The Future is a Trilogy; The Past is a Series

The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born September 21, 2008

Based on the novels by Stephen King. Script by Peter David. Plotting and consultation by Robin Furth. Art by Jae Lee and Richard Isanove.

The first 4 pages start the story of the Gunslinger in the manner of the first novel in the Dark Tower series, The Gunslinger, introducing us to the two main characters of that novel, the Gunslinger and the Man in Black. But then it quickly jumps back in time to tell us the Gunslinger’s story in chronological order. This volume of the graphic novel, which includes issues 1 – 7 of the original magazines, tells the story of Roland Deschain and his first ka-tet, friends Alain Johns  and Cuthbert Allgood.

The events in this story were originally told in the fourth volume of the Dark Tower series, Wizard and Glass. In the novel, Roland tells the story of his past to his current ka-tet: Eddie, Susannah, Jake and Oy, as they continue on their journey to the Dark Tower. In this graphic novel, the story is told by an unseen narrator. I first read the novels in early 2006, so my memory is a little fuzzy, but it seems to me that the story line is true to the tale in the novel, and covers the majority of the main story points.

I thought it was an interesting choice to make to tell the story in chronological order. When I was reading the novels, a lot of the story revolved around the mystery of Roland, the Gunslinger, and the mysterious Man in Black. Learning who they were, a little at a time, was part of what made the series so interesting. I wanted to know Roland’s history, and how he had arrived where he was, just as the members of his ka-tet did. Telling his story right at the beginning risks removing the layers of mystery from him. We also understand right from the start a lot more about the mysterious and dangerous Marten Broadcloak, the man with many names. I wonder what difference it makes to a new reader to learn these things so early on. Does it detract from the over-all story? Does it lessen the drive to keep reading?

I think the artwork in this book is excellent. The scenes are dark and moody and dramatic, and Roland’s world looks a lot like I had imagined it when reading the novels. The gunslinger and his friends look as young and untested as they are, Susan Delgado looks as lovely as I imagined, and the Big Coffin Hunters look as dangerous and hardened as you’d expect. The colours are rich, and the faces are very expressive. The artist conveys a lot of emotion through the eyes of the characters.

The book ends with an open letter from Stephen King, who clearly likes comic books in general, and this one in particular. This is followed by a couple of maps, cover art from the original magazines and some additional artwork.

Overall I enjoyed reading this, even though I knew what was going to happen. The presentation and artwork brought to life a world that had previously only existed in my imagination. I am looking forward to the next volume, and to seeing how they treat the rest of the series.