Marvel Comics has announced that “Criminal” artist Sean Phillips will join the creative team of the “Dark Tower” series, beginning with “Dark Tower: The Gunslinger” No. 1.

Phillips joins Peter David, Robin Furth and Richard Isanove on the team bringing Stephen King’s creation to life in comics format.

“I’m very much looking forward to seeing Sean’s depiction of Mid-World and the superb manner in which he’ll be telling Robin’s stories. Jae left him sizable boots to fill, but I have every confidence that Sean is more than up to the challenge, and I’m looking forward to dialoguing his peerless pencils,” said David in a release from Marvel.

“Dark Tower: The Gunslinger” No. 1 is set for a May release.

- Matt Price

From Friday’s The Oklahoman:

From Staff Reports

Two Oklahoma stores are among the more than 80 nationwide taking part in a midnight release for the latest comic book from Stephen King: “Stephen King’s The Dark Tower: The Long Road Home” No. 1.

To celebrate the launch of the new comic book series featuring material only hinted at in King’s original novel series, the stores will be open at midnight Tuesday (effectively 12:01 a.m. Wednesday) so fans can get their hands on the debut issue.

Atomic Comics, 6006 S Western, and Speeding Bullet Comics, 614 N Porter in Norman, are the two Oklahoma comic-book stores that will have early copies of “The Long Road Home.”

“The Long Road Home” follows last year’s groundbreaking comic book series, “Stephen King’s The Dark Tower: Gunslinger Born,” which was King’s first extended foray into the world of comics. “Gunslinger Born” was both critically acclaimed and one of Marvel Comics’ biggest selling titles of 2007.

The “Gunslinger Born” creative team (writers Robin Furth and Peter David, and artists Jae Lee and Richard Isanove) are back for “The Long Road Home.” King is supervising the comic, ensuring the story fits his vision of the series.

The Dark Tower novels, and now comics, followed Roland Deschain, the Gunslinger, as he sought the Dark Tower in a dark fantasy world.

Artist Lee, who won comics’ highest award, the Eisner, for his work on “The Inhumans,” has been a popular choice to visualize King’s world.

The original “Gunslinger Born” series is available in a hardcover collection.

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Full disclosure note: Nerdage writer/editor Matt Price is an owner of Speeding Bullet Comics in Norman.

From Marvel:

Roland Deschain and his ka-tet are fighting for their very survival! With the Big Coffin Hunters on the trail of these friends, plus visions of Susan’s death dancing in Roland’s head, what else could go wrong? Well…Roland’s in a coma and the people who burned Susan are determined to make him their next victim!

In this podcast, we look forward to March-shipping titles, including “Serenity” and “New Frontier.”  I’ll miss Greg as he moves on to new endeavors, but I also hope he’s able to come back from time to time!

Marvel has put the digital version of the comic book “Stephen King’s Dark Tower: Gunslinger Born” #1 up for free at marvel.com, as part of its digital comics initiative.
Stephen King fans may be aware of the sequel, the cover of which appears atop this post. It’s set for release in March. It’s a five-issue miniseries called “The Long Road Home.” Marvel has released the solicitation for the first issue:
DARK TOWER: THE LONG ROAD HOME # 1 The Story: It’s the return of the best-selling comic book series, inspired by Stephen King’s epic The Dark Tower! Gunslinger Roland Deschain has seen the death of his lover Susan Delgado. And the Big Coffin Hunters who burned her at the stake are now in pursuit of Roland and his ka-tet Cuthbert and Alain. The friends are forced to flee into the desert with the deadly posse in hot pursuit….and Roland is in a coma! Don’t miss this opening chapter starring the Gunslinger whose quest for the Dark Tower will shake the foundation of reality itself! Rated T+.

 – Matt Price