The X-Files: Conspiracy: The Crow #1 – Review

After receiving a message from the future that forecasts doom, the Lone Gunmen are still on the road trying to find answers that might help them save humanity. And their next stop is Crow territory.

Here’s the official word from IDW:

Bernard is a decorated state policeman in love with his partner. But their romance is brutally cut short when both die following a high-speed pursuit and fiery car crash involving the Lone Gunmen. Bernard inexplicably awakens to find himself resurrected by an otherworldly crow and with only one thing on his mind: vengeance.

We’re deep enough into this multi-series mega arc that its safe to say some issues have read better than others. For my money, Ghostbusters felt the most inconsequential, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles felt the most buttoned-up. And the Crow? The best I can say is “Meh.” Although this might seem like a harsh indictment I can’t really blame writer Denton J. Tipton — there are some haunting moments here that easily capture the eeriness that Crow fans have come to love, most notably when the newest Crow arrives back at his old apartment only to realize that he’s dead. The problem, then, is not such much the writing then but the fact that this mega-arc required Tipton to squeeze in an origin story and a series conclusion all into one issue — while still pushing the Lone Gunman plot along. The result is a super cramped issue with more short-hand than storytelling.

The art, by Vic Malhotra, felt equally rushed. There’s not a lot of detail; both settings and characters feel pretty washed out.  That said, there are some strong signature shots for the eye to linger on — the attempted cremation is particularly delightful.

The X-Files: Conspiracy: The Crow doesn’t feel like a major contribution to this mega-arc. And might be worth missing.