The Crow

Bought my girlfriend this to sort of surprise her. She's always loved the movie and she showed me the movie and that was my first time watching the movie so I looked into it more. I found out it was based on a comic series of the same name so I decided to buy here this. She's already read most of it and she is just in love with it! The character and the art design is what she loves the most! If you're a fan of The Crow, I'd suggest picking this up for any fan! They'll enjoy it for sure.

I'm speechless I watched the movie then pretty much got myself a copy the next day it was that good. Then I thought about buying the comic which seemed silly at the time "it's just what I watched on pages" wrong! it's so much more and all though the movie has to be one of my all-time favorites the comic was something MORE I feel like the movie couldn't completely capture the character and all the pain. I haven't gotten any other crow comic but I don't think anything can top this .Even when I'm 95 and can't remember my name I'll remember this.

I ordered this graphic novel in the hopes to surprise a friend of mine that loves reading comic books and graphic novels. It was simply amazing because it reminded me of when I was younger when the first edition of the Crow was released, and then when the movie was released, and I enjoyed reading the new additions and seeing art that was so beautifully done. Just an amazing product, I know my friend will love it when she gets it (for her birthday), and whoever buys it won't regret it. And it's extremely cheap in price by the way.

Wow ... first of all, thank you the store, this book arrived five days earlier than its expected release date. I've been a huge fan of 'The Crow' since 1994, when the amazing movie version opened at a trashy theatre in a local factory city and introduced me to things like poetry and rock and roll, thus quickly leading me to O' Barr's original graphic novel (two versions before this special edition). 'The Crow' by James O' Barr is probably the biological Father of most modern gothic revenge tales, inspiring ssssoooo many subsequent graphic novels and Hollywood flicks of the 90's - 'Blade' and 'The Matrix' come immediately to mind.

The movie was an astonishing success, supported by an endless wave of rave-reviews and tremendous word of mouth ... a fairy-tale-toned hyper-violent version of Blade Runner, set against the backdrop of a fantastic Motor City in flames. It deserved every bit of the praise it got. YET, as phenomenal as the Proyas/Lee movie was, it was considerably removed from the comic that inspired it. O' Barr's original independent comic-book masterpice is far more violent, philisophical, and unforgiving; the characters speak in extended bits of Shakespearean poetry, the lengthy shootouts unfold like a demented ballet, the ceaceless gore is as pc and unsettling as a snuff film ... in a way, O' Barr's work reminds me of Clive Barker's most challenging stuff (ironically, Barker has a quote on the back of this new edition). There are quite a few changes in O' Barr's new version - the most important of which are additional flashbacks highlighting Eric and Shelly's romance. These flashbacks are welcome additions and gel perfectly with the original narrative. As mentioned by above readers, some alterations stand out immediatley, although none distracted me much except for the omitted "The Hanging Garden" by The Cure (replaced by a powerful original poem by O' Barr). If this was done because of Copyright complications, it's a shame - BUT O' Barr CERTAINLY doesn't get enough credit for the elegance of his writing, and the new poetry that replaces 'The Hanging Garden' is equally effective and memorable. I like 'ANODYNE' (the new poem) more than Robert Smith's original excerpt, actually. Other than that, most of the lyrics/musical references from the previous versions seem to be pretty much intact, including Joy Division's complete 'Decades,' opening chapter titles referencing Ian Curtis, and numerous references to Rimbaud and Voltaire and Iggy Pop ...

... and there are NEW COMPLETE POEMS scattered throughout, too - such as a memorable piece by Baudelaire!

What struck me the most: The new ending involving the "Horse in the Barbed Wire," a story element initially limited to the prelude ('Shattered In The Head'). This additional closing sequence makes a more direct emotional statement than the original finale, which allowed the story - and the reader - to drift away like a soul catching a boat across the River Styx. The 'Skull Cowboy' makes a return appeareance, and there is an extended coversation between Eric and The Crow (the actual bird) that may or may not have been necessary. For Crow fans who have felt repeatadly insulted by what the 'Powers That Be' have offered them (I feel sorry for the kids whos introduction to 'The Crow' is 'WICKED PRAYER') I think it is DEFINTELY worth double-dipping the wallet for this new version of the comic. The 'August Noel' chapter alone is probably a True Blue bookmark to why many people fell in love with 'The Crow' in the first place. These few pages brought me to tears, and I know I will miss 'August Noel' whenever I look at the old book. (BTW - as mentioned in his opening statement, this is a deeply personal sequence for O' Barr, and it couldn't have been easy for him to reconstruct).

Of course, there are many out there who will not like the changes. There are definitely bold alterations in the book, so those who have grown up with O' Barr's vision and know every original panel by heart will take immediate pause at the new bits. YET without a doubt: this is the coolest thing to happen to the realm of 'THE CROW' since the original film was released seventeen years ago. O' Barr has put a final stride in the journey that started it all, giving the character of Shelly a deeper voice and strenghtening the dynamic between Eric & Albrect ... as well as punctuating the ending with a beautiful new sequence (however unnecessary, 'SparkleHorse' is truly beautiful).

