Customer Reviews

Hedge Knight Volume 1 Premiere HC (v. 1)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

For those of you who already own the Hedge Knight trade paperback, this is the exact same material you've already seen, re-released by Marvel Comics. It's in a nicer hardcover format, but if you order the book expecting something new you will be disappointed. Now, on to the book itself...

I was a bit skeptical when I heard that someone was going to adapt George R.R. Martin's Hedge Knight short story into graphic novel format, but I love comics so I gave it a try.

The original Hedge Knight story, which appeared in the Legends anthology, was my introduction to Martin and his epic Song of Ice and Fire series. To be blunt, his writing ruined me for just about every other fantasy author. Nearly every other fantasy series pales in comparison.

So how did the Hedge Knight, a relatively straightforward tale about a knight who attends a tourney and finds himself entangled in the affairs of princes, translate into comic book form?

While Ben Avery's adaptation covers all of the main points of the story, it just doesn't have the same feeling. He does an admirable job, but it's still missing something intangible that the prose story gives the reader. I wish I could explain it better, but the feeling you get after reading this volume is similar to when you see a movie that has been adapted from one of your favorite books. It never quite measures up.

Mike Miller's artwork is the book's saving grace. His renderings of Martin's characters matched the pictures I had in my head from reading the story so closely it was downright eerie. From the epic battles to the mundane sequences, Miller's artwork is a major enhancement to the overall storytelling. Seeing his interpretation of Martin's characters is more than worth the price of admission.

This hardcover collects the entire Hedge Knight limited series, plus a new story that leads into the second Hedge Knight story from Legends II: New Short Novels by the Masters of Modern Fantasy. It may not please all George R.R. Martin fans, but it is a worthy attempt at adapting the story, and is well worth checking out.

"The Hedge Knight" is a novella based on the "Song of Ice and Fire" series by George R.R. Martin, and takes place 100 years before the events depicted in A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1). This is the first book regarding Martin's "Tales of Dunk and Egg" stories, and follow the exploits of a Hedge Knight (basically a knight who is not employed) named Dunk and his squire named Egg. THIS IS A GRAPHIC NOVEL (comic book) based on the story that was originally published in Legends: Short Novels By The Masters of Modern Fantasy, and follows Ser Dunk as he enters a jousting tournament only to find he is soon fighting for more than just recognition.

For anyone who has read the Song of Ice and Fire series, "The Hedge Knight" follows the same writing style. Although the characters are new, most of the names have been mentioned by Martin in his previous books. I found that I had to do a little research after I read it to understand the families and who exactly the characters were as they relate to present events, but once I did I was pretty impressed with how well Martin had tied the stories together, as this novella focuses on the Targaryen family, who is only mentioned according to their past exploits in A Game of Thrones. That being said, no knowledge of the later books is necessary to enjoy the story, and fantasy, medieval, and comic fans should enjoy "A Hedge Knight" as a standalone graphic novel. It definitely makes it more enjoyable to have read the other series going into it though.

Although I am familiar with comics, this is the first graphic novel I have ever purchased, and is well worth the price. It is hardbound and well produced, printed with high quality paper and has a beautiful cover. I would definitely recommend this "premiere hardcover" edition over the second edition that is currently being sold, especially since the pricing is similar. The adaptation is written by Ben Avery, who does a fantastic job of accurately translating the novella to this medium. The artwork is by Mike S. Miller and is even more exceptional. The characters in "The Hedge Knight" are not as developed as those from Martin's other books and this story doesn't have as much suspense or the plot twists we've come to expect, but as a short story it certainly entertains and provides another look at the world Martin has created, as well as giving insight into some of the names Martin has only touched upon in previous books. Given the choice, I am also glad I read it for the first time in the graphic novel, rather than the short story that was printed in the Legends anthology.

The Dunk and Egg stories are continued in the short story, "The Sworn Sword," which can be found in Legends II: Dragon, Sword, and King and will be out as a comic book in the Summer of 2007.

Althought the story is not new, Marvel has put together a wonderfully packaged and presented version of The Hedge Knight.

If you have already read it or own a previous version, than it is probaly not worth buying, it is the same except for the presentation. However, if you do not already own the Hedge Knght in paper back or seperate comic form, than this is the version to buy. It is basically all six comic books in one binding. The 6 original comics from Dabel Bros. had 2 cover art versions you could purchase for each volume. This book has all 12 cover art peices in it wich is nice. The artwork really makes the story come to life.

If you are a fan of George R.R. Martin, and like his Ice and Fire series, than you should read this. Even though it is a graphic novel, wich is a fancy word for "big comic book" and that may turn some readers away, It is set in Westeros 150 years before the Ice and fire series. After reading the Hedge Knight, I re-read the Ice and Fire novels and found alot of references made back to the Hedge knight characters and events helping me understand some of the history of Westeros.

For those unfamiliar, The story is of Ser Duncan the Tall, his squire Egg,(these books are sometimes callled Dunk and Egg novels) and a certain famous tourney. Included are Characters from House Targayen, Baratheon, Swann, Fossaway, Lannister and many more that Maritn fans will recognize.

The Hedge Knight continues its story in 'Legends II' as a short story called 'The Sworn Sword'. But if you like the Graphic novel format, Dabel Bros. comics is releasing 'the Sworn Sword' in comic form in June of 07. Hopefully that series will be realeased as one volume such as this one eventually. If it does I will not hesitate to buy it.

If you love the history behind the Kingdom of Westeros than you'll be amazed with the tale Martin and company lay before you in the Hedge Knight. Through the eyes of a humble hedge knight at a tourney in Ashford Castle Ser Duncan the Tall encounters the heroes and villians of Westeros we only read about in the family geneologies.

The fantastic tale gives a deeper insight into the Seven kingdoms and the motivations for the people who are a part of them. The art work is fantastic with a story to match. A tale to read and reread!

Beautiful Art by Mike S. Miller and of course the great words of the master himself, George R. R. Martin. I would suggest reading the 4 SOIAF books currently available first and then going back to this nice story while we all wait for A Dance with Dragons.

This is a beautifully illustrated adaptation of George RR. Martins Hedge Knight short story. True to the story and drawn incredibly.

I don't have too much to add to what others have already said, but I would just like to say that the graphic novel was very true to the feel and plot of the original story by Martin. The art is so impressive that a lot of times I just stared at the larger pictures picking out all the detail I could. It's amazing!! Definately read this book if you are into collecting George R.R. Martin or if you simply love well crafted tales and beautiful art.

Very well done book. I was so glad to see a hardback edition for this great story. The artwork is pretty good and the story was excellent.

OK, so my experience with graphic novels might be limited, but this was amazing. Great artwork, gripping story (can't wait for the next installment...), everything was just right. Plus, having a glimpse at Westeros a few centuries before the happenings of Game of Thrones is well worth the very mild price of this collection.

A graphic novel at its best! This work started on an idea of portraying the New York Time's Best Seller series of George RR Martin's "A Song of Fire and Ice" now on its fourth book. However, Mr. Martin was indignant as a master novel writer - that the portrayal of his series into a graphic novel might not be accurate. The co-authors Ben Avery and Mike Miller were persistent until they convinced Mr Martin by showing him their beautiful art and comic design. Impressed by their work, Mr. Martin finally agreed to make this graphic novel. Concerned with the fact that his series contains thousands of pages, Mr. Martin settled for the prequel to his series for a more accurate portrayal of his masterpeice, hence, the Hedge Knight was born. His ingenious writing was perfectly built to fit the art of the graphic novel.

It's a prequel so it doesn't matter if you have read the "Song of Fire and Ice" series or not. If you haven't read it, this graphic novel is a good starter for the series. If you have read it, this graphic novel would make you appreciate Mr. Martin's masterpeice even more.

The drawings are exquisite and the storytelling flawless. It will be hard to let go of this book once you've started and it's also full of surprises. It keeps you at the edge of your seat and keeps you wanting for more. In the end it teaches you chivalry and its consequences.