The Crow: Shattered Lives & Broken Dreams

I really loved this book and I think they should have movies on some of the stories. I would recommend this to fellow Crow fans and Dark Fantasty. :)

A book comemorating death? Would one buy something as such and still be rendered a person of sanity? The answer is yes on both accounts. The book The Crow: Shattered Lives and Broken Dreams is just that. Edited by the creator, the book takes you on numerous adventures scribed by different writers on the mythos of the crow. Most of the stories deal with the same contextual theme of wrongful death, sadness and a way of making things better where things have gone wrong. The book succeeds in a number of aspects and truly brings out the vengeful spirit that is the Crow. Though the character was created in the early 80s, it has grown to fame by the release of two successful movies, one in which was immortalized by the late Brandon Lee. One might ask what is the difference between The Crow and the Marvel comic character, the Ghost Rider, which also serves as a vengeful spirit. While the latter seeks vengeance for things gone wrong, the former has the special attribute that it can be anyone or even anything that can pick the mantle of the Crow. Anyone can become his or her own special spirit of retribution.Most of the stories and poetry are well-written though some are just too far fetched to be taken seriously, a number of stories delve more into fantasy than your regular fiction. A number of stories, however, capture your mind and heart from the instance you read them. Stories that traverse the here and now. On how things should have been, but aren't. James O'Barr's piece, "Spooky, Codeine and the Dead Man" is a perfect example of such. Another story would be "Moving Toward the Light" by Rick R. Reed, a though-provoking piece about pain and hurt. The story is extremely graphical and can truly touch the reader and make him witness first hand the descriptive pungent exploitation the character experiences. The story makes you think and wonder, can this truly happen in a world of today, and the answer to that painful question is an excruciating yes.The book is a must read for not only horror fans, but those who truly believe that there are outside forces controlling the paths each one of us takes, a power that can right where things have gone wrong, horribly wrong.

I wasn't at all dissapointed that all the stories did not directly deal with the crow- they were a wonderful collection of stories about pain, fear, loss, revenge and of course love. I am sorry to hear that "The Real Thing" was not in the paperback edition, I thought it was a great story. I also loved "Wings Burnt Black". Now that I think of it I love too many of the stories to mention them all... you won't be dissapointed if you buy this one.(for crow and horror fans only)

Anyone who has seen the movie will love this book. The stories are well told and organized with some wonderful artwork and poems inbetween. I found only one story that I wasn't happy with and another that I could not connect to the crow at all. The stories are not at all like the movie. Most are almost an interperation of the Crow and his spirit. Wonderfull artwork. Well worth the money for it. I was not disapointed and I don't think anyone else would be either.

This is one of the best new Crow books out right now. Besides that, it is also a great compilation of individual works for any genre. James O'Barr's new story is just as emotional as ever, and the poems, drawings, and stories from other writers such as rock n' roll icons like Henry Rollins and Iggy Pop (coincidence that they were both on Crow soundtracks?), and literary greats like A.A. Attanasio and Alan Dean Foster. If the TV series were more like this book, it wouldn't suck so bad. More books such as this should be made along with the new novels. This is a great read for anybody who wants to read about pain, retribution, and love. This is a great read for anybody period. Get this book!