Southern Cross issues 13 and 14

These are last two issues of Southern Cross before it was cancelled. I was too curious to see where comic was going not to buy last two issues. Second volume ended with appearance of Southern Cross. Third volume was set up to be Aliens of this series. Tough solders come to Southern Cross to find they are over powered. Just like in Aliens. Southern Cross started to move away from hard science fiction into body horror during second volume. Last two issues continue it. Hard science fiction has been replaced by action and horror.

Can’t say much about story. Two issues set the story arc. You have group of solders and protagonists from second volume on Southern Cross. Aliens occupying Southern Cross passengers and grew try to get both of them. Last issue probably finished introducing all the characters and their goals. Then the book was cancelled.

Don’t know if this didn’t sell well enough or were there other reasons for cancellation. Quality can’t be the reason. Series got better towards end. Last two issues toned down characters’ aggressiveness which was bit of a problem during first two volumes. Don’t know if I can recommend reading Southern Cross because it doesn’t have proper ending. You can check first volume and if you still want more knowing it got cancelled then get the rest. I am glad I read it. Wish there was more of it. It made me fan of Andy Belanger’s art. His art kept me hooked when writing had issues. I will get back to this to study his art.

Southern Cross volume 2: Romulus

Southern Cross gets really close to being really good during second volume. It got only two issues after this before it was cancelled. It has some problems but nothing which should result cancellation of the title.

Second volume starts new story arc. Southern Cross has disappeared and only survivor has landed to mining station where Southern Cross should have gone. New characters and new setting. New characters try to find out what happened to Southern Cross while mining station descends into madness. Everything is quite solid until story start to lose consistency and things just start to fall from sky to advance the story. Southern Cross mixes hard science fiction and weird horror well. I am fine with spirit or force ghost taking character to another dimension. I am not fine with character having strong motivation and then doing something which stops him getting what he originally wanted for no good reason. Reason was money but I think surviving is better motivation. Getting to collect that money was quite a reach at that point.

I hoped this would end in good jumping off point or wasn’t as good as first volume. Neither happened. Volume ends with cliffhanger. I probably have to get those last two issues to see where this was heading to. Second half of this volume started to introduce characters which I don’t think belong into this kind of story and set story to take different route. If this was like Alien 3 I think next volume was supposed to be more like Aliens. I enjoyed both volumes. Don’t know if third would have been as good considering where second half of this volume started to go. Still I would have got it.

Southern Cross volume 1

Southern Cross got cancelled after fourteen issues. First twelve issues are collected into two volumes. Didn’t know about cancellation when I bought the volumes from sale. Glad I didn’t because I wouldn’t have got these if I did. At least first volume was enjoyable.

Southern Cross is mix of Sean Connery’s Outland and Lovecraftian horror. It is about space ship going to Titan when something weird happens on ship. Won’t go into spoilers but first volume’s ending is proper send off point. Story works if it ended there. Hope second volume ends in similar fashion. Not planning to get those last two issues because I am sure they end middle of story.

I have one issue with the book. Protagonist’s actions don’t seem to have consequences. At the beginning it is told she suffers from consequences of her previous actions but as story goes on she does things she should be locked away for. It starts from small but at the end she can do almost anything without getting reaction from others. Everyone is like nothing happened. I can look past it for a short while but in long run it is issue.

I learned about Southern Cross from video praising its art. First volume is worth getting for the art and most of the story. Art does good job giving feeling of being in space ship and showing protagonists other worldly hallucinations. I like how story and art mixes hard scifi into weird and other worldly. At least this first volume is worth getting because it ends how you could end this kind of story. It won’t end there but it could have.