Review of
A
Game of Thrones: The Graphic Novel, Volume 1, by George R. R.
Martin, ISBN 9780440423218
Five out of five stars
While I have
only watched short snippets of the series, I know several people that love it
and have watched the episodes several times. They are very positive in their descriptions
and acknowledge that no one can start watching late and truly understand the
background. One thing is clear from what little I have seen and heard is that
no character is immune to being killed off.
In the preface, it is made clear that his graphic
novel does not precisely follow the early episodes and the characters are
deliberately drawn to have a different appearance. However, even with this, the
person unfamiliar with the series can acquire some of the background of this
complex story.
It is a
combination of two main plot devices. The first is a medieval society ruled by
kings and queens that keep the crown on their heads by removing all opposition
in any way possible, including murder. The second is an underlying structure of
mysticism, where the black arts are powerful. There seems little to indicate
that there has been any significant advancement in science and technology for a
long time.
With court
intrigue, machinations among the members of the ruling class and the hiring of
assassins, there is a lot to process, even in a single graphic novel. Newcomers
with learn a lot of the background to the long story, while people that have
seen the episodes several times will enjoy the story presented in a slightly
different way.
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