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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
treiceratops's review
3.0
Bits were very good, others I found myself skimming, so unfortunately a mish-mosh.
annalbellettierekuyper's review against another edition
5.0
I DO remember reading this before but after reading this, I don't remember this at all. Regardless, with the exception of the poems and a few stories, I actually liked a lot of these stories. Others have stated that they felt this was as bad as fanfiction but that's only because they compare it to either the original story or the original movie. The truth is, these stories have three themes to them. It's either about The Crow, Shattered Lives or Broken Dreams. Some of these stories have a crow in them for the sake of connection while other do have the carrion bird in them. It's probably how and why this collection of short stories is so full for having such an array of ideas. On The Crow alone, it'd be a much more shorter or at least limited collection. I believe that crowfan fiction can survive and evolve past those two, as long as it is written well. That being said, I really liked The Crow Theory,Spooky,The Blood Red Sea,Twice By Fire,Triad,The Real Thing,Variations On A Theme,Red As Jade,Lament For The Gunwitch,Procrastinator,Moving Toward The Light,China Doll and Wings Burnt Black, which like its a continuation of Eric's story, although its not by James O'Barr. The Real Thing isn't as complete but the components of a good story are there.
jdhacker's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Complicated
- Loveable characters? Complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
A more iconic collection of 90s angst and goth would be difficult to imagine. With contributors ranging from the creator of the Crow himself (James O'Barr, maybe you'll come back home to the mitt now that Texas can't keep the power on?) who is also editing, to obvious genre fans from the musical world like Henry Rollins and Iggy Pop (with music being such an important factor in the Crow's film success), to some of the biggest names in genre fiction at the time. The one glaring omission in terms of contributors I would have liked to see was Michael Moorcock, conspicuous not just by his absence, but by the fact that he is mentioned in the introduction and a multitude of the contributors have connections to him. It would have been interesting to see his take on Crow, given that in many ways the Crow's greatest weapon is fear and rage, some of the things the black sword personifies.
This collection had the feel of the best of the 'zines from this era...a mix of poetry, art, and short fiction raw and sometimes over-the-top in its descent into self-indulgent angst, depression, and rage. And I mean that in the best possible way. Thoroughly enjoyable. My only complaint is that it doesn't feel much like a Crow collection? There are some great Crow stories here: obviously O'Barr's 'Spooky, Codeine, and the Deadman', Nancy Collins' 'Variations on a Theme', Alan Dean Foster's 'Procrastinator', Rick Reed's 'Moving Towards the Light', Charles de Lint's 'China Doll', and John Shirley's 'Wings Burnt Black'. But they're in the minority. By and large, while there are some amazing pieces here like A.A. Attanasio's 'Hellbent', Rex Miller's 'Spike Team', Christopher Golden's 'Lament for the Gunwitch', S.P. Somtow's 'Red as Jade', Edward Bryant's 'Shuttlecock', and Chet Williamson's 'Blood-Red Sea' the majority of the fiction, poetry, and art isn't really Crow related other than fitting the general 'feel' of the era. Or as the kids might say these days, 'the vibe'. It contributes to the sense that this is a novel length 'zine of the time, with contributors far above what a zine generally would have been able to draw.
A good collection, just know going in that Crow material is limited.
This collection had the feel of the best of the 'zines from this era...a mix of poetry, art, and short fiction raw and sometimes over-the-top in its descent into self-indulgent angst, depression, and rage. And I mean that in the best possible way. Thoroughly enjoyable. My only complaint is that it doesn't feel much like a Crow collection? There are some great Crow stories here: obviously O'Barr's 'Spooky, Codeine, and the Deadman', Nancy Collins' 'Variations on a Theme', Alan Dean Foster's 'Procrastinator', Rick Reed's 'Moving Towards the Light', Charles de Lint's 'China Doll', and John Shirley's 'Wings Burnt Black'. But they're in the minority. By and large, while there are some amazing pieces here like A.A. Attanasio's 'Hellbent', Rex Miller's 'Spike Team', Christopher Golden's 'Lament for the Gunwitch', S.P. Somtow's 'Red as Jade', Edward Bryant's 'Shuttlecock', and Chet Williamson's 'Blood-Red Sea' the majority of the fiction, poetry, and art isn't really Crow related other than fitting the general 'feel' of the era. Or as the kids might say these days, 'the vibe'. It contributes to the sense that this is a novel length 'zine of the time, with contributors far above what a zine generally would have been able to draw.
A good collection, just know going in that Crow material is limited.
greyscarf's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 instead of 4. I came across this book as I was searching my library's catalog for stuff by Janny Wurts. This collection contains both stories & art inspired by the character the Crow. While the forward is loaded with plenty of philosophical assertions & mythological discussion, it doesn't really hint at the excellent variety of fiction within. There's some straight-up neo-noir, cyberpunk, historical fiction, fantasy & all manner of genres in-between. All of them are excellent or, at the very least, sound explorations on the themes of vengeance & violence. In fact, there are really only two stories that take place in line with the movie franchise; the rest borrow general elements to craft a unique tale.
Some of the stories that stood-out for me are as listed. Storm Constantine's Paragenesis crossed [b:Imago|60934|Imago (Xenogenesis, #3)|Octavia E. Butler|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1389478182s/60934.jpg|6589483] & [b:Snow Crash|830|Snow Crash|Neal Stephenson|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1424472532s/830.jpg|493634] to excellent effect. S.P. Somtow's Red as Jade is a sort-of Chinatown noir by way of Anne Rice, with a spectacular showdown in a Bangkok shopping mall that has to be read to be believed. Caitlin R. Kiernan's King of Birds is a dreamlike elegy to Ireland's numerous troubles, past & present. And finally, Christopher Golden's Lament For the Gunwitch is your typical Western revenge showdown transported into a fully mechanical transhumanist future. In short, many of these stories are genre mash-ups of the best kind: weird, relevant, & full of depth. Even Janny Wurts's Triad is a stylistic exercise that held this reader's rapt attention.
I can't fully give the 4 stars because the portfolio-style of art & text didn't totally work for me. The art is interesting & impressionistic, sure, but there was nothing that really stood out for me or added much to the text. I would probably feel differently if I had read the full-color limited edition, but with this edition I was more captivated by the stories.
Recommended for genre readers who are looking for something bleak but poignant as well as aficionados of the franchise.
Some of the stories that stood-out for me are as listed. Storm Constantine's Paragenesis crossed [b:Imago|60934|Imago (Xenogenesis, #3)|Octavia E. Butler|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1389478182s/60934.jpg|6589483] & [b:Snow Crash|830|Snow Crash|Neal Stephenson|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1424472532s/830.jpg|493634] to excellent effect. S.P. Somtow's Red as Jade is a sort-of Chinatown noir by way of Anne Rice, with a spectacular showdown in a Bangkok shopping mall that has to be read to be believed. Caitlin R. Kiernan's King of Birds is a dreamlike elegy to Ireland's numerous troubles, past & present. And finally, Christopher Golden's Lament For the Gunwitch is your typical Western revenge showdown transported into a fully mechanical transhumanist future. In short, many of these stories are genre mash-ups of the best kind: weird, relevant, & full of depth. Even Janny Wurts's Triad is a stylistic exercise that held this reader's rapt attention.
I can't fully give the 4 stars because the portfolio-style of art & text didn't totally work for me. The art is interesting & impressionistic, sure, but there was nothing that really stood out for me or added much to the text. I would probably feel differently if I had read the full-color limited edition, but with this edition I was more captivated by the stories.
Recommended for genre readers who are looking for something bleak but poignant as well as aficionados of the franchise.