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‘Who ever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster.�
~
The Crow by James O’Barr is the supernatural story centring around the past life of Eric and his fiancée, Shelly, and the tragic event that befalls them both. It’s a poignant and brutal story about not only vengeance and violence, but also about coping with grief and learning to forgive yourself for incidents that are out of your control.

Having watched the film prior to reading the graphic novel, I found was in fact really helpful. I already knew the basic narrative, I knew what tragedy was coming, even though that event happens differently in the film, as to the graphic novel. It somehow made me feel much more of an emotional connection; I felt the pain and despair of Eric/the Crow that much deeper.

The Crow was a very personal project for O’Barr. It was created after the author experienced a personal tragedy, and he spiralled into a dark place within himself; he created this graphic novel as a means of release, and it is all the more powerful for it.

The illustrations were goddamn beautiful. They depicted every event so clearly, each scene had so many details. They even showed the striking contrast between the happier past and the darker present - scenes of the past with Eric and his fiancé, Shelly, were presented in a white background, whereas the parts where Eric is the Crow and is on his revenge quest had a black background. O’Barr had hand drawn all of this himself, which I found impressive.

This is one somber read, O’Barr doesn’t hold back on how vile some humans can be, he expresses justice through bloodshed. You could really tell the author poured his heart and sole into this graphic novel, and that’s what truly captivated me and made this so heartbreaking.
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‘Are the bones of your sins sharp enough to cut through your own excuses?