...The Crow
I’m not talking about the movies or television series. Those are set in different mediums that have their own issues with beating a (literally) dead character into the ground. I’m referring here to the comics.
I have the trade paperback published by Kitchen Sink Press that came out in 1994. It has all three of the Tundra books, the original appearance from Caliber Presents #1 and newer artwork by O’Barr. I’m not going to go into the details of the story; you can read about that here.
I have the trade paperback published by Kitchen Sink Press that came out in 1994. It has all three of the Tundra books, the original appearance from Caliber Presents #1 and newer artwork by O’Barr. I’m not going to go into the details of the story; you can read about that here.
Eric’s traumatic journey strikes so many chords with me; I end up crying every time I read it. O’Barr went through some deep tragedy in his youth that had to be expressed. Eric, Shelly, Captain Hook (and of course T-Bird and the others) all came from that tragedy. In short, O’Barr created a story about pain and loss that needed to be told.
With this particular publication, you can compare O’Barr’s newer artwork with the older, and see how much he’s grown as an artist, which represents how much he has grown as a person living with grief.
So imagine my surprise when I look up The Crow on ComicVine.com and find four additional names.
To me, Eric is so connected with his creator that I have difficulty accepting the need for other Crow characters. I understand enough of the business side of comics to recognize the existence of ‘sequels’, and to be honest, they may be well written works that evoke strong feelings of retribution, vengeance or justice.
I wouldn’t know, because I haven’t read them.
I just don’t think they were necessary.
With this particular publication, you can compare O’Barr’s newer artwork with the older, and see how much he’s grown as an artist, which represents how much he has grown as a person living with grief.
So imagine my surprise when I look up The Crow on ComicVine.com and find four additional names.
To me, Eric is so connected with his creator that I have difficulty accepting the need for other Crow characters. I understand enough of the business side of comics to recognize the existence of ‘sequels’, and to be honest, they may be well written works that evoke strong feelings of retribution, vengeance or justice.
I wouldn’t know, because I haven’t read them.
I just don’t think they were necessary.
I believe everything that needed to be done with the character, O’Barr accomplished.
I read the crow for the first time last year and immediately hated it. It's like a comic book, but without the comic, and without the comic it's not much of a book.
ReplyDeleteI'm not saying that graphic novels can't be anything but superheroes with bright costumes killing the baddies while looking cool and getting the girls in the process, but the crow really tests this.
it's not that the story isn't any good, or that the artwork is bad.
i don't have a problem with any of the major factors i usually take into consideration when reading a text of this sort, but there's something about this that annoys me.
no, it's more than that, it full on frustrates me. maybe for lack of recognition of the problem because i can't quite place it.
The worst part is that none of my two other friends who've read it see any problem and the words aren't there for me to describe it.
i want to know what's so likable about such a (i normally don't resort to this sort of language, but as i said, the words aren't there) moany and bitchy character.
i completely see the need for change be it done well.