Product Description: Since their first appearance in 1939, Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser have ranked among the most beloved characters in fantasy. Their rollicking adventures in the fantastic land of Nehwon have influenced the work of some of the best in modern fantasy, including Michael Moorcock, Terry Pratchett and countless others.
4 and 1/2 stars ... and ...About time!! For whatever it's worth this book was for me. I've always loved the Fafhrd and Mouser tales. These adaptations are among my favorites. Howard Chaykin channels Fritz Leiber like a kindred soul. Chaykin brings out the pairs' wit, arrogance, doubts and, ultimately their worldly humor as they wander through through their many adventures and misadventures. They're friends who do not need each other but love playing off of each other, as if together they are better than they are alone. These are great buddy stories with a sword and sorcery world as the setting. Best of all is that these stories (all of them, not just those in this collection) are richly detailed, realistically powerful and memorable in a way few S&S tales are. It's easy to relate to these two scoundrels. Couple this with the stunningly effective and distinctive art provided by Mike Mignola (inked by the always remarkable, fine line of Al Williamson, also proving there is no one Al can't ink and still look great) and colorist Sherlyn van Valkenburgh provides a great reason to shun digital color. She's a gem and one rarely seen in comics anymore. Even Michael Heisler's lettering is worth noting for it's melding so well with the stories. The stories selected for these adaptations give everyone a chance to shine. Mignola establishes himself as one of the more respected artists in the American comic scene by drawing everything under the sun on Newhon. The half star missing is for the book's binding. It's fine for what it is and the art director and editor deliver one of the best looking graphic novels to see print, a beautiful package. So, why did the publisher not put out a hardcover edition. It would have been worth another $5 to $10 dollars.
Disappointing collection of stories I like the the Sword and Sorcery genre. The drawings are quite nice here (the muted colours are terrific)but somehow, the short stories don't quite fit together.
Fun Fantasy Fafhrd and The Gray Mouser is simply good fantasy with lots of action, comedy and darkness. Any one who enjoys Mignola's work, will like this. I read through it and wished there was another volume. Luckily there are other Fafhrd and The Gray Mouser books out there that I have yet to explore. You can really see where Mignola gets Hellboy's since of humor from. Definitely worth reading if you enjoy Hellboy, Conan etc...
The work belongs in a graphic novel... I first ran into Fritz Leiber when many of the S&S books talked about him and his work in the forward or introduction. They praised him, frankly, as one of the Fathers, if not the Grand Master, of fantasy. So I picked up the first book of the series. And was very disappointed. I don't know why. It was gritty, full of action, had lots of wine and thievery. But most of it didn't even happen in the city of the title and the stories seemed to drag. On and on. They were neither short nor were they full length novels. I decided not to collect any more of his books. Then I found this graphic novel and decided to make another go at enjoying this work. I figured, if the written text seems to be too slow, maybe a graphic novel, where much of the information was in a visible form, would allow the story to move faster. And I was right. Within a night I had read the book from front to back. The plot, the characters and the setting need to be brought to life via the brush and pen of the comic book artist to truly be enjoyed. Still, the characters seem to talk too much. Silence in many of the panels would have worked just as well.
Just Never Reeled Me In! I will say that this just may not be my thing. I admit the only reason I purchased it was for the artist, but I have to think there is a reason Conan is so much more popular. I do not think there was a problem with the art or the adaptation. I just do not like the story.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Trevor
