REVIEW

The Gunslinger Born #2

Posted: March 1, 2007
Category: Comics
Issue #2 of The Gunslinger Born takes of right where issue #1 ends. As you might remember issue #1 ended with Roland waking up his first day as a gunslinger by his angry father. From there issue #2 give s us our first glimpse of Eldred Jonas, Roy Depape and Clay Reynolds, also known as The Big Coffin Hunters and let me tell you, they look mean!

We also get to meat Rhea and the Crimson King. Rhea, Crimson King and The Big Coffin Hunters are all breathtakingly done. I can’t help being blown away when I see what Jae and Richard have done with the illustrations. I thought I had gotten a little warning from issue #1 on just how good they are but they just keep impress me. After finishing issue #2 there isn’t anything that I don’t think those two can illustrate. Nothing at all…

Issue #2 covers the event where Susan, Roland’s true love, visit Rhea to get the examination that will determine that she is spiritually intact and fit to marry Mayor Thorin. It ends when Roland is about to find her.

As with issue #1 and all the upcoming as well I guess the comic is done in a “widescreen” mode. That I means that the illustrations cover the entire page form left to right and there isn’t two frames beside each other at any time. This gives the comic a special look compared to more “cheep” comics in lack of a better word to use. I think you understand what I mean though…right?

The history lesson in issue #2 is about Maerlyn’s Rainbow and the Prim. A very interesting story about Arthur Eld, the Tower and the Old People. It also tells us more about Roland and the Crimson King’s origin.

This one isn’t written like an excerpt from a story but more like a section out of a history book. Like requested in my review for issue #1. So, I’m very happy with this one. It’s a good story that is well written by the very talented Robin Furth.


As an extra bonus we get a map over Barony of Mejis and some of the pages from issue #2 in Jae’s sketch versions. And what can you say? The man is very talented. I heard that the original plan was to release one regular issue and one with just the sketches and even though I like the colored once the best it would have been very interesting to see such an issue.

We also get an open letter from King in the back of issue #2 in which he talks about turning Firestarter into a comic and about writing an original comic for Marvel. I’m not sure how serious he is about all this but as usually he’s full of ideas and I wouldn’t be surprised if more stuff appear in a not to distant future…

Lilja's final words about The Gunslinger Born #2:

Issue #1 was good but this issue is even better. It looks very good and it’s pure joy to read it. Everyone involved in this comic should feel proud about it. It’s everything we could have hoped for…and then some.