The Crow (Graphic Novel)

“If I were an Angel I would cast

 away my wings and halo,

 forever

 just to spend one more moment

 near you”

-James O’Barr, “Anodyne”

The Crow is one of the most significant works of fiction that I have ever read; afterwards, this story shall never leave you. It is passionate, painful, burning and intense. It is poetry in graphic novel form. It is beautifully dark, and there is a meaning to its bleakness. This is a tale that comes directly from the author’s soul, a story that needed to be told.

When James O’Barr was a teenager, his girlfriend was killed in a car crash. Blaming himself for what had happened, he was distraught, and could not get over her death. This, combined with the story he heard of a couple murdered for their engagement rings, led him to create The Crow. He felt that through writing this, he would be able to get rid of the terrible pain he felt. It didn’t work. If anything, it made him feel even worse. He grew to dislike his creation, seeing it as glorifying revenge. And after the death of Brandon Lee during the filming of the screen adaptation, O’Barr’s guilt grew. It was only with time and the aid of Lee’s fiancee that he finally came to terms with what had happened, and realised that The Crow had relevance to not just him but to so many other people, and that, at its core, it was a love story.

I read the graphic novel after seeing the film, and so I think it’s important that I compare the two here. While both are excellent, I definitely prefer the book, mostly due to the plot. In the film, the storyline is a bit simpler and more conventional, with Eric having to defeat the city’s evil crime boss, while the comic was just about him killing off the thugs who murdered his fiancee. Also, and more importantly in my opinion, the two versions differ as to what happened to Eric after he and Shelley were brutally attacked. The movie shows Eric being resurrected and gaining supernatural characters; the graphic novel only implies that he came back from the dead and leaves many things open to interpretation. For all we know, Eric could easily have just snapped from what had happened, and the crow that follows him might be a mere hallucination. Then again, that doesn’t explain how he suddenly became such an invincible force. To be honest, if I hadn’t seen the film first, then I’d be a little bit confused as to what was happening. In the end though, both versions are good, it just depends on what you prefer.

The copy I purchased was the recently-released Special Edition, which claims to be “the definitive author’s vision of the classic graphic novel”. I truly reccomend that you keep a look out for it, as it is without a doubt worth buying. Not only does it contain a new introduction by the author, but also extra scenes that weren’t included in the original comics. As for the comic itself, it is stunning. The art is gorgeous, and reminds me of perhaps a darker Will Eisner. (For those who don’t know, Will Eisner is a comic book legend.) It reflects perfectly the strong, powerful emotions present in the story, and the torment that Eric is going through. We even see him engaging in self-harm, and this is one of the few times that cutting oneself isn’t portrayed in a shallow or immature manner. Several poets and musicians are quoted throughout, though I’m kind of disappointed that it never references The Raven, as the motion picture did. I also like how the world changes for Eric after Shelley’s death; in the flashbacks, things appear innocent and perfect, while the present is almost dystopian. As for the conclusion, it is poignant and haunting. I urge you to read it for yourself. It isn’t one hundred per cent perfect, but it is deeply raw and sincere.

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Nevarmore! (Title intentionally misspelled)

Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
`Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou,’ I said, `art sure no craven.
Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the nightly shore –
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night’s Plutonian shore!’
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.’

Recently, I did a post on both bats and wolves, But there is another type of animal I like: the raven. And since ravens and crows have influenced many, from poets to artists to writers, I think it best if I now do a post on these mysterious, misunderstood animals.

So, the above song is a rendition of Edgar Allen Poe’s The Raven. This is probably his most famous work and truly is a beautiful work. It has been referenced to many times in pop culture, too many times to mention, and you ever encounter a raven in fiction, you can be sure someone is going to say “Nevermore!” Poe was famous for writing very gloomy gothic literature, eerie and supernatural. He has influenced many horror writers, including HP Lovecraft.

But what of ravens themselves? I really think we should have a look at the real thing before we get into all the fictional stuff. Ravens, like magpies and jackdaws are a type of crow. They are often seen as ugly birds by many, especially due to the harsh cawing noise they produce. However, they are actually quite beautiful creatures if you look at them in the right way. I especially love how their wings spread out in an almost fingerlike way and how when they fly sometimes loose feathers swirl around them dramatically. Like scarecrows, ravens are beautiful in a tattered, grotesque way. Crows are also very intelligent animals. I think they’ve been known to drop objects down at cars in order to tip them over and get at any food inside. Believe me, if crows get any smarter then it’ll be Planet of the Crows.

Anyone wish to join me in the worshipping of our new crow overlords?

 One of the most interesting depictions of these birds in fiction is The Crow, a cult graphic novel and film series. I haven’t actually read the comics, but I’ve seen the film and it was enough to get me hooked. The Crow is a very interesting story, dark and action-packed yet melancholy also. On the night before Hallowe’en, a young man and his girlfriend are tragically killed by criminals. However, there is a legend that while a crow is said to bring those who die to the other side, if the need is great enough it may bring you back. And so one year later, Eric Draven emerges from his grave, and after putting goth makeup on his face sets out to get revenge on those who killed his love.

Love never dies.

The actual story behind the story is just as depressing. James O’Barr’s fiancee was killed in a car accident by a drunk driver, something which he could not get over. He began drawing The Crow as a way to deal with it. Unfortunately, it did not help him. In fact, it just made everything worse. And during the making of the film, its star Brandon Lee was shot and killed. The Crow is a love story, but a dark one.

 In mythology, crows are associated mostly with the Morrigan, a Celtic goddess of war and sworn enemy of the Ulster warrior Cuchulain. The Morrigan is a triple goddess, along with her sisters Badhb and Macha. While today she is sometimes venerated by Pagans and Wiccans, she is mostly known as being a bitch.

Crows also appear in Kafka on the Shore, one of my favourite books ever written. The main character names himseld Kafka (after the author, I think) which happens to be the Czech word for crow. Also, a sort of alter-ego version of himself named Crow will sometimes appear to and talk with him. Like a lot of things in this books, nothing about this is really explained about what exactly is happening, or why.

So that is really all I have to say about crows. If you see one, wish it well- for you never know how it may repay you.

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