Authors: Hans-Ake Lilja
Lilja’s final words about
The Gunslinger Born
1
As I said in the beginning of this review, I was totally blown away by the first issue. Yes, it is that good! So, if you’re one of those waiting for the collection with all seven issues, you have a lot more patience than I do, I can tell you that. I’m going to be like a hawk over each issue of this series, and not waste any time reading them. That is a promise!
****
The Gunslinger Born 2
Posted: March 1, 2007
Issue 2 of
The Gunslinger Born
takes off right where issue 1 ends. As you might remember, issue 1 ended with Roland being woken up his first day as a gunslinger by his angry father. From there, issue 2 gives us our first glimpse of Eldred Jonas, Roy Depape and Clay Reynolds, also known as The Big Coffin Hunters, and let me tell you, they look mean!
We also get to meet Rhea and the Crimson King. Rhea, the Crimson King and The Big Coffin Hunters are all breathtakingly done. I can’t help being blown away when I see what Jae and Richard have done with the illustrations. I thought I had gotten a little warning from issue 1 on just how good they are, but they just keep impressing me. After finishing issue 2 there isn’t anything that I don’t think those two can’t illustrate. Nothing at all.
Issue 2 covers the event where Susan, Roland’s true love, visits Rhea to get the examination that will determine if she is spiritually intact and fit to marry Mayor Thorin. It ends when Roland is about to find her.
As with issue 1 and all of the upcoming issues as well, the comic is done in a “widescreen” mode. That means the illustrations cover the entire page from left to right and there aren’t two frames beside each other at any time. This gives the comic a special look compared to more “cheap” comics, for lack of a better word to use. I think you understand what I mean though…right?
The history lesson in issue 2 is about Maerlyn’s Rainbow and the Prim—a very interesting story about Arthur Eld, the Tower and the Old People. It also tells us more about Roland and the Crimson King’s origin.
This one isn’t written like an excerpt from a story, but more like a section out of a history book, as requested in my review for issue 1. So, I’m very happy with this one. It’s a good story that is well-written by the very talented Robin Furth.
As an extra bonus we get a map over Barony of Mejis and some of the pages in issue 2 from Jae’s sketched versions. And what can you say? The man is very talented. I heard that the original plan was to release one regular issue and one with just the sketches. Even though I like the colored ones the best, it would have been very interesting to see such an issue.
We also get an open letter from King in the back of issue 2 in which he talks about turning
Firestarter
into a comic and about writing an original comic for Marvel. I’m not sure how serious he is about all this, but as usual, he’s full of ideas, and I wouldn’t be surprised if more stuff appears in a not-so-distant future…
Lilja’s final words about
The Gunslinger Born
2
Issue 1 was good, but this issue is even better. It looks great and is a pure joy to read. Everyone involved in this comic should feel proud. It’s everything we could have hoped for and then some.
****
The Gunslinger Born 3
Posted: April 3, 2007
I have just finished reading issue 3 of
Gunslinger Born
and I have to say that they have done it again. Once again the illustrations by Jae capture the characters perfectly. Once again Richard’s coloring hits the mark right on. Once again Peter’s text matches the illustrations and
The Dark Tower
feeling perfectly. And once again King’s story has been perfectly transformed from the book to the comic by Robin.
They have all stepped up and again delivered a superb issue of the comic. Issue 3 deals with Roland, Cuthbert and Alain’s first meeting with Mayor Thorin as well as their standoff with The Big Coffin Hunters. As usual, they are all very well-illustrated, but I feel a little extra for Reynolds; I really like the way Jae has drawn him. I don’t know why, but I like him a little more than the rest…
We also get a first look at Farson where he looks really evil and acts even worse. I can’t wait to see more of him. In issue 3 we really just get a short introduction, but I bet we’ll get to see a lot more of him.
The history lesson in issue 3 has the title
The Guns of Deschain
and deals with how Arthur Eld gets his guns and how he almost loses them fighting Saita, the giant snake. This one is written by Robin, and again she has done a wonderful job in catching that
Dark Tower
feeling in the story, even though it’s not about Roland. You can really tell she knows the story inside and out.
Besides this we also get to see Jae’s original drawings of the introduction of Farson. Jae later rejected them himself and redid them. We also get the first part of a transcript of the panel discussions at the Comic-Con in February, where the entire gang, including King, participated. It’s nice to see how all these people look.
Lilja’s final words about
The Gunslinger Born
3
I just have to say again that issue 3 looks incredibly good. It’s fresh and its color is extremely balanced. At first I didn’t think they could do it, but they prove again and again that they have the ability to surprise you with each issue. As much as you thought they had given you all they could when you closed issue 2, you’re surprised when you open this issue and see that this one is even better. If they keep it up, I don’t know where it’ll end. The sky is the limit.
