Norma Editorial presents us with the complete edition of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, the collection of stories in which Mike Mignola and Howard Chaykin adapt the characters created by Fritz Leiber
The relationship between pulp novels and comics has always been very good. It’s not just that many of today’s most successful cartoon superheroes draw directly from similar ones created nearly a century ago, but there are also cases of characters that have crossed over from one medium to another with great success. Probably Conan be the clearest example, but not the only one. Now Editorial standard publishes in an exhaustive volume the adaptation of the adventures of two characters created by Fritz Leiber: Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser.
Adventurers and thieves
Leiber spent decades writing the adventures of this pair of mercenaries, but always in stories where plot was more important than character development. Their evolution over time is practically non-existent, and this is something that is respected in their transition to comics.
Fafhrd he is a gigantic barbarian with a lot of brute strength while the Gray buzzard He is a weak and skilled thief with certain magical abilities. They both live in a medieval world called Nehwon and differ from other famous sword and sorcery heroes in that they are characters with more advantages than usual who live in a world much more real than they seem, but fulfill the archetype of being adventure seekers with a rather lax moral attitude that ends up doing good more by chance than by purpose.
Mike Mignola and Howard Chaykin
No one better than Mike Mignola Yes Howard Chaykintwo admirers of Leiber’s work, to be tasked with adapting his stories to comics. There are seven adventures that this couple transfers into cartoons with great success, maintaining the spirit of the original works and giving them all the good that a medium like comics can give to these stories to bring them to life.
This couple realizes in their work the dreams that any lover of Leiber’s stories might have, using the correct tone in conveying everything contained in that strange world of Nehwon.
This volume also includes the stories published at the time by DC Comics In Sword and sorcery during the decade of the Seventies (about twenty years earlier), but we would probably be talking about a much more complete volume if we ignored all this part written by Dennis O’Neil Yes George Alec Effinger.
Before Hellboy
The Mignola we find here is not the one we would idolize years later Hell boybut almost. Although his style still had much to evolve, his talent is undeniable. Al Williamsonwho does a great job with the inks, does a lot to make it difficult for us to recognize Mignola in this story, and the color of Dave Stewartbut the result is still surprisingly exceptional.
The truth is that the rest of the stories, where Walter Simonson, Jim Starlin and Chaykin himself are mainly responsible for the graphic part, they pale in comparison to Mignola’s work. They have that nostalgic tone that can remind us of certain times Thor or Conan, but they are not up to par and also represent a fairly important graphic break with the rest of the volume.
As for the edition, it must be said that this is wonderful tome presented by Editorial standard It comes in hardback format without dust jacket with a page size of 17 x 26 cm. The volume contains 320 pages in color and includes the translation of the original edition of the stories published as Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser by Fritz Leiber Yes Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser by Fritz Leiber: The Cloud of Hate and Other Storiesas well as an introduction written by Chaykin himself and a gallery of covers. The recommended retail price is €37 and went on sale in August 2024.
Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser
WE RECOVER THIS ADAPTATION OF THE FRITZ LEIBER STORIES DRAWN BY MIKE MIGNOLA, NOW ALSO WITH THE PREVIOUS ADAPTATIONS BY CHAYKIN AND SIMONSON
Since his first appearance in 1939, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, Fritz Leiberthey are among the most beloved fantasy characters. His adventures in the imaginative land of Nehwon have influenced the work of some of the best modern fantasy writers such as Michael Moorcock or Terry Pratchett.
In this volume you will find compiled comic book adaptations of his stories, created in 1991 by Howard Chaykin (Black Kiss) and a young artist named Mike Mignolawho would shortly thereafter create Hellboy. Furthermore, this new edition includes some early adaptations from the 1970s, also made by Chaykin himself Dennis O’Neil, Walter Simonson Yes Jim Starlin.
Authors: Howard Chaykin / Mike Mignola / Dennis O’Neil / Walter Simonson / Jim Starlin / Al Williamson