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Dark Tower Comic Series Confirmed 99

Posted by Zonk from the king-fans-squee-for-joy dept.
uberbastard writes "For all of you die-hard fans of Stephen King's epic Dark Tower series, it looks like we're in for an extension. Stephen King and Marvel comics will be teaming up along with renowned artist Jae Lee to create an original comic series based on The Dark Tower. From the article: 'The comics will work in conjunction with the novels, further supplementing and defining the saga's mythology under the direction of the acclaimed author himself.'"
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Dark Tower Comic Series Confirmed More

Dark Tower Comic Series Confirmed

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  • Any series of novels.. (Score:3, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 29, 2005 @01:32AM (#13903262)
    ... which the author feels compelled to conclude with a plea not to drive by his house and take out his mailbox with a baseball bat, is probably best left concluded.

  • Nice trend (Score:2, Interesting)

    by free space ( 13714 )
    Marvel has brought high profile writers from outside the comic genre before, like Scott Orson Card on Ultimate Iron Man
    I wonder how DC will respond, if they'll respond at all.
    • sorry..I meant Orson Scott Card, I can never remember his name right!
    • If you want to get technical, Marvel is reponding to DC with regards to hiring high profile writers like Stephen King. Check out the credits to Batman 400, from 1986.

      Alright, so it was just an intro.
    • well, seeing how DC made a name for itself about 20 years ago by hiring Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman and Grant Morrison, I think Marvel is still playing catch up to them in the writing department.
    • Both companies have been dipping into other talent pools lately. Don't forget DC recently used NYT bestselling mystery author Brad Meltzer to write the Identity Crisis miniseries. Both have featured stories by Kevin Smith, and Marvel has creators like Damon Lindelof, co-creator of Lost (Ultimate Wolverine v. Hulk) and mystery novelist Charlie Huston (Moon Knight) in the pipeline.
  • I hope that gets included in the storyline. I want to know what happened that led up to that final battle on jericho hill.
    • Same here.
      King at one time said part 5,6 or 7 would be a flashback like part 4 was.
      I was very dissapointed how it ended. The series started off so well and I even enjoyed part 5, but the last two were rushed. It was clear he lost interest.

      WTF was the crimson king? What happened to Roland's dad? What happened to the witch?

  • Awesome (Score:5, Interesting)

    by somethinghollow ( 530478 ) on Saturday October 29, 2005 @01:37AM (#13903281) Homepage Journal
    I loved the series. My only gripe was King slowly added more "stuff" to the universe that wasn't there in the first one (where the universe was introduced). So, it'll be nice to get the back story and more information on stuff that "appeared" 1/2 through the series. I guess I'll have to shell out the cash for this one.
    • My only gripe was King slowly added more "stuff" to the universe that wasn't there in the first one The world was moving on, and the Beams grew weaker all the time. Not even the past was for certain, considering time traveling doors and stuff, so adding new stuff is not unexplainable within the plot.

      • Re:Awesome (Score:5, Insightful)

        by somethinghollow ( 530478 ) on Saturday October 29, 2005 @03:51AM (#13903697) Homepage Journal
        I just mean in the "suspension of disbelief" kinda way. In the first book, we discover that physics of Mid-World is the same as our universe. We discover that magic exists in Mid-world. We discover that there are doors between universes when we meet Jake. We discover that there are mutants (which explains other bizarre animals in later books). We know time doesn't quite make sense any more. We learn alot.

        I can't think of any concrete examples at this time (it's been over a year since I re-read from the beginning -- and almost 10 years since I read Gunslinger -- and almost 6 months since I finished the last book), but I know I had some "WTF" moments where it seemed like things were just made up on-the-fly (and I don't think S.K. would disagree, since he claims to write books as-they-come, not with a pre-planned plot).

        I'm not arguing about it's ability to exist in that universe, just that it's nice if it's introduced from the get go instead of 1/2 way through the story. But seeing that the story was written over decades, unplanned, I can't expect anything more.

        Don't get me wrong. It's my favorite series of books (and as a whole, my favorite story), beating out The Vampire Chronicles by a good margin.

        • Re:Awesome (Score:3, Interesting)

          by JeremyALogan ( 622913 )
          I'll whole-heartedly agree that it feels like he's just making stuff up at some points. When you're reading alsong and everything's going well them BAM you're in The Wizard of Oz it'a bit unsetteling. I feel like he had a good enough epic tale to tell without gettin into modern-day mythos. I understand that he wrote what felt right at the time, but I feel like some of it wa cheapened by harking on topics we all know. My argumnets being said... I'm looking forward to a comic and, hopefully, a 10+ hour movi
        • Don't get me wrong. It's my favorite series of books (and as a whole, my favorite story), beating out The Vampire Chronicles by a good margin.

