Stephen King collaborated with Marvel comics in 2007 to bring his proclaimed “Magnum Opus”, The Dark Tower series, to the comic book platform. The adaptation, based mostly on material from the fourth book (Wizard and Glass), was very successful. It also enticed a new audience into reading the actual books themselves.
The series, written between 1982 and 2004, tells the fascinating tale of Roland Deschain, the world's last gunslinger, and his quest to reach the Dark Tower. The Sci-Fi adventure is difficult to sub-categorize. It starts off with the feel of a western where you can’t help but imagine Roland’s appearance as young Clint Eastwood as he treks through a harsh desert. As the adventure continues, however, the reader is lead through varying genres such as that of mobster stories, classic Steven Kingish horror, vampire, demon and ghost thrills, a world of androids and nonhuman creatures, oh, and with a quick stop in Oz! Yet despite the constant morphing genre the story never loses its own original feel.
The world that King creates is captivating and keeps the reader wanting to come back to it just moments after putting the book down. It is also noteworthy that King ties in most of his other works into Roland’s story thereby providing a treat for anyone who has read one or more of his books (Also a clever way to get the reader interested in his other books…). It is a long and arduous journey (seven thick volumes worth!) but it makes, to quote the residents of Mid-World, for “long days and pleasant nights”!
