Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Columns/Features

Writer’s Commentary: Landry Q. Walker on ‘A Clash of Kings Vol 2 #7’ from Dynamite!

POTENTIAL SPOILERS: Buy & read the book, then check out our commentary.

Okay…I’m behind schedule on these, but let’s dive into – issue…7? – of our GRRM adaptation. That would be… Clash of Kings volume 2? I think it’s issue 7. See, I still use the original numbering. So I think this would have been issue 23.

Anyway…

Page 1

This was a tricky one. Bran is deep into his wolf vision here. And it’s important, as he is experiencing the wolves’ reaction to the impending invasion by Theon and the men of the Iron Islands. Lots of content to pack in here, as well as an absurd amount of action. And it has to have a weird otherworldly style to it.

 

Page 2
There was originally supposed to be an inversion of page 1 here – a mirror image on the page flip, with Bran’s face where the wolf’s was, and the same pattern to the panels. That was dropped somewhere along the way. A pity, I think it  would have helped reinforce the weird mystical connection at play here.

 

Page 5
Ugh! So many scene changes. See, this one reads less clear than I like. This is why I end so many scene changes on a long shot and start the next on a different long shot. Otherwise it muddies the transitions so that they just look like regular comic beats.

 

Page 7
Our space is tight, so we just have Hodor getting beaten in the background. Poor Hodor.

 

Page 8
End the scene on a long shot. See how much better that works!

 

Page 9
Hey, notice how the panels are staggered in the bottom two tiers of the page so it’s not just a grid?

That’s important because it helps keep the page from looking like a grid. Grids are boring, unless used to specific effect. Like, if you want to create repetition and monotony (and you would be surprised how often that’s important for a sequential narrative) then a panel grid is key!

 

Page 10
Had to get picky here and edit GRRM’s text down. It hurts like a razor to do so, but it’s sometimes necessary.

 

Page 11:
Can’t end on a longshot? Here’s a great alternative. Arya is running OFF the page. Hell, Mel should have had her break the panel border here.

 

Page 12
An off-panel voice is another transition break that can work nicely – and it does here.

 

Panel 13
Our colorist is freaking amazing.

 

Page 17
I like to run the action scene silent whenever possible. You don’t need words. Just “read’ the images. They tell the story.

 

Page 19
Again the page starts off with a weak transition. But sometimes, since this wasn’t written with comics in mind originally, we have to adapt and accept imperfect moments.

 

Page 21
This is a controversial layout. The extra panel along the left side is a deal breaker for a lot of cartoonists. I like it, personally. But it can be a tricky one. It confuses some people’s flow of reading, so use it carefully.

 

A Clash of Kings Vol 2 #7 is available from comic book stores and via digital at comiXology

 

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

DISCLAIMER

Forces of Geek is protected from liability under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and “Safe Harbor” provisions.

All posts are submitted by volunteer contributors who have agreed to our Code of Conduct.

FOG! will disable users who knowingly commit plagiarism, piracy, trademark or copyright infringement.

Please contact us for expeditious removal of copyrighted/trademarked content.

SOCIAL INFLUENCER POLICY

In many cases free copies of media and merchandise were provided in exchange for an unbiased and honest review. The opinions shared on Forces of Geek are those of the individual author.

You May Also Like

Books/Comics

Written by Lewis Trondheim Art by Nicolas Kéramidas Published by Fantagraphics Books   Mickey and Donald’s Craziest Adventures, originally published in English, we are...

Art/Collectibles

Selected and introduced by Jenette Kahn Published by The Folio Society   Before digging into this book, I took my time in learning about...

Comics

For over twenty five years Nick Bertozzi and Dean Haspiel have been two of the most respected voices in the Alternative Comics Scene.  Along...

Books/Comics

Written by John Allison  Art by Max Sarin Published by Dark Horse Comics   I went into this book without any knowledge or understanding...