So no Rhea?

[CyberGhostface]

Now that the comics are all done, I'm a bit surprised how Furth/David/King never bothered to follow up on Rhea (unless I missed something) and what happened to her.

Given that Roland effectively hinted that he did encounter her again and killed her, it would have made sense for him to encounter her at some point before the events of the Gunslinger yet Furth went from the events of Wizard and Glass all the way to the end of the first book and she never appeared.

Granted given how King effectively wiped out the comics from continuity with his last DT novel (or as Furth said, relegated them to "another level of the Tower"), I guess it would just be a "what if" but still...

[Bryant Burnette]

I agree that it is a bit surprising.

I'm fine with it, though; I'd rather King tell the story of Rhea's comeuppance himself someday. I also hope he tells his own version of the fall of Gilead, and his own version of the battle of Jericho Hill, so that it will wash the mediocrity of those comics out of my brain.

[Merlin1958]

I agree that it is a bit surprising.

I'm fine with it, though; I'd rather King tell the story of Rhea's comeuppance himself someday. I also hope he tells his own version of the fall of Gilead, and his own version of the battle of Jericho Hill, so that it will wash the mediocrity of those comics out of my brain.

Given that he authorized Furth & Co. to tell those stories, it ain't bloody likely, but I do sympathize with your point of view.

[Bryant Burnette]

Given that he authorized Furth & Co. to tell those stories, it ain't bloody likely, but I do sympathize with your point of view.

I'm going to speculate -- and, obviously, speculation is all that it is -- that when King signed off on the idea of the comics, he had no inkling that he would ever return to the Tower story. Maybe it was sort of a "yeah, sure, do whatever you want, I'm done with all that" type scenario. But several years later, clearly, the idea for The Wind Through the Keyhole developed, and I'd wager that that got him to thinking about the entire Tower universe again.

Bev Vincent's book The Dark Tower Companion sheds some potential light on this. Vincent asks him to what extent he is involved with the comics, and King answers by saying that to begin with, he monitored the comics very closely. He then adds, "After they went off on their own, I didn't want to junk up my head with their story lines." He specifies that if there are more books, "they won't be influenced at all" by the comics.

To me, that sounds like the words of a guy who has plans. Tentative plans, maybe; plans he might never get around to fulfilling, maybe; but plans of some sort.

Vincent's book is well worth reading if only for that one interview, by the way. (Although I found plenty more to enjoy than that; it's great more or less start to finish.)

[Merlin1958]

Well. it "could be" I suppose, but still not likely. I do however protect that "Could be flame" as I am sure you do as well!!!

[Bryant Burnette]

Absolutely! I'll be excited to read anything King writes, but there's really no comparison to the thought of a new Tower book.

[CyberGhostface]

He then adds, "After they went off on their own, I didn't want to junk up my head with their story lines." He specifies that if there are more books, "they won't be influenced at all" by the comics.

That makes me very happy to hear.