Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser Omnibus

Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser (comics)

by Fritz Leiber, Howard Chaykin (Writer/Illustrator), Mike Mignola (Illustrator)

Fritz Leiber ranks among the giants of fantasy and science fiction visionaries, capturing multiple Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy Awards and influencing a generation of writers.

And his most renowned creations are the swashbuckling Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser stories.

Collected here are adaptations of some of the finest of these tales--including the Hugo and Nebula Award winning "Ill Met in Lankhmar"--by comics legends Howard Chaykin, Mike Mignola, Dennis O'Neil, Al Williamson, and more. Join the hulking barbarian and the diminutive rogue as they battle swordsmen, necromancers, and flagons of strong drink!

Collects Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser and Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser: The Cloud of Hate and Other Stories.

Genres: Comics, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Adventure

320 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 14, 2023

About the author

Fritz Reuter Leiber Jr. was one of the more interesting of the young writers who came into HP Lovecraft's orbit, and some of his best early short fiction is horror rather than sf or fantasy. He found his mature voice early in the first of the sword-and-sorcery adventures featuring the large sensitive barbarian Fafhrd and the small street-smart-ish Gray Mouser; he returned to this series at various points in his career, using it sometimes for farce and sometimes for gloomy mood pieces--The Swords of Lankhmar is perhaps the best single volume of their adventures. Leiber's science fiction includes the planet-smashing The Wanderer in which a large cast mostly survive flood, fire, and the sexual attentions of feline aliens, and the satirical A Spectre is Haunting Texas in which a gangling, exo-skeleton-clad actor from the Moon leads a revolution and finds his true love. Leiber's late short fiction, and the fine horror novel Our Lady of Darkness, combine autobiographical issues like his struggle with depression and alcoholism with meditations on the emotional content of the fantastic genres. Leiber's capacity for endless self-reinvention and productive self-examination kept him, until his death, one of the most modern of his sf generation.

Used These Alternate Names: Maurice Breