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I read a review within the very walls of this site that stated that this novel deserved no more that 2 stars. The reasoning, it seems, is that all of the characters, other than "the crow", are card board and underdeveloped.

I respect people's opinion. And, if I were to judge this book against the greats of literature, or even the greats of Graphic novels, I might have to agree. The story is violently stupid, and stupidly violent. The characters for the most part are underdeveloped stereotypes. This certainly is not Shakespear. Or, Hawthorne. Or,(fill-in-the-blank).

But all art, in my opinion, must first be judged against itself. This story, told in graphic novel format, is not an attempt at classical literature. It is barely even a story. It is revenge. It is heart-ache. This story is a thesis on one man's descent into grief. It is a pictorial study of loss and the inability to see the good when so consumed by agony that one cannot fathom ever experiencing joy again. All of us have felt this reckless torment, where everyday the sun refused to shine, and most of us have clawed our way back to normalcy, replacing grief with acceptance and have moved on. We forget that pain. That pain is too woeful. This story is a reminder of that painful depth. It is a black mirror to our sunny dispositions.

In that, this story, presented in graphic novel format, accomplishes exactly what was intended. Graphic novels are not written to be cool. They are written to be honest, just like all other forms of art.

T.