Comic Review: The Crow: Lethe #1

The Crow: Lethe #1

IDW Publishing

Writer: Tim Seeley

Art: Ilias Kyriazis

I’m going to be honest right from the start and say that I’ve never read any of the previous The Crow comic series. At first, I thought this made me unfit or unworthy of reviewing the first issue to this new iteration, since I don’t have so much background on the legend of The Crow. But then I discovered Tim Seeley was the writer and that he was very passionate about this project. I wanted to see what one of my favorite current writers had to put out on a popular character… And oh boy, does it look good!

The issue opens up with our undead protagonist of the time, Null Narcos, who is a performer with the Freak-Chic Sideshow since he is able to take violent and horrific damage without feeling any pain. During the performance, Null gets a flashback from what the reader can only assume was his life, before the crow came for him. The chapter then cuts to after the performance of the Circus, with all the performers gathering around a fire and having a few drinks. It is sad to see how comfortable Null has grown with his new life, struggling to discover his real name and yet, simultaneously, holding it back from himself.

As I’d hoped, Mr. Seeley’s writing is as good as ever. What I believe to be the author’s strongest suit is that he possesses an outstanding sense of pacing in a story, making situations escalate just as readers expect them to. He introduces the characters in a charming manner and then proceeds to introduce the elements of conflict (both internal and external to Narcos) only after the reader is captivated by the quirky set of artists that compose the Freak-Chic. All these elements make for a solid first issue to what should be an awesome Crow story.

Kyriazis’ artwork didn’t seem much to me at first, but once I started noticing how the artist opted for the peculiar panel disposition of some pages, and how those choices contributed to reflect the feel of the scene, I was mesmerized. Panels simulating slashes (when Null is performing, getting slashed) along with the flames in the background, all cut suddenly to a flashback it the confusion the protagonist feels is incredibly palpable. We get a similar scene in the antagonist introduction, but I’ll let the reader experience that first hand. Katrina Mae Hao’s coloring complements the line art amazingly! The usual shading and lighting are impressively precise, making a close-up to Null’s eye discreetly refract the flames. I liked how the artist managed to impose the moonlight on the circus camp, making the night feel comfortable despite all that ends up happening.

The Crow: Lethe is off to a great start! A solid introduction to the characters and to the protagonist’s mystery and counting with an obviously dedicated team of artists, this series should count for a wonderful addition to The Crow mythos.

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