Christopher Priest’s THE CREW from Marvel Comics

So I hammered Priest’s early 1990s series THE RAY for DC, after reading a good bulk of the run. So you think I would have been Priested out on this blog for a while.

You’d be wrong.

I’ve just finished all seven issues of his THE CREW. In a word….BLOODY HELL! Okay two words.

This is absolutely brilliant, brilliant stuff!

This is what you hold up to your wife when she’s about to knock you out for raiding the kids college fund for comic money! It’s the medium as bloody art.

It confirms what I said about the series a few postings back…. WOW!

And have to praise the art of Joe Bennett, the Inks of Crime Lab, and the colors of Avalon Studio! Too often Priest will bring a strong story to the table and will be let down by bad art or bad production values, not this time. This time he’s found the perfect creative team!

Each issue just gets better and better, with issue #5 just blowing me out of the water! Being one of my fav issues. And issues 6 and 7 wrapping it up beautifully.

Only seven issues, before they pulled the plug.

But enough to tell a great seven part story.

But this should definitely be put out as a hardcover, and would love to see Priest and Bennett get the chance to tell more tales… of THE CREW. If not as a continuing series, then a series of mini-series.

Which may actually work better in Priest’s case, since the naysaying idiots (when he hits a series) are quick to want to talk cancellation… so beat them to the punch!

Don’t go for a continued series, go for the miniseries! That actually gives you a new promotional push, for each storyline you want to do.

Do a Warren Ellis or Grant Morrison, concentrate on the mini-series, the complete story, the arc. The one-shot.

So Priest, if you’re reading this… pick up the phone. Call Bennett, you’ve got a story you want to tell… tell it.

Hell do your own characters/books for Image or Boom Studios.

You’re way too good to be on the bench, to walk away from it.

Indie Spinner Rack guys (see my earlier review) mentioned reading Pope’s BATMAN 100 and how that was so beautifully drawn,it made them want to draw.

After reading Priest’s THE CREW I wanted to write, that’s what greatness does… it makes you want to… emulate it.