Stephen King
Gunslinger Born (2007)
Author: Stephen King, Peter David, & Robin Furth
Genre: Graphic Novel (Dark Fantasy)
Plot Summary:
This adaptation of Stephen King's series The Dark Tower puts the life of the main character, Roland Deschains in chronological order. Taking from books one and four of the original series, this graphic novel starts with fourteen year old Roland undergoing his first test of manhood, fighting his teacher for the right to be a gunslinger. Surviving against all odds, Roland and his friends are sent out to Mejis, in part to get the boys away from the dangers in Gilead, but also to see where the Mejis townsfolk's loyalty lies. Rolanald's coming of age is played out against the backdrop of an epic struggle of good versus evil as the Good Man, Farson, who is perhaps the Devil himself, attempts to corrupt and destroy the world. But it is ordinary men who Roland and his friends have to fight in Mejis, and as they undertake their first mission as gunslingers, Roland also experiences his first love, with the beautiful Susan Delgado. SPOILER: Susan's aunt has sold Susan to the mayor of Mejis as a whore. Thus, being with Roland is breaking that contract and involves some potential repercussions. When Roland and his friends seek to trap the enemy's men and kill them, Susan is caught and thrown in jail. Her own aunt, under the influence of the evil witch of Coos, incites the town to burn Susan alive, which Roland sees through the powers of the wizard's crystal ball.
Geographical Setting: A fantasy western setting called Mid-World, in the cities of Gilead and Mejis
Time Period: Post Apocalyptic
Series: The Dark Tower: this is the first story arch involving 7 comic books.
Appeal Characteristics:
This is very clearly a tale of good versus evil. The Good Man, Farson, is depicted as being the Devil, or like the Devil, with Roland and the gunslingers as the forces of good. Yet, the characters are not so one dimensional, with the various character interactions lending depth to them. Roland's love for Susan is pitted against his loyalty to his friends, his need for honor, and his desire to fight against his enemies. In the end, he leaves his love alone--and thus allows her to die. The tone of the story is very dark, dealing with themes of good and evil, as well as many depictions of death. The dark and evocative art work contributes to the dark tone, with the drawings showing the terrible truth of the Good Man, scenes of violence, and bones in the setting. The colors are often dark. The storyline is very complex, leaving the main chararcters to delve into the situations of the enemies. As for the artwork of this graphic novel, it is in a fairly realistic style, all full color, with dark, but beautifully colored backgrounds. The setting for the novel is reminiscent of a western, but with many fantasy elements, from magic crystal balls and wizards to mentions of mutants--setting in a world that has moved on from this one, almost rolling itself back to a past time.
Read-alikes: The Gunslinger by Stephen King. Roland is chasing the mysterious Man in Black across the desert in order to get one step closer to the Dark Tower. This is the first novel in the series on which Gunslinger Born is based. It features the same setting and characters, the same dark tone, and the same level complexity of the plot. Preacher Vol. 1: Gone to Texas by Garth Ennis. Ex-preacher Jesse has become disgusted with God, so he heads off to the wilds of Texas with his hitman girlfriend and his new best friend the vampire so he can find God and give him a piece of his mind. This book features a realistic style of artwork. While the setting is different, like King's story, there is a lot of influence from the Westerns movie genre. It features a violent gun culture, and fantasy elements. The Complete Clive Barker's Great and Secret Show by Chris Ryall. Jaff and Fletcher become mortal enemies, fighting for the sake of reality. This horror graphic novel has a dark tone, and features a theme of good versus evil. V for Vendetta by Alan Moore. Set in an imaginary version of 1997, England has been taken over by a fascist government, which the mysterious V is slowly taking down. This book has a dark tone and a complex twisting plot. It is also drawn in a realistic style. Absolute Sandman Volume 1 by Neil Gaiman. This series follows the adventures of Morpheus, the Lord of Dreams, as he tries to rebuild his kingdom. This book has a dark tone that is echoed in the artwork. It has a complex story line. It is also a dark fantasy.
Red Flags: Violence, sex, and magic.
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