The twelfth issue of Bloodborne is also the final episode in the A Song of Crows story arc, which has followed Eileen the Crow as she ventures through the districts of Yharnam looking for answers about who she is, where she is, and when she is. The arc has not been one to give out answers freely, testing readers to think and draw their own conclusions. If you hoped that would change for the final instalment, then you’ve got another thing coming, as A Song of Crows doesn’t conclude with any definitive answer.
That’s not to say there aren’t answers to be found here, just that they’re not wrapped up with a bow. This arc has been less about the situation in Yharnam and more about Eileen’s own journey through her memories as she tries to piece them together, but much like everything else in Yharnam, they have been corrupted. If you’ve been following the story, then you will know by now that those memories revolve around a boy who died in Eileen’s past. What led to his death and how Eileen has coped is the real mystery here, as the memory and the spectre of a hunter who look like the boy plague her existence.
Much like previous issues, you’re never sure whether Eileen is in the real world or lost in her memories, and this blurring of two realities adds to the mystery of her past and present. As we get to the end that divide seems to be a little clearer, though still broken and with her memories seeming too invade the real world. There’s not a lot dialogue in this finale with Eileen once again wondering when she is while walking through a snow-covered Yharnam, not once bothered by any monsters that would usually found stalking the streets of the cursed city.
The artwork remains as fantastic as ever, with this wintry Yharnam coming across as deserted while Eileen wanders through the streets and buildings. Snow can act like a sound dampener giving an atmosphere of complete quietness, and that kind of atmosphere seeps from the art found in Bloodborne #12. The city should be teeming with life, even if it is monstrous, and so this sets the stage for a final showdown between Eileen’s conflicting memories where nothing else can intrude. Ultimately this ending is satisfying in some ways, but a little frustrating in others.
Is there a happy ending? Can happy endings exist in Yharnam? There’s a kind of closure for Eileen, but it leaves a lot of questions unanswered. It’s a deliberate choice to keep some things hidden because Eileen herself is a mysterious character and taking away too much of that would mean losing a core part of the character. There’s a reason she wears a mask and it is to hide her identity and giving a sense of detachment from the world around her. A Song of Crows has been an interesting arc that has added a bit more lore to Bloodborne, but it’s just as strange as anything else you’d find in the series.
