CLASH OF KINGS Part II #3 from Dynamite Comics, hits your local comic book shop on March 25, is the continuation of George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones saga, adapted in comic form by Landry Q. Walker. We pick up the tale as Catelyn forms an alliance with Brienne of Tarth on their way to Catelyn’s home. How does this issue fair compared to reading the book or watching the TV series? Let’s find out.
Writing
Walker does an excellent job adapting Martin’s story in great detail. That said, if you haven’t read the prior issue or know the source material, you will be lost entirely. Walker does his best to add necessary backstory exposition, but you feel like you’re drinking from the proverbial fire hose. It’s an overwhelming amount of backstory to try and absorb in a single issue. It would be best if you don’t try to read this issue without reading the previous issues first.
That said, the story moves at a decent pace, and the exposition slows the story down in only a few spots.
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Pencils/Inks
Mel Rubi excels at bringing Martin’s characters to life. Rubi chose to render the characters much more faithfully to the original novels versus the TV series, and it shows. These designs give you a more definite sense of how these characters behaved, from their mannerisms to their interactions with other characters.
Favorite Panel/Page: My favorite panel is the second to last of the issue. Tyrion sees his own distorted reflection in a polished chalice. It looks cool, but there’s a meta meaning as well. Tyrion sees himself in the opulence and power of his position and recognizes how he’s become distorted by it. The panel sticks with you.
Coloring
Ivan Nunes coloring work here is fantastic. With so many narration blocks on every page, the panels tend to get a little crowded. Nunes’ coloring manages to push the image out and draw your attention.
Lettering
Tom Napolitano deserves a medal for the amount of lettering needed to pull this issue off. He stops just short of transcribing Martin’s novel verbatim, which is no small task. The Game of Thrones novels have a lingo all their own, so Napolitano shows more than a little extra attention to detail to get the language right.
Conclusion
CLASH OF KINGS, VOL. 2, #3 stays true to the source material and is a must-read for any Game of Thrones fans. However, don’t pick this up if you haven’t read the previous issues first or don’t know the source material.
