A Comic of Ice and Fire

[superboyprime]

Dynamite's adaptation of A Game of Thrones is finally coming out, with the first issue solicited for September. This has been in the works for a long time now, since even before the HBO series started. I mean, didn't they first announce the thing back in February or something?



You have to wonder how the fact that there's now already a TV adaptation is going to affect sales for this thing. Will sales be higher because the series is now more popular than ever, or will they be lower because the itch to see the book brought to life in a visual medium has already been scratched by HBO? I could see it going either way.

Also, they've announced Alex Ross as one of the regular cover artists, which makes me wonder what kind of blackmail they have that they can get him to do covers for pretty much every series they put out.

GEORGE R.R. MARTIN'S A GAME OF THRONES #1
Written by GEORGE R.R. MARTIN W/ DANIEL ABRAHAM
Art by TOMMY PATTERSON
Covers by ALEX ROSS, MIKE MILLER.
George R.R. Martin has been called "the American Tolkien" by Time Magazine, and now his landmark fantasy series is being adapted to a graphic format, starting with the first book of the series: A Game of Thrones. The premiere issue introduces readers to George's world, adapting the prologue and first three chapters of the novel, and bringing onto the graphic stage such iconic characters as Eddard and Catelyn Stark, Jon Snow, young Bran Stark, and Daenerys Targaryen. This novel has also been adapted as a major miniseries by HBO!
32 pages FC • $3.99 • Teen +

Comments

BY THE SEVEN, THIS SHALL BE MINE.

[proteus_lives]

I swear this on my honor and the honor of my house.

If I fail in this, I shall submit to the King's Justice or Take the Black.

Re: BY THE SEVEN, THIS SHALL BE MINE.

[ian_karkull]

A Lannister always pays his debt.

Re: BY THE SEVEN, THIS SHALL BE MINE.

[skull_bearer]

Valar Morgulis

[kamino_neko]

This has been in the works for a long time now,

So, a true adaptation of the source material, then. >_>

LOL, yes

[jazzypom]

I read the first four books in the series, and decided that until the rest is finished, I'm holding off. I really don't like WIPs. But the way this guy is going, he might just do a Robert Jordan. Oy.

[aaron_bourque]

Night gathers, and now my watch begins. It shall not end until death. I shall take no wife, hold no lands, father no children. I shall wear no crowns and win no glory. I shall live and die at my post. I am the sword in the darknes. I am the watcher on the walls. I am the fire that burns against the cold, the light that brings the dawn, the horn that wakes the sleepers, the shield that guards the realms of men. I pledge my life and honor to the Night's Watch, for this night, and all the night's to come.

I hadn't scrolled all the way down, just saw the headshot, and instantly recognized Jon Snow.

[proteus_lives]

Ditto.

I'm no craven oath-breaker, I recognize the Lord Commander.

[proteus_lives]

Also,

I love that oath.

It's good, green lantern good.

[cloud_wolf]

Well, I'm glad Miller isn't on the art. I'd bought the two ASOIAF Dunk and Egg TPBs before I'd heard about all his... not so friendly comments.
Besides, the actual artist draws a pitch perfect Jon. I like Kit Harington, but I'm very used to my old image of Jon.

[gehayi]

What did Mike Miller have to say about the Dunk and Egg stories?

And I'm with you. I love the artist's version of Jon Snow...AND all the direwolves on the cover.

[rordulum]

I've no idea what Miller comments you're talking about, but I loved his artwork on the Dunk and Egg adaptations. Especially the vivid life he brought to all the different houses, the colours and sigils worn by the various lords and knights.

He also produced that fantastic image of Robert and Rhaegar at the Trident.

And I really am not very keen on this version of Jon Snow. I never pictured him with hair that long. Ghost looks pretty good, though.

[salinea]

aww, why not. The comic adaptations for Hedge Knight and Sworn Sword were pretty good.

[blackruzsa]

This angers me ): Because I read the first two Song of Ice and Fire books when I was ten or eleven years old, and forgot about it over time. Now I feel like a kid-hipster who is embittered by my own lack of knowledge of the series. It inspired me a whole lot in my ideas for medieval-ish stories.

This bitterness makes me not want to read the comic, even if I'd like to.

[leoboiko]

And I’m unreasonably bothered that “A Song of Ice an Fire” is iambic, but “A Comic of Ice and Fire” isn’t (and neither is “A Wiki of Ice and Fire” or “A Podcast of Ice and Fire” or “A Mixtape of Ice and Fire” or “A Roleplay of Ice and Fire”).

[proteus_lives]

Did you check out the HBO series?

It's quite good.

[leoboiko]

So, are they making characters like Jon and Dænerys adults, as in the show, or adolescents, like in the books? I kind of understand why the show choose to age them, but I feel much of the characterization (like Jon’s emoness and Dany’s blind self-entitlement) makes more sense with the original ages. What’s more, the (for us) youngness of characters involved in serious matters is both historically realistic and packs a powerful narrative punch. (And I say this as an adult who is usually sick of teenagers everywhere in fiction, but ASoIaF is an exception.)

[rainspirit]

Personally, I'm kind of happy that Dany's a teenager in the TV series. Maybe it's historically inaccurate, but her chapters always skeeved me out majorly, and the last part of the book involving her has pretty much kept me away from reading the second and third books - just WAY off the charts on icky material for me. Maybe it would've been easier to stomach if she'd been older than fourteen. (Though this feels vaguely hypocritical.)

[arbre_rieur]

Daenerys never struck me as particularly more self-entitled than the other members of the nobility, adults included.

[cyberghostface]

I love ASOIAF (my favorite book series ever) but I don't think I'll be getting this. Marvel's The Stand adaptation showed the problems of decompressed storytelling when adapting long novels over a monthly basis. I gave up after the first arc.

I mean, if this is four chapters per issue, that makes what, 18 issues for the first book? And the first book moves at a fairly brisk pace, but month by month is going to be torture for the first half of the second one.

[arbre_rieur]

Yeah, that occurred to me too. On the other hand, I'm not sure there's any way around it while still keeping it a faithful adaption, i.e. not skipping huge parts.

Apparently, the person doing the adaptation has said he's aiming for around 24 issues for the first book.

[sianmink]

Longclaw looks a lot small. If it's a hand and a half warsword as it should be, thing should look somewhat big on a boy of Jon's frame.

[rordulum]

Longclaw should be much bigger. And it shouldn't be on his hip, either. Jon wears the sword in a scabbard strapped across his back, due to the size of it.

It should be almost four feet, from pommel to point.

[ian_karkull]

Not sure if want. With the TV series and reading the book and googling the billions of characters, my head is already full of many conflicting representations.
Still, I'll probably have a look.

[skull_bearer]

Hey guys it's Tyrion: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/gallery/view/26/107494/112.2

[kamino_neko]

Hmm. Would have expected something a little closer to the book description. (One hopes that the actual comic will be coloured and at least have his mismatched eyes.)