Story

AWARDS:

2008 WCCA Nomination Finalist in OUTSTANDING DRAMATIC COMIC and OUTSTANDING BLACK AND WHITE ART

REVIEWS:

03-07-2008 Intelligence Cleaner Agency
11-27-2007 Webcomic Asylum
09-08-2007 The Webcomic Watchman
07-24-2007 Casual Notes
03-01-2007 Aarin's Blog
02-27-2006 Fleen

SUMMARY:

Genres: Western, Native American, Horror, Action, Supernatural, Drama, Historical, OEL Manga, Black and White, Shonnen (boy's manga).

Content: Violence, occassional strong language, nudity, references to subjects inappropriate for children. Recommended for mature audiences.

Crowfeathers is the coming of age story of the legendary 1880's Arizona Territory bounty hunter, Chase Corbeau. A jinku child (half human/half harukulkuun, or nature spirit), he has more than his fair share of challenges in life. Plagued by nightmares, spirits of all kinds, the unpredictability of his genetic inheritance, witches out to destroy him, and slightly more mundane hardships, he is forced into adulthood before his time. However, he is never completely alone on his journey, and finds himself in the company of good friends from both the human and spirit worlds.

In essesnce, this is an epic graphic novel similar to Full Metal Alchemist, Inuyasha, or Bleach. The themes revolve around human relationships (mainly male relationships), supernatural phenomena, dealing with life altering events, and American mythology.

There are several classes of beings that appear in the story, being:

Harulkojin: Includes Ascended or Living Humans, Angels, and Demons.

Harukulkun: Includes Nature Spirits, Living or Ascended Animals and Plants, and the natural world as a whole.

Jinku: The mixed race. Usually refers to the forbidden children of Living Humans and Nature Spirits.

The story begins in the present, where we find the main character, Chase Corbeau, has somehow been witched and must live as a common crow. He happens upon an old Native American man who turns out to be Thunderbird, Chase's father. Chase then proceeds to tell him his life story, and we are magically taken back to the year 1882, when Chase is a twelve year old boy.

CHAPTER REFERENCE GUIDE

Summaries provided by Ciarabelle

*SPOILER WARNING*

VOLUME 1

001 Through the Eyes of a Crow
A seemingly ordinary crow encounters an eccentric old man in the park on November 23rd. As they engage in an improbable conversation, the bird suddenly realises that the nightmares he suffers from are in fact memories of the time he wore a different form, had human allies, friends and enemies, and went by the name of Chase Corbeau.

002 The Importance of Brotherhood
Grandpa Joe brings Chase to his goddaughter’s house and introduces him to Chris and his cousins Mike and Daniel. As the power goes out, the boys are first frightened and then enthralled by the appearance of Chase’s human (if transparent) form, and he tells them of his adventures with his blood brothers Matt and David as they face the education system, racial prejudice and bullying at the hands of Ashley Lacey.

003 Your Battles Are My Battles
As Chases’s story continues and the animosity between the boys worsens, Matt and David move with their parents to California where their mother hopes they will be accepted. The tale grows more sinister as Chase is questioned more closely about his father by Grandpa Joe, leading him to talk of one terrible Christmas Eve that ended in fire and blood.

004 The Death of Innocence: Merry Deadmass
Billy West wreaks the vengeance he has waited twelve years for, but horror and rage drive Chase to turn upon his enemies even as he briefly changes into something other than human. The elation soon wears off as he is overwhelmed by what he has done and confronted by the evidence when he comes to, and is only too willing to take the easy way out...

005 Even Gods Make Mistakes
As Chase breaks off his narrative he is more than a little shocked to find that ‘Grandpa Joe’ is also not what he appears to be – he reveals that he is Chase’s father, Thunderbird, wearing the gift of a human body that kept him alive after his wounds in a spirit war. He persuades his angry son to continue his story after offering various apologies and his own regrets, and so Chase returns to the past to speak of his encounter with the ghostly but friendly Timmy, the rather less friendly Angel of Death, and a coyote that looks disturbingly like his friend Matt.

006 Lost and Found
After his encounter with his friend’s spirit guide, Chase quite understandably passes out from cold and shock. Early Christmas Morning, as the cleanup of the gutted hotel begins, he is discovered by the rather ambiguous Dr Prescott and delivered into the care of the siblings Jimmy and Emily Tate, Sheriff and school marm respectively. But while they gladly him welcome into their home, Jimmy is unnerved by the message Chase delivers from someone beyond the grave, to say nothing of learning exactly who shot THE Billy West.

007 I Hate Cats, but They Like Me
Jimmy is unimpressed by Chase’s willingness to give up, reminded of his own bout of despair and violence when he lost his family. Chase can only be roused out of his apathy when he learns that one of Billy’s thugs has apparently survived, and makes up his mind to hunt him down…once he can keep his food down. Rather unfortunately for Chase, the missing thug comes looking for him first, and seems quite determined to play a sadistic game of cat and bird.

008 Self-Sacrifice
Both Chase and Emily attempt to take the perverted Wort down, and both attempts fail miserably – he just won’t DIE. Instead his true form causes Emily to faint and Chase to flee in order to save her, more than slightly hampered by the injuries the cat has inflicted. Confronted by this monstrosity on the main street, Jimmy stands his ground while others flee and also tries to take it down - and also fails miserably, ending up unconscious and in great danger of losing his head .Chase transforms to save the day, but the day is far from saved.

009 Fangs and Feathers
Despite Chase’s transformation, the thing he has become is still no match for Wort. Enter the ‘good’ Dr Prescott, who in addition to strange abilities is also possessed of a rather fine pair of venomous fangs. He dispatches Wort with a quick bite and manages to bring Chase back to a human form, displaying his own secret nature as he swallows the cat’s body like the snake he truly is. As they carry Jimmy back to the house Prescott lectures Chase on the need to hide themselves from humans and nature spirits, leaving Chase with some rather troubling thoughts about his new identity as a jinku.

010 Denial
After the two clean up the mess caused by the battle Prescott uses his hypnotic powers to alter the memories of the Tates, and when they awake everything is seemingly back to normal. Through the banter and good natured ribbing between the siblings it is evident that Emily is attracted to Prescott, but despite his own secret love for the human woman the doctor is convinced such a relationship could never come to be. His annoyance at having to clean up further after Wort is not helped by the disobedience of his servant Neesha, a jinku who seems as happy to run on four legs as two.

VOLUME 2

011 My Wounds May Heal, but I Will Not Forget
The good humour in the Tate house is squashed almost at once as Emily unearths some of Timmy’s clothes for Chase, with Jimmy’s morose approval. Though she is shaken when she comes across spots of blood that escaped the cleanup and reminded of more than one dead person, she keeps her fears hidden and Chase is reassured and even comforted by her kindness towards him. When night comes and he is soothed from anguish at the loss of his family into sleep by Emily, his dreams are at first pleasant if confusing, but they soon turn to a nightmare from which he is unable to escape.

012 Fear
Chase’s screams bring the Tates running, one ready to comfort him and one determined to make sure that his grief does not destroy him or hold him back. After yet another argument between brother and sister Chase is tucked back into his bed and sung to sleep with a lullaby they remember from their childhood, as Coyote and his kindred sing to the moon. The night moves onwards, and as Jimmy sleeps his own dreams flow from happy memories of his son to a terrifying encounter he had as a boy with a gigantic bird of prey. He awakens in shock, the images he saw convincing him to write a letter to his apparently estranged mother even as he mourns his own lack of strength.

013 Love Versus Lust
Emily does not escape a troubled night either, as she is visited by a serpentine incubus wearing the rather familiar face of Dr Prescott. She surrenders to the sexual desire that is impossible in the waking world, but in time her dreams also turn sinister; her night time visitor scorns her idealistic hopes of admitting her love for Prescott and then bites her, causing her to awaken both moaning and mortified to find Jimmy listening in on her. As always she denies her hidden feelings for the sake of the brother that still needs her, refusing to abandon him just to suit her own desires. The real Prescott, meanwhile, is coughing up hairballs and generally feeling terrible, courtesy of his vindictive recent meal.

014 My Mother Who Art in Heaven
Time moves on to the thirtieth of December, and the funeral for Chase’s mother and great-grandfather is commencing. The sight of the wooden crosses outside the church causes Jimmy to recall their less than savoury use during Billy West’s tyrannical days as sheriff, and his own efforts to defend the justly outraged Marie Corbeau from losing her baby and her own life at West’s hands. Back in the present various people, including the priest and even a poorly Dr Prescott, reassure Chase before the funeral begins, but an encounter with Mr. Sprague the town lawyer leaves the boy suspicious.

015 Respect
Waiting for the service to commence, Chase manages to overhear townspeople whispering scornfully about his mother, but the Tates calm him and Emily reminds him that everyone, eventually, will answer for their sins. The funeral begins as all sing Ave Maria; as it continues many friends of Jacques Corbeau come to speak in memory of him. Chase is initially saddened as no one appears to wish to make a speech for his mother, but as Emma Brahms the choir mistress tells the people how Marie was the first person to treat her kindly, and encouraged her to join the choir and eventually lead it, he is moved to happy tears.

016 The West Shall Rise Again, With a Vengeance
The funeral party attends the internment of the coffins, as Jimmy quietly bids farewell to Marie. Mr. Sprague asks Prescott about how to deal with the Corbeau estate – and what to do with Chase. As all of the spectators save Jimmy depart, Chase makes his peace with the dead as best he can, but then is then horrified to see the appearance of the spectres of Billy West and his gang, looking both burnt and murderous. Unable to see the ghosts, Jimmy is quickly dispatched in a rather painful manner, and it seems that Chase will be next.

017 Timothy
018 Dog Fight
019 King of the Mountain
020 Tarnished Badge

VOLUME 3

021 Walking in Another Man's Boots
022 Snake Dance
023 A Hero Is Only as Good as His Steed
024 Her Mystic Eyes
025 Angel M.I.A.
026 The Man Who Wished for Death, but Was Refused

027 An Unusual Alliance
Arkainus and Galen agree to work together to salvage the situation, learning far more about each other in the process than they would have liked. Together they return our heroes to the Tate’s house, disguise Neesha and remove any memories too traumatic for the humans, but Emily later confesses to Chase that she still remembers everything and fears for her sanity. Wishing to comfort the woman he has come to trust and care for deeply, Chase makes the decision to defy Prescott’s orders concerning secrecy.

028 L'Amour

029 Ayahuasca