The Dark Tower (comics) explained

The Dark Tower
Publisher:Marvel Comics, Gallery 13
Genre:Fantasy, science fiction, horror, western
Limited:y
1Shot:y
Graphicnovel:y
Titles:The Dark Tower: Beginnings
The Gunslinger Born
The Long Road Home
Treachery
The Sorcerer
Fall of Gilead
Battle of Jericho Hill

The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger
The Journey Begins
The Little Sisters of Eluria
The Battle of Tull
The Way Station
The Man in Black
Sheemie's Tale
Evil Ground
So Fell Lord Perth

The Dark Tower: The Drawing of the Three
The Prisoner
House of Cards
Lady of Shadows
Bitter Medicine
The Sailor

Companion releases
The Gunslinger Born Sketchbook

Gunslinger's Guidebook
End-World Almanac
Guide to Gilead
The Drawing of the Three / Revenge Sampler
Main Char Team:Roland Deschain
Alain Johns
Cuthbert Allgood
Jake Chambers
Eddie Dean
Susannah Dean
Writers:Robin Furth (adaptation)
Peter David (script)
Artists:Jae Lee
Richard Isanove
Dean White
Sean Phillips
Luke Ross
Michael Lark
Stefano Gaudiano
Laurence Campbell
Alex Maleev
Piotr Kowalski
Nick Filardi
Julian Totino Tedesco
Jonathan Marks
Lee Loughridge
Nimit Malavia
Juanan Ramirez
Cory Hamscher
Jesus Aburtov
Federico Blee
Jay Anacleto
Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Creators:Stephen King

The Dark Tower, first published in 2007, is a series of comic books (originally published by Marvel Comics and later republished by Gallery 13) based on Stephen King's The Dark Tower series of novels. Overall, it is plotted by Robin Furth and scripted by Peter David. Stephen King serves as Creative and Executive Director of the project.

Overview

The Dark Tower: Beginnings

The first chapter run of the series, originally entitled simply The Dark Tower, launched February 7, 2007, and consisted of 30 issues that made up five volumes illustrated primarily by Jae Lee and Richard Isanove. The first volume, The Gunslinger Born, was based mostly on flashbacks from and ; the remaining volumes (The Long Road Home, Treachery, Fall of Gilead, and Battle of Jericho Hill) contained mostly new/original content which expanded upon details and events more briefly referenced throughout the novels. In addition to the five primary story arcs, the chapter run also included the one-shot, The Sorcerer. As stated by Peter David's afterword to The Long Road Home, the chapter run detailed Roland Deschain's "progress from callow youth to gunslinger," starting with his adventures in Mejis from Wizard and Glass and ending with the Battle of Jericho Hill (as detailed in and ). This series was re-titled The Dark Tower: Beginnings to clarify its prequel status when Gallery 13 took over as publisher.

The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger

The second chapter run, under the title of The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger, began May 9, 2010. It consisted of another 30 issues across five additional volumes written by Furth and David. Following Lee's departure from the series, this chapter run featured Isanove teaming with a different artist for each story arc. The first volume, The Journey Begins, took place 12 years after the Battle of Jericho Hill and mostly detailed events which occurred between the time of the battle and the start of the novel The Gunslinger. The second volume, The Little Sisters of Eluria, was based mostly upon the short story of the same name. The remaining volumes were largely adaptations of the novellas within The Gunslinger. The third, The Battle of Tull, was based mostly upon content from "The Gunslinger". The fourth, The Way Station, was based mostly upon "The Way Station" and "The Oracle and the Mountains". The fifth, The Man in Black, was based mostly upon "The Slow Mutants" and "The Gunslinger and the Dark Man". In addition to the five primary story arcs, two limited series (Sheemie's Tale and Evil Ground) and another one-shot (So Fell Lord Perth) were released as part of this chapter run.

