Oeming and Brandon Bring the Bronx to comics

By Patrick Luce Jun 23, 2006, 12:42 GMT

A comatose girl. Supernatural criminals. Two cops on the edge. What do they all have in common? Welcome to the world of The Cross Bronx - a brand-new four-issue miniseries by Michael Avon Oeming (co-creator of Powers) and Ivan Brandon (NYC MECH) that mixes police procedure and the supernatural.

The series, which marks Oeming's first large-scale sequential work outside of Powers in years, follows Detective Rapheal Aponte in the Bronx as he investigates a mysterious gang slaying that quickly brings him face to face with the supernatural in the form of a beautiful ghost named Santaria. Taking out her revenge on the city, Santaria challenges Aponte's faith in the law as it clashes with his faith in God - or lack of it.

In the vein of "High Plains Drifter" and "Taxi Driver," The Cross Bronx delves into two worlds; one is the dark side of the Supernatual and the other is the dark side of Crime Noir. Dodging bullets and curses, The Cross Bronx will take you down some very unexpected and dangerous streets of the real life Bronx.

"I'm very enthusiastic about Cross Bronx," says Oeming. "It is the first thing I'm co-writing as I'm also illustrating it, which has been a refreshing mix for me. I think any fan of Powers or Fell will really dig what we're doing with this book."

Along with handling the art chores, Oeming is also co-writing the book with Ivan Brandon, one of the creators of the critically acclaimed NYC MECH. The two of them found common ground with The Cross Bronx.

"It should be clear by now that I'm a little obsessed with the intricacies of the street-level crime world," explains Brandon.  "And Mike's fascination with the city itself, with the tiny details that make up an authentic Bronx environment, have made this a dream project across the board. Visually, this is Mike at his absolute peak. The level of craft he's bringing to this really surpasses any of the work he's done in comics at any point in his career. Every new page is darker and more phenomenal than the last. Writing for him on this could not be more daunting or more fulfilling."

The Cross Bronx is a four-issue full-color miniseries debuting in September. It is available for order in the July Previews catalog and is scheduled to be in-stores on September 13th. Visit Image Comics for more information on this and other available titles.