Last year I was watching the Emmy Awards and I was following with interest which TV show would win in the ‘Best Drama’ category. I had watched every show nominated except one. And as normally happens (and as you might have correctly guessed), the one that I didn’t watch won the award! It was, of course, ‘Game of Thrones’. This year, I decided that I will remedy the situation and watch ‘Game of Thrones’. The latest rerun before the new season started this week. I also got the graphic novel version to read on the side. So everyday, I watch an episode and then read the corresponding pages in the graphic novel. The graphic novel seems to be closer to the original book, while in the TV show some of the scenes are changed or moved around.
I had the regular reactions that people have while watching the show or reading George RR Martin. In the first episode, in the first few minutes (and the first pages of the graphic novel), two out of the three characters we meet are killed. The third one is beheaded five minutes later! Then the story goes on cruise mode, we are introduced to interesting characters and we like some of them and we are doubtful about some of them and we reach the last minute of the episode and we nearly breathe a sigh of relief. Okay, we are safe for the day. But, Oh! That last minute was terrible! George RR Martin, what are you doing??? Why this bloodthirst???
I have watched seven episodes till now and though I loved each one, it is scary everytime I sit down to watch a new episode. Many of my characters have had close shaves till now and some of them have had more than that. I hope nothing happens to my favourite characters.
Well, now about my favourite characters. There are so many characters and the story is epic, that it is hard to think of a favourite few. But if I can have only a few favourites, it will be Arya (she is so awesome!), Daenerys (she makes the best of a bad situation) and Tyrion (Peter Dinklage delivers an exceptional performance in the TV version, probably for the role written for him). And I so love those direwolf cubs! I want to have a direwolf cub – maybe Nymeria or Ghost 🙂 Well, I think favourites will change as the story evolves and I will have to wait and see what happens.
I will say a few things about the graphic novel. The story told here is closer to that in the book. The TV show takes some liberties and there are changes in many of the scenes. I liked many things about the graphic novel. The artwork Tommy Patterson is beautiful. The artists don’t skimp on the nudity – so read with care. The character of Lady Stark is more fiery, feisty in the graphic novel. Arya is better represented in the TV show. The imp Tyrion Lannister’s representation is interesting – I liked him both in the graphic novel and the TV show, though both were a little bit different from each other. The Queen is interesting and complex in the TV show – I wanted to like her, but I couldn’t. But in the graphic novel, eventhough she is beautiful and regal, it is hard to like her.
There is an introduction at the beginning of the graphic novel by George RR Martin and by the editor and the artist, and at the end of the volume there is an essay by the editor on how they went about creating this graphic novel version. They are beautiful essays and give us a behind-the-scenes peek.
I can’t wait to read the second volume of the graphic novel series now. Someday, I hope to read the actual novels. But for now, this will have to do.
Have you read the graphic novel version of ‘A Game of Thrones’? Or watched the TV show or read the novel series? What do you think about them?
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