#Titanuary ‘The Talisman-Road Of Trials’ by Stephen King and Peter Straub-Graphic Novel by Tony Shasteen

About the book…

The spellbinding saga of The Talisman is now a stunning graphic novel, vividly illustrated by artist Tony Shasteen. Here’s a bold new look at the classic tale of treachery and betrayal that could only have sprung from the imaginations of master storytellers Stephen King and Peter Straub.

In a run-down amusement park on a desolate beach in New Hampshire, thirteen-year-old Jack Sawyer is about to learn some hard truths—about his father’s death, about why he and his mother are on the run from his sinister uncle Morgan, and about the real nature of the mysterious realm Jack once called the Daydreams.

Now, with help from his newfound friend Speedy Parker, this young man will reclaim his identity as Travellin Jack and make his first foray back into the Territories to retrieve the magical Talisman, an object of immense cosmic significance. Yet even more important to Jack, the Talisman holds the key to saving his mother’s life. In the Terrorities, where monsters lurk, evil watches, and an unbelievably precious prize awaits, Jack embarks upon a desperate quest to fulfill a destiny he never sought but cannot escape.

‘The Road Of Trials’ is the volume 1 bind up of issues 0-5 of what should have been the full length novel adaptation fans were hoping and praying for. Instead, the Stephen King/Peter Straub adapt only lasted for this one, precious volume. I am hopeful , e, there was a massive break in the Dark Tower Graphic novel series and I think there is another one now, so maybe we will all light out for the Territories again soon?

I had totally forgotten that this was a Titan comic, as well as producing beautiful coffee table books about the art and making of movies and tv shows, they create wonderful graphic novels too of well known characters such as ‘Doctor Who’, ‘Blade Runner’ and Benedict Cumberbatch era ‘Sherlock’

As well as comics regularly coming out on a monthly basis, they have graphic novels also and it was whilst I was collating my novels to create an accurate data base of what I have (and don’t have) read (and haven’t read) that I recognised the familiar logo on the side of the Talisman, hiding on my Stephen King bookshlef.

Opening it took me down memory lane, it was such a lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon, back in the world of Travellin’ Jack, Speedy Parker and the world of the Territories. I wasn’t sure how , or where they would start this classic story, but knowing that King alumi Robin Furth was involved, as well as illustrator Tony Shasteen, J.D Mettler ,and Nei Ruffino , with lettering by Bill Tortolini, with final approval from King and Straub themselves, you know you are in safe hands.

The feel of this book is gorgeous, the quality of the paper speaks for itself and is reflected in the lush colours, and the clever way which they flip us,and the characters, between the Territories and here.

They manage to cover a fair amount of ground given that there is only a prequel and 5 issues in the world, at present, however, this is a graphic novel which I will keep, in case others will come to keep it company on the shelf with The Stand and The Dark Tower adaptations (both by Marvel).

The writers manage to play a bit loose with the timeline but that really is ok as taking a massive novel and putting it in bite sized chunks isn’t, I’d imagine, an easy task.

They set up the difference between our world and that of the Twinners, explain how Speedy is the conduit for Jack getting to save the life of not only his mother, the dying Lily Cavanagh, ‘Queen of the B’s’ as she is known, and her Twinner, in the Territories, Laura De Loessian. If one dies, the whole world falls and with Jack’s evil uncle trying to stop him, this is a little boy on the precarious edge of teenagerdom, lacking in adults to guide him, who has to grow up pretty damn quick. His quest for the titular Talisman will take him from one coast of America to the other, using Speedy’s magic juice to ‘flip’ over to the Territories should things become difficult here, for a boy travelling on his own.

There are some rules-for example, he cannot flip over water in case he drowns, or in a plane in case he performs a dive Icarus would be proud of.

With alternate covers, as well as pen and ink development sketches, it is quite sad seeing what might have been, however, when you finish the possible final frame of your comic run introducing one of the best characters King (or Straub) ever invented, Wolf, you know that unfinished as it is, you still hold something pretty special!