Every week, I make it a point to mention the best comic books of the week via social media. Sometimes it’s an easy task due to a short number of new issues being released. Then there are weeks like the ones we've experienced recently when everything is good. Titles like Absolute Martian Manhunter No. 3, Uncanny X-Men 15, and Universal Monsters: The Mummy No. 3 are only three of the issues that blew me away. Then, I got to Image Comics' Assorted Crisis Events No. 3 and almost cried at work due to the realism.
A quick explanation of this mini-series is that time has been thrown out of the loop. This leads to people throughout the multiverse experiencing events that ruin lives. For example, the first issue showed a woman who couldn’t tell reality from a movie set because real cavemen and medieval knights could casually walk down the street. It caused her to lose a job, not be recognized as a person, and led her to drink.
Issue No. 2's story followed a guy whose family immigrated from another country. Due to their status, it was difficult to find work, which caused turmoil within his family. The story bounced back and forth through time to show why the moments of the past affected the person in the present. Despite it seeming confusing, the jumps through time were easy to follow and relevant to the present.
The newest was a heartbreaking look at how even good people can go against their beliefs. Sadly, it pointed out a lot of issues we’re facing today.
Assorted Crisis Events No. 3 creative team
- Writer: Deniz Camp
- Artist: Eric Zawadzki
- Colorist: Jordie Bellaire
The town on a separate Earth called Hearth-2 was destroyed thanks to climate change. Fire literally rained from the sky as the clouds burned. Their only hope was getting to a portal that would bring them to their town's counterpart, Hearth-1. At first, everything was awesome, like the Lego Movie song. Then, good people started to suffer and did what was best for their families.
As things got worse, citizens of Hearth-1 turned to jealousy despite not knowing that what they were seeing wasn’t the whole truth. They started acting against their town's motto of "Love thy Neighbor" and treated their counterparts as less than people. This leads to fear-mongering, a selfish and hateful person campaigning for election, and citizens being forced to wear special patches so the “good” and the “bad” people could be identified.
"After all they'd lost, now they'd lost something they didn't even know it was possible to lose--their personhood."Assorted Crisis Events narrator
It’s easy to see what writer Deniz Camp was going for. Sometimes you have to be blatant about the point you’re attempting to get across. The spoonful of sugar for the medicine came via time travel. Nevertheless, the lesson is obvious.
The lit Tiki torches as hate-filled people march down the street saying disgusting things was reminiscent of the 2017 rally in Charlottesville, North Carolina. There were references to what the Nazis did to Jewish, autistic and LGBTQ+ people before and during World War II. And, of course, there’s the ridiculous “they’re stealing our jobs” narrative. These are only three of the examples used to show how things are looking right now.
Assorted Crisis Events No. 3 could end up being the best comic book of 2025. It doesn’t have web-swinging, shield-throwing, or gamma monsters, but it’s an emotional story everyone should read. It will change the way you look at the world. Hopefully, in a good way.