Robert Jordan’s Wheel Of Time: Eye Of The World #34 Review


I’ll admit that I am not very well versed in The Wheel of Time: Eye of the World comic book adaptation of Robert Jordan’s epic fantasy series. So being plopped down in issue 34 was a tricky task. So how did I fare by the end? Read on to find out.

Official description from Dynamite:

Ba’alzamon, the Great Lord of the Dark, has finally found the one he’s looking for – Rand – and they finally meet, face to face… It’s the penultimate chapter of Robert Jordan’s masterpiece, The Wheel of Time: The Eye of the World!

Writer Chuck Dixon’s adaptation of this immense fantasy series seems to me as ambitious as project as any writer might face. The issue is focused on Rand and his stand-off with Aginor. Ba’alzamon wants Rand alive to serve the Great Dark Lord but Aginor has others thoughts. Rand’s soul can serve as capable as his body and Aginor would be more satisfied with his death. Rand is then dropped in the middle of a massive battle with soldiers from both sides of light and darkness but finally Rand must face Ba’alzamon one on one.

I do get the sense that, at it’s core, this issue is clearly a heaven and hell style battle in which Rand’s power is just beginning to reveal itself and Ba’alzamon fears his potential to wield it against him. Francis Nugit’s art has it’s moments and the colors are rich and vibrant but there are times when large scenes such as battles are muddy and feel rushed. Many times the art didn’t match the tone or scope and it’s a series ripe for large scale splash pages but none quite materialize.

Dixon seems to have managed to grasp what it takes to adapt this novel to a comic book series and for that he should be applauded. This book was a tough read for me but I feel that this story would fit right into the wheelhouse of any fan of epic fantasy so it’s worth a try.

3/5

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