****
The Gunslinger Born 4
Posted: April 25, 2007
Issue 4 of
The Gunslinger Born
is here. I have just finished it, and here is what I think:
As usual, it’s a very good issue—well-scripted, well-drawn, well-colored and well-lettered. It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that issue 4 continues where issue 3 ended. The entire series is one long issue divided into smaller issues. It will be very interesting to read it all as one story in the omnibus edition later this year.
So, in other words, we start off with Roland and Susan meeting again after they meet at Mayor Thorin’s house. There Roland was rather hard and judging of Susan, and now he gets the chance to apologize.
We also get to see when the boys ride out to Eyebolt Canyon and get a first look at the thinny there. We get to see Roy Depape backtrack the boys to find out who they are and why they are there.
And, we get to see more of Walter O’Dim, who is a very frightening being. He looks a little like the vampire Barlow from ’
Salem’s Lot
, but more evil. This time he’s plotting against the boys…
As usual, the coloring is excellent and the feeling is that Jae, Richard, Peter and Robin have done their best issue yet. Doing that for the fourth time is very impressive in my book.
The history lesson is called
The Laughing Mirror, Part 1
and is about how a man is divided into three boxes: a thoughtbox, a heartbox and a ki´box. It also tells the story of how Maerlyn came to be and how he is to blame for the fall of the guards of
The Dark Tower
.
And, as if this weren’t enough, we also get to see how a page is made all the way from the script to the finished page. I love stuff like this! We also get part two of the panel discussion from Comic-Con.
Lilja’s final words about
The Gunslinger Born
4
Issue 4 is like the first three issues—extremely pleasant to look at. Jae and Richard have done an extremely good job. The story plot keeps impressing me again and again. The translation from book to comic has turned out a lot better than I dared to hope for. In other words; make sure you get a copy of issue 4 the second it’s released.
****
The Gunslinger Born 5
Posted: June 5, 2007
With more than half of the story arc done, I can honestly say that
Gunslinger Born
is a success. I’m not speaking of numbers of sold issues (not sure what those are, but I think they are a success as well), but about fan appreciation. Most, if not all, comments that you hear on the Internet are positive, and in my book that is a success.
In issue 5 Roland and Susan’s relationship is fulfilled by their making love. Afterwards, we also get to see an ugly example of Rhea’s evilness. When Susan visits Rhea, she hypnotizes her, and because of that she now tries to cut her hair off. Roland saves the day, though, and keeps her from completing the act.
Their relationship is not without problems, though, and it’s not well-received by Roland’s ka-tet. Alain especially dislikes it and feels that Roland has lost sight of their mission. This tension between the ka-tet gets worse when The Big Coffin Hunters find out that the boys are all but innocent, that they are, in fact, gunslingers.
The issue ends with high tension in the ka-tet and Jonas finding Bert’s “Lookout” close to where Farson’s tanks are hidden. It doesn’t take him long to realize that the boys know about the tanks and that something has to be done about that…
We also get parts two and three of
The Laughing Mirror
(the titles are
The Seduction of Rhea
and
The Corruption of Jonas
), part three of the Stephen King panel and two pages from the issue in Jae’s uncolored pencils.
The Seduction of Rhea
tells the life story of Rhea and it’s a very interesting story that proves that she has been waiting for Roland for a long time. Very interesting.
The Corruption of Jonas
tells the story of Eldred Jonas and how he was given the chance to be a gunslinger, threw it away and swore revenge on every gunslinger he saw. These two tales are connected by the Laughing Mirror.
Lilja’s final words about
The Gunslinger Born
5
Well, what can I say that I haven’t already? I will admit that I really didn’t think the comic would keep me in its grasp for as long as it has. I had no doubt that it would be good, but that it would be this good? No way. I’m very glad I was wrong, though, and that Jae, Peter, Robin and Richard keep delivering what everyone has come to expect from them…and then some.
****
T
he Gunslinger Born 6
Posted: July 3, 2007
In issue 6 of
Gunslinger Born
we get closer to the end of the first story arc. Only one issue remains until we reach the horrifying ending everyone who’s read
Wizard and Glass
knows is coming.
In issue 6, Jonas is trying to frame Roland and his friends for the murder of Mayor Thorin. By doing so he also sets off a series of events that will have horrible results for Susan and the boys. The ka-tet is planning a nasty surprise for The God Man’s soldiers.
Things are starting to heat up for the big finale next month. Those of you who have read
Wizard and Glass
know most of what’s happening, but it’s still very interesting to see Jae’s interpretation of it.
The illustrations of Jonas, Roy Depape and Rhea are perfect. I love the way they look and it’s a perfect visualization of the characters from King’s books. They look very nasty, especially Roy Depape with his evil-headmaster look. Very good translation from the book to the comic by Jae.
Besides the story itself, we get the first part of the story of “Charyou Tree” in
The History of Charyou Tree
. “Charyou Tree” is a bonfire upon which people are sacrificed in return for a healthy crop. As the story is told the whole idea of “Charyou Tree” is started by Maerlyn and shows how evil he really is…
We are also told the story about the different guns a gunslinger can have in
A Gunslinger’s Gun
.