WOW! If you're a fan of The Crow but aren't aware of how this gothic masterpiece was created, then you owe it yourself to either rent or buy the collector's edition of the movie. On the special features disc there is a Profile of James O'Barr which is an interview. During this interview Mr O'Barr discusses the personal tragedy that he was dealt and how The Crow came to be. I love this novel, but it is not for mass consumption due to the graphic violence and drug references depicted in it. If you enjoyed the movie then I highly recommend the novel. The novel's contents are in black and white by the way, but in my opinion this does not detract from it's richness.
So many memories tied to this book. Like the movie of the same name, I was obsessed with this title for several years. While I was fortunate in that I had never experienced a tragedy like Eric Draven's, I came across The Crow just as I began struggling with my own battle with depression. The message of love transcending death was one that haunted and fascinated me, and I suppose that in some strange way all the pain that lingered in that work was something that I felt akin to for much of my adult life. While this may seem a bit extreme to some, there are many who can confirm how powerful the idea behind The Crow is to them in their own lives. Despite all that Eric endures, there is some hope at the end of it all. Love does transcend death. Some things never change. The Crow was a sort of spiritual / emotional experience for many and became the defining story for those who either lived or battled with the darker half of life. The art is exceptional, and each panel reveals so much detail and depth that sometimes it's hard to remember that you're reading a graphic novel. And though the book has little written compared to a standard novel, what is written is done so beautifully and it only compliments the images. A thought also to those who criticize this work, I must mention that there are many musical, literary, and artistic references through-out, and serves to remind readers that this work is more than just a haunting picture. The Crow is a love letter. Listen. Listen close.
Love is not sane... The Crow is a masterpiece of love and the insanity it can cause when love is torn from us. Many say that this graphic novel is only in the range of interest of young goths, but then a person who has said this probably doesn't understand what love could do to a person. Usually when we find a piece of art to be good or even spectacular it's because we can relate to it. Basically what I'm saying is that if you want to read this book you must know what is to be madly in love with someone and then think what your reaction would be if they we're to be taken away from you. Your reaction might not be sane or logical, but it is The Crow. Common story line you might say, but the way it is told is beautiful and dark and would make any person who enjoys the romance of torn hearts fall in love with this book for the way Barr tells it in his demented fashion of words. I guess you have a little bit of a gothic feel to yourself, but hey, who doesn't like The Cure? ^_^
A letdown. James O'Barr, The Crow (Pocket, 1995)
I always seem to be trying to turn sacred cows into shish kabob, and my latest target is The Crow, the James O'Barr graphic novel that, in 1994, became Alex Proyas' amazing debut feature film. I spent a few moments, after I finished this book, reflecting on the art of film adaptation. Sometimes you start with a brilliant book and end up with a mediocre (or outright horrible) movie. Sometimes you start with a mediocre (or outright horrible) book and end up with genius.
The Crow is not an outright horrible book, but the steps that horror novelists David J. Schow (The Kill Riff) and John Shirley (Wetbones) took in adapting the book to a script, and that Proyas took in bringing that script to life, were pretty severe. Pretty amazing, too. Small details were changed (the order in which Eric takes his revenge is slightly altered, for example, to make it more meaningful); large details were changed (the timeframe makes a whole lot more sense in the film). Some of them were missteps; changing Sherry's name to Sarah muddies the Sherry/Shelly link, but Sarah is a fully-formed character, whereas Sherry feels like a character who should be there a lot more, but ends up being window dressing.
The movie, on occasion, errs on the side of giving us too much, but the book's problem is the opposite: it never gives us enough. None of the characters except Eric is fully formed; his nemeses, with the exception of Funboy, are cardboard cutouts. Albrecht pops up for a few frames now and then, but never becomes a real part of the story. Etc.
The movie is on its way to attaining classic status, and that is well-deserved; the book went out of print for eight years after the film's release, and now I've got a pretty good idea of why. **
Amazing Great art coupled with a story that anyone can relate to, it doesn't get much better.
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