Sharpen your blades, because winter is coming.
Creative StafF:
Writer: George R.R. Martin, Daniel Abraham
Artist: Tommy Patterson
Colorist: Ivan Nunes
What They Say:
Death comes to Winterfell in the fourth installment of Daniel Abraham’s thrilling adaptation of George R. R. Martin’s fantasy masterwork A Game of Thrones. Bran Stark lies broken, in a coma from which he may never awaken. Yet his would-be killers dare not leave his death to chance. And now is the time to strike. Bran’s father, Eddard Stark, has left for King’s Landing to serve as the Hand of the King. Bran’s bastard brother, Jon Snow, rides north to join the brotherhood of the Night’s Watch. Robb, his trueborn brother, has all of Winterfell in his charge. And his mother, Catelyn, is worn out with grieving. Who can protect the young lord?
The Review:
As a current Game of Thrones fan who has read all five books and kept up with the series on HBO, I was eager to see what a graphic novel version would bring to the tale. I was also rather leery, as the story has so much detail and so many characters that I could easily see it becoming overwhelming in this format. I was thrilled to jump into issue 4 and be completely blown away.
Let’s start with the art. The drawings are exquisitely detailed, with even the jewelry and individual pieces of fur on the wolves and clothing lovingly drawn. The coloring is lush, perfect for this medieval style land. The appearance of the characters matches up with my vision of them, especially spunky Arya, moody Jon Snow, and Theon Greyjoy. My favorite panel by far, however, is a drawing of Tyrion Lannister talking about dragons with Jon by firelight. The flame itself is crafted into the image of a dragon. Simply gorgeous.
The power of this adaptation is not just in the drawing, however. With a storyline this complex, a graphic novel can often get bogged down in too much explaining and not enough showing. (I just struggled through a Hobbit graphic novel that did exactly that). This issue, though, struck an excellent balance. Granted, I already know the story. I know what was supposed to happen so it all fell together nicely for me. I believe, though, that even those who don’t know the characters or plot would also be able to keep track of the characters and events with the pacing of this comic. Scene switching occurred with a brief caption that helped me situate myself into the new setting. There was even one time when the explanation involved a single panel that showed Daenerys in another land. The altered color scheme made it clear that this panel wasn’t directly involved in the action.
Issue four covered enough of the story to showcase the action and the amazing characters without trying to fit in too much. Heading back to issue 1 and getting caught up is absolutely on my to do list now.
In Summary:
As a fan of both the novels and the HBO series, I can confidently say that this comic is a beautiful adaptation of the story so far. The characters are dead on, the images and dialogue carry the meat of the tale well, and the captions give just enough extra to keep the story moving without bogging you down in too many nit-picky details.
If you are new to the tale, jump back and pick it up at issue #1. The Dynamite website also notes that the first volume hardcover will be out in March, which will include the first six issues. With all the buzz about The Game of Thrones going on right now, you owe it to yourself to check out the tale. This adaptation is a wonderful way to get into the game. After all, “winter is coming”. You need to be ready.
Grade: A
Readers Rating: [ratings]