The Dark Tower: The Drawing of the Three

The Dark Tower comics were planned to be finished after the August 7, 2013, release of So Fell Lord Perth.[1] However, on April 25, 2014, a third chapter run, The Dark Tower: The Drawing of the Three, was announced.[2] This chapter run, based primarily on the novel , began September 17, 2014. The series continued to be written by Furth and David but featured, for the first time, new, rotating artistic teams that did not feature Isanove. The volumes in this chapter run focused on the newly gathered (or 'drawn') members of Roland's ka-tet, as divided in the novel into sections based on the mysterious doors through which Roland must travel. The first and second volumes (The Prisoner and House of Cards) focused on Eddie Dean, who was introduced in the section of the novel also named "The Prisoner". The third and fourth volumes (Lady of Shadows and Bitter Medicine) focused on Odetta Holmes, who was introduced in the section of the novel named "The Lady of Shadows". The fifth volume (The Sailor) focused on Jake Chambers, who survived his original fate thanks to a change in the timeline (as shown in the section of the novel named "The Pusher") and resultantly struggled to find a way to return to Mid-World (as depicted in the first half of ). This chapter run was the last to be published by Marvel Comics.

Collected editions and end of Marvel publication

On November 7, 2007, Marvel began publishing collections for each story arc, and on September 21, 2011, it began publishing hardcover omnibus editions collecting each chapter run, with bonus materials not contained in the original releases. However, only the first two chapter runs received the omnibus treatment; Marvel's publication of the series ended before an omnibus edition of The Dark Tower: The Drawing of the Three was released.

Gallery 13 republication

In 2018, Gallery 13 took over publication of the Dark Tower comics,[3] beginning in August by republishing the collected graphic novels from the original chapter run of the series (rebranded as Stephen King's The Dark Tower: Beginnings), with the collected graphic novels from The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger chapter run set to be republished beginning spring 2019.[4] Since the announcement of the rights acquisition specifically indicated only the first 11 volumes,[5] there is currently neither any information whether the republication ultimately will include The Dark Tower: The Drawing of the Three nor any information whether any new content will be produced.

List of original Marvel Comics chapter runs and story arcs

Arc #TitleIssue(s)Release date(s)PlotScriptInterior ArtCover(s)*
The Dark Tower: Beginnings
The Gunslinger Born7February 7 - August 1, 2007Robin FurthPeter DavidJae Lee & Richard IsanoveJae Lee & Richard Isanove
The Long Road Home5March 5 - July 2, 2008Robin FurthPeter DavidJae Lee & Richard IsanoveJae Lee & Richard Isanove
Treachery6September 10, 2008 - February 25, 2009Robin FurthPeter DavidJae Lee & Richard IsanoveJae Lee & Richard Isanove
The Sorcerer1April 15, 2009Robin FurthRobin FurthRichard IsanoveRichard Isanove
Fall of Gilead6May 13 - November 25, 2009Robin FurthPeter DavidRichard Isanove, Dean WhiteRichard Isanove, Jae Lee
Battle of Jericho Hill5December 3, 2009 - April 21, 2010Robin FurthPeter DavidJae Lee & Richard IsanoveJae Lee & Richard Isanove
The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger
The Journey Begins5May 19 - September 22, 2010Robin FurthPeter DavidSean Phillips & Richard IsanoveSean Phillips & Richard Isanove
The Little Sisters of Eluria5December 8, 2010 - April 13, 2011Robin FurthPeter DavidLuke Ross & Richard IsanoveLuke Ross & Richard Isanove
The Battle of Tull5June 1 - October 5, 2011Robin FurthPeter DavidMichael Lark, Stefano Gaudiano, Richard IsanoveMichael Lark & Richard Isanove
The Way Station5December 14, 2011 - April 25, 2012Robin FurthPeter DavidLaurence Campbell & Richard IsanoveLaurence Campbell & Richard Isanove
The Man in Black5June 20 - October 17, 2012Robin FurthPeter DavidAlex Maleev & Richard IsanoveAlex Maleev
Sheemie's Tale2January 9 - February 13, 2013Robin FurthRobin FurthRichard IsanoveRichard Isanove
Evil Ground2April 3 - June 5, 2013Robin FurthPeter DavidRichard Isanove, Dean WhiteRichard Isanove
So Fell Lord Perth1August 7, 2013Robin FurthPeter DavidRichard IsanoveRichard Isanove
The Dark Tower: The Drawing of the Three
The Prisoner5September 3 - November 30, 2014Robin FurthPeter DavidPiotr Kowalski & Nick FilardiJulian Totino Tedesco
House of Cards5March 25 - July 15, 2015Robin FurthPeter DavidPiotr Kowalski & Nick FilardiJulian Totino Tedesco
Lady of Shadows5September 2, 2015 - January 20, 2016Robin FurthPeter DavidJonathan Marks & Lee LoughridgeNimit Malavia
Bitter Medicine5April 20 - August 31, 2016Robin FurthPeter DavidJonathan Marks & Lee LoughridgeNimit Malavia
The Sailor5October 12, 2016 - February 8, 2017Robin FurthPeter DavidJuanan Ramirez, Cory Hamscher, Jesus Aburtov, Federico BleeJay Anacleto & Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Notes:

List of original Marvel Comics companion releases

Vol #TitleIssue(s)Release date(s)
1December 13, 2006
1January 31, 2007
1August 1, 2007
1July 2, 2008
1April 8, 2009
1July 30, 2014

List of original Marvel Comics collected editions

Story arc collections

Vol #TitleFormatISBNRelease dateCollected material
The Dark Tower: Beginnings
The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger BornHardcoverNovember 7, 2007The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born #1-7
PaperbackMay 19, 2010
The Dark Tower: The Long Road HomeHardcoverOctober 7, 2008The Dark Tower: The Long Road Home #1-5
PaperbackOctober 20, 2010
The Dark Tower: TreacheryHardcoverApril 21, 2009The Dark Tower: Treachery #1-6
PaperbackMarch 16, 2011
The Dark Tower: Fall of GileadHardcoverFebruary 23, 2010The Dark Tower: The Sorcerer #1 and Fall of Gilead #1-6
PaperbackNovember 2, 2011
The Dark Tower: Battle of Jericho HillHardcoverAugust 18, 2010The Dark Tower: Battle of Jericho Hill #1-5
PaperbackMay 9, 2012
The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger
The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger - The Journey BeginsHardcoverJanuary 25, 2011The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger - The Journey Begins #1-5
PaperbackNovember 14, 2012
The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger - The Little Sisters of EluriaHardcoverJune 22, 2011The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger - The Little Sisters of Eluria #1-5
PaperbackJanuary 29, 2013
The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger - The Battle of TullHardcoverJanuary 25, 2012The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger - The Battle of Tull #1-5
PaperbackMay 7, 2013
The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger - The Way StationHardcoverJune 27, 2012The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger - The Way Station #1-5
PaperbackJuly 30, 2013
The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger - The Man in BlackHardcoverJanuary 15, 2013The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger - The Man in Black #1-5
PaperbackOctober 29, 2013
The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger - Last ShotsPaperback*October 8, 2013The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger - Sheemie's Tale #1-2, Evil Ground #1-2, and So Fell Lord Perth #1
The Dark Tower: The Drawing of the Three
The Dark Tower: The Drawing of the Three - The PrisonerPaperbackMarch 10, 2015The Dark Tower: The Drawing of the Three - The Prisoner #1-5
The Dark Tower: The Drawing of the Three - House of CardsPaperbackSeptember 22, 2015The Dark Tower: The Drawing of the Three - House of Cards #1-5
The Dark Tower: The Drawing of the Three - Lady of ShadowsPaperbackMarch 29, 2016The Dark Tower: The Drawing of the Three - Lady of Shadows #1-5
The Dark Tower: The Drawing of the Three - Bitter MedicinePaperbackOctober 18, 2016The Dark Tower: The Drawing of the Three - Bitter Medicine #1-5
The Dark Tower: The Drawing of the Three - The SailorPaperbackMay 9, 2017The Dark Tower: The Drawing of the Three - The Sailor #1-5
Notes:

Omnibus collections

Vol #TitleFormatISBNRelease dateCollected material
The Dark Tower: Beginnings
The Dark Tower OmnibusHardcoverSeptember 21, 2011Story arc collections 1-5
The Dark Tower Omnibus CompanionBonus material not included in the original individual collections (1-5)
The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger
The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger OmnibusHardcoverSeptember 3, 2014Story arc collections 6-11
The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Omnibus CompanionBonus material not included in the original individual collections (6-11)

List of Gallery 13 republished collected editions

Story arc collections

Vol #TitleFormatISBNRelease dateCollected material
Stephen King's The Dark Tower: Beginnings
The Gunslinger Born (Book 1)HardcoverAugust 28, 2018The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born #1-7
The Long Road Home (Book 2)HardcoverAugust 28, 2018The Dark Tower: The Long Road Home #1-5
Treachery (Book 3)HardcoverSeptember 11, 2018The Dark Tower: Treachery #1-6
The Fall of Gilead (Book 4)HardcoverSeptember 25, 2018The Dark Tower: The Sorcerer #1 and Fall of Gilead #1-6
The Battle of Jericho Hill (Book 5)HardcoverOctober 9, 2018The Dark Tower: Battle of Jericho Hill #1-5
Stephen King's The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger
The Journey Begins (Book 1)HardcoverFebruary 5, 2019The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger - The Journey Begins #1-5
The Little Sisters of Eluria (Book 2)HardcoverMarch 5, 2019The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger - The Little Sisters of Eluria #1-5
The Battle of Tull (Book 3)HardcoverApril 2, 2019The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger - The Battle of Tull #1-5
The Way Station (Book 4)HardcoverMay 7, 2019The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger - The Way Station #1-5
The Man in Black (Book 5)HardcoverJune 4, 2019The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger - The Man in Black #1-5
Last Shots (Book 6)HardcoverJuly 2, 2019The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger - Sheemie's Tale #1-2, Evil Ground #1-2, and So Fell Lord Perth #1
Stephen King's The Dark Tower: The Drawing of the Three
The Prisoner (Book 1)HardcoverMarch 24, 2020The Dark Tower: The Drawing of the Three - The Prisoner #1-5
House of Cards (Book 2)HardcoverApril 21, 2020The Dark Tower: The Drawing of the Three - House of Cards #1-5
The Lady of Shadows (Book 3)HardcoverMay 19, 2020The Dark Tower: The Drawing of the Three - The Lady of Shadows #1-5
Bitter Medicine (Book 4)HardcoverJune 16, 2020The Dark Tower: The Drawing of the Three - Bitter Medicine #1-5

Boxed set collections

Vol #TitleFormatISBNRelease dateCollected material
Stephen King's The Dark Tower: Beginnings
Stephen King's The Dark Tower: Beginnings - The Complete Graphic Novel SeriesHardcoverOctober 23, 2018Story arc collections 1-5
Stephen King's The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger
Stephen King's The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger - The Complete Graphic Novel SeriesHardcoverOctober 22, 2019Story arc collections 6-11
Stephen King's The Dark Tower: The Drawing of the Three
Stephen King's The Dark Tower: The Drawing of the Three - The Complete Graphic Novel SeriesHardcoverOctober 20, 2020Story arc collections 12-15

Omnibus collections

Vol #TitleFormatISBNRelease dateCollected material
Stephen King's The Dark Tower: Beginnings
Stephen King's The Dark Tower: Beginnings OmnibusHardcoverMay 1, 2020Story arc collections 1-5 + bonus material
Stephen King's The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger
Stephen King's The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger OmnibusHardcoverOctober 24, 2023Story arc collections 6-11 + bonus material

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Marvel Comics: The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger - So Fell Lord Perth . marvel.com . 13 June 2019 . en.
  2. Web site: The Dark Tower: The Drawing of the Three: Marvel creators reveal secrets from the new Stephen King adaptation . ew.com . Darren Franich . 27 April 2014 . 13 June 2019 . en.
  3. Web site: Stephen King's Dark Tower Comics Leave Marvel For Another Publisher . cbr.com . Brian Cronin . 21 June 2018 . 13 June 2019 . en.
  4. Web site: Stephen King's Dark Tower graphic novels to be republished by Gallery 13 . Christian Holub . 19 June 2018 . 13 June 2019 . ew.com . en.
  5. Web site: Exclusive: Gallery 13 Grab Stephen King's The Dark Tower Graphic Novel Rights from Marvel . bleedingcool.com . Rich Johnston . 19 June 2018 . 13 June 2019 . en.