The Michael Moorcock Library - The Chronicles of Corum, Vol. 1: The Knight of Swords

The Michael Moorcock Library: The Chronicles of Corum #1

by Michael Moorcock, Mike Mignola (Illustrator), Rick Burchett (Illustrator)

Michael Moorcock's powerful fantasy begins.

Prince Corum Jhaelen embarks on an epic journey of fate and vengeance through all the fifteen planes of Earth, even to the very center of Time-the still, blue city of Tanelorn.
Acclaimed author Michael Moorcock weaves stunning blend of magic, heroism, and wonder.

Genres: Fantasy, Comics, Sword and Sorcery, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Comic Book

112 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Michael John Moorcock is an English writer primarily of science fiction and fantasy who has also published a number of literary novels.

Moorcock has mentioned The Gods of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Apple Cart by George Bernard Shaw and The Constable of St. Nicholas by Edward Lester Arnold as the first three books which captured his imagination. He became editor of Tarzan Adventures in 1956, at the age of sixteen, and later moved on to edit Sexton Blake Library. As editor of the controversial British science fiction magazine New Worlds, from May 1964 until March 1971 and then again from 1976 to 1996, Moorcock fostered the development of the science fiction "New Wave" in the UK and indirectly in the United States. His serialization of Norman Spinrad's Bug Jack Barron was notorious for causing British MPs to condemn in Parliament the Arts Council's funding of the magazine.

During this time, he occasionally wrote under the pseudonym of "James Colvin," a "house pseudonym" used by other critics on New Worlds. A spoof obituary of Colvin appeared in New Worlds #197 (January 1970), written by "William Barclay" (another Moorcock pseudonym). Moorcock, indeed, makes much use of the initials "JC", and not entirely coincidentally these are also the initials of Jesus Christ, the subject of his 1967 Nebula award-winning novella Behold the Man, which tells the story of Karl Glogauer, a time-traveller who takes on the role of Christ. They are also the initials of various "Eternal Champion" Moorcock characters such as Jerry Cornelius, Jerry Cornell and Jherek Carnelian. In more recent years, Moorcock has taken to using "Warwick Colvin, Jr." as yet another pseudonym, particularly in his Second Ether fiction.

Reviews

[Gianfranco Mancini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Primo splendido volume dell'adattamento a fumetti delle Cronache di Corum, incarnazione del Campione Eterno di Michael Moorcock insieme al più famoso Elric, la cui famigerata spada Tempestosa (Stormbringer) fa qui capolino insieme al Duca Arioch nell'ultimo numero di questa raccolta.



Perchè il ciclo del Campione Eterno di Moorcock è una splendida serie di romanzi interconnessi tra loro neanche fossero un crossover di supereroi Marvel o DC, con antieroi tormentati che si trovano a brandire poteri di gran lunga più grandi di loro, e che finiscono con l'annientare loro e tutti i loro cari, amici ed alleati senza che questi riescano a rinunciarvi prima che sia troppo tardi.



Ed i disegni del giovane Mignola, qui ancora acerbi ma già notevoli, sono semplicemente perfetti per illustrare questa tragica vicenda di vendetta, amore e morte.



Tanta morte.

[Little Timmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice adaptation of Moorcock's 1st book in the Swords Trilogy. Good read. Recommended

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sigh. Another great example of Mike Mignola’s early work marred by terrible production (avoid the new hardcover printing of Aliens: Salvation from Dark Horse, it’s almost as bad). It looks exactly like what it is, second generation copies of comic pages printed last century. Apparently no one at Titan has the time or ability to use a little photoshop to make these beautiful comics look their best. Which is too bad because the story is interesting and some of the page designs and compositions are stunning.

Track down the original Comics on eBay for a quarter apiece and you’ve saved yourself twenty four bucks and have better looking copies to boot. Win/win!

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re: The Story

Good Celtic mythology combines with a strong plot that's only weakened a bit by the otherworldliness of the final journey into Arioch's land. Everything before that is great.

Re: The Comic

Mike Magnolia's artwork is beautiful, and nicely combines with Mike Baron's smart adaptation.

Re: The Reproduction

The first two issues are somewhat muddy in this reprint, and also have serious problems with caption boxes that are purple or blue, which make the (black) text hard to read. Fortunately, both of these problems clear up with the third issue. Otherwise, this is the beautiful, high-quality printing that we've come to expect from these new Titan editions of these classic comics.

[Jamie Connolly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a new reprinting of the old Corum comic from First Publishing back in the, I think, the 80’s. I’m a big fan of Moorcock’s eternal champion. I’ve read the whole series, so I love the graphic adaptation. It’s not as good as the books and to be totally honest the graphic versions aren’t exactly great. But, for me, to see the Corum, or any eternal champion for that matter, in this form is really fantastic. So 5 stars.

[Carl · Rating 4 out of 5]

A reprint of a 1986 adaptation by Mike Barron and a young pre Hellboy Mike Mignola.
well written and illustrated with Mignola and the colorist invoking the color Prince Valiant newspaper strips.
Great fun.

[Lucy Batson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strong adaptation that's faithful to Michael Moorcock's tone and style. I kind of prefer Mike Mignola's earlier, slightly more detailed style (as seen in works like this or Cosmis Odyssey), and it fits the odd world of this story very well.

[Love of Hopeless Causes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid, consistent art. This origin opener makes me want to continue.

