A Game of Thrones #19 Review

Does this adaptation of A Game of Thrones prove to be a worthy addition for fans of the series? Read on to find out.

The official description from Dynamite:

The critically acclaimed adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s sweeping epic! Tyrion, under escort by a savage clan of warriors (and in a precarious position of being both their leader and their hostage) reunites with his father. Soon after, Tywin vows to uphold Tyrion’s promises to the clans . . . provided they fight for him against the army of Robb Stark!

If you’ve never heard of A Game of Thrones before then I have one question: what cave have you been hiding in for the last few years? The well known series has became a house hold name through the hit HBO series as whether you like it or not you’ll most certainly have seen it. This comic adaptation on the other hand proves that a huge franchise isn’t necessarily going to succeed in all media outlets, as although it’s been decent so far it has also been rather disappointing.

The man in charge of adapting George R.R. Martin‘s epic tale is Daniel Abraham, and though he doesn’t do a bad job there is a lot of room for improvement. Abraham tries a little too hard to stick to the original material that it kills the vibe of the comic, with the drastic use of narration (which is copied and pasted from the book) takes away from the energy of the story. Abraham does however do the characters justice, as the dialogue though taken directly from the book gives a sense of drama and intrigue. Despite all this I find it hard to think of much to praise the writer on, as though he doesn’t do harm to the book, all the positive points come from the books core story and characters.

Tommy Patterson has been providing the art for this adaptation, giving a slightly different look than the TV series. Now this may discourage fans of the HBO series but for fans of the book this is a joyous change, as it gives a more accurate feel to the characters. Patterson also shows the charm of the characters brilliantly with Tyrion feeling like the philosophic comedian that he is. The pencil and ink work isn’t however all that’s great about this art as Ivan Nunes‘ fabulous colours give the kind of tone that a powerful story like A Game of Thrones needs.

A Game of Thrones may be a hit book and series but it fails to be anything other than mediocre in the world of comics and I can only recommend this to avid fans of the series who have cash to spare.