Customer Reviews

The Hedge Knight - Second Edition [Graphic Novel]

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

When I first saw this listed I thought Martin had done the same thing Jordan had done with "New Spring", in other words I thought he had taken the awesome short story from "Legends" and expanded it into a longer novel forcing me to spend extra money even though I had already shelled out for "Legends".

Thanks to reading a couple of the reviews I learned I was horribly mistaken and had kept myself from enjoying an awesome story in comic form.

It is the exact same story from the short story "The Hedge Knight" but as every reader knows the change of mediums from prose to comic gives the reader a new experience. I would never say that one or the other is better, that is up to the reader, but I would definitely say it is a real treat to be able to switch between the two. The artwork is beatiful and true to story, and I didn't feel that anything was left out that had been in the short story.

My only disappointment is knowing they can't do the entire series in this form also.

If you already have the first edition of this, the only difference other than the cover is some new artwork in the back of all the individual characters. If you are a first time buyer and have the choice between the first and second edition buy the second but if you already own the first you don't need the second unless you're a collector.

This is the first graphic novel that I've read and I was thoroughly impressed. Martin's short story of Dunk the hedge knight and his first tournament experience is well told and fun to read. The art in this book is really great and gives the story a more intimate feel by allowing the reader a visualization of the events as they unfold. The story is definitely enhanced by the detailed art work and makes for a very enjoyable read. I look forward to reading some of the other stories from Legends in this graphic format.

A very enjoyable one/two day read and worth the price.
Highly recommended.

There are few adaptations that are absolutely true to their source material. This is definitely the exception as opposed to the rule.
The stunning artwork is a perfect compliment to George R.R. Martin's already exquisite short story. It seems as though nothing is left out and the graphic novel medium seems a perfect fit for the story.
This title is equally accessible to first time reader's of Dunk's exploits as it is to those who have already read and loved the story.
The second edition, however, offers little in terms of new content. Some additional pieces of artwork at the end of the book and new cover art are all that is really offered. If, however, you are new to The Hedge Knight in the graphic novel format, this is defintely the edition to go with.

Yes, GRAPHIC NOVEL and not a traditional George RR Martin book. I accidentally purchased The Hedge Knight paired with A Feast For Crows thinking that it was a 'prequel' to the Song of Ice and Fire series. It arrived and I thought that I'd give it a once-over to see if I should keep it or simply send it back. (This is the first graphic novel I have ever bought.)

The Hedge Knight is actually a very, very good read. The plot line follows George RR Martin's writing style and the world he created very well - the twists, turns and surprise ending were all in there. If you read the SOng of Ice and Fire series, then you will recognize many of the characters and their family lines. The graphics of the book were also top-notch.

Rumor has it that Dabel Brothers, The Hedge Knight's publisher, is looking to adapt the entire Song of Ice and Fire series into graphic novel format. This will be a real challenge due to the multiple character perspectives - my hope is that these books will match The Hedge Knight's high quality.

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 writer 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 trade paperback collects the entire Hedge Knight limited series, plus a new story that leads into the second Hedge Knight story from Legends II. It may not please all George R.R. Martin fans (especially those who couldn't figure out that this was a graphic novel ), but it is a worthy attempt at adapting the story, and is well worth checking out.

*** In 2004, The Hedge Knight was published. A year after that, this Second Edition was published, which contains a few new pages of artwork for some of the individual characters as the only difference. A year after that Hedge Knight Volume 1 Premiere HC (Book Market Edition) (Hedge Knight) was published, which is hardcover, a little higher quality, and contains a few pages of artwork on the house sigils. The Hardcover edition is superior to both of those and should be purchased instead of this second edition. There is minimal difference in price. ***

"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. 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.

This is the first graphic novel I've seen from this publisher, or by the adaptors, Ben Avery and Mike Miller. They certainly do justice to Martin's story, set a century or so before the events of A Song of Fire and Ice, when Baratheon is just another House and the Targaryens are firmly in control. "Dunk," tall and strong and not too stupid, is squire to an elderly itinerant knight who inherits the man's horse, longsword, and armor when he dies on the roadside. He seeks out a tourney, hoping to make some money by defeating a lordling and ransoming him, and perhaps by finding a place in some lord's guard. Of course, nothing goes as planned, and he finds himself hip-deep in trouble when he defends a puppeteer girl and assaults an arrogant young prince in the process. But he has acquired a squire of his own, who has secrets, too. As always with Martin's fiction, politics among the great families plays an important part in the plot. There's also a short story, "Battle on Redgrass Field," which doesn't have much of an individual plot; it's really more of a rumination on the nature of battle. The artwork in this volume is excellent and suits the story admirably. And there's a four-page "Roll of Arms" at the end depicting the blazons of many of the houses that figure in Martin's fantasy epic (but the story is set in the south, so you won't find Stark or any of the northern families represented).

George R. R. Martin's stories are always great, but the artwork in this volume really brings them to life! I'd highly recommend it to anyone that enjoys his work.

the Hedge Knight is not a traditional novel. It is instead a graphic novel written in the comic book style. If you enjoy the G.R.R. Martin novels, this story is a must have. Its set about 90 years before the books and provides a great back story to some of the people and places that appear later in the books. The illustrations also serve to bring the world of Westeros to vivid life and the last part displays the sigil's of each House. The Hedge Knoght is a quick read but a good one.

The Hedge Knight is a wonderful little entry in George R. R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series.

It tells the story of "Dunk the Lunk," a squire who, much like Heath Ledger in A Knight's Tale, looks to overcome his humble origins and make good as a knight. Dunk, renaming himself Ser Duncan, sets his sight on a tournament, but the story really gets going as he gets embroiled in the political machinations of the land.

Those who haven't read A Game of Thrones might be slightly confused, but I think that the story is very accessable, as this tale is told in the past of Westeros and thus doesn't rely on knowledge of the events of the novels. (Though certain thematic elements, such as Dunk's taking a shooting star on his sigil, will be lost.)

In general, this is a fun story and the artwork is magnificent. I would recommend it to any fan of fantasy fiction or graphic novels, and trebly so to the many fans that Martin already has. A Song of Ice and Fire is a marvelous creation thus far, and The Hedge Knight is a short and sweet stand-alone thread in that vast weave. Five stars.