The Crow
The Crow is a supernatural superhero comic book series created by James O'Barr revolving around the titular character of the same name. The series, which was originally created by O'Barr as a means of dealing with the death of his fiancée at the hands of a drunk driver,[1] was first published by Caliber Comics in 1989. It became an underground success and was later adapted into a film of the same name in 1994. Three film sequels, a television series, and numerous books and comic books (published by numerous companies) have also been subsequently produced.
This article is about the comic book series. For the film, see The Crow (1994 film). For other uses, see Crow (disambiguation).The Crow
Caliber Presents #1 (Jan. 1989)
Eric
- Enhanced strength, speed, and agility
- Cat-like reflexes
- Heightened senses
- Resistance to injury or pain
- Invulnerability
- Skilled marksmanship
Caliber Press (1989–1990)
Kitchen Sink Press (1996–1998)
Image Comics (1999)
IDW Publishing (2012–)
Caliber Press (1989–1990)
Kitchen Sink Press (1996–1998)
Image Comics (1999)
IDW Publishing (2012–)
Feb. 1989 – Nov. 1999
45+
Eric
Shelly
James O'Barr, John Wagner, James Vance, Jerry Prosser, Christopher Golden, Everette Hartsoe, Jon J Muth, John Shirley, Frank Bill
James O'Barr, Alexander Maleev, Charlie Adlard, Jamie Tolagson, Paul Lee, Kevin Colden, Antoine Dodé, Drew Moss
Andé Parks
The Crow has been translated into almost a dozen languages and has sold around 750,000 copies worldwide.[2]
Plot[edit]
The story revolves around an unfortunate young man named Eric. He and his fiancée, Shelly, are assaulted by a gang of street thugs after their car breaks down. Eric is shot in the head and is paralyzed, and can only watch as Shelly is savagely beaten, raped, and then shot in the head. They are then left for dead on the side of the road. Eric later dies in the hospital operating room while Shelly is dead on arrival.
He is resurrected by a crow and seeks vengeance on the murderers, methodically stalking and killing them. When not on the hunt, Eric stays in the house he shared with Shelly, spending most of his time there, lost in memories of her. Her absence is torture for him; he is in emotional pain, even engaging in self-mutilation by cutting himself.
The crow acts as both a guide and goad for Eric, giving him information that helps him in his quest but also chastising him for dwelling on Shelly's death, seeing his pining as useless self-indulgence that distracts him from his purpose.
In other media[edit]
Film[edit]
In 1994, a film based on the comic, titled The Crow, was released to theaters by Miramax Films. The film was both a critical and commercial success, earning $50,693,129[8] total gross during its theatrical release. A cult following, in part due to the accidental death of its star Brandon Lee on the film's set, has maintained the film's popularity, with a regular staple of movie memorabilia being found at retailers like Hot Topic. Three sequels have been made so far: The Crow: City of Angels (1996), starring Vincent Pérez (as The Crow), Mia Kirshner, Richard Brooks and Iggy Pop; The Crow: Salvation (2000), starring Eric Mabius (as The Crow), Kirsten Dunst and Fred Ward; and The Crow: Wicked Prayer (2005), starring Edward Furlong (as The Crow), David Boreanaz and Tara Reid.
In the late 1990s, a sequel/reboot to The Crow entitled The Crow: 2037 was in the works and would have been set in the future. It was written and scheduled to be directed by Rob Zombie, but was ultimately cancelled.[9][10][11][12]
A remake of the original film is in development, with Bill Skarsgård set to star as Draven, FKA Twigs as Draven's fiancée, Rupert Sanders directing, and Edward R. Pressman and Malcolm Gray co-producing, scheduled for release on August 23, 2024 by Lionsgate Films.[13][14][15][16][17][18][19]
Television[edit]
A television series, The Crow: Stairway to Heaven (1998), was based on the first film with Mark Dacascos replacing Lee in the role of Eric Draven.
Novels and a story collection[edit]
From 1996 to 2001, a number of novels based on the world and thematic concerns of The Crow were published, mostly by Harper. Authors of these novels included such notable names as Chet Williamson (City of Angels novelization and Clash By Night), David Bischoff (Quoth the Crow), Poppy Z. Brite (The Lazarus Heart), S. P. Somtow (Temple of Night), Norman Partridge (Wicked Prayer), and A. A. Attanasio (Hellbound).
In 1998, O'Barr and editor Ed Kramer asked an array of fiction writers, poets, and artists—including Gene Wolfe, Alan Dean Foster, Charles de Lint, Jack Dann, Jane Yolen, Henry Rollins and Iggy Pop—to interpret this Gothic fiction phenomenon. The Crow: Shattered Lives and Broken Dreams[20] was released by Random House on Halloween; and a year later, in a limited signed and numbered volume, by Donald M. Grant Publishing.
Video games[edit]
The Crow: City of Angels is a 1997 action video game for Sega Saturn, Sony PlayStation and Microsoft Windows. It is loosely based on the film of the same name. The player assumes the role of the hero of the film, Ashe Corven. It received negative reviews.[21][22] Ojom GmbH released a j2me game called simply The Crow.[23]
Music[edit]
There have been five albums of music related to The Crow and its attendant films: