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157. The End
Posted on June 3, 2022 by Admin

Well, 159 pages later--here we are! On a bus to the sea, leaving the forest behind...for now :)

Thank you all SO much for reading, commenting, and putting your time into thinking about this story over the past two years. I don't manage to reply to every comment, but I want you all to know I appreciate each one of you so very much.

I know this is a little too open-ended for some people's liking. But personally, I don't like a story that hands you the answer to EVERY question. I think it's always best if some things are left to your imagination. Still--if you're frustrated, here are a couple of things I hope will help:

  1. I didn't pull a LOST--nothing was in there just for the sake of being weird or creepy, without any meaning behind it. I *do* have an answer in mind for every question.
  2. The answers are there, sprinkled throughout the story. It might help to reread some bits--it has been spread out over 2 years, after all! I've seen comments that caught just about all of the clues, so I think you can definitely come to some sort of conclusion, even if it's slightly different than what I had in mind.

And lastly...I had to leave a few ends loose for Book 2, didn't I?! :)

The story is still taking shape, but I've got a ton of ideas for it & I'll be getting started on the script as soon as I can. Make sure you've signed up for my newsletter for updates! (Or you can join my Patreon--$1 a month gets you sneak previews, behind-the-scenes stuff, and updates on other projects like Crooked Mile and The Puzzling Fate of Millicent Graves!)

Thank you again for reading! I'm going to be staying away from comments due to anxiety, but my husband will pass them along, so if you have burning questions or thoughts, fire away--they'll get to me eventually and I'll try to reply :)

30 thoughts on “157. The End”

  1. KS

    The last page is very beautiful, and that’s a very good way to end the first book.

    I want to thank you again for Ninecrow. It’s very well thought-out and drawn/painted, and also thought-provoking. I’ve enjoyed reading it and speculating about what’s coming next (sometimes correctly, sometimes not), and also exchanging comments with you and with other readers.

    And now… it’s going to be hard to keep going without a new page or two every week! But I’ll look forward to the second book, to the continuation of Crooked Mile and to news of Millicent Graves (ominous surname; it reminds me of Dr Fillgrave in Anthony Trollope’s Barchester Chronicles). And in the meantime, I’ll make a CBZ of Ninecrow and read it again (and again, and again, …).

    1. Eddie Spaghetti

      😁👍

  2. Suzie

    Well done! Even ‘open ended’ it feels like a very natural and satisfying resolution: doesn’t feel cheaped out on, happy with the ending even if that’s all there ever is, but leaves enough that I will be excited if/when Book2 comes.

    Totally get the anxiety-hiding though, and hopefully your partner will be letting you know just how proud we all are of you, and how much your talent – both artistic and storytelling – is appreciated. Thank you for letting us share your creepy little world! <3

    1. Admin

      Thank you so much for the understanding comment, Suzie, and I’m so glad you feel the ending was still complete enough for now! That’s really nice to hear 🙂

  3. Sorina

    Well, this is strange. Mother made every effort to prevent Amanda from leaving with Cary… Instead, she allowed her to leave alone? And she is heading in the right direction?
    So, she is supposed to find out something, just not with Cary.

    Five crows in the final panel – who is sick?

    And what about Sara, suddenly pregnant, and now with a baby, in such a short time?

    Wherever they are… they are not in the living world.

    1. KS

      Judging from her own comments, I think Dora has deliberately left a number of issues open. Did Amanda write that note? Is bus really taking Amanda where she wants to go? Does Mom think that Amanda has been successfully processed? What happened to Mom’s hand and to Cary’s eyes? There’ll be a second book later.

      Dora posted recently that one of her inspirations for Ninecrow was the film “The Stepford Wives”. I won’t give away the plot, but that being so, Sara’s pregnancy wouldn’t be a problem.

  4. Laxson Laxter

    Didn’t she say two pages?

    1. Admin

      I ended up posting one long update with all the final pages at once–just seemed easier that way to make sure no one missed a page!

  5. Eddie Spaghetti

    So much to say, but sometimes less is more. LOVED the ending as it becomes the perfect lead into a MUCH desired sequel! Thank you, Ms. Dora, for two years of amazing and eerie story-lines, incredible panels and keeping me creeped out in the middle of the night! 😟 I’m excited to know that one day I’ll have a hardcover version and an actual Ninecrow panel for my wall !!! 😊

  6. BP Reader

    Oh my goodness! I first read this panel and was like “Whaat???” so then had to reread the entire thing! Also I think Amanda’s handwriting in her letters to her friend in the first ever panel and her letter to Cary are different…

    1. KS

      I compared the writing too, and I couldn’t decide whether it was faked handwriting or just normal variations.

      Plenty of material for the next book (any maybe several others).

      1. Admin

        Normal variations! I had the old writing in front of me and tried to match it, but my own handwriting is super inconsistent, so I have a hard time with that! XD

    2. Admin

      I tried to match the handwriting, haha! 🙂 Sorry, didn’t mean to leave a false lead there. When I clean up the art for the book, I might just trace the writing from her first letter to make it as close as possible!

  7. Mary

    I love the story so much, thank you for sharing it!

    1. Admin

      Thank you for the lovely comment! That’s so nice to hear 🙂 *hugs*

  8. Eddie Spaghetti

    I just checked Dora’s Etsy site and there are still some softcover and hardcover editions of Ninecrow (limited edition) available for anyone who missed out on the Kickstarter. I MUST have a copy of Ninecrow for my own bookshelf of favs! 😬 https://www.etsy.com/shop/InkyBeastStudio

  9. Tsath

    I am really REALLY looking forward to volume 2

  10. Nathan B Wagner

    Tons of fun to read! Came to the comic late, but enjoyed ever panel of it. Thanks for making and sharing!

  11. Julia Pearce

    When will we get book two. I’m very impatient.

    1. KS

      The books are due in October (softcover) and December (hardcover); it all depends on Dora’s other work. Details are on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/inkybeaststudio/ninecrow-a-graphic-novel-of-homegrown-horror/description

  12. Sarah

    I just read the entire book in one sitting. My heart is now beating a little wrong and I’m trying to decide if I’m brave enough to reread it just as fast, or if I need to put the entire website in a coffee can and bury in the crossroad! LOL

    Dead links on the Chapters page made it extra creepy. Good for ambiance, bad for readers.

    1. Admin

      Lol! Dead links can be creepy, can’t they?! Thanks so much for bringing that to my attention.

      And thank you for the wonderful comment! I was just having a moment of crisis earlier today thinking that it hadn’t turned out creepy at all, so I really needed to hear that 🙂

    2. KS

      Don’t forget the stake through the coffee can.

  13. Sarah

    Ms Dora,

    I have now read it all TWICE in one sitting. And scrutinized the comments. And I recommend to you Scott Sigler’s “Nocturnal” and Edgar Cantero’s “Meddling Kids.”

    That said … I have never gotten a Patreon account, but in the morning I’ll have to.

  14. Blue skys

    Oh wow. Just wow. I cant explain on how I love it, but ninecrow is just perfect.

  15. eddiespaghettiwithmeatballsallready

    I am LOVIN the new laptop wallpaper that was just distributed to KickStarter supporters! Thx Ms. Dora! 🎃💀👻

  16. cheeto

    I LOVED THIS STORY AND ART SM IT’S AMAZINGGGG(there are so many unanswered questions though 🤔)

  17. Wonderful

    I stayed away cause I wanted to read it in the kickstarter book. I got it today and Omg! I’m so happy I waited. The book was so well made and looks amazing, and I just finished. I’m itching for the next one. I have so many questions that im stoked to get answers for in the next book. 🖤🤍🖤🤍🖤

  18. Sheri B

    I can’t see anything because of the ads? I can’t get them to go away, they are overlaying the content! I loved this series, I think I was at chapter 10 or 11 and I was looking forward to the conclusion

    1. Admin

      Oh, I’m so sorry! I was experimenting with ads but I’m not very good at figuring out how they work, ha ha 🙂 I’ll take a look at it on my end and see if I can fix the display problems. Please feel free to turn on an ad blocker if they’re ruining the site for you — I’d much rather you’re able to read the story than have the hundredth of a penny the ads generate 🙂

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