The Crow Seeks Revenge On Terrorists In Memento Mori #1

James O’Barr’s iconic character returns in an original story developed by Edizioni BD in collaboration with IDW! Follow David, the new Crow, through the streets of Rome, as he seeks holy vengeance against the terrorists that murdered him and his girlfriend.

If you’ve read the original 1989 series by James O’Barr, seen the 1994 Brandon Lee film, or seen any of the sequel material, the basic premise for The Crow: Memento Mori isn’t exactly covering new ground. The formula is exactly what we’ve seen at least eighteen times before. In the various comics incarnations, films, and TV spin-offs, many people have taken on the Crow persona in order to avenge their own wrongful deaths.

In this story, a Catholic altar boy named David, his girlfriend Sarah, and dozens of others are killed in a terrorist attack in Rome. David doesn’t stay dead for long. He’s resurrected as the new Crow to enact vengeance on the terrorist cell that took his and his girlfriend’s lives.

Robert Reccioni uses this first of four chapters to set the tone for what promises to be a dark and dirty tour through David’s psyche as he cuts through the guilty parties while peeling off revenge scripture. The obvious part of the story actually gets wrapped pretty quickly. It’ll be interesting to see where Reccioni takes the story next.

The biggest pop for me was the art by Werther Dell’Edera, colored by Giovanna Niro. Dell’Edera’s scratchy linework and heavy shading fit the Gothic setting and occult theme beautifully. Niro’s blacks and blues splashed with red give an ominous, heavy weight to the book.

The Crow: Memento Mori #1 is a solid opener. It’s a little heavy on exposition and biblical quotes, but you really have to expect that (the exposition bit) in a first issue, especially for a four-issue mini. There’s a lot of ground to cover. The backup story by Matteo Scalera is also fantastic.

The Crow: Memento Mori #1, published by IDW, released on 28 March 2018. Written by Roberto Recchioni, art by Werther Dell’Edera, color by Giovanna Niro, letters by Giovanni Marinovich. Backup story “Buried Virtue,” story and art by Matteo Scalera, color by Moreno Dinisio, letters by Giovanni Marinovich. Covers by Werther Dell’Edera, Davide Furno, Matteo Scalera, and Drew Moss.