Ruse

In the early 2000s, CrossGen launched Ruse, a 26-issue Victorian-era mystery series that paired the brilliant detective Simon Archard with his sharp-witted assistant, Emma Bishop. Written primarily by Mark Waid and Scott Beatty, with art by Butch Guice, Jackson Guice, and Paul Ryan, the book blended classic whodunit style with CrossGen's signature high-concept fantasy—setting its sleuthing against a backdrop of magical technology and a fractured, interconnected universe. Ruse stands out for its elegant period atmosphere and clever puzzle-box plotting, offering a detective story that felt both timeless and uniquely of its publisher's ambitious world-building.