I have been away from reading comics for some time now (why read them when they make kick ass movies, right?) mostly because of the cost and my inability to keep up with getting each issue. All of this changed with the release of Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born. This comic is based on the epic seven part novel series, Dark Tower, penned by Stephen King over the last thirty or so years. The novels have their ups and downs as far as quality goes and there are a few parts where I would say it jumps the shark only to scrape its way back to some semblance of its former greatness. But, one aspect of the series that remains interesting throughout are the flashbacks to Roland’s, the main character, younger days as a gunslinger in training and this is where the comic takes off.

For those of you who are familiar the novels, The Gunslinger Born brings to life the events that take place during Wizard and Glass, which is actually the point where I think King decided to take a sharp left turn with the story’s continuity but, that being said, the events that take place during the Wizard and Glass help round out the main character considerably. And, it is this focus on the origins of the Roland that makes it such a great kick off point for the comic. Rather than expecting the reader to understand the world of the Dark Tower through the novels, the comic introduces us to the world in careful steps that make it accessible to new readers yet interesting to those of use more familiar with the setting. While the pacing for a new reader may be a little rushed in some parts and some detail from the novel is of course lost the overall emotion of the characters and darkness of the world they live in comes through in this beautifully illustrated piece. In addition, each issue has a more long form story in the back to give more insight into the setting of the Dark Tower mythos.

To give you a quick summary of the opening events, we meet Roland during the his studies as an apprentice gunslinger in a land where gunslingers are the enforcers of the law and lords of the land, not unlike the knights of old, and it is quickly made clear that a gunslinger, no matter how young, is not to be taken lightly. Within the first pages, Roland finds himself embroiled in a plot to overthrow his father, Steven, when he finds his mother in bed with his father’s top adviser, which leads Roland to take a rash action that will shape his days to come. I don’t want reveal too much and spoil the story but suffice to say I find this comic well read and brilliantly illustrated with a pacing that will keep the reader wanting more after each turn of the page.

I had to buy this issue by issue but lucky for the rest of you there is a graphic novel compilation piece available in hardback at the moment and I’m sure a trade paperback is soon to follow. One way or another, pick it up.