The major comic companies get enough reviews and press, it’s time for the creator-owned and indie series to get some love and judgment. Indie review takes up-and-coming indie and creator-owned series and puts them through the review process so you can confidently support the best of the small press and passion driven projects in the comic industry.

 

The Info Bit

Title: A Game of Thrones

Genre/s: Fantasy/Adaption

Writer: Daniel Abraham (after George RR Martin)

Penciler: Tommy Patterson

Inker: Tommy Patterson

Colorist: Ivan Nunes

Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment

Number of Issues: 2 (on-going)

Page Count: 29

Price: $3.99

 

The Review Bit

As of issue #2, A Game of Thrones looks to be doing a rather great job when it comes to the daunting task of adapting George RR Martin’s epic Song of Ice and Fire series. Of course the writer and adapter of this series, Daniel Abraham, does have experience when it comes to making Martin’s tales into comics, having already adapted Fevre Dream for Avatar Press and Wild Cards for Dabel Brothers. Here it looks as though Abraham has taken a similar approach to the now infamous HBO series of the same name and source material, seamlessly blending the multiple narrations of the novels into a fluid story one can easily enjoy as a comic. Unfortunately the comic does have occasional problems with scene transitioning, as time jumps great between panels with the same characters. The comic also has moments where the dialogue of the comic, often in the way of captions, is ripped verbatim from the pages of Martin’s novels. This can be a bit jarring, as it does not always fit the scene perfectly, yet it is a kind reminder and nod to those who have actually read the original prose.

The series art is handled rather beautifully by Tommy Patterson, but it is not without its flaws considering the nature of the story. Patterson started out on the sexy Zenescope fairy tale books, with few breaks from this style in his career at publishers like Boom Studios working on Farscape. You can see this style of sexy and slender female art still clinging to the characters of AGoT in something reminiscent of J. Scott Campbell and likely more fitting in a Danger Girl title or the covers of other Dynamite Entertainment titles. It is beautiful art, but seems inappropriate for a book that often contains such harsh events and ugly characters. Never the less, Patterson shows promise in his story telling abilities through pen & pencil while also delivering a striking number of characters on panel. He honestly leaves me tempted to call him some kind of mix between J. Scott Campbell and George Perez. The series covers also capture the eye, with great pieces from Alex Ross and Mike S. Miller that could easily leave art collectors hunting down the harder to find series variants.

Overall A Game of Thrones reads strikingly well so far for a comic adaption of high fantasy prose. The art brings to life the scenes that were once just words and imaginations to many fans, albeit in a way that would likely not have been expected by most readers of the book series. The comic also looks like it will be a fine compliment to any fan of the HBO series, as it can take the story slower and provide more detail than the great 10 hour premium television mini-series. However, on its own the comic might be a little confusing early on for new readers as it dives right into the detailed world of seven kingdoms, thousands of characters, and a vast history. My only suggestion, if this comic is your entrance into the Song of Ice and Fire, is to hold on for a rather epic tale and hope Dynamite sticks to its guns without censoring anything or changing the creators.

 

 

The Rating Bit

This depiction of the epic novel, A Game of Thrones, may not be what many fans would’ve expected, yet it is a beautiful series so far. The traditional pitfalls of a comic adaption of prose limit the title’s greatness, but the series still becomes a great addition to any fan of a Song of Ice and Fire’s collection. The tone may not be perfect and the story can read a little broken, yet if you have $4 to spare once a month for an actual sword and shield fantasy title? This high-6 out of 10 title could be your best way to spend it.