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A circus sideshow freak recalls a haunted life in IDW's The Crow: Lethe #1
Building upon the expanded mythology of IDW Publishing's line of The Crow comics, writer Tim Seeley (Hack/Slash, Batman Eternal, Dark Red) and Greek artist Ilias Kyriazis (Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency) are soaring deep into the supernatural domain of the avenging angel first presented in creator James O'Barr's original The Crow release back in 1989 — and SYFY WIRE has an exclusive look at the premiere issue.
The Crow: Lethe is a three-issue miniseries arriving on March 4 and centers around the mysterious character of Null Narcos, a star performer in the Freak-Chic Circus Sideshow. This aberration of nature is able to endure intense physical violence and mutilation to his body without any hint of pain.
However, when his nightly shows are over and the crowds have cleared, Null's mind is a blank slate, with only distant and disturbing memories of who he was in another life. After his fellow circus performers start dying off under strange circumstances, Null is tormented by a golden-eyed stalker and begins to recall a previous existence of murder, mayhem, and flapping black wings.
"On the surface, Null is a sideshow act called The Man Who Feels No Pain," Seeley tells SYFY WIRE. "But what's kind of the unique thing about Null. He actually doesn't know who he is at all. In fact, when we begin the story, he doesn't know he's a Crow! And the central question we pose throughout the story is whether he's forgotten on purpose or not. If you were brought back to life, would you go out for revenge, knowing you'd go back to the grave ... or would you try to get as many days as you could?"
Seeley reflects on his attraction to The Crow and why its continuing evolution into comics keeps him intrigued as a writer.
"I think it's because The Crow, as created by James O'Barr, is pure comics," he explains. "Yes, there's a successful film franchise, and the first movie is great, but the real magic of that story comes from that initial independent comic. It's raw, and emotional, and beautiful, and I'm always chasing that dragon."
"Ilias really made this story for me," Seeley offers, regarding the book's intense artwork. "He's an amazing storyteller, and he uses some really incredible comics techniques to really gut the reader emotionally. To me, The Crow is also, inherently, a very sexy story ... it's about physicality and passion, and lots of abs, and Ilias nails that."
Immerse yourself with our exclusive look at IDW's The Crow: Lethe #1 in the gallery below and absorb the occult spirit of this latest entry in The Crow's rich and flourishing universe.
