The Crow

by James O'Barr

Book Overview

The definitive edition of the classic graphic novel--including never-before-seen material and a new introduction by the author. When James O'Barr poured the pain and anguish of a personal tragedy into... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0878162216
• Release Date: January 1997
• Publisher: Kitchen Sink Pr
• Length: 244 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 10.3" x 0.8" x 6.5"

Customer Reviews

Was sent the wrong item

Was sent the wrong item. Instead of being sent a comic, they sent a diary of the film by Jeff Conner and Robert zuckerman :(

Gothic in the old-school tradition

I used to collect the older "Crow" comics years ago, before any of the films were made, and I have to say I really regret discarding them now that I can see how much they are worth! To be honest, this is probably one of the few series of comics I remember as being visually interesting and Gothic in nature. It has nothing to do with the movies, really, I can't stand the films. If you're going to invest in some good comics, go for these older Crow series by James O'Barr, especially if you're into old-school Gothic.

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 a

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.

Sometimes love is stronger than death.

Forget the movie. You must read the comic that inspired it. Eric is a man who was killed while his girlfriend is raped and murdered. Not in that order, either. It seems that such an injustice cannot live on, and Eric returns from the dead angry, heartbroken, violent and invincible. He takes savage revenge on those who tore his life apart, all the while reliving, through flashbacks, the good times he had with his true love, which both angers and motivates him. A love story and a violent bloodbath of revenge. I do not know what happened to O'barr to inspire this, but it is one of the most finely drawn comics, and heartbreaking stories ever. It gives us the hope that perhaps death is not final, and that God does correct the wrongs in life, in the form of a crow.

The story the movie could not describe.

I enjoyed the movie "the Crow", but, I do not think it did justice to the beautifully painful story that James O'Barr has written. The story gives the reader the background that is most times found lacking in a script. O'Barr writes to create an environment of which the reader becomes a part. I could feel the love, the pain, the sorrow and the anger leaping from the pages. A writer should be able to bring laughter as well as tears to the reader and O'Barr has done that most definitely. I recommend to anyone who has seen the movie to read the book to experience the true story and a writing style that has all but disappeared. I gave this book a 10 because not only was the story line incredible; the pictures enhanced the full meaning with a great force without taking anything away from the story