I would say if you were considering seeing the oft-discussed much-delayed Hollywood remake/reboot somewhere down the line, save the money you would spend on that ticket and order O' Barr's Speical Edition instead. This re-release puts the story back into the hands of its creator, regardless of how the reader feels about the changes.

Thank you, James. Your work is why the fans are still around.

Art, Writing, Comedy, Depression, and Feels. This book is everything a fan of dark writing would enjoy. The book came extremely quickly and in perfect condition. Would definitely buy from this source again.

Art, Writing, Comedy, Depression, and Feels. This book is everything a fan of dark writing would enjoy. The book came extremely quickly and in perfect condition. Would definitely buy from this source again.

I read several comic books regularly. I haven't read too many graphic novels, so this is a semi-new genre for me. The story in this book is one of revenge and self-forgiveness. The author includes a forward and an afterward speaking about his process and his need to write this particular story. There are pages that he drew for the original limited comic series that, because of the way these comics were printed, had been left out and are now restored to the story. One thing I did see in this book: the pages that told the store in the current time are stark and filled in completely. The pages that show the past are lighter and more vague in detail. I was moved by the book.
I received the copy I read for this review from a Goodreads contest.

During the time that James O' Barr wrote this his mental space was probably not too far removed from the screenwriters of "Death Wish" or the Comte De Lautreamont while composing "Maldoror". One might even safely say that this despairing, vengeful, and elegantly dirty piece of work combines the psyche of the two in a strange way.

A lot has changed since I first read this graphic novel at the age of 13. And since I first saw the movie at that same age. I recognize the limitations of both the story itself and the concept of "justice" presented therein. At the same time, one cannot deny the furious mastery and synthesis of literature, poetry, urban street life, and almost admire his willingness to consider violence as a form of purification for ultimate evil.

Eric Draven is an average twentysomething with a beautiful wife, Shelly, who are brutally murdered in Detroit by a gang of drugdealing animals when their car malfunctions and they are stranded in an isolated area. The scene in the comic is so ruthless, so pitiless, so inhuman, that O' Barr successfully seduces any reader into buying, for a time, the "eye for an eye" philosophy. Perhaps what clinches our sympathy with the mysteriously resurrected Eric Draven (looking more like something straight from hell than any avenging angel) are the actions of "Funboy" (unfairly based on the dearly departed author Jim Carroll) upon his already dying wife. He emerges from the grave to right the heinous wrong visited upon himself and his beloved wife.

This really is different from the film, though I'd say that in some ways one works better than the other and vice versa. The Crow haunted Draven is far more pitiless, despairing and rageful than the innocent but supernaturally charged character portrayed by the late Brandon Lee. It is never quite explained what kind of divine force (and this would be a good question indeed) raises Eric from the dead to perform the actions he does. Either the Old Testament God at his worst or Zeus feeling really vindictive.

This is not just about revenge, though. This is a study in morality and the mystery of evil, the kind of evil which cannot account for itself because it has no answers for what it does. Funboy, who is a much more important character in the graphic novel than the film, spares himself a lot of pain by simply telling Eric: "I wish I could say I was sorry for what I done but I ain't. Man, I done worse!" Eric recognizes that there is a poison in Funboy which he himself does not really understand. He grants him a relatively painless and nonviolent death, though only with the promise that he'll bring the head honcho of the gang along so he can finish his quest. O' Barr leaves what he does to "T-Bird", the leader, to the imagination because it is so horrendous.

Eric is in the unique position of knowing there is a God and having been granted an opportunity for a "second chance" of sorts while also not comprehending how that same God could have allowed this wholesale slaughter of innocence. Christ's image is drawn beautifully as he weeps for Eric in his agony--even while he curses Him and any other Prime Mover that comes to mind. Throughout this work of art one gets the clear sense of an artist trying desperately to work out his own demons, to gain some understanding of a cosmos in which such abominations are allowed. And this is the real value of "The Crow": O' Barr is not trying to be clever, to be intellectual, or to show how well read he is. He is laying his then agonized heart out on the page. All of us can identify in some way, and those of us who don't will when they have a senseless tragedy of some sort strike. You simply cannot condemn Eric's actions very easily seeing the hand him and his fiancee have been dealt.

There's a little bohemian pretentiousness here, of course. Some of the dialogue is overly didactic and wordy. Does Eric really need to talk like a Shakespearean poet on *every* page? Also, Mr. O' Barr's view of the poor seems to be pretty negative on the whole. At the beginning of the comic, a thief is stealing a television from a home, and the dialogue is as follows: "These people make me sick..they can't feed they kids but they can afford they Toshiba". Really? I've spent a lot of time in low income areas and I've seen very few families in that situation prefer a Toshiba television to feeding their children.

Not to nitpick. This is a work of art from a true artist. And if it isn't for everybody, it should be.

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.