The Life and Death of Jake Chambers

Here is my review for The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger - The Way Station #2 (isn't that an insanely long title?).  It's my first review to get published as a myIGN review on the weekly roundup of new releases :)

The second issue of the Way Station arc is yet another solid entry in the Dark Tower series.  This issue deals mostly with Jake Chambers and his life before Roland finds him at the Way Station.  Fans of the novel “The Gunslinger” will notice that while the story is essentially the same, little details have been brought in from “The Wastelands.”  These slight changes from the novel shouldn’t upset any hardcore fans and only service to make the transition from novel to comic book.

Campbell and Isanove continue to do excellent artwork for the series.  The reader rarely gets a full view of anyone’s face.  Everyone is drenched in shadows, which only leaves glimpses of Roland’s pain, Jake’s confusion and The Man In Black’s evilness.  This approach works very well in the New York scene.  They were able to keep their stark, moody approach to the desert scenes and apply it to a much more vibrant, urban setting, thus unifying the book stylistically.

This issue is extremely text heavy as it deals with Jake retelling how he came to be at the Way Station though it hardly feels like a long read.  With a great story, the introduction of a new character and great artwork to boot, this issue will satisfy any fan of the Dark Tower series.

8.0