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The Ring of the Nibelung #1-4
Prsten Nibelungův
Prestižní cenou Willa Eisnera ověnčené zpracování cyklu oper Richarda Wagnera Prsten Nibelungův předkládá čtenářům v atraktivní podobě grafického románu jeden z nejslavnějších eposů evropské kultury.
Staňte se svědky dávných úkladů mohutných obrů proti samotným bohům, kteří ve snaze odvrátit svůj pád nemilosrdně intrikaří proti zamilovanému páru. Ve jménu lásky, zlata a mocného prstenu umírají i ti nejudatnější hrdinové.
Kniha je vrcholným dílem uznávaného výtvarníka a scenáristy P. Craiga Russella. Kromě samotného příběhu nabízí také informace o vzniku celého díla, autorovy poznámky k výtvarnému zpracování a dosud nepublikované skici. Pokud si kdy nějaké dílo zasloužilo označení „epické“, a to v původním i novodobém slova smyslu, pak je to právě toto.
Staňte se svědky dávných úkladů mohutných obrů proti samotným bohům, kteří ve snaze odvrátit svůj pád nemilosrdně intrikaří proti zamilovanému páru. Ve jménu lásky, zlata a mocného prstenu umírají i ti nejudatnější hrdinové.
Kniha je vrcholným dílem uznávaného výtvarníka a scenáristy P. Craiga Russella. Kromě samotného příběhu nabízí také informace o vzniku celého díla, autorovy poznámky k výtvarnému zpracování a dosud nepublikované skici. Pokud si kdy nějaké dílo zasloužilo označení „epické“, a to v původním i novodobém slova smyslu, pak je to právě toto.
448 pages, Hardcover
First published August 19, 2014
About the author
P. Craig Russell
517 books271 followersPhilip Craig Russell was the first mainstream comic book creator to come out as openly gay. Since 1972 his work has won multiple Kirby, Harvey, and Eisner Awards, and Cartoon Crossroads Columbus presented him the Master Cartoonist Award in 2019.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
July 4, 2018
An amazing work of sequential art.
The translation of the opera's libretto by Patrick Mason is superb. It does not attempt to modernize. It does not attempt to make the story more accessible to or more easily digested by modern audiences. It does not try to make its characters more understandable to modern readers. It doesn't need to do those things because the themes of this opera are all timeless ones. Namely: a cycle of violence and greed will perpetuate itself; industrialism and materialism will destroy nature; the ends do not justify the means; love will seldom conquer all. Similarly, its characters are iconic, existing as both idea and myth; characters like Wotan/Odin, Fricka/Frigg, Loge/Loki, Siegfried/Sigurd, Brunnhilde/ Brunhilda, and Gutrune/Kriemhild have lived for over a millennium in stories and myths and sometimes in history books. There is no need to make them "relatable". On a prose level, Mason's adherence to the poetry of the original lines means that the prose sings in a way that is both strangely alien and beautifully natural - dialogue in verse.
When it comes down to it, on a personal level I have my own issues with Wagner's vision. Most particularly in his obsessive fetishization of so-called "masculine principles" and his need for those principles to dominate over what he sees as feminine. But it is easy to overlook his intentions and opinions in favor of what is actually present: The Ring of the Nibelung's power, its tragedies and its humanity, all come from a host of female characters who thoroughly dominate his narrative - despite the centrality of such characters as Wotan & Loge & Siegried & Hagen. It is Erda and the Norns and Fricka who most successfully pull strings. It is Sieglinde who forces Siegmund to know himself. It is Gutrune who reveals Hagen's plot. It is Brunhilde who is this story's brave and compassionate protagonist, tragic heroine, vengeful fury, and finally, the world's agent of renewal.
Letterist Galen Showman did a fine job. I was especially happy with Colorist Lovern Kindzierski. His colors are a perfect companion to Russell's linework and his frequent shifts from displaying a myriad of bright hues to those of a starker, often darker palette were continually impressive.
The Art. What is there to say? Talking about P. Craig Russell is like talking about Akira Kurosawa or John Ford or Joseph Conrad or Margaret Atwood. He is a master of his craft and everything he's done is worthy of attention. He is a classic artist because he operates from classic principles: there must be a structural purpose to each of his visuals and those visuals must vividly convey moods, feelings, and ideas. The story cannot just be told with words; art cannot simply be an accompaniment or an illustration. It must also be the story. One should be able to remove the words - no matter how strange and beautiful - and still be able to see the story being told, and understand that story's themes. In The Ring, he adjusts his style so that many of the panels are strongly theatrical in their design, in how they convey motion and stillness, in how they inspire laughter or sadness, in how they create tension and awe. There is at times a grand artificiality to it all, and as befitting its iconic characters, a larger-than-life quality; but just as often, there is a sweet simplicity. It looks like a fable painted on a page - or an opera. Most impressive is Russell's use of visual motifs to echo the musical motifs of the opera itself. A ring... drops of water or blood or tears... a sword... a hollow space... a sprig of life, bursting through soil. All recurring; all symbols of hope, emptiness, loss, or renewal; all hallmarks of the cycles of life and death.
Russell is not an experimental artist; at times there is a distinctly Disney-ish feel to his style. And so he is perhaps off-putting to those craving unusual visuals in their graphic art. But his intelligence and subtlety means he does not need to experiment. He just needs to be at the top of his game, and in this book he certainly is. Despite all of the classical artistry on display, there is not a whiff of pretension in the visuals. Russell's art is also classic because it is very easy on the eyes. "Lovely" is a good word to describe his art. Lovely and dynamic and always thoughtful. Whether it is the repetition of visual motifs, his conception of Brunnhilde as an androgynous tomboy, the animal grace or bestial lumpishness of his bodies... my eyes and my mind were constantly active and constantly enjoying themselves while luxuriating in his art. This is eye candy of the first order.
July 2, 2018
thoughts on the San Francisco 2018 edition of the opera: pretty good overall. the music and voices were amazing, especially the Rhine Maidens in Part I, the Valkyrie chorus in Part II, the male chorus and Hagen preparing for the wedding in Part IV, the triple vow of vengeance in Part IV, and Hagen in general - the singer had a really impressive basso profundo and was a lively physical actor, despite his size. the singer playing a triple role of Fricka, one of the Norns, and a Valkyrie was also super good, going from comic to bitter to solemn to fearful depending on the role and scene. the conception behind this version was interesting: set in what I assumed to be 20th century USA, the director positioned the opera as a running commentary on all the ills of the modern day world: the rape of nature, the rise of corporate culture, paternalism towards women, and the ignoring and even embracing of the toxic side effects of all of those things. it led to some really experimental visuals: mainly via various industrial sets, shiny and streamlined or gloomy and filled with junk or somewhere in-between; as well as some interesting costuming choices, such the Rhine Maidens transformed into Garbage People in the last part, the various gods as dandy-ish Board Members, and the Norns as green-clad sewage workers, connecting their tubes and cords behind an overlay of a constantly shifting motherboard. I must admit that I missed the high fantasy treatment that I enjoyed the first time I saw this opera, many years ago. and this version's theme got pretty heavy-handed at times. but it was very interesting overall, and I don't necessary enjoy operas for their subtlety and nuance.
