Product Description

Murdered along with his fiancTe on Halloween eve by a vicious street gang, Eric Draven returns from the dead and led by a crow, seeks vengeance on the killers who wronged him, in a new edition of the classic graphic novel. Reprint.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #53539 in Books
• Published on: 2002-09-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780743446471
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Customer Reviews

Haunting and beautiful
I can't help but think of the irony I found when I first read this graphic novel. I was experiencing the break up of a two year relationship with somebody I felt I loved very deeply at the time. While that doesn't compare to the kind of loss depicted in this book it was a loss I seriously felt. Maybe this made The Crow a more important book to me, but I feel that my situation only served to enhance my experience with the book. Not augment it. In other words The Crow is a seriously thought-provoking graphic novel that delves into levels of despair that I have yet seen from any other book of this kind.

The first thing some of you might think of is how can a comic book be regarded that seriously? First off the graphic storytelling is very different from what you would find in a super hero comic. Where those sorts of books focus on the action and events this book focuses much of its time on emotional reflection. Sure there is action and boughts of cool poses and such, but that's not the main point of the story.

As other reviewers have mentioned this story is essentially themed with the gothic, post modern, angst-ridden atmosphere. That includes death and the undead as well philosophies and poetry that are familiar in this genre. If any book puts you in the depths of the gothic and post modern counterculture this is the one, but don't let that fool you into thinking this work is pretentious like a kid in black eyeliner telling you that you don't understand pain. This is an intense piece of literary work.

The story revolves around Eric Draven, who was killed a year ago along with his fiance, coming back from the dead to avenge her death. He is literally unstoppable. I know... this sounds a LOT like some testosterone overdosed comic you would find with Marvel or Image, but keep in mind the true focus of the story is in the emotional reflection portrayed. This book does include instances of drug use, rape, vulgarity, and ultra-violence. This stuff might sound off-putting for some, but this content only serves to further the book's illustration of its dystopic theme. Not glorify it.

The artwork is all in black and white, and it is breathtaking. I think this is James O'Barr's (writer and artist) first work, and you can actually see the evolution of the art from great to fantastic in this series. The book also collects some color prints as well so it's not all colorless. The scripting is deep and filled with potential catch phrases for the goth elite, or better still for wayward philosophers. Almost every line Eric says has a deeper meaning than the words said.

The one true weakness in the book is that if you look at the plot itself, and mark the book's course of events, it's rather boring. Eric finds his victim. Victim tries to kill Eric. Eric reminds victim who he is and why he's there. Eric kills victim. Rinse and repeat. Part of this can be blamed on the fact this graphic novel collects six issues of the original Crow comic series and what you are seeing is separate issues that happen to have the same theme. Either way it's what you read between the lines that makes the difference. Focus on just the events and you miss the real story.

The Crow is not for everyone. Although I would call it recommended reading for ALL literary minded and philosophically minded folk. Of course the Goth and Emo kids who don't already know about this book will go bat-crazy over it. The rest of you can still really enjoy this dark and deep piece of visual and literary art even if you not into that scene.

Wow. That's all you can really say...
It seems ordinary. Your basic plot of love-stronger-than-death: a newlywed couple are brutally killed by a bunch of stoned thugs, and a year later, the man returns from the dead, invincible and really angry. Scratch around fifty thousand thugs. The end, right?

Except it's so much more than that. One thing you will notice at once is the highly stylized artwork. Sure, now it may not look so original (given the 50,000,000 imitators) but you've got to remember how old it is. The one thing that stands out is the eyes - there are scenes where Eric (the avenger) stands in a relaxed or otherwise "normal" fashion, but his eyes look alive, burning with indescribable hate. He also is quite literary, often quoting books, poetry and the Bible, adding to the atmosphere. Though you may be shocked at the vast amounts of violence the Crow perpetrates, by the chapter "The Atrocity Exhibition", which fully explains what happened to him and his beloved, you'll be firmly on his side. There is absolutely no way to feel sorry for any of Eric's victims. The action is interrupted frequently by long stretches showing Eric's flashbacks or just his grief, which is intense. Some of the images of Eric crying and cursing God and everything are so disturbing they're unforgettable.

In a way, this book portrays a chapter of musical history. O'Barr (the author) had been listening to a great deal of music before writing it, and it shows - Eric often quotes the band Joy Division (the book is also dedicated to JD's singer, who killed himself) and many of the prefaces/notes/expositions contain quotes from The Cure. Also, Eric himself is modeled after the singers Iggy Pop and Ian Curtis, and many of the chapter titles are names of various songs.

Despite the vast amounts of action and violence, you are as a reader never allowed to forget Eric's motivation. The theme of love always comes back, and it's soul-wrenching to watch Eric try to fight his alternating memories of happiness and pain. In Eric's world, there is only good or bad, black or white, purity and love or hatred and brutality, and the dialogue and the obvious passion of the book's author makes all of it come alive. By the end, you really grow to hope that the Crow can somehow find his inner peace. You should read this book at least once.

The quintessential revenge story
The "Revenge" story has been told many times, from many perspectives, and with varying success. Most have been less than enjoyable, with bad plots and characterizations. Some have been masterful, such as (in my opinion) Kill Bill and Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo.

James O'barr's The Crow, however, is easily the best "revenge" story I have ever had the privilege to read. Eric feels like a real person, not some bland characterization. You feel how much he loves Shelly, and you see his innate goodness. You even can't help but understand his rage during his highly ethically questionable killing spree.

O'barr weaves a vivid, powerful story here of love lost and rage unquenched as he follows Eric, a man who returns from the dead to avenge his and his lover's gruesome murders. During the whole ordeal, there are glimpses of Eric's true humanity and kindness, and one gets the sense that he must purposefully sublimate this side of himself in order for his soul to gain peace.

This tale is a gritty masterpiece, and easily one of the best graphic novels ever produced. I heartily recommend it to anyone who enjoys comic books, and if you feel that comics are low-brow, I encourage you to take a look at this.

You might just change your mind.