© Stephen King.
Back in July of last year I reviewed the first four issues of the five that make up this hardcover. I thought I’d reread them in this form, allowing me to get caught up with the story and finish it (as much as it can be finished, there’s more to come.) To my disappointment, the text features by Robin Furth in the individual issues, which I enjoyed more than the main story to be honest, are not in this book, leaving only the main graphic story that plods along with agonizing slowness. Sure, the art is pretty, and there is finally a confrontation with the Crimson King in his nightmare world, but is it enough of a payoff for the story as a whole? Not really for me. Lots of murk and gloom, threats and violence, but a thin story. I can’t recommend this collection. Look for the individual issues instead, and enjoy the Robin Furth text pages, where you can really learn some new things about the world of the Gunslinger.
While it’s a considerable investment of time, I highly recommend the whole GUNSLINGER novel series by King. I tried to get into the comics versions and it just doesn’t do it justice.
~N
I guess I should have mentioned in the review that I have read all the novels and enjoyed them, though I found the ending a bit anti-climactic. One of the interesting things about the Robin Furth text pieces is that they add new information not in the novels.