The translation of the opera's libretto by Patrick Mason is superb. It does not attempt to modernize. It does not attempt to make the story more accessible to or more easily digested by modern audiences. It does not try to make its characters more understandable to modern readers. It doesn't need to do those things because the themes of this opera are all timeless ones. Namely: a cycle of violence and greed will perpetuate itself; industrialism and materialism will destroy nature; the ends do not justify the means; love will seldom conquer all. Similarly, its characters are iconic, existing as both idea and myth; characters like Wotan/Odin, Fricka/Frigg, Loge/Loki, Siegfried/Sigurd, Brunnhilde/ Brunhilda, and Gutrune/Kriemhild have lived for over a millennium in stories and myths and sometimes in history books. There is no need to make them "relatable". On a prose level, Mason's adherence to the poetry of the original lines means that the prose sings in a way that is both strangely alien and beautifully natural - dialogue in verse.
When it comes down to it, on a personal level I have my own issues with Wagner's vision. Most particularly in his obsessive fetishization of so-called "masculine principles" and his need for those principles to dominate over what he sees as feminine. But it is easy to overlook his intentions and opinions in favor of what is actually present: The Ring of the Nibelung's power, its tragedies and its humanity, all come from a host of female characters who thoroughly dominate his narrative - despite the centrality of such characters as Wotan & Loge & Siegried & Hagen. It is Erda and the Norns and Fricka who most successfully pull strings. It is Sieglinde who forces Siegmund to know himself. It is Gutrune who reveals Hagen's plot. It is Brunhilde who is this story's brave and compassionate protagonist, tragic heroine, vengeful fury, and finally, the world's agent of renewal.
Letterist Galen Showman did a fine job. I was especially happy with Colorist Lovern Kindzierski. His colors are a perfect companion to Russell's linework and his frequent shifts from displaying a myriad of bright hues to those of a starker, often darker palette were continually impressive.
The Art. What is there to say? Talking about P. Craig Russell is like talking about Akira Kurosawa or John Ford or Joseph Conrad or Margaret Atwood. He is a master of his craft and everything he's done is worthy of attention. He is a classic artist because he operates from classic principles: there must be a structural purpose to each of his visuals and those visuals must vividly convey moods, feelings, and ideas. The story cannot just be told with words; art cannot simply be an accompaniment or an illustration. It must also be the story. One should be able to remove the words - no matter how strange and beautiful - and still be able to see the story being told, and understand that story's themes. In The Ring, he adjusts his style so that many of the panels are strongly theatrical in their design, in how they convey motion and stillness, in how they inspire laughter or sadness, in how they create tension and awe. There is at times a grand artificiality to it all, and as befitting its iconic characters, a larger-than-life quality; but just as often, there is a sweet simplicity. It looks like a fable painted on a page - or an opera. Most impressive is Russell's use of visual motifs to echo the musical motifs of the opera itself. A ring... drops of water or blood or tears... a sword... a hollow space... a sprig of life, bursting through soil. All recurring; all symbols of hope, emptiness, loss, or renewal; all hallmarks of the cycles of life and death.
Russell is not an experimental artist; at times there is a distinctly Disney-ish feel to his style. And so he is perhaps off-putting to those craving unusual visuals in their graphic art. But his intelligence and subtlety means he does not need to experiment. He just needs to be at the top of his game, and in this book he certainly is. Despite all of the classical artistry on display, there is not a whiff of pretension in the visuals. Russell's art is also classic because it is very easy on the eyes. "Lovely" is a good word to describe his art. Lovely and dynamic and always thoughtful. Whether it is the repetition of visual motifs, his conception of Brunnhilde as an androgynous tomboy, the animal grace or bestial lumpishness of his bodies... my eyes and my mind were constantly active and constantly enjoying themselves while luxuriating in his art. This is eye candy of the first order.
July 2, 2018
thoughts on the San Francisco 2018 edition of the opera: pretty good overall. the music and voices were amazing, especially the Rhine Maidens in Part I, the Valkyrie chorus in Part II, the male chorus and Hagen preparing for the wedding in Part IV, the triple vow of vengeance in Part IV, and Hagen in general - the singer had a really impressive basso profundo and was a lively physical actor, despite his size. the singer playing a triple role of Fricka, one of the Norns, and a Valkyrie was also super good, going from comic to bitter to solemn to fearful depending on the role and scene. the conception behind this version was interesting: set in what I assumed to be 20th century USA, the director positioned the opera as a running commentary on all the ills of the modern day world: the rape of nature, the rise of corporate culture, paternalism towards women, and the ignoring and even embracing of the toxic side effects of all of those things. it led to some really experimental visuals: mainly via various industrial sets, shiny and streamlined or gloomy and filled with junk or somewhere in-between; as well as some interesting costuming choices, such the Rhine Maidens transformed into Garbage People in the last part, the various gods as dandy-ish Board Members, and the Norns as green-clad sewage workers, connecting their tubes and cords behind an overlay of a constantly shifting motherboard. I must admit that I missed the high fantasy treatment that I enjoyed the first time I saw this opera, many years ago. and this version's theme got pretty heavy-handed at times. but it was very interesting overall, and I don't necessary enjoy operas for their subtlety and nuance.
May 19, 2015
This Eisner award winning graphic novel is an adaption of Wagner's classic opera. Artwork by one of the greats!
A must if you are into Norse Mythology.
OVERALL GRADE: B plus to A minus.
A must if you are into Norse Mythology.
OVERALL GRADE: B plus to A minus.
March 14, 2016
This was an excellent adaptation of Wagner's Ring Cycle. The art and prose, though odd or even somewhat disjointed at times, has a very musical and lusty feel to it. Which of course suits the subject matter.
For modern readers the story may seem somewhat odd, especially if you are expecting high fantasy, a fairy tale, or even a Shakespearean tragedy. It's none of the above... and yet all as well. Or at least parts anyway, just not the parts you would expect if you are not already familiar with Wagner's story, or these kinds of tales (old epics and myths, Norse more specifically) in general.
The art is fantastic, very bright and vibrant, lots of personality. P. Craig Russell is at the top of his game here.
This may not be what the average comic reader is looking for, nor high fantasy fans, but what is found within is very rich and rewarding, and well worth exploring for anyone whose interest has been piqued in the least.
4/5
For modern readers the story may seem somewhat odd, especially if you are expecting high fantasy, a fairy tale, or even a Shakespearean tragedy. It's none of the above... and yet all as well. Or at least parts anyway, just not the parts you would expect if you are not already familiar with Wagner's story, or these kinds of tales (old epics and myths, Norse more specifically) in general.
The art is fantastic, very bright and vibrant, lots of personality. P. Craig Russell is at the top of his game here.
This may not be what the average comic reader is looking for, nor high fantasy fans, but what is found within is very rich and rewarding, and well worth exploring for anyone whose interest has been piqued in the least.
