So Marvel is dropping the first issue of Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born #1 at midnight on 2/6, I guess? Interesting. It sounds like kind of a good way for a comic company to test the waters of the release-at-midnight-for-the-fanguys/gals-crowd phenomenon, and honestly it’s also a pretty great cheap way to get publicity.

I’m sure Marvel is thinking the Dark Tower comic is one of the best bets to breakout to a mainstream audience they’re ever going to have, and maybe they’re right. So the problem then is Marvel has to reach the jabillions of people who read Stephen King but completely forgot about comics 10-12 years ago once they trashed the spinner rack at the local pharmacia. This stunt should help them avoid having to spend too much on advertising and promotions in that respect.

Although I’m skeptical just how popular Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born the comic is going to be. Is anyone really going to care about this? Will people show up? King’s Dark Tower series is long over (in pop culture time), and it didn’t end all that well artistically from my understanding. Does it have that much of a following? I’m willing to bet comic stores would get bigger crowds at midnight when like Civil War II or The Death of _______ is upon us in a year or two — even the Halo Graphic Novel kind of sunk without a trace — but hey, never underestimate people, people.

Anyway, if this is something you’re looking forward to, Marvel posted a helpful list online of the comic stores participating in the promotion. Have fun. For you NYers out there, Peter David and Jae Lee are going to be at the Times Square Midtown Comics signing copies of Dark Tower #1, which is pretty rad.

Spread the word!