I was fortunate enough to come across an advanced copy of The Tower Chronicles: GeistHawk, Volume 1 by Legendary Comics and I must say I am hooked!
Legendary Comics is one of the newest divisions of Legendary Entertainment and is truly living up to its moniker “Legendary.” Having co-produced many of the blockbuster movies under their Legendary Pictures ventures, Legendary Comics is bringing in legendary names to their comics division.
Matt Wagner, most notably known for his creation of Grendel, Mage, and his work on Sandman Mystery Theatre was brought in to write and help create The Tower Chronicles. With his amazing skills at creating characters, Simon Bisley was also brought on board to help put the finishing touches on the story by bringing to life the character of John Tower.
If you do not know Simon Bisley by name, certainly you will recognize his artwork at a glance. In the world of comics he is best known for his work on Lobo, ABC Warriors and Slaine. He has been nominated for several awards and was graced with an Eisner Award for his work on Judgment on Gotham.
With these names on board you can imagine my excitement at getting a sneak peek at what could only be a legendary creation. And I wasn’t disappointed in the least!
Volume 1 is broken down into three parts. The first part introduces us to John Tower, a dark, mysterious and dangerous hunter who works in the shadows and tracks down the improbable. I know how that sounds: been there, done that, moving on. However, when you have a master storyteller that is great with character creation, that scenario doesn’t even scratch the surface. We are left to ask, who is this man? What motivates him? Is he truly driven by money or is there something else that drives him?
Part 1 also introduces us briefly to an FBI Agent working in the Behavioral Analysis Unit who is tracking down a serial killer. We get to know her a bit more in part 2 when Tower and Agent Harwicke work together to hunt down the serial killer and set a trap for him.
Where part 1 shows us Tower’s extensive knowledge of the arcane and supernatural, part 2 could be classified more in the horror genre. It is filled with tons of action, darker scenes, and more blood. It also brings up a few more questions about Tower and his history.
Part 3 finishes the volume with a very brief glimpse of a man who remains cloaked in shadows. Mystery man is tracking Tower’s moves and adds even more intrigue to the storyline leaving you with even more questions that you really want answered.
The Tower Chronicles: GeistHawk, Volume 1 is scheduled to hit stores in September. As an added bonus, you are able to view the first 12 pages for free online at Legendary Comics’ website. I would add that this graphic novel is intended for adults and parents should be warned about the language and violence and should not let the kiddies read this prior to approval from the parent.
Here’s the technical stuff from the publisher:
THE TOWER CHRONICLES is the collective title of a series comprising three books. The trilogy explores the history and contemporary adventures of John Tower, a supernatural bounty hunter with a grim and secretive past that haunts his every action. Each book will be divided into four separate chapters starting with the initial release of Volume 1 in September. Written by Matt Wagner, the creator of Grendel and Mage, and developed with Thomas Tull, Executive Producer of 300 & The Dark Knight, featuring stunning art by acclaimed 2000 AD & Lobo artist Simon Bisley, THE TOWER CHRONICLES will set a new standard in supernatural action/adventure.
The Tower Chronicles: GeistHawk, Volume 1 published by Legendary Comics
Writer Matt Wagner
Penciler Simon Bisley
Inker Rodney Ramos, Colorist Ryan Brown, Letterer Sean Konot, Designer Steven Birch, Editor Bob Schreck, Assistant Editor Greg Tumbarello
Created by Thomas Tull & Matt Wagner
ISBN-10: 1937278026
ISBN-13: 978-1-937278-02-1
First printing September 2012
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