Interview: The Great Hunt is On in Dynamite's 'Wheel of Time'
Nov 28, 2023
Interview by Nicki Faust
The momentous events related in the prologue of the Robert Jordan novel The Great Hunt are brought to vivid life! Dive back into Jordan's captivating fantasy world and discover the fascinating events that set the stage for the adventures of Rand and his compatriots as they hunt down the Horn of Valere!
Take a spin on the Wheel of Time: the Great Hunt with writer Rik Hoskin and artist Marcio Abreu. Check out our interview for the new series from Dynamite Comics.
For readers who are not longtime fans and veterans of the franchise, how would you describe the world of The Wheel of Time and its appeal? Readers can of course jump right in with the first issue of this comic, but are there some key details that newcomers may want to know?
The Wheel of Time is a huge saga, but it’s very human and it’s character-led. It’s been favorably compared to Lord of the Rings, as it sits within that fantasy style. One of the most interesting aspects is how the story regenerates over each book, and the threat seems to come into sharper focus with each volume. Picking up at Book 2 should be no more off-putting to readers than starting at Star Wars Episode IV! Come find a comfortable seat and we’ll fill you in with all you need to know.
The Wheel of Time is an epic going back over 30 years, with 15 novels, lots of companion material and other licensed media, and a big TV series on Amazon’s Prime. Can you touch on your history and experience with the franchise as a reader yourself?
Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time has loomed large over the fantasy genre for such a long time now, I feel like it has always been there on the bookshelves. I’ve known Jordan from his work on Conan too, of course, but The Wheel of Time is an epic of such volume it’s awe-inspiring, and a little daunting as a reader, let alone when you’re asked to adapt it. Lots and lots of characters, lots of moving parts to keep track of.
With so much source material to look to for lore and inspiration — nearly 12,000 pages just counting the core novels — is it daunting to be adding what we’re told is original material to this vast world of fiction? And how did you go about figuring out where this fits into that tapestry?
With a project like this, I always try to be as faithful as I can to the source material. That means familiarizing myself with the world, and trying to get it all into chunks I can refer to quickly — a bit like making revision notes when you’re at school! I did a project a while back adapting part of the Indian epic, the Mahabharata, and that was a very similar experience — juggling great lists of characters and events and timelines. With Wheel of Time we have the Jordan estate involved, and their notes have been exceptional — they’ll do research for me when I haven’t been able to find a definitive answer.
Rik, you have an incredibly deep bibliography, from comics to novels to other media that would require whole other fun words to describe. In addition to some brilliant worlds and stories you’ve created, you’re also renowned for your ability to jump into the sandbox on big franchises like Star Wars, Superman, Doctor Who, and fellow Wheel of Time contributor Brandon Sanderson’s White Sand graphic novels. What do you think allows you to seamlessly add to these extensive narratives beloved by fans?
Writing is writing, and I always enjoy what I do, which I hope comes across to readers (or listeners or game players or viewers, depending on what medium I’m working in). For projects like this, I like to work out the mechanics of how we can use our medium of comics and maybe surprise people familiar with the franchise by adding touches that breathe new life into the material. For Dynamite’s Red Rising, for example, I suggested colored speech balloons, and that was such a simple idea that helped the world of the books make the jump into comics. For Wheel of Time, well, let’s just say I have a few tricks!
The artwork on this series is being tackled by Marcio Abreu, who has himself contributed to juggernaut franchises like Red Sonja and Warlord of Mars. How has the collaboration been so far and how has it been seeing him bring your scripts to the page?
I was really pleased with the pages and the designs that Marcio came up with. I’d given him a lot of challenges in that very first issue and he knocked it out of the park. I can only imagine how much he was cursing when he first read my script; I didn’t make his life easy! But I’ve always been very lucky with my collaborators at Dynamite, there are some very talented artists out there.
Wheel of Time: The Great Hunt is available now at your local comic shop from Dynamite. Reserve your copy with PREVIEWSworld Pullbox.
In chapter 1, "In the Shadows," the Dark One gathers his sinister followers, the Darkfriends, and charges them to find the new Dragon that has been born into the world - at any cost. For unless he can separate the Dragon from the light, all of the Dark One's meticulously crafted plans are threatened!
Written by RIK HOSKIN and illustrated by MARCIO ABREU with colors by VINICIUS ANDRADE, The Wheel of Time: The Great Hunt #1 also features beautifully rendered covers by MEL RUBI and JORDAN GUNDERSON, as well as a special photo cover from Prime Video's The Wheel of Time TV series.
In chapter 1, "In the Shadows," the Dark One gathers his sinister followers, the Darkfriends, and charges them to find the new Dragon that has been born into the world - at any cost. For unless he can separate the Dragon from the light, all of the Dark One's meticulously crafted plans are threatened!
Written by RIK HOSKIN and illustrated by MARCIO ABREU with colors by VINICIUS ANDRADE, The Wheel of Time: The Great Hunt #1 also features beautifully rendered covers by MEL RUBI and JORDAN GUNDERSON, as well as a special photo cover from Prime Video's The Wheel of Time TV series.
In chapter 1, "In the Shadows," the Dark One gathers his sinister followers, the Darkfriends, and charges them to find the new Dragon that has been born into the world - at any cost. For unless he can separate the Dragon from the light, all of the Dark One's meticulously crafted plans are threatened!
Written by RIK HOSKIN and illustrated by MARCIO ABREU with colors by VINICIUS ANDRADE, The Wheel of Time: The Great Hunt #1 also features beautifully rendered covers by MEL RUBI and JORDAN GUNDERSON, as well as a special photo cover from Prime Video's The Wheel of Time TV series.
In Chapter 2, "The Flame of Tar Valon," Rand and his mentor Lan train in Fal Dara with a mysterious heron-marked sword - a weapon whose shadowy origins raise questions about Rand's own heritage. But even as the Dark One steps up his search for the reborn Dragon, Rand faces a different challenge in the form of two thousand Children of the Light approaching Fal Dara. What will the young hero do against the fiery might of The White Tower? And what will happen if the Dark One's Forces find him first? Grab this issue of The Wheel of Time: The Great Hunt from writer RIK HOSKIN and artist MARCIO ABREU and find out!
In Chapter 2, "The Flame of Tar Valon," Rand and his mentor Lan train in Fal Dara with a mysterious heron-marked sword - a weapon whose shadowy origins raise questions about Rand's own heritage. But even as the Dark One steps up his search for the reborn Dragon, Rand faces a different challenge in the form of two thousand Children of the Light approaching Fal Dara. What will the young hero do against the fiery might of The White Tower? And what will happen if the Dark One's Forces find him first? Grab this issue of The Wheel of Time: The Great Hunt from writer RIK HOSKIN and artist MARCIO ABREU and find out!
In Chapter #3: Rand is desperate to leave Fal Dara after learning that the Amyrlin Seat will soon be sending for him, but he finds that all the gates are barred. To protect his friends from the Amyrlin Seat, he sends them on their way to Tar Valon with harsh words to distance himself from them. But after taking shelter in the dungeon, Rand and his fellow villager Egwene hear some disturbing words from an imprisoned Darkfriend. What does Padan Fain reveal from his cell? Find out in The Wheel of Time: The Great Hunt #3 from writer RIK HOSKIN and artist MARCIO ABREU!
In Chapter #3: Rand is desperate to leave Fal Dara after learning that the Amyrlin Seat will soon be sending for him, but he finds that all the gates are barred. To protect his friends from the Amyrlin Seat, he sends them on their way to Tar Valon with harsh words to distance himself from them. But after taking shelter in the dungeon, Rand and his fellow villager Egwene hear some disturbing words from an imprisoned Darkfriend. What does Padan Fain reveal from his cell? Find out in The Wheel of Time: The Great Hunt #3 from writer RIK HOSKIN and artist MARCIO ABREU!
Issue #4:
Written by Rik Hoskin and illustrated by Marcio Abreu, issue #1 also features covers by Mel Rubi and Jordan Gunderson!
Issue #4:
Written by Rik Hoskin and illustrated by Marcio Abreu, issue #1 also features covers by Mel Rubi and Jordan Gunderson!
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