The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born

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The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born

Issues	7
Released	#1: February 7, 2007
Pages	#1: 48
Publisher	Marvel Comics
Penciller	Jae Lee
Colorist	Richard Isanove
Adapted by	Robin Furth
Scriptwriter	Peter David^[1]
Letterer	Chris Eliopoulos^[2]
Hero	Roland Deschain

The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born is a seven-issue, comic book miniseries, the first arc of a limited series of comic books published by Marvel Comics, based on the The Dark Tower series of novels by Stephen King, who is overseeing the project. It is plotted by Robin Furth, dialogued by Peter David illustrated by Jae Lee, and colored by Richard Isanove.

The series was originally due to begin in April 2006, but was delayed for unspecified reasons.^[3] The first issue of The Gunslinger Born was released at midnight on February 7, 2007,^[4] and because of its connection with King, David, Lee, and Marvel Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada appeared at a midnight signing in at a Times Square, New York comic book store to promote it.^[5]^[6] There will be 7 total issues in this arc,^[7] released in monthly installments.^[3] The entire Dark Tower comic book series comprises four additional arcs: one containing 5 issues and the other three containing 6, for a total of 30 issues.^[7]

Marvel Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada has stated that Jae Lee will do no other work whatsoever while working on The Dark Tower comics.^{[citation needed]}

1 Story
- 1.1 Issues
2 Related releases
3 References
4 External links

The Gunslinger Born is a prequel to The Dark Tower series, starting from Roland Deschain's manhood test against Cort and ending with the last events of the flashback sequences in Wizard and Glass. Later arcs will "cover the time period between Roland leaving Hambry and the fall of Gilead".^[7]

Issue	Released	Summary	Notes
#1	February 7, 2007	During Roland's flight across the Mohaine Desert, he recalls the treachery of Marten Broadcloak, the sin of his mother, his test of manhood against his teacher Cort, and the night that followed.	Includes a prose story in which Roland's teacher Vannay demonstrates to the boys the power and significance of The Beam.
#2	March 7, 2007	Roland's father Steven returns with a plan to send Roland, Cuthbert, and Alain to Hambry in the east, the true form of the Crimson King is revealed, and Marten flees Gilead after escaping arrest.	Includes a prose story about Roland's ancestry and the creation of Maerlyn's Rainbow, and an open letter from Stephen King.
#3	April 4, 2007	Roland and friends have fled for the city of Hambry, as their home in Gilead is now too dangerous. But, once there, Roland learns to his horror that he is no safer. Hambry’s leaders have switched allegiance and the assassins known as the Big Coffin Hunters have marked Roland and company for death!
#4	May 2, 2007	Roland seems willing to put his friends in deadly danger by staying in Hambry when his relationship with the beautiful Susan Delgado deepens. Meanwhile, the evil Marten Broadcloak’s agents—a.k.a. the Big Coffin Hunters—are zeroing in for the kill on Roland and his ka-tet.
#5	June 6, 2007	Just outside Hambry, Roland makes a monstrous discovery: The evil Farson and his Coffin Riders have stolen the awesome weapons of the Old Ones and now have the oil to power them and launch an attack against the Affiliation—a group which counts among its members Roland’s father, Stephen Deschain! And, at just the wrong time, the young gunslinger’s ka-tet may be splintering, when Cuthbert accuses Roland of cowardice and rides off on his own.

To accompany the series, Marvel released a free 15-page "Stephen King's The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born sketchbook". Also available is "Marvel Spotlight: The Dark Tower", in which the illustrators, writers, and editors are interviewed.

Marvel's January 2007 issue of their monthly Daily Bugle newspaper featured The Dark Tower. On April 11, Marvel will release "Stephen King's The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger's Guidebook," which will introduce the series' characters to readers who are unfamiliar with them.