TGLComics: The Crow

"I am he who can dissolve the terror of being a man and going among the dead.
I am morphine for a wooden leg."
-Eric Draven / The Crow

The Crow

Created by James O'Barr

Many of you are probably familiar at least with the existence of the movie adaptation. If not, check out my review! For those of you who aren't familiar with this comic series, here's a quick run-down.

In 1978, creator James O'Barr suffered a terrible loss when his fiancee was struck and killed by a drunk driver. His response to this event was to join the Marines, and while being stationed overseas, he began working on "The Crow" to assist himself in dealing with what happened.

"...There is pure anger on each page." stated O'Barr in an interview several years after the book's initial 1989 release. I have to say, knowing all of this in advance of reading the book makes it that much more powerful. I'm warning you right now, this book is very adult. It is dark, gritty, bloody, and downright hard to read at some parts, but with the events that led to it's conception, it took my breath away that much more.

Plot:

The story focuses on anti-hero Eric Draven, who along with his fiancee, lives in the run-down, gang ruled city of Detroit, MI. One day, after their car breaks down, a drug-induced gang pulls up along side the couple, and for pure sick pleasure, shoot dead Eric, and proceed to rape and murder his fiancee, Shelly. 

One year later, Eric is raised from the dead by a mystical crow, given the power of invincibility, and tasked simply with getting revenge on the gang that ended the lives of him and his beloved Shelly.

The interesting thing about this book is that, while there are villains, there really is no question of whether or not Eric will succeed in his quest. Early pages of the comic show very clearly that his enemies stand no chance, and he proceeds to dominate them without mercy. This was interesting on its own, as in the movie adaptation, and in typical fiction stories anywhere else, the hero has a trial to overcome, and a final and most often difficult battle to win. In "The Crow" however, Eric has already lost his great trial, and the entire book is simply a very dark tale of revenge.

Art:

Fans of Frank Miller's art (Sin City, The Dark Knight, 300) will feel right at home here. The entire book is told in black and white, and primarily features two different art styles. The first is a visible cross-hatching with straight black and white. This is used mainly in all action scenes, and probably about 80% of the entire book.

The second style is very similar, except with more of a flowy, almost watercolor approach. More grays and midtones are present, and details are much more real than that of the majority of the book. This style is mainly used for flashbacks, and dream sequences, as Eric reflects on his past with Shelly.

I adored the art. It is very clearly illustrated with passion, in a visibly noir style. Some scenes, while maybe not as well illustrated as others, convey the plot, as if the artist were trying to simply get it out of his head as fast as possible. What works so well between these two styles is that with the book being so dark and harsh, the art style keeps the tone consistent. Similarly, when Eric is having his flashbacks of a perfect life with Shelly, the art becomes softer, more detailed, and more comfortable to the eyes.

Verdict:

If you have the chance, know a friend who has it, or can pick it up from a library/used book store, definitely check it out! I don't want to rate this with a 1-10 scale, because I think it'll be different for everyone. I'm blessed enough that I really haven't experienced great loss in my life, but even so, it really hit deep when reading. Those who have shared a similar loss to that of Eric may resonate even more with his feelings of revenge and mercilessness. 

Personally, I found a softcover collection for $5 at Half-Price Books, and I'd say it was worth every penny, and then some. If dark/gritty stories are your thing, this book is a must.