4/5
January 4, 2022
Brilliant retelling
This adaptation of Wagner’s Ring cycle is an excellent and worthy way of conveying the story to a different kind of reader. The drawings capture the nuances of the epic in a delicate way, and the exceptional programming of the Kindle version, taking the reader through the story frame by frame, enhances the reading pleasure immensely. I can only imagine that Wagner would have been proud to be associated with this version.
The paragraph above is my quick response on Amazon, which is now conveniently copied automatically on Goodreads. If I stay with those few words, though, they will constitute a brushing off of P. Craig Russell’s achievement. So:
I am one of those people whose motherboards have been programmed to respond to Wagner’s Ring cycle. It is not a superficial liking or loving: there is an elemental response to the music and the narrative, the way in which Wagner shaped the themes and memes of the Norse mythology into operas of megalomaniacal size, clothed in music of an encompassing complexity that fits one of the basic narratives of humanity.
P. Craig Russell has captured nuances of Wagner’s libretto accurately, using the cartoon as a visual genre in such a way that it not only suits the narrative, but enriches it. His visual adaptation of musical passages, of lyrical outbursts of operatic characters and of Wagner’s famous leitmotivs leaves very little to be desired. The close-ups made possible by the programming of the Kindle version brings the reader / viewer in closer contact with the detailed drawings. One must remember to look at the full pages regularly to see how expertly the frames are used to create emphasis and focus, and quicker and slower passages.
Perhaps the achievement on these pages will be appreciated more by those who know Wagner’s work, rather than other readers, perhaps coming to the story for the first time, never having seen the operas in any other way. But I’m sure that readers who know the graphic novel genre much better than I do, will be impressed by Russell’s exquisite drawings and breathtaking page designs. He has really enriched my experience of the Ring cycle, comparable to the effect of Robert Lepage’s production for the Met, and I will advise novices to experience this complex tale of love, lust, loyalty and betrayal in this format.
Russell se visuele uitbeelding van Wagner se enorme operasiklus verryk my ervaring van die komplekse verhaal. Sy gedetailleerde tekeninge en ingewikkelde dog gebalanseerde bladuitleg beïndruk my baie. Ek sal beslis nuwelinge, wat graag hierdie grondliggende mite van die Westerse letterkunde vir die eerste maal wil leer ken, aanbeveel om hierdie toeganklike en meesterlik uitgevoerde weergawe as toegangspunt te gebruik.
This adaptation of Wagner’s Ring cycle is an excellent and worthy way of conveying the story to a different kind of reader. The drawings capture the nuances of the epic in a delicate way, and the exceptional programming of the Kindle version, taking the reader through the story frame by frame, enhances the reading pleasure immensely. I can only imagine that Wagner would have been proud to be associated with this version.
The paragraph above is my quick response on Amazon, which is now conveniently copied automatically on Goodreads. If I stay with those few words, though, they will constitute a brushing off of P. Craig Russell’s achievement. So:
I am one of those people whose motherboards have been programmed to respond to Wagner’s Ring cycle. It is not a superficial liking or loving: there is an elemental response to the music and the narrative, the way in which Wagner shaped the themes and memes of the Norse mythology into operas of megalomaniacal size, clothed in music of an encompassing complexity that fits one of the basic narratives of humanity.
P. Craig Russell has captured nuances of Wagner’s libretto accurately, using the cartoon as a visual genre in such a way that it not only suits the narrative, but enriches it. His visual adaptation of musical passages, of lyrical outbursts of operatic characters and of Wagner’s famous leitmotivs leaves very little to be desired. The close-ups made possible by the programming of the Kindle version brings the reader / viewer in closer contact with the detailed drawings. One must remember to look at the full pages regularly to see how expertly the frames are used to create emphasis and focus, and quicker and slower passages.
Perhaps the achievement on these pages will be appreciated more by those who know Wagner’s work, rather than other readers, perhaps coming to the story for the first time, never having seen the operas in any other way. But I’m sure that readers who know the graphic novel genre much better than I do, will be impressed by Russell’s exquisite drawings and breathtaking page designs. He has really enriched my experience of the Ring cycle, comparable to the effect of Robert Lepage’s production for the Met, and I will advise novices to experience this complex tale of love, lust, loyalty and betrayal in this format.
Russell se visuele uitbeelding van Wagner se enorme operasiklus verryk my ervaring van die komplekse verhaal. Sy gedetailleerde tekeninge en ingewikkelde dog gebalanseerde bladuitleg beïndruk my baie. Ek sal beslis nuwelinge, wat graag hierdie grondliggende mite van die Westerse letterkunde vir die eerste maal wil leer ken, aanbeveel om hierdie toeganklike en meesterlik uitgevoerde weergawe as toegangspunt te gebruik.
August 8, 2016
P. Craig Russell's inventively sets Richard Wagner's Nibelung opera cycle in graphic novel form. The text is, with alterations, largely adapted from the libretto, and mimics the (obviously) operatic style. Russell's accompanying illustrations, while not as painterly as some of his other work, do justice to the material, and for those not interested in sitting through several hours of Wagner's music (or who do like the music but want a better sense of the staging of events), this is a solid way to digest it.
December 27, 2024
Sjajna adaptacija operskog ciklusa Riharda Vagnera i to zaslužuje najvišu ocenu. Ono što je meni zasmetalo su neki patetični delovi u priči koji prelaze granicu patetitke koju mogu da podnesem😁 Da sam ovo čitala u srednjoj sigurno bi postalo deo mog identiteta😁 zato ću biti blaža i dajem najvišu ocenu. GR koji zaslužuje pažnju.
October 9, 2019
If I had heard only that someone was adapting Wagner’s Ring Cycle for comics--no other details whatsoever--my first guess would have been P. Craig Russell. I mean, the very concept plays so strongly to his artistic strengths and interests … who else would even contemplate such a thing? (Although … I have a vague memory of some project from the 80's … Roy Thomas writing and Gil Kane on the art? They certainly never got as far with their adaptation as Russell did. Any comics fans with better memories who can confirm this? Or did I just hallucinate the whole thing? )
Anyway, this is one of the finest things Russell has ever done. He hasn't merely adapted the operas, but brought them to life. All the sweep and grandeur and poetry that you’d expect are there on the page. Nobody draws figures quite like Russell. There's a grace and delicacy to his line that works wonderfully well on projects inspired by music and dance.
There's also a great section at the back of the book where he goes into some details about his creative process for adapting opera, even to the extent of coming up with visual equivalents for some of Wagner’s famous leitmotifs. There are also some selections from portfolios as early as the late 70's which show that Wagner was on his mind even then.
This is a stupendous book, definitely worth your time. Highly recommended!
Anyway, this is one of the finest things Russell has ever done. He hasn't merely adapted the operas, but brought them to life. All the sweep and grandeur and poetry that you’d expect are there on the page. Nobody draws figures quite like Russell. There's a grace and delicacy to his line that works wonderfully well on projects inspired by music and dance.
There's also a great section at the back of the book where he goes into some details about his creative process for adapting opera, even to the extent of coming up with visual equivalents for some of Wagner’s famous leitmotifs. There are also some selections from portfolios as early as the late 70's which show that Wagner was on his mind even then.
This is a stupendous book, definitely worth your time. Highly recommended!
March 11, 2026
I feel like Hitler may have taken the wrong message from this tale of a resentful dwarf who sacrifices love for power and ends up burning everything down.
I am unfamiliar with any original Legends of the Ring of the Niebelung and only have a very general pop-culture and historical awareness of Wagner; I have never listened to his music in full, or seen a full Opera. I do know about P Craig Russel; I was a big fan of his Sandman issues, I have his Dr Strange trade, bits of his Elric and one or two of his Opera adaptations.
Comics in the Western mode are hard, if you want to do them well. Manga is stuffed with lone artist-creators but, at least _so far as I am aware_, they don't do much modernism/pagehacking. What I loved about Russel was his synthesis of many of the arts of a classical illustrator, and his extreme ability regarding space/time page arrangment. Something you rarely get in comics.
I have mixed feelings about this saga, some of which come from Russel, some from Wagner, but it does have some very HIGH high points.
RUSSELL BEING FUCKING AMAZING
The Bravura go-fuck-yourself, actually-I'm-a-genius parts of Russels adaptation come through in his large spreads of clouds and nature, his abstractions of subtle musical themes into elegant arrangements of modernist tiles, Valkyries and magical women FLIPPING OUT and general comic-craft. These are the big hits we are here for!
RUSSELL BEING SUBTLE
The careful maintenance of what I assume is Wagners vision, and which I will complain about later, does some good in sustaining aspects of dramaturgy that might be lost in other hands. The flow of voice and image to synthesis the rise, fall, boom and anguish of Wagners score, is fluid, pleasant and expressive. He is probably doing even more stuff I didn't notice, because it was done well! That's the problem with subtlety, no one notices.
RUSSELL BEING KINDA CRINGE
_Some_ of the costuming, acting, and, for want of a better word; staging, feels slightly cringe and off.
In particular, it looks to me like Russell based his character designs either directly on Wagners stated intentions or on close-to-original costumes for Opera singers. This does not work really. This is a tale of Gad, Monsters, BIG things happening in the sky, and Russells 'special effects' come from the world of illustration and painting, they are huge and wild and throw the action up into the stars or down into the earth, but the characters who go there are dressed, and seem more like the actors of a play, dressed as such, or the costumed singers of an opera. This is necessary for some aspects of Dramaturgy; Siegfried taking Brunhildes armour and wearing it, the baddy from the last part being in a way, a dirtbag version of Votan, but there is a conflict in the image between the needs of fantasy and oper-recreation. When Albrecht turns into a magical dragon, it is a dragon from fantasy, wonderous and strange, but when Siegfried fights Fanfir, it feels like a stage play, and Fanfir seems like he has a bunch of guys in there holding him up. Likewise some of the horned helms, Votans questionable fashion choices, Sigfrieds bearskin Spring-fit, all these things feel a little off in the grand and numinous world Russell has made to place them in. It feels a bit light playing with your Star Wars dolls in the 'Volume'.
Likewise there are some closeups that maybe don't work as perfectly as they should, and some parts where Russell maybe fades from 'illustration' pictures into 'comic book' pictures a little too quickly and gracelessly.
CHUD WAGNER
But most of the problems come from the source; everyone's a cunt. This is one aspect the Nazis got right. In Wagner, everyone is vaguely nasty, dim, manipulative and self-interested. It feels like we are meeting everyone on the worst day of their lives. Siegfried and his Dad are charismatic psychipaths who presumably do some good for someone, but this largely happens offstage.
The story is deliberately racist against gold-gathering dwarves, which people at the time probably read as Jews, but who we today likely read as Germans; it's ok to live underground and enjoy crafting. The heroes are creepy, clearly they are meant to be, but how much? Sifried is a little bit of a soulless abomination, its not a surprise he got tricked easily.
This is not Shakespere where "yes I'm a Jew, but I have a point" or even Demon-Slayer where "I did eat a lot of children, but do you know I was once _also_ a child? And partially eaten?" - the villians only point of truth is fingering the weakness in the 'heroes' position, not in defending their own. This is not a humanist story and no-one in it is a humanist or really has much sympathy or interest in anyone else, (unless they are in Wagnerian and maybe incestious Chud-Love, in which they literally merge and exhult each other, till one forgets...).
WISE WAGNER
Votan in this is more of a cunt but also more actually-sumpathetic than most Odins. He is a worse guy but clearly has big problems, not just from his own mistakes but from his own family, who are conistently demanding stuff from him then complaining about the consequences. A schemer and a shit, his clearly dvided mind makes him a hypocrite, but a more interesting character. Oddly, he might be the least Fascist Votan; a sly little monkey who does seem to love his kin and feels bad about betrayal. I felt bad when Valhalla burnt to bits.
The arguments and problems much more complex, layered and subtle than I expected. My _sense impression_ of Wagner was that it was dumber than this, but at least up until Siegfried arrives, everyones moral position, while flawed, is much more explicable and saner than I thought it would be. The conflicts between people lead to manipulation, escapes, dooms and long (presumably sung) claims and counter-claims. Maybe I shouldn't be surprised that in a German story everyone has well worked-out positions. Odin just wanted a big house, (his WIFE asked for one), and now look at the absolute mess he has gotten into, scheming even against himself and feeling rotten about it. Votan even gives the ring away, which is rare.
There is much more actual love in this than one would expect from Hitlers favourite epic. People are kind of shit but a rich, romantic, even Pagan sense of genuine love and, at least between Brunhilde and Siegfried (the two main love stories being incest and creepy I-loved-you-as-a-foetus, are more Chud Wagner though). The whole story is about sacrificing love for power and how this doesn't work out. The Nazis did this and it didn't work out. It's weird how close they stuck to the text
They got the DOOM part right. This is a zero-sum reality where the dominoes are always building up to fall. Everything is impregnated with DOOM, even right from the start.
I am unfamiliar with any original Legends of the Ring of the Niebelung and only have a very general pop-culture and historical awareness of Wagner; I have never listened to his music in full, or seen a full Opera. I do know about P Craig Russel; I was a big fan of his Sandman issues, I have his Dr Strange trade, bits of his Elric and one or two of his Opera adaptations.
Comics in the Western mode are hard, if you want to do them well. Manga is stuffed with lone artist-creators but, at least _so far as I am aware_, they don't do much modernism/pagehacking. What I loved about Russel was his synthesis of many of the arts of a classical illustrator, and his extreme ability regarding space/time page arrangment. Something you rarely get in comics.
I have mixed feelings about this saga, some of which come from Russel, some from Wagner, but it does have some very HIGH high points.
RUSSELL BEING FUCKING AMAZING
The Bravura go-fuck-yourself, actually-I'm-a-genius parts of Russels adaptation come through in his large spreads of clouds and nature, his abstractions of subtle musical themes into elegant arrangements of modernist tiles, Valkyries and magical women FLIPPING OUT and general comic-craft. These are the big hits we are here for!
RUSSELL BEING SUBTLE
The careful maintenance of what I assume is Wagners vision, and which I will complain about later, does some good in sustaining aspects of dramaturgy that might be lost in other hands. The flow of voice and image to synthesis the rise, fall, boom and anguish of Wagners score, is fluid, pleasant and expressive. He is probably doing even more stuff I didn't notice, because it was done well! That's the problem with subtlety, no one notices.
RUSSELL BEING KINDA CRINGE
_Some_ of the costuming, acting, and, for want of a better word; staging, feels slightly cringe and off.
In particular, it looks to me like Russell based his character designs either directly on Wagners stated intentions or on close-to-original costumes for Opera singers. This does not work really. This is a tale of Gad, Monsters, BIG things happening in the sky, and Russells 'special effects' come from the world of illustration and painting, they are huge and wild and throw the action up into the stars or down into the earth, but the characters who go there are dressed, and seem more like the actors of a play, dressed as such, or the costumed singers of an opera. This is necessary for some aspects of Dramaturgy; Siegfried taking Brunhildes armour and wearing it, the baddy from the last part being in a way, a dirtbag version of Votan, but there is a conflict in the image between the needs of fantasy and oper-recreation. When Albrecht turns into a magical dragon, it is a dragon from fantasy, wonderous and strange, but when Siegfried fights Fanfir, it feels like a stage play, and Fanfir seems like he has a bunch of guys in there holding him up. Likewise some of the horned helms, Votans questionable fashion choices, Sigfrieds bearskin Spring-fit, all these things feel a little off in the grand and numinous world Russell has made to place them in. It feels a bit light playing with your Star Wars dolls in the 'Volume'.
Likewise there are some closeups that maybe don't work as perfectly as they should, and some parts where Russell maybe fades from 'illustration' pictures into 'comic book' pictures a little too quickly and gracelessly.
CHUD WAGNER
But most of the problems come from the source; everyone's a cunt. This is one aspect the Nazis got right. In Wagner, everyone is vaguely nasty, dim, manipulative and self-interested. It feels like we are meeting everyone on the worst day of their lives. Siegfried and his Dad are charismatic psychipaths who presumably do some good for someone, but this largely happens offstage.
The story is deliberately racist against gold-gathering dwarves, which people at the time probably read as Jews, but who we today likely read as Germans; it's ok to live underground and enjoy crafting. The heroes are creepy, clearly they are meant to be, but how much? Sifried is a little bit of a soulless abomination, its not a surprise he got tricked easily.
This is not Shakespere where "yes I'm a Jew, but I have a point" or even Demon-Slayer where "I did eat a lot of children, but do you know I was once _also_ a child? And partially eaten?" - the villians only point of truth is fingering the weakness in the 'heroes' position, not in defending their own. This is not a humanist story and no-one in it is a humanist or really has much sympathy or interest in anyone else, (unless they are in Wagnerian and maybe incestious Chud-Love, in which they literally merge and exhult each other, till one forgets...).
WISE WAGNER
Votan in this is more of a cunt but also more actually-sumpathetic than most Odins. He is a worse guy but clearly has big problems, not just from his own mistakes but from his own family, who are conistently demanding stuff from him then complaining about the consequences. A schemer and a shit, his clearly dvided mind makes him a hypocrite, but a more interesting character. Oddly, he might be the least Fascist Votan; a sly little monkey who does seem to love his kin and feels bad about betrayal. I felt bad when Valhalla burnt to bits.
The arguments and problems much more complex, layered and subtle than I expected. My _sense impression_ of Wagner was that it was dumber than this, but at least up until Siegfried arrives, everyones moral position, while flawed, is much more explicable and saner than I thought it would be. The conflicts between people lead to manipulation, escapes, dooms and long (presumably sung) claims and counter-claims. Maybe I shouldn't be surprised that in a German story everyone has well worked-out positions. Odin just wanted a big house, (his WIFE asked for one), and now look at the absolute mess he has gotten into, scheming even against himself and feeling rotten about it. Votan even gives the ring away, which is rare.
There is much more actual love in this than one would expect from Hitlers favourite epic. People are kind of shit but a rich, romantic, even Pagan sense of genuine love and, at least between Brunhilde and Siegfried (the two main love stories being incest and creepy I-loved-you-as-a-foetus, are more Chud Wagner though). The whole story is about sacrificing love for power and how this doesn't work out. The Nazis did this and it didn't work out. It's weird how close they stuck to the text
They got the DOOM part right. This is a zero-sum reality where the dominoes are always building up to fall. Everything is impregnated with DOOM, even right from the start.
October 27, 2024
Za mene nema dileme oko najboljeg izdanja na našoj strip sceni u ovoj godini.Stalkerov Prsten Nibelunga je sadržajno i tehnički toliko savršen da vam to bude očigledno čim ga uzmete u ruke. Ovo je jedan od onih kapitalaca za koje ne treba štedeti pare (verujem da je i Edena na istom tom nivou).
Iskreno, Stalkerova izdanja su mahom previše umetnička za moj ukus ali povremeno naiđu stripovi koji me pogode u srž. Nakon Fernandezovog Drakule, ovo je još jedan takav naslov. Adaptacija čuvenog germanskog/nordijskog mita u Vagnerovu operu je ovde preadaptirana u Raselov grafički roman ali sve to "prevođenje" ne oduzima ništa na potentnosti i sirovosti izvornog predanja. Treba reći da radnja teče pomalo naprasno i naivno prema današnjim standardima pripovedanja ali budući da je nastala iz opere ona majstorski prenosi tu pozorišnu formu. Meni je bilo interesantno da pronalazim brojne elemente u ovoj legendi koji su poslužili kao temeljna inspiracija za žanr epske fantastike, na čelu sa Gospodarom Prstenova.
Iako Prsten Nibelunga ima značajnu slojevitost i simboliku koje se mogu studiozno izučavati, ovo nipošto nije strip samo za probrane sladokusce umetnosti već se u njemu komotno može uživati kao što se uživa i u bajkovitim avanturama Van Hamovog Torgala.
Iskreno, Stalkerova izdanja su mahom previše umetnička za moj ukus ali povremeno naiđu stripovi koji me pogode u srž. Nakon Fernandezovog Drakule, ovo je još jedan takav naslov. Adaptacija čuvenog germanskog/nordijskog mita u Vagnerovu operu je ovde preadaptirana u Raselov grafički roman ali sve to "prevođenje" ne oduzima ništa na potentnosti i sirovosti izvornog predanja. Treba reći da radnja teče pomalo naprasno i naivno prema današnjim standardima pripovedanja ali budući da je nastala iz opere ona majstorski prenosi tu pozorišnu formu. Meni je bilo interesantno da pronalazim brojne elemente u ovoj legendi koji su poslužili kao temeljna inspiracija za žanr epske fantastike, na čelu sa Gospodarom Prstenova.
Iako Prsten Nibelunga ima značajnu slojevitost i simboliku koje se mogu studiozno izučavati, ovo nipošto nije strip samo za probrane sladokusce umetnosti već se u njemu komotno može uživati kao što se uživa i u bajkovitim avanturama Van Hamovog Torgala.
July 9, 2019
Adaptation is quite an art. You must take something painstakingly created to fit precisely in one particular medium, and rework it to fit precisely into another medium that tells its story in a radically different way. And you should do it so that the work is still recognisably the same, and still conveys the same profound understanding as any work made for your medium.
In this book, P. Craig Russell adapts Richard Wagner's epic opera cycle, The Ring of the Nibelung. It's a giant in Western culture, and an inspiration for so much. Reading this book, I was struck by how much of this work has clear paralleles in Tolkien's work - obviously in Lord of the Rings, but more especially in the Silmarillion.
Now, I admit that I have not seen Wagner's works, and so I don't know how the two compare. But throughout the comic, the musicality comes through vividly. In colourings, in visual embellishments, in lettering and speech bubbles, you feel how Russell reframes the special modes of the opera using the special modes of comics.
The result is splendid. A vivid, colourful book, well worth reading, not just out of interest in the opera, but as a comic in its own right. I get the sense that Russell allows himself to use certain techniques by using the opera as a pretext, and more often than not, it works splendidly.
Of course, the comic also carries over some of the ridiculousness of the opera. That most often comes out in the visual appearance of the characters. Voton and the Valkyries wear hats with ridiculous feather ornaments while Donner Froh look a bit like camp He-Man.
I found that easy to overlook, though, and thoroughly enjoyed the book. I went into it as a way to get the story of The Ring of the Nibelung without having to sit through 15 hours of opera. I came out of it actually considering whether I wouldn't be able to withstand at least a bit of opera.
In this book, P. Craig Russell adapts Richard Wagner's epic opera cycle, The Ring of the Nibelung. It's a giant in Western culture, and an inspiration for so much. Reading this book, I was struck by how much of this work has clear paralleles in Tolkien's work - obviously in Lord of the Rings, but more especially in the Silmarillion.
Now, I admit that I have not seen Wagner's works, and so I don't know how the two compare. But throughout the comic, the musicality comes through vividly. In colourings, in visual embellishments, in lettering and speech bubbles, you feel how Russell reframes the special modes of the opera using the special modes of comics.
The result is splendid. A vivid, colourful book, well worth reading, not just out of interest in the opera, but as a comic in its own right. I get the sense that Russell allows himself to use certain techniques by using the opera as a pretext, and more often than not, it works splendidly.
Of course, the comic also carries over some of the ridiculousness of the opera. That most often comes out in the visual appearance of the characters. Voton and the Valkyries wear hats with ridiculous feather ornaments while Donner Froh look a bit like camp He-Man.
I found that easy to overlook, though, and thoroughly enjoyed the book. I went into it as a way to get the story of The Ring of the Nibelung without having to sit through 15 hours of opera. I came out of it actually considering whether I wouldn't be able to withstand at least a bit of opera.
February 7, 2019
While I write this review I am listening to the 4 cd's boxset of Die Walkure by Richard Wagner and conducted by Bernard Haitink. To be honest I first heard about this particular epos through the Wagner music, my Austrian Grandmother did enjoy Wagner, and later Wagner was the music of preference by a certain Inspector Morse and the soundtracks of those series did contain a good amount of Wagner. Next up was the Niblumgen a silent movie by Fritz Lang which I have on bluray and a natural curiosity gave way to this larger than life comic book that collects the four chapter of the Nibelung epos, Rheingold, Die Walkure, Siegfried and Gotterdammerung. The works are based loosely on characters from the Norse sagas and the Nibelungenlied. The composer termed the cycle a "Bühnenfestspiel" (stage festival play). It is often referred to as the Ring Cycle, Wagner's Ring, or simply The Ring.Wagner wrote the libretto and music over the course of about twenty-six years, from 1848 to 1874.
This comic book does contain the comic series als from the four separate miniseries in one big collection. It seems to be a large tome to read but actually takes less time than listening the four cd's containing the four separate parts of the story which is 14 cd's overall.
The comic is beautifully drawn and the texts make sense and do give you an overall feeling for Wagners work, especially if you are familiar with the music. For me a decent reason to re-listen the whole beastie as created by Wagner but is a beautiful way to waste some time . And this comic will be re-read on many occasion while enjoying the music.
This comic book does contain the comic series als from the four separate miniseries in one big collection. It seems to be a large tome to read but actually takes less time than listening the four cd's containing the four separate parts of the story which is 14 cd's overall.
The comic is beautifully drawn and the texts make sense and do give you an overall feeling for Wagners work, especially if you are familiar with the music. For me a decent reason to re-listen the whole beastie as created by Wagner but is a beautiful way to waste some time . And this comic will be re-read on many occasion while enjoying the music.
November 13, 2018
For someone who has was never a fan of opera, other than an affection (and tried listening to the 1953 Bayreuth Live over several months) this was an incessible but obviously incomplete skeleton key to the story. I know Wagner largely from pop culture and Zizek's analysis.
The story for me is perennial, about the cycles of violence, industrialization/materialism will destroy nature and love isn't an easy answer. Yet, it's still cringe-worthy I dislike most of the characters--it's very simple and very masculine (in a poor way). The story lacks nuance (although I've never considered operas to be very light of foot).
This is not quite P. Craig's Russell's finest work. It may be down to the coloruing, but I think his Parsifal adaption (albiet much shorter) is superior. This adaption has no modernization and apparently the panel layout even meets the notes, so this is much more than a standard Classics Illustrated version. And yet...For all the craft and heart brought to this project, when a story is a dated relic it can fail to resonate with you. The gods are not very "godlike" to me and just perhaps "elite" mortals.
You have to pretty up a pig by making it relevant to today such as the fall of nature, the rise of corporations, and the control of women. Then you can add fun things like Zizek's analysis and more experimental and elaborate adaptations.
The story for me is perennial, about the cycles of violence, industrialization/materialism will destroy nature and love isn't an easy answer. Yet, it's still cringe-worthy I dislike most of the characters--it's very simple and very masculine (in a poor way). The story lacks nuance (although I've never considered operas to be very light of foot).
This is not quite P. Craig's Russell's finest work. It may be down to the coloruing, but I think his Parsifal adaption (albiet much shorter) is superior. This adaption has no modernization and apparently the panel layout even meets the notes, so this is much more than a standard Classics Illustrated version. And yet...For all the craft and heart brought to this project, when a story is a dated relic it can fail to resonate with you. The gods are not very "godlike" to me and just perhaps "elite" mortals.
You have to pretty up a pig by making it relevant to today such as the fall of nature, the rise of corporations, and the control of women. Then you can add fun things like Zizek's analysis and more experimental and elaborate adaptations.
May 3, 2015
P. Craig Russell takes risks and you can tell when one of his books is a labor of love.
He does both in this adaptation of an Opera... who knew you could sell Opera to comic book fans? Well, apparently P. Craig Russell did and he gives us fans a beautiful book with fantastic art.
I don't think I've ever been dissapointed in one of the books he's adapted, and I'll continue to be a fan of his for as long as he keeps em coming or for as long as I'm still around. Whicever comes first, place your bets folks.
He also takes risks with his "Night Music" graphic novels, but that's a review for another day.
He does both in this adaptation of an Opera... who knew you could sell Opera to comic book fans? Well, apparently P. Craig Russell did and he gives us fans a beautiful book with fantastic art.
I don't think I've ever been dissapointed in one of the books he's adapted, and I'll continue to be a fan of his for as long as he keeps em coming or for as long as I'm still around. Whicever comes first, place your bets folks.
He also takes risks with his "Night Music" graphic novels, but that's a review for another day.
July 10, 2020
A graphic novelization of Wagner's Ring Cycle; it's light and enjoyable despite the heady auspice of German Romantic Opera. And it's especially helpful if you're like me, who wandered through a music education knowing only the bare minimum about Wagner's onerous 15-hour magnum opus (there's a shield maiden?... and incest?... I think). I don't claim to be an expert on graphic novels, but I liked the artwork and the style. It felt like the writers paid attention to the (translated) libretto and musical content, and paced the art to follow. Now, I can finally understand what the hell Wagner was smoking... If only a little better than before.
August 5, 2022
Russell is a master and this a monumental undertaking. I really want to give this 5 stars, but something about the color choice and digital airbrush rendering cheapens the beauty of Russell's drawing in many panels. The coloring in the Magic Flute, done by Russell himself, is so gorgeous that is hard not to think of how glorious this could have been if the color matched the draftsmanship.
August 30, 2021
The art is gorgeous; but it's nearly impossible to like any of these characters (which is a fault of the source material, not a comment on either the artist or the translator/adapter).
The art truly is beautiful, though, and the usage of the page layouts and the colors is amazing.
The art truly is beautiful, though, and the usage of the page layouts and the colors is amazing.
May 29, 2017
I started reading comics around a year ago and I just come to love it. This adaptation of Wagner's opera is a great example to make some material more accessible. I liked the art work and listened to a couple of songs out of the opera while reading it...
May 16, 2015
Nothing compares to the original music and lyrics, but it is a nice adaptation, faithful to Wagner's story.
October 29, 2022
I read BOTH comic adaptations of the Wagner Ring Cycle so you don’t have to!
The two versions are:
• The Ring of the Nibelung by Roy Thomas and Gil Kane
• The Ring of the Nibelung by P. Craig Russell
For me, there is no contest.
The Thomas/Kane adaptation is shorter, and ultimately more rushed. There is very little tone or atmosphere framing of the scenes— the plot just moves forwards. The translation is perhaps more accurate to the original next, but a lot of the nuance and meaning of the words gets lost due to the aforementioned abbreviation.
Visually, Kane’s depiction of the world and characters is straight out of Sword and Sorcery. The men are either hulking hunks or cringing troglodytes. The women are all cut from the same supermodel cloth, with only their hairstyles to distinguish them from one another. It’s also extremely horny. Women are naked whenever possible. It all feels really dated, both socially and stylistically.
In contrast, P. Craig Russell’s adaptation takes more time to adapt the translation to modern english. I believe I was able to understand more of the nuance and the themes of the characters this way. Whereas the plot points in Thomas/Kane seemed to make no sense, reading the Russell illuminated for me the emotional and archetypal relationships that were being depicted.
Overall his adaptation is just more artful. He gives time to the moments in between plots, wordless sequences that set the setting and allow for a sense of time. In a theatrical production, this was accomplished via musical transitions as the sets were changed. There’s none of this in the Thomas/Kane, so seeing it in Russell’s version was refreshing.
Visually, Russell’s a lot more thoughtful with his character design. Each person seems to have been based off an actual human model, so they look like genuine individuals instead of cardboard cutouts of the same four He-man characters. He’s also significantly less lecherous! Overall the female characters shine through a lot more in Russell’s version, they’re given much more respect and agency. When considering they’re based off the same text, it really underlines how powerful adaptation and interpretation can be in influencing the focus, theme and emotional power of a work.
As for the text itself— it should be noted that the Ring of the Nibelung as a story is kind of nuts to begin with. Characters behave according to this elevated, magical logic that defies modern expectations. It’s a weird combination of epic legend and personal drama. Wagner was kind of creating a Nordic ‘expanded universe’ where he tied together a bunch of myths into a single 4-opera series with German national symbols. You might call him the first Marvel Studios. It was influenced and had influence on Aryan National Socialism, so that’s problematic, to say the least. And at the end you’re not really sure what to take out of it as a person living in the 21st century.
The two versions are:
• The Ring of the Nibelung by Roy Thomas and Gil Kane
• The Ring of the Nibelung by P. Craig Russell
For me, there is no contest.
The Thomas/Kane adaptation is shorter, and ultimately more rushed. There is very little tone or atmosphere framing of the scenes— the plot just moves forwards. The translation is perhaps more accurate to the original next, but a lot of the nuance and meaning of the words gets lost due to the aforementioned abbreviation.
Visually, Kane’s depiction of the world and characters is straight out of Sword and Sorcery. The men are either hulking hunks or cringing troglodytes. The women are all cut from the same supermodel cloth, with only their hairstyles to distinguish them from one another. It’s also extremely horny. Women are naked whenever possible. It all feels really dated, both socially and stylistically.
In contrast, P. Craig Russell’s adaptation takes more time to adapt the translation to modern english. I believe I was able to understand more of the nuance and the themes of the characters this way. Whereas the plot points in Thomas/Kane seemed to make no sense, reading the Russell illuminated for me the emotional and archetypal relationships that were being depicted.
Overall his adaptation is just more artful. He gives time to the moments in between plots, wordless sequences that set the setting and allow for a sense of time. In a theatrical production, this was accomplished via musical transitions as the sets were changed. There’s none of this in the Thomas/Kane, so seeing it in Russell’s version was refreshing.
Visually, Russell’s a lot more thoughtful with his character design. Each person seems to have been based off an actual human model, so they look like genuine individuals instead of cardboard cutouts of the same four He-man characters. He’s also significantly less lecherous! Overall the female characters shine through a lot more in Russell’s version, they’re given much more respect and agency. When considering they’re based off the same text, it really underlines how powerful adaptation and interpretation can be in influencing the focus, theme and emotional power of a work.
As for the text itself— it should be noted that the Ring of the Nibelung as a story is kind of nuts to begin with. Characters behave according to this elevated, magical logic that defies modern expectations. It’s a weird combination of epic legend and personal drama. Wagner was kind of creating a Nordic ‘expanded universe’ where he tied together a bunch of myths into a single 4-opera series with German national symbols. You might call him the first Marvel Studios. It was influenced and had influence on Aryan National Socialism, so that’s problematic, to say the least. And at the end you’re not really sure what to take out of it as a person living in the 21st century.
November 28, 2020
É diferente de tudo que já li, talvez até por isso Tenha custado a tomar o ritmo. É a história que inspirou O Senhor dos Anéis, então tem bastante semelhanças e a início pensei que seria quase uma cópia da história, mas é bem diferente apesar de ter o anel como ponto principal também. A arte as vezes pode parecer mal feita, mas durante a história é possível ver que é mais uma questão de passagem da história, tanto que os quadrinhos com mais destaque pra história tem uma arte mais caprichada. Poderia ficar um tempo discutindo sobre a história, sobre a arte, sobre a edição do livro em si, que é maravilhosa, mas correria o risco de não parar mais de falar...
January 6, 2023
Utterly fascinating! Beyond expectations. Wagner would have been proud of this insightful "production" of his Ring which beats 99% of the live performances.
February 25, 2019
4.5/5
Pra quem gosta de alta fantasia acho difícil encontrar um material melhor que esse no formato de graphic novel. O Anel do Nibelungo é uma das lendas mais memoráveis, transformada em uma das histórias mais influentes já escritas quando foi transposta para o formato de opera por Richard Wagner e também para o formato de GN pelo P Craig Russell. Se for um leitor de fantasia experiente não vá esperando ser surpreendido, pois boa parte da substância que encorpa a maioria das obras que estamos habituados saiu de histórias como essa. Ainda assim, diria que a leitura da obra é quase obrigatória para quem é fã do gênero. Uma obra que não se pode deixar passar.
Pra quem gosta de alta fantasia acho difícil encontrar um material melhor que esse no formato de graphic novel. O Anel do Nibelungo é uma das lendas mais memoráveis, transformada em uma das histórias mais influentes já escritas quando foi transposta para o formato de opera por Richard Wagner e também para o formato de GN pelo P Craig Russell. Se for um leitor de fantasia experiente não vá esperando ser surpreendido, pois boa parte da substância que encorpa a maioria das obras que estamos habituados saiu de histórias como essa. Ainda assim, diria que a leitura da obra é quase obrigatória para quem é fã do gênero. Uma obra que não se pode deixar passar.
March 22, 2018
Maravilloso trabajo de adaptación al cómic por parte de P. Craig Russell. Los libretos de las cuatro óperas que conforman "El anillo del nibelungo", el colosal ciclo compuesto por Richard Wagner, están fielmente representados. Los dibujos saben captar la enorme épica, el dramatismo y el lirismo de cada una de las obras perfectamente, hasta el punto de, por momentos, hacer presente en la cabeza del lector la propia música. Lo único de lo que se resiente esta enorme obra gráfica es más achacable al original que a ella misma, y es que "El crepúsculo de los dioses", la última y más afamada ópera de las cuatro, rompe con la narración elevada de las anteriores al contar una historia más mundana, con escasa presencia divina, casi un culebrón en el que el prometido final apoteósico se queda en un mero apunte. Quizás sea también, no digo que no, un signo de nuestros tiempos, ese esperar relámpagos y truenos, la traca final, como conclusión de la historia, un vicio que el cine ha potenciado hasta imponerlo incluso en la narrativa del pasado. En todo caso, un pequeño pero del que esta maravilla de cómic no es en absoluto responsable.
June 6, 2022
Um grande e contemplativo quadrinho, onde vemos o quão essa mídia pode abranger em comparação a outras.
Aqui, vemos a história da criação do mundo, segundo a mitologia nórdica. Vemos Voton, os deuses e a criação de Valhalla, a criação do herói que iria cumprir os desejos dos deuses na terra, e uma trama intricada, girando ao redor do Anel do Nibelungo e o que ele pode causar.
Claramente, Tolkien bebeu em abundância dessa história pra criação do seu universo da Terra Média em O Senhor do Anéis. Temos um anel, que pode trazer a desgraça a partir de seu portador, uma criatura que lembra muito um certo Gollum e seu desejo visceral pela jóia, um gigante que se transformou em dragão e dorme em cima de seu ouro como proteção, dentra outras similaridades.
E pra finalizar, quando comentei sobre o poder da mídia, essa história, se fosse lido em um livro, sem os desenhos e cores brilhantes de P. Craig Russell, acredito que seria uma leitura extremamente maçante e com uma tremenda dificuldade para se finalizar. Novamente, com a mídia dos quadrinhos, Russell mantem o aspecto shakesperiano do livro, mas ainda sim aproveita o leitor para a lenda.
Grande lançamento do Pipoca e Nanquim, dentro seus diversos contatos com a Dark Horse.
Aqui, vemos a história da criação do mundo, segundo a mitologia nórdica. Vemos Voton, os deuses e a criação de Valhalla, a criação do herói que iria cumprir os desejos dos deuses na terra, e uma trama intricada, girando ao redor do Anel do Nibelungo e o que ele pode causar.
Claramente, Tolkien bebeu em abundância dessa história pra criação do seu universo da Terra Média em O Senhor do Anéis. Temos um anel, que pode trazer a desgraça a partir de seu portador, uma criatura que lembra muito um certo Gollum e seu desejo visceral pela jóia, um gigante que se transformou em dragão e dorme em cima de seu ouro como proteção, dentra outras similaridades.
E pra finalizar, quando comentei sobre o poder da mídia, essa história, se fosse lido em um livro, sem os desenhos e cores brilhantes de P. Craig Russell, acredito que seria uma leitura extremamente maçante e com uma tremenda dificuldade para se finalizar. Novamente, com a mídia dos quadrinhos, Russell mantem o aspecto shakesperiano do livro, mas ainda sim aproveita o leitor para a lenda.
Grande lançamento do Pipoca e Nanquim, dentro seus diversos contatos com a Dark Horse.
October 3, 2020
(4,5) nossa, eu não esperava gostar tanto!! ler essa HQ foi como ler qualquer um desses épicos antigos ou medievais, a arte e a linguagem se complementam de um jeito brilhante e realmente deixaram evidente a grandiosidade da obra original q adaptam. achei q fosse ser uma história meio previsível e q não engajasse muito, mas pelo contrário, fiquei surpreso várias vezes com os desdobramentos do enredo e com os personagens. recomendo deixarem a ópera tocando no fundo enquanto leem, é uma experiência fantástica. a edição é primorosa, totalmente à altura da narrativa. grata surpresa <3
April 20, 2022
So this is basically what all comics should be. You can look to any single piece of pencilwork, inking, colouring, lettering, prose, panel transition, any single piece of anything in this entire book and it is immaculate. Every scene transition, every bit of dialogue, every detail in every panel and every scene, is beautiful. It's an epic in all sense of the word and reading it feels like watching and listening to an opera. It's music made visual and a piece of cinema told through sequential art.
December 15, 2018
Uma das bases da cultura ocidental transformada em ópera magistralmente transposta para os quadrinhos. Há muitos elementos nesta obra observados nas lendas arthurianas e obviamente em "O Senhor dos Anéis ". A arte é belíssima. A edição está bem caprichada, item de colecionador. Só não leva nota máxima pois creio que deveriam haver notas explicativas quanto a alguns elementos da mitologia nórdica e principalmente quanto a versões diferentes de nomes de certos personagens
February 6, 2025
Autor koji iz sedam nota jedne opere uspe da izrodi izvanredne crteže je neko koga bih lično smatrao stripskim genijem. Rasel je na izvanredan i moderan način adaptirao Vagnerovu operu, dodavši joj domišljate prikaze likova koji plene životom. Svaka preporuka, čak i da niste čitaoci stripa.
January 15, 2019
Grande adaptação da ópera de Wagner! Belíssimo quadrinho, história mágica. Quem leu Senhor dos anéis, vai ver vários pontos de convergência nas histórias.
March 6, 2019
Ambiciózní projekt. Nevím, jestli si to kdy přečtu znovu, ale za tu velkolepost si to zaslouží plný počet.
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