          After finishing wolves of the calla I would have agree about it being my favorite series of book. Part 6 really killed it for me though. It was a huge boring book that did very little for the massive plot.
          I like part 7 somewhat, good action and it kept me interested, but how can anyone not feel a little cheated with the ending?

          Dark tower series is probably my seco
          • By the time the ending rolled around I was prepared for just about anything. Considering the author (not to mention the copious foreshadowing) I saw no reason why the ending couldn't be absolutely pitch black.

            So I don't feel cheated at all. I actually thought the ending was very fitting to the rambling and informal way that much of the story was written. It's the sort of ending you might expect from one of the original, un-sanitized "fairy tales".
        • You might want to read the revised and expanded version of The Gunslinger (new as in less than 10 years old, I'm sure). I've only just got into the series but I suspect King has made an effort to bring more consistency between book and the others in the series given what he says in the lengthy foreword.
          • He does, but I don't know how I feel about such retconning. I'd prefer the later books fit the earlier books, rather than creatively remixing the earlier books to make certain ISSUES OF IMPORTANCE (19, Walter=Flagg) fit the new continuity.
        • Also worth noting is that the first book was rewritten to better fit the later books
    • well, Adding more 'stuff' to the universe is part of the creation process... Even more in this series where we go from the most open and uncertain beginning into a story full of loops and intricacies. If King hadn't added any more "stuff" after he introduced us to Roland's world, The whole 7 tome work would have been reduced to : "The man in black fled across the desert and the gunslinger followed" (It's my modest opinion)

      • Retro-editing (Score:3, Informative)

        by lastberserker ( 465707 )
        Adding more 'stuff' to the universe is part of the creation process...

        Have you read the last revision of the first book? It got a freaking taheen brute-forced into it completely out of the story line! It does [maybe] help holding the series together, still IMHO it just sticks out as a sore thumb :-(

        • I wanted to read it (something about some certain number and death that I know nothing about), but apparently the copy I ended up with when I re-read it was an older one. Sounds bad :\. It is better when it flows well. I'll try to pick it up one day.
      • True enough, and part of the writer's craft is to introduce that new stuff in such a way as to make it seem like it was there all the time. The reaction you want is "Oh of course!" not "WTF!" Too many WTF moments among too many readers and you're probably not doing it right.

        Personally, I didn't didn't have a problem with the evolution of the Roland's world. The first one seemed to mix elements of gunslingers, high fantasy and post-apocalypse. I had more trouble with the fact that the narrative kept retur

  • Huh (Score:4, Funny)

    by coljrigg ( 810394 ) on Saturday October 29, 2005 @01:44AM (#13903312)
    Anyone else wonder at first, 'Isn't Dork Tower already a comic?'

  • Expand on Roland's youth (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Phoenixhunter ( 588958 ) on Saturday October 29, 2005 @01:56AM (#13903343)
    Sounds similar to what George RR Martin did with adapting one of his short stories "The Hedge Knight" into a six-part comic. Roland has quite a few years unaccounted for, and touched upon in at least one of Stephen King's short stories that I'm aware of.

    For the most part I hope that Stephen King is doing this by his own volition, a desire to expand his genre to the more visual aspects.

    • For the most part I hope that Stephen King is doing this by his own volition, a desire to expand his genre to the more visual aspects.

      That or he's feeling guilt for having his fans read 7 long books without resolving some basic plot lines.
      In the preface on one of the early books (3 or 4.. can't remember) he said he would dedicate more time to Roland's youth.
      I'd love to see a comic dealing with the fall of Gilead.
  • I have been following Roland around for the last 15 years and enjoyed every book. As a kid I was a huge comic book fan but as most I grew out of it. Now it looks like I will return. Good news indeed. Heil Gunslinger.
    • I agree wholeheartedly! I've wondered for years how they might make a movie or series of movies based on these books. I never once thought about a graphic novel series. It is a much better fit than just about any other visual media. I've always suspected King also wanted another crack at editing and expanding the saga of Roland. Now he has the chance.
  • The book King wrote, "Dragon's Eye", reveals a great deal about Flagg, for those interested. It's an old book, fairly difficult to find.
    • Eyes of the Dragon, you must mean.
    • That's "Eyes of the Dragon"... my mistake. :)
    • Eyes of the Dragon isn't a bad book. Thoroughly enjoyed it. I found The Stand to be the closest tie-in to The Dark Tower, though. There are chapters in the Dark Tower series devoted to Roland and his Ka-Tet walking through the world in which The Stand takes place. I might be mistaken, but isn't Flagg sorta the main evil baddie in The Stand as well?
    • Needful Things. Also touches upon the Tower series, I think...

      "The Eyes of the Dragon" speaks about some more previous incarnations of Flagg, or the Dark One, or the Walkin Dude (The Stand). When will we see something more on him? Let's see - who's the real protagonist here?

      I haven't read more than an excerpt from the Tower series, unfortunately. WILL take it up seriously now.

      -clueless
      • iNSOMNIA is a direct tie-in to DT series.
        It had a boy who was to go on from that story to, what I was lead to believe, have a more pivitol role in DT world.

        As is part of Hearts in aTLANTIS.
        Brautigan in the first part of the book was cast as a central character as well.

        "The Eyes of the Dragon" land of Delain(I believe?) was presented as the birthplace of Walter/Flagg/ManInBlack in the DT series.

    • In the hardback editions of the later novels in the Dark Tower series King wrote an introduction explaining that (and I am paraphrasing) he has always wanted to write the series and that all his other books are shadows of this series, that is to say that he always kept drifting back to the world of the Dark Tower series. My favorite dark tower reference is in the Talisman's sequel Black House (co-written with Peter Straub) in which the helpful character some may say deus ex machina Parkus helps Jack break d

    • Re:For even more post apocalyptic surrealism... (Score:4, Informative)

      by dioxide ( 149116 ) on Saturday October 29, 2005 @05:45AM (#13903921)
      The book King wrote, "Dragon's Eye", reveals a great deal about Flagg, for those interested. It's an old book, fairly difficult to find.


      Check out the roadmap. It shows that many of his books are linked to the Dark Tower, and how. Don't scroll down past the map unless you're prepared for a spoiler or two though, especially if you have not finished the dt series at least. http://www.thedarktower.net/connections/roadmap/ [thedarktower.net]
      tommy
    • Someone has already mentioned Needful Things. Flagg's character shows up in a lot of books, often as Randall, or the Walkin' Dude. The Stand also involves Flagg. I can't think of any more off the top of my head, but he has a presence.

  • Don't extend the end (Score:3, Interesting)

    by GroeFaZ ( 850443 ) on Saturday October 29, 2005 @03:14AM (#13903592)
    The end to the series, the final solution as to what lies behind the final door, was the probably the best I've ever read (only second to Asimov's The Last Question [wikipedia.org].
  • Many Dark Tower fans praise Wizard and Glass as the best of the series. And most fans will agree that there are many unanswered questions at the end of Dark Tower VII, so any exposition, even a comic book, is most welcome. I did not like the way Randall Flagg was handled at all. The "resolution" of his story clashed jarringly with everything that was known about Maerlyn, and about what kind of creature he was ("His name is Legion. He is the King of Nowhere.") There is a lot missing about the nature of

  • But...? (Score:5, Funny)

    by Altima(BoB) ( 602987 ) on Saturday October 29, 2005 @07:31AM (#13904120)
    But I heard here on Slashdot that Stephen King was dead...?
  • Why, he's one of the most King-appropriate comic book artists I can think of.

    http://images.google.com/images?q=jae+lee [google.com] -- Google Images has lots of his stuff.
  • People still make comics?

  • Huge Let-Down (Score:4, Informative)

    by fdiskne1 ( 219834 ) on Saturday October 29, 2005 @05:10PM (#13906327)
    I started reading Stephen King books back when Carrie first came out. I really enjoyed most of them, but in recent years his quality has dropped. Most of my friends have been wondering why I continue reading his books because like they say, "His early books were good, but it's pretty much just crap any more." I have every book he published. I really enjoyed the first three books of the Dark Tower series. The ending to book three pissed me off because of the "cliff-hanger" ending. What made it worse is the way he started book four. Can anyone whose read it say that was an honest conclusion to the climax of the third book? I don't think so. The quality of the series continued to go downhill from there. I see a few people commenting on how they thought the ending and what was behind the final door was great. I can't disagree more. I thought that was the most amatuer ending of any of his books and that's saying quite a bit. Sad to say, but I've stopped purchasing SK books and the poor quality ones will be finding themselves in the closet as I find new books to replace them on my bookshelves.

    I'm left with The Stand (another one that was great until the end), It (ditto), Salem's Lot, Misery, Christine, The Dead Zone, The Shining, The Night Shift Collection, Firestarter, Pet Semetery and Carrie. I tried to stay a loyal fan and I made it much longer than others I know, but after all those years of the Dark Tower to end like that...I'm done.

  • One question (Score:2, Funny)

    by d_54321 ( 446966 )
    Diddi-chik?

    And as a follow up:
    Daddi-chum?

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