Bantam Books, an imprint of the Random House Publishing Group, announced today that Alex Ross and Mike S. Miller will serve as the cover artists for the comic book adaptation of George R.R. Martin's A Game of Thrones, the opening volume in the New York Times bestselling epic fantasy series, A Song of Ice & Fire.

The series will be illustrated by Tommy Patterson and adapted & scripted by Daniel Abraham, the award-winning and bestselling author of The Long Price Quartet, The Dragon’s Path, Hunter’s Run (w/Gardner Dozois and George R.R. Martin), the short story collection Leviathan Wept and Other Stories, the Wild Cards: The Hard Call comic book miniseries, The Black Sun’s Daughter urban fantasy series written as MLN Hanover, and Leviathan Wakes (w/Ty Frank) under the pen name James S. A. Corey. The first issue of the monthly comic—which will be published by Dynamite Entertainment—is planned for release in September 2011, with compilations of the comics in graphic novel form to follow under the Bantam imprint.

“It has been 15 years since I first edited A Game of Thrones, and it is a genuine joy to be revisiting and adapting this landmark novel into a format that suits it so perfectly,” says Senior Editor at Random House Anne Groell. “George's writing has always been highly visual, painting rich, detailed and striking images in the reader's minds and hearts. And now seeing such a talented group of artists bringing that so vividly to life is truly exciting. I couldn't be more pleased with everything I have seen so far—and I can't wait for what is yet to come!”

“It's a real privilege and a treat to be involved with reinterpreting A Game of Thrones,” says writer Daniel Abraham. “It's a brilliant piece of work, and watching the strength of that story come into a visual medium is fantastic.”

“George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice & Fire is the best book series I've ever read," says cover artist Mike Miller. “Not just in the fantasy genre, but in ANY genre. Just as I hear people saying Game of Thrones is the best series on TV, I'm sure they'll be saying the same about the comic book. You can't find a better writer anywhere than George, and I was very excited to get the opportunity to draw covers for the comic book adaptation.”

Game of Thrones began airing on HBO in April 2011, and quickly became one of the highest rated, and critically acclaimed show of the year, with a second season commitment by HBO following the airing of the first episode. The season finale was the highest rated episode of the season, showing the strength of the series. The comics and graphic novels will further expand the A Song of Ice & Fire series into a new medium, creating opportunities for readers old and new to immerse themselves in this bestselling world.

George R.R. Martin sold his first story in 1971 and hasn't stopped. As a writer-producer, he worked on The Twilight Zone, Beauty and the Beast, and various feature films and pilots that were never made. In the mid-90s he began work on the New York Times bestselling epic fantasy series, A Song of Ice and Fire. He is also the editor of the Wild Cards series and the recent anthologies, Songs of the Dying Earth, Warriors, and Songs of Love & Death. A Dance With Dragons, the long-awaited fifth volume in ASOIAF, will be published on July 12, 2011.

Daniel Abraham is the author of ten novels and more than thirty short stories. He has been nominated for the Hugo, the Nebula, and the World Fantasy awards, and won the International Horror Guild Award. He has written the graphic novel adaptations of George R.R. Martin's novel Fevre Dream and novella “Skin Trade,” and original scripts for Wild Cards: The Hard Call. He also writes as MLN Hanover and James S. A. Corey.

Alex Ross is known for his realistic human depictions of classic comic book characters. Highlights include Marvels with Kurt Busiek and Kingdom Come with Mark Waid. Between 1998 and 2003, writer Paul Dini and Alex Ross produced annual tabloid-sized editions celebrating the 60th anniversaries of DC Comics' Superman: Peace on Earth, Batman: War on Crime, Shazam: Power of Hope, and Wonder Woman: Spirit of Truth, as well as two specials featuring the Justice League: Secret Origins and Justice League: Liberty and Justice. Ross' awards include a 1997 Will Eisner Award for Kingdom Come and a 1998 National Cartoonists Society Comic Book Award for Superman: Peace on Earth. Alex Ross is heavily involved with many Dynamite Entertainment projects and is currently reuniting with Kurt Busiek for Dynamite's Kirby: Genesis.

Mike S. Miller is a longtime artist for many comic publishing companies including Marvel, DC, and Image Comics. Mike S. Miller is most known for his work on the comic book adaptation of George R. R. Martin's Hedge Knight series, Robert Jordan's New Spring as well as his work on DC's JLA and Adventures of Superman. Miller created and wrote The Imaginaries, which was published by Image Comics before starting his own publishing company, Alias Enterprises, to publish the series, among others. The series is returning through Darren Davis's Bluewater Productions. In 2008, his comic book series Deal with the Devil was sold to Lionsgate Films.

Tommy Patterson’s creits include Farscape for Boom! Studios, the comic book adaptation of The Warriors for Dynamite Entertainment, and Tales From Wonderland: The White Knight, Tales From Wonderland: Red Rose and Stingers from Zenescope Entertainment. He has a BS in Studio Art and also works as a graphic designer.

Long ago, in a time long forgotten, a mysterious event threw the seasons of the world out of balance. Now the kingdom is blessed by golden summers that go on for years, and cursed by cruel winters that can last a generation. In the cool north of this kingdom is a royal family ruled by Eddard Stark. The symbol of the royal house of the Starks is a direwolf; their motto is “Winter is coming.” As indeed, it is. For the Iron Throne of Westeros is once more under contention. With Eddard's help, Robert Baratheon won it away from the corrupt Targaryens, who had ruled Westeros for generations. But when Eddard is summoned south to help an aging king hold the throne they both won, he finds himself enmeshed in a web of treachery and lies, as faction after faction plays that most dangerous game of all—the game of thrones...

THOUGHTS: I’m curious about the comic book adaptation of a A Game of Thrones, but not really that excited. I loved The Hedge Knight miniseries, but those were novellas that were being adapted compared to a novel that is over 600 pages long. Plus, considering how impressive HBO’s Game of Thrones TV series ended up being, can the comic book adaptation even compare? Also, I’m not a fan of Tommy Patterson’s artwork, although the decision to use Alex Ross and Mike S. Miller as cover artists was definitely an inspired choice. In fact, I might end up buying the series just because of the covers, although I’ll probably wait until the graphic novels are available. Despite my reservations, I have faith in  Daniel Abraham’s abilities and believe the author will do the series justice :D