that issue was writer Mike Baron, creator of Badger, and artists Angel Medina and Rod Whigham. Both of the first two issues had a contemporary setting, so it more or less made sense that the characters could have interacted.
For Crossroads #3 (“Moon At Stonehenge, September 1988), which starred Badger and American Flagg’s Luther Ironheart in story by writer Roger Salick and E-Man co-creator and artist Joe Staton, the meeting of Badger and near-future Luther Ironhart, required magic from Badger supporting character Ham the Weather Wizard.
Cynosure’s pan-dimensional qualities at least come into play in Crossroads #4 (“Head Games, October 1988), put the spotlight on Grimjack and Nexus supporting character Judah Maccabee in a tale by Salick and artist Shawn McManus. It sets the stage for the final issue, and in that way really only #4 and #5 are the only truly related stories in the mini-series. Events in Grimjack, Dreadstar, and Nexus also proceed the conclusion, though readers need not have ready all of them to comprehend the story.
Nexus co-creator Baron returned to write Crossroads #5 (“Vicious Circle, November 1988), which brought together Grimjack, Dreadstar, and Nexus with art by Luke McDonnell. Since Nexus is plagued with dreams of mass murderers that continue until he eliminates the guilty, it actually makes a lot of sense that he would dream of Vanth Dreadstar when their universes overlap. Grimjack is more or less caught in the middle of the adventure, and there’s a good bit of action (although there was little if any impact on the characters’ regular series from events in the mini-series).
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