Of Kings and PADs

[sdelmonte]

Peter A. David will be scripting the first seven issues of Marvel's Dark Tower preqeul comic book.

Let's ignore for the moment the disappointment of seeing anyone but King writing Roland and friends.

Instead, let's ask whether this is a good match. And while I think PAD is one of the best comic book writers in the game, and that King is a brilliant master of fantasy and horror, I don't like this matchup.

See, King and PAD are often cynics, but King's cynicism is often balanced by a certain optimism this is of late missing from much of PAD's recent work. What's more, PAD is known for a brand of humor that is very different than King's. King can be crude at times, but is also rather subtle. PAD is almost never subtle, and a master of the in-joke.

Will I buy this? Of course. It's Roland, it's King's plots (we think), and it's PAD's scripts. Do I have much in the way of expectations? Not really.

Thoughts from the DT crowd? Or from the PAD fans, for that matter?

Comments

[mabfan.livejournal.com]

I've never read Dark Tower, but I do like Peter's work. So I may pick up the first few issues to see if I like them.

[illmantrim.livejournal.com]

eh... I haev never been a fan of DT before Milliways, but I am a PAD fan... I guess I will see what there is to see.

[agonistes]

I admit that I'm skeptical about any of King's efforts to write for a visual medium, because he hasn't really done well -- with the possible exception of Kingdom Hospital. As long as King is masterminding the actual plot, I'm content to leave mechanics of scripting to someone who knows the medium.

I have no familiarity with Peter A. David, but...depending on what King has in mind for these first seven issues, there's a definite place in what's missing in canon that will lend itself to a total lack of optimism.

[silveraspen]

Can you direct me to something PAD-written? I will go find it for comparison's sake.

Beyond that, what Sweeney says is definitely true -- King's efforts to write in screenplay format, for example, just make me twitch and hide. If he's in charge of the story and someone who does this medium well is in charge of fitting the story to the art, then it could work very well.

[cleverthylacine]

I can't imagine anyone else writing Roland. This isn't the same Peter David that has that show on HBO? Cause that show is scary.