The Man in Black Fled Across the Desert, and the Gunslinger Followed
I remember one Saturday afternoon, must have been almost 20 years ago, I was at our local church's annual carnival. There were rides and games, of course, and plenty of good food to go around. There was also a rummage sale, where locals were selling some of their used goods. I remember wandering away from my mother for a few moments, eying the merchandise. I looked through the bin of toys, naturally, and saw nothing worth spending 50 cents on. On my way towards the exit, I stumbled across the used books section of the store, and decided to look through the inventory. Not much caught my attention, your usual rummage sale fodder (used cook books, bibles, children's books, biographies, etc.). As I was about to return empty-handed to my mother's side, disappointed for not having a new "something" to immerse myself in, something caught my eye. It was a name more than anything. A name that I was slowly starting to become familiar with. Often feeling strange and outcast, I wasn't popular or good-looking, I had 2 things that I used to help me cope with my feelings of isolation and loneliness. TV and books. One strange night, both of those things collided in a little made for TV movie called "It". (Based on Stephen King's novel of the same name).
I looked down at the stack of books, and buried under a few other paperbacks was the name "King". I rescued the book from it's shallow grave, and finally got a good look at the cover and the title, "The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger". The cover itself was dark and foreboding, which I had come to understand as King's style. (Which is what drew me to his writings). Satisfied that I had found a diamond in a pile of coal, I made my purchase and went home happy for having found a new escape, a new world into which I could climb and be a hero (or a villain, depending on how I felt). A hero named Roland Deschain, Son of Steven, last of the Gunslingers.
Almost 20 years, and 7 books in The Dark Tower Series, later I find myself with the same feeling I had back at that rummage sale. After almost a year of anticipation, Marvel comics finally released the first issue of their Dark Tower 7-issue mini-series. For the first time ever, there was a midnight release for a comic book this past Wednesday. Unfortunately, there weren't many comic shops near to me that were participating in the event, so I had to wait until after I got out of work to hit up my local comic shop for my copy. I had no idea how high the demand for this title would be, but apparently the shop had been swamped that day with calls inquiring about it. And to top it all off, their shipment was delayed. So, I spent almost 2 hours just waiting around for their shipments to arrive. When they finally did, the shop owner handed me the first issue out of the box. (I felt special. I know, I'm lame!) It was strictly one copy per customer, which was fine by me as long as I had mine.
The world of the Dark Tower is immense. It is colorful. It is rich in history and back-story. It transcends time and space. It defies logic and relies on faith. There is no life. There is no death. There is Roland, and there is the Tower. There are many characters and many settings in this, Stephen King's master opus. But none more intricate or important than Roland and the Tower. If that is all you know about this tale, it is everything you need to know. Captain Ahab had his whale, Roland has his Tower. Plain and simple. Now, getting to the Tower is where to story lies. The adventures that unfold the characters that we meet, grow attached to, and then mourn when they die, those are all the things that make this series such as masterpiece. The Tower represents the nexus of time and existence. All things revolve around the Tower, and it, in turn, keeps all things turning. As such, Stephen King has, perhaps unconsciously, has allowed the world of the Tower to permeate throughout his other books. Even if you've never read any of the Dark Tower books, if you've ever read a Stephen King novel (Even "It"), then chances are you've at least dipped your toe in the pool of the Tower.
Now, with such a rich fountain of material to draw from, I was anxiously awaiting to find out what aspects of the story would be covered, and what, if any, new material would be revealed. The first issue opens just like the first book does, with a man dressed all in black fleeing across a desert, and a solitary figure (who we later learn is Roland, The Last Gunslinger) chasing after him. It contains elements of books one, The Gunslinger, and four, The Wizard and Glass (which is perhaps my favorite book in the series, seeing how it delves deeper into the Gunslinger's youth and his adventures with his friends, Alain and Cuthbert, both of which who make an appearance in this first issue of the comic book series).
The artwork in this series is visually stunning. The colorist, Richard Isanove, has a rich spectrum of colors, and he uses them well. I first became familiar with his work in the Wolverine: Origin series. Much like this Dark Tower series, the Origin series took place in an earlier time, and established the foundation of one of the greatest characters in comic book history. In that series we learned, along with Wolverine, what his real name was, where he grew up, who his parents were, and, most importantly, when he developed his powers (and the resulting aftermath!) His colors are warm and inviting, usually in the brown, yellow, and orange areas. And, somehow, that enhances the appeal and the allure of the story. In the case of the Dark Tower, these are characters that I've come to know and become familiar with in the course of almost 20 years, so I have a somewhat fixed image in my mind's eye of what they look like, and what their world would be like. Richard Isanove brings MY visions into full color. I couldn't be more pleased that he's involved with this project. After all, it is a GRAPHIC novel, which means that the virsuals are as equally important as the words. (If not more!)
Like I said before, Ahab has his whale, and Roland has his Tower. The Tower, despite it's absence in almost 98% of the story (It doesn't make an appearance until book 7), is very much a major character in this story. Without it, Roland has no drive, he has no purpose or direction. The Tower represents the center of all existence, including Roland's. And it's his Ka, or destiny, to save it. To what ends, you'll have to read the books to find out. Having finished reading the first issue of this new series, I felt comfortable jumping into the shoes of an old "friend". A companion that has seen so many strange and wonderful things. Who has suffered so many losses, physically and emotionally. His world is as familiar to me as my own, yet this is entirely new. It's fresh and it's breathtaking. I look forward to being able to bring you more updates on this series as additional issues are released. Suffice it to say, I highly recommend this to any Dark Tower fans and fans of comic book art in general. It's a good read, visually enthralling, and the beginning to one hell of a ride. Issue #2 in stores next month. Can't wait!
I remember one Saturday afternoon, must have been almost 20 years ago, I was at our local church's annual carnival. There were rides and games, of course, and plenty of good food to go around. There was also a rummage sale, where locals were selling some of their used goods. I remember wandering away from my mother for a few moments, eying the merchandise. I looked through the bin of toys, naturally, and saw nothing worth spending 50 cents on. On my way towards the exit, I stumbled across the used books section of the store, and decided to look through the inventory. Not much caught my attention, your usual rummage sale fodder (used cook books, bibles, children's books, biographies, etc.). As I was about to return empty-handed to my mother's side, disappointed for not having a new "something" to immerse myself in, something caught my eye. It was a name more than anything. A name that I was slowly starting to become familiar with. Often feeling strange and outcast, I wasn't popular or good-looking, I had 2 things that I used to help me cope with my feelings of isolation and loneliness. TV and books. One strange night, both of those things collided in a little made for TV movie called "It". (Based on Stephen King's novel of the same name).
I looked down at the stack of books, and buried under a few other paperbacks was the name "King". I rescued the book from it's shallow grave, and finally got a good look at the cover and the title, "The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger". The cover itself was dark and foreboding, which I had come to understand as King's style. (Which is what drew me to his writings). Satisfied that I had found a diamond in a pile of coal, I made my purchase and went home happy for having found a new escape, a new world into which I could climb and be a hero (or a villain, depending on how I felt). A hero named Roland Deschain, Son of Steven, last of the Gunslingers.
Almost 20 years, and 7 books in The Dark Tower Series, later I find myself with the same feeling I had back at that rummage sale. After almost a year of anticipation, Marvel comics finally released the first issue of their Dark Tower 7-issue mini-series. For the first time ever, there was a midnight release for a comic book this past Wednesday. Unfortunately, there weren't many comic shops near to me that were participating in the event, so I had to wait until after I got out of work to hit up my local comic shop for my copy. I had no idea how high the demand for this title would be, but apparently the shop had been swamped that day with calls inquiring about it. And to top it all off, their shipment was delayed. So, I spent almost 2 hours just waiting around for their shipments to arrive. When they finally did, the shop owner handed me the first issue out of the box. (I felt special. I know, I'm lame!) It was strictly one copy per customer, which was fine by me as long as I had mine.
The world of the Dark Tower is immense. It is colorful. It is rich in history and back-story. It transcends time and space. It defies logic and relies on faith. There is no life. There is no death. There is Roland, and there is the Tower. There are many characters and many settings in this, Stephen King's master opus. But none more intricate or important than Roland and the Tower. If that is all you know about this tale, it is everything you need to know. Captain Ahab had his whale, Roland has his Tower. Plain and simple. Now, getting to the Tower is where to story lies. The adventures that unfold the characters that we meet, grow attached to, and then mourn when they die, those are all the things that make this series such as masterpiece. The Tower represents the nexus of time and existence. All things revolve around the Tower, and it, in turn, keeps all things turning. As such, Stephen King has, perhaps unconsciously, has allowed the world of the Tower to permeate throughout his other books. Even if you've never read any of the Dark Tower books, if you've ever read a Stephen King novel (Even "It"), then chances are you've at least dipped your toe in the pool of the Tower.
Now, with such a rich fountain of material to draw from, I was anxiously awaiting to find out what aspects of the story would be covered, and what, if any, new material would be revealed. The first issue opens just like the first book does, with a man dressed all in black fleeing across a desert, and a solitary figure (who we later learn is Roland, The Last Gunslinger) chasing after him. It contains elements of books one, The Gunslinger, and four, The Wizard and Glass (which is perhaps my favorite book in the series, seeing how it delves deeper into the Gunslinger's youth and his adventures with his friends, Alain and Cuthbert, both of which who make an appearance in this first issue of the comic book series).
The artwork in this series is visually stunning. The colorist, Richard Isanove, has a rich spectrum of colors, and he uses them well. I first became familiar with his work in the Wolverine: Origin series. Much like this Dark Tower series, the Origin series took place in an earlier time, and established the foundation of one of the greatest characters in comic book history. In that series we learned, along with Wolverine, what his real name was, where he grew up, who his parents were, and, most importantly, when he developed his powers (and the resulting aftermath!) His colors are warm and inviting, usually in the brown, yellow, and orange areas. And, somehow, that enhances the appeal and the allure of the story. In the case of the Dark Tower, these are characters that I've come to know and become familiar with in the course of almost 20 years, so I have a somewhat fixed image in my mind's eye of what they look like, and what their world would be like. Richard Isanove brings MY visions into full color. I couldn't be more pleased that he's involved with this project. After all, it is a GRAPHIC novel, which means that the virsuals are as equally important as the words. (If not more!)
Like I said before, Ahab has his whale, and Roland has his Tower. The Tower, despite it's absence in almost 98% of the story (It doesn't make an appearance until book 7), is very much a major character in this story. Without it, Roland has no drive, he has no purpose or direction. The Tower represents the center of all existence, including Roland's. And it's his Ka, or destiny, to save it. To what ends, you'll have to read the books to find out. Having finished reading the first issue of this new series, I felt comfortable jumping into the shoes of an old "friend". A companion that has seen so many strange and wonderful things. Who has suffered so many losses, physically and emotionally. His world is as familiar to me as my own, yet this is entirely new. It's fresh and it's breathtaking. I look forward to being able to bring you more updates on this series as additional issues are released. Suffice it to say, I highly recommend this to any Dark Tower fans and fans of comic book art in general. It's a good read, visually enthralling, and the beginning to one hell of a ride. Issue #2 in stores next month. Can't wait!
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