If you’ve stumbled across Garth Ennis’s Crossed, you already know it’s not for the faint of heart. It’s brutal. It’s nihilistic. Honestly, it’s probably the most "extreme" mainstream comic ever published. But trying to figure out the crossed series in order is a total nightmare because Avatar Press released these books in a weird, overlapping mess of webcomics, annuals, and numbered volumes that don't always follow a linear timeline.
You can't just pick up volume one and expect a straight line to the end. That’s not how this world works.
The series kicked off back in 2008. Since then, we’ve seen dozens of writers—including heavy hitters like Alan Moore and Simon Spurrier—try to make sense of a world where a mysterious virus turns humans into the worst versions of themselves. They aren't zombies. They're "Crossed." They’re fast, they’re smart, and they want to do things to you that I can’t even describe here without getting flagged by a filter.
The Absolute Basics: Starting at the Beginning
You have to start with the original ten-issue run by Garth Ennis and Jacen Burrows. Period. If you don't read this first, nothing else matters. This is the foundation. It sets the rules: the cross-shaped rash on the face, the loss of empathy, the fact that there is no cure. Ennis wrote it as a self-contained survival story, following a small group of survivors trekking across a ruined America.
It's bleak.
Once you finish that original run, the path splits. This is where most readers get confused about the crossed series in order. You have a choice: do you go by the date the books hit the shelves, or do you try to follow the "vibe" of the world?
Most people will tell you to jump straight into Crossed: Family Values. Written by David Lapham, this one is... controversial. Even for Crossed fans. It focuses on a family surviving on a ranch, and it dives into some incredibly dark themes regarding domestic abuse that make the "infected" monsters seem almost secondary. It's a tough read, but it’s the second major pillar of the franchise.
Navigating the Chaos of Badlands
Then came Crossed: Badlands. This was an oversized anthology series that ran for 100 issues. This is where the crossed series in order gets really tricky because Badlands isn't one story. It’s a collection of story arcs ranging from three to nine issues each.
Some arcs are masterpieces. Some are forgettable.
If you’re a completionist, you’ll read Badlands #1 through #100 in order. But if you want the best experience, you need to know who is behind the wheel. For instance, Jamie Delano (the original Hellblazer writer) wrote an arc called "The Fatal Englishman" (issues #25-28) that is widely considered one of the best stories in the entire mythos. It explores the military's response to the outbreak in a way that feels uncomfortably realistic.
Why the Webcomics Matter
You also have Crossed: Wish You Were Here. This was originally a webcomic written by Simon Spurrier. Unlike the chaotic, gore-focused arcs in Badlands, this is a slow-burn character study. It follows a guy named Shaky who is hiding out on an island off the coast of Scotland.
Because it was a webcomic, it ran parallel to Badlands. In terms of the crossed series in order, I usually recommend reading Wish You Were Here after you’ve finished the first few arcs of Badlands. It provides a much-needed emotional anchor. Spurrier actually cares about the psychology of survival, not just the creative ways people can be pulled apart.
The Alan Moore Factor: Crossed +100
In 2014, the legendary Alan Moore—the guy who wrote Watchmen and V for Vendetta—decided he wanted to play in this sandbox. He created Crossed +100.
This is set a full century after "C-Day" (the day the infection started). Humans have started to rebuild, but they speak a devolved, strange version of English. It’s a brilliant piece of speculative fiction. Moore treats the Crossed not as monsters, but as a new species that has evolved its own terrifying culture.
- Crossed Vol 1 (The Ennis Original)
- Crossed: Family Values (Lapham’s first run)
- Crossed: Psychopath (Another Lapham story, very gritty)
- Crossed: Badlands #1-100 (The meat of the series)
- Crossed: Wish You Were Here (Four volumes of Spurrier’s epic)
- Crossed +100 (The Moore era)
Wait, I almost forgot Crossed: Dead or Alive. This was a project Ennis started to help fund a potential Crossed web series. It’s essentially a bridge between his original work and the later chaos. If you can find the trade paperback, grab it, but it’s not strictly "essential" if you just want the main narrative beats.
Digging into the Specific Arcs of Badlands
Since Badlands is such a massive chunk of the crossed series in order, you should know which parts to prioritize if you start feeling "Crossed fatigue"—which is a real thing, believe me.
Garth Ennis returned for several arcs in Badlands, most notably the "Thin Red Line" story (issues #50-56). This acts as a sort of prequel, showing how the UK government collapsed in the first few days. It's fascinating because it explains why the world fell so fast. It wasn't just the violence; it was the total failure of bureaucracy.
Then you have Christos Gage’s run. Gage is a veteran of the industry, and his arcs tend to focus on "specialists"—scientists or soldiers trying to find a tactical way to fight back. His stories feel more like traditional action-horror, which can be a nice break from the pure misery of Lapham's writing.
The Evolution of the Language
When you get to Crossed +100, you’re going to be confused. Moore wrote the dialogue in a "future-speak" that takes about twenty pages to get used to. People don't say "look," they say "movie." They don't say "think," they say "wish."
It’s a linguistic puzzle.
But it’s vital to the crossed series in order because it shows the endgame. It moves the series from "shock horror" into "high sci-fi." If you skip it, you're missing the most intellectual part of the franchise. After Moore left, Simon Spurrier took over the +100 timeline with Crossed +100: Mimic, which ties everything back to the modern day in a really clever, albeit depressing, way.
Why Order Actually Matters Here
You might think an anthology series doesn't need a strict reading order. You'd be wrong. There are subtle crossovers. Characters mentioned in the background of a Lapham story might show up as corpses in a Gage story.
Specifically, the "Crossed: G.I. Joe" style elements—the idea that there are organized groups of survivors trying to preserve history—start in Wish You Were Here and culminate in Crossed +100. If you read them out of order, the reveal of the "Archives" in the future won't have any impact.
Dealing with the "Shock" Factor
Let's be real for a second. This series is infamous for a reason. There are scenes in Crossed: Psychopath that I still wish I could un-see. The series pushes boundaries of taste that most publishers wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole.
When you're diving into the crossed series in order, pace yourself. This isn't a "binge in a weekend" type of series. The relentless negativity can actually be a bit much. The creators want you to feel uncomfortable. They want you to question why you're even reading it.
Actionable Steps for Your Reading Journey
If you're ready to start, don't just buy a random trade paperback at a con. Follow this plan to get the most out of the story without wasting money on the weaker installments.
- Start with the "Crossed Omnibus" Vol 1. This usually contains the original Ennis run and the first chunks of the spinoffs. It’s the most cost-effective way to see if you even like the tone.
- Track down the Simon Spurrier work early. Honestly, Wish You Were Here is the best-written part of the entire franchise. You can actually read this concurrently with Badlands to keep yourself grounded in a story that has a consistent protagonist.
- Look for the "Signifier" arcs. In Badlands, certain arcs are more important to the "lore" than others. Focus on Ennis, Moore, Gage, and Spurrier. If a writer you've never heard of is doing a three-issue stint, it's likely just "gore-porn" and won't add much to the overall mythos.
- Finish with Crossed +100. Don't try to read this in the middle. It functions as a series finale for the entire concept of the Crossed. It provides a sense of closure that the main series stubbornly refuses to give you.
The crossed series in order is a journey through the darkest parts of the human imagination. It’s not "fun" in the traditional sense, but as a study of societal collapse and the endurance of the human spirit—or lack thereof—it’s unparalleled in the medium. Stick to the creators who care about the world-building, and you'll find a surprisingly deep story buried under all that red ink.