[Gabriel Benitez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basada en el Primer libro de la Primera Trilogía de Corum (son 6 libros en total) éste cómic adapta perfectamente bien la odisea del príncipe Corum, cuya raza — los Vadhag — han sido diezmados sin piedad por los Mabden (o sea, nosotros los humanos) hasta convertirlo a él, en el último de su raza. Corum es capturado y torturado de forma horrible: se le ha arrancado un ojo y se le ha cortado una mano, pero una extraña providencia lo salvará y lo llevará al lado de Riahlina, una mujer Mabden de la que se enamorará y de ahí a conseguir un nuevo ojo y mano de origen sobrenatural (la mano puede razgar el velo del multiverso y llegar a cualquier mundo, mientras que el ojo puede ver todos los universos) para enfrentar a las niñas enemigo terrible: el duque Arioch (o Arioco) Duque del caos y Caballero de las espadas, una deidad terrible y multiforme.

[Laint Moser · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mignola’s art carried this book. The writing for this graphic novel was so bland. It made the Knight of Swords seem like a boring book when I loved it originally.

[Niels · Rating 3 out of 5]

Go for the printed version

The kindle version has gaps where nothing is displayed. Otherwise this is a great adaptation of one of my favorite sword and sorcery takes.

[Chad Brock · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Y · Rating 4 out of 5]

Close to the novel. Just a bit dated

I liked that this comics was close to the book, but the style is a bit outdated. The style is not very detailed.

[Baldassarre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Non conoscevo il personaggio di Corum e questo volume è stata una bella scoperta; oltre alla trama ci sono le matite di un giovane Mignola che sono davvero deliziose.

[Mhorg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

Truth. This is an excellent adaptation of the first book of the corum trilogy. The artwork, by Mike Mignola is brilliant. Tremendous adaptation.

[Zare · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful comic/graphic-novel adaptation.

Moorcock's stories were always more adult than majority of fantasy books in its time, and Corum is the same. I think when it comes to complexity of the characters and the gray line they walk, only Wagner's Kane comes near to Moorcock's heroes.

Member of stagnating race (very Elf-like) Corum finds himself targeted by a barbarian group of Humanity that are slowly taking over the world.

We follow our hero from one tragedy to another, as he suffers greatly, not only in losses of his people, destruction and desecration of his family but also body losses induced by the barbarian humans during torture. He finds refuge in the more civilized humanity and there finds his love, Rhalina, that will prove the corner stone for his survival and finally striking back at his enemies.

First step is to fight against the Arioch (of Elric's fame) and fighting against the one of the Duke's of Hell is something that is not advisable to anyone, especially half crippled Corum. As it always happens in these stories he will find unlikely allies, and there is question if they are any better from the horrors Corum is fighting.

Art is just stunning. I like this period of Mike Mignola - characters are not devolved entirely into the abstract forms with polygon splashes of black and white, scenes of horror are done superbly, and mass scenes, especially when it comes to fighting the hordes attacking the Rhalina's castle are just breathtaking, including the duel between Glandyth and Corum.

Highly recommended to all fans of heroic fantasy, beautiful adaptation.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Mike Mignola's nascent art is fully on display here.
As in all of the Eternal Warrior tales we are but playthings of the Lords of ChAoS & Order...

[Diane Porras · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very hard to read!!!!

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spot on adaptation.

[Aliyu · Rating 4 out of 5]

They say this is one of the inspirations for Berserk and I can definitely see that now. it's a very good fantasy adventure story with an interesting world and a compelling revenge story.

[Ralph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sehr gute Story. Zeichnungen sind etwas gewöhnungsbedürfig.
Ich muss mal schauen, ob ich die Moorcock Bücher als eBooks kriege.

[Drew Canole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this for Mike Mignola's artwork, but this story is as compelling as Elric and Mike Baron's writing is pitch-perfect. Overall a fantastic adaptation.

[Elwyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I only read this for Mike Mignola's artwork.

The story was rather boring except when the protagonist's lust for revenge results in him sacrificing innocent lives to escape. Later, he inadvertently causes the final genocide of the last survivors of his species.
That interesting dilemma then gets glossed over.

[Michael Sorbello · Rating 4 out of 5]

The feuds between the old races known as the Vadhagh and the Nadragh are dying as each of their races are close to extinction. With the deaths of the old age at hand, the new era of humans known as the Mabden are quick to take over the world by aiding in the slaughter and destruction of the world's old life. Prince Corum was a loving and honorable Vadragh who sought nothing more than to spend his time in the company of his dear family, writing symphonies and appreciating the arts. That changes after the Mabden invade his land and he's driven mad with a lust for revenge. The old races are dying, but the last of them will not die standing down. Corum's vendetta against the Mabden draws him into a reality-warping battle that defies time, space and the gods of chaos.

Another fantastical, acid trip adventure by Moorcock. This is the third iteration of the Eternal Champion that I've read so far and I'm really catching on to the formula and themes that keep every series tied together. It offers more of the same and that's not such a bad thing. There are some things I don't like here such as insta-romance and some wooden dialogue devoid of emotion, but the joy of reading comes from the fascinating lore and immersion of the multiverse itself.

There are rich and imaginative landscapes, epic magical battles and dangerous adventures across gloomy, apocalyptic landscapes. The mind twisting moments of metaphysical wackiness are a joy to experience. Not quite as intriguing as the Elric series so far, but a very close second in my opinion. It was also nice to see more of Arioch who was featured quite a bit in the Elric series. The sassy Duke of Hell who creates world-destroying phenomena for the sake of appeasing his own boredom is always pleasant.