"Red Skies Crossover" is an informal term to refer to a tangential tie-in to a crossover event.
History
This happens when a comic book is advertised as being part of a larger storyline, but that actually has very little to do with the plot. There is only a brief mention of the crossover, or several panels dedicated to one of its elements, but the rest of the issue is entirely focused on its own narrative without interruption. It's a marketing technique designed to create interest in more comics... this can go either way. Although it is annoying to buy a comic thinking it's part of a crossover and then realize that it really isn't, this can also attract new readers to books that they wouldn't otherwise pick up.
Notes
- This phenomenon is named for the "Crisis on Infinite Earths", in which there were several issues released as crossovers that featured little connection other than characters wondering why the skies were red, and then going on with their lives.
See Also
Links and References