The Gunslinger Born

I haven't read the Dark Tower since high school, and I dropped off after that million year hiatus between Wizard and Glass and Wolves of Calla, but I have a lot of fond memories of the series. I'd like to get back into it, but the universe is so vast now I'd probably just end up reading Stephen King for months on end. I won this graphic novel on Free Comic Book Day (It's a major award) and was very pleased. It's actually a prequel (which may or may not come from information in books 5-7) that tells the story of Roland and Susan, of the Man in Black, and of the initial ka-tet of Roland, Cuthbert, and Alain.

It definitely adds to the mythos well, although it's a little awkward to believe Roland is 14 during this time. He doesn't look 14 artists, and that's for the best considering the subject matter. The art style reminds me a lot of Preacher: a dark, western feel that holds nothing back when it comes to gore and horror. At times it was a little much for my taste, but the story makes up for it. The language felt like something of a homecoming, and I particularly enjoy the Wilfred Brimley quality to the dialect.

If you enjoy the Dark Tower, and especially if you've worked as hard as the Reading Guides suggest to fully explore this series, you shouldn't miss out on this companion.