Product Description: Roland's spirit is trapped inside Maerlyn's sinister Grapefruit and is taken on a terrifying journey to the outer reaches of End-World...to the harsh domain called Thunderclap! Back in Mid-World, Roland's ka-tet is pursued by the Hambry posse which intends to kill them all before they are able to cross the Xay River on their journey home. Revenge will soon be at hand for Eldred Jonas and the Big Coffin Hunters.
Straight "road" The dark backstory of Roland Deschain grows even darker in the second part of "The Dark Tower: Long Road Home."
Admittedly not much that is new happens in this volume, but it introduces some shocking twists, and a greater sense of foreboding. Jae Lee's haunting artwork and Stephen King's crumbling, dusty postapocalyptic world make for a powerful experience, all the more so because we know how things will turn out for the teenage Roland.
A mentally challenged boy named Sheemie was seen climbing into old war machines, only to encounter a strange robot that is somehow still "alive." The robot seizes poor Sheemie and starts electrocuting him -- with shocking results. "Sheemie's just another orphan of war now, at the mercy of creatures that are merciless..." Poor kid.
Meanwhile, Roland is still enspelled by Maerlyn's Grapefruit, and his mind is lost in a hazy red wasteland where Marten is torments him with words and fears. On the outside, his friends are left to struggle with pursuers and the treacherous landscape -- but can they save themselves, let alone Roland's trapped soul? And what do these pursuers plan for the boys' homeland?
I have to admit, "The Dark Tower: Long Road Home" isn't yet as interesting as the series that preceded it, "The Gunslinger Born." There isn't so much action and drama packed into each issue, and the second "Long Road Home" issue doesn't move the plot forward much. Well, except for that whole creepy thing with Sheemie and the baby-faced robot.
But it does flesh out the current situations, with Roland defiantly trying to keep his sanity and his soul intact in a hazy landscape full of red dust, dead trees, and evil crows that turn into Marten. And his pals do a pretty good job upping the awkward, painful tension with their attempt to get over a rickety bridge with a horse in tow. And as the chapter ends, we're left with the promise of a far meatier story in future.
Jae Lee's detailed artwork is all angles, shadows and atmospheric colors -- we have blue for Sheemie's atack, red for the Grapefruit, and bleak earth tones for the real world. There are some truly poignant moments, such as the farewell on the bridge, that say a lot more than melodramatic tears ever could. Very raw in emotion, and very beautiful.
And there's an extra story in the back about Roland's ancestor Arthur Eld, also known as the legendary King Arthur. Arthur vanished in a hunting trip, only to return as a blood-drinking specter -- and when two of his knights went out to investigate the truth, they found a ghastly conspiracy deep in the woods. It ends on a cliffhanger, though.
The second part of the "Long Road" doesn't go much of anywhere, but it promises great things in future parts. Definitely a good read, and will certainly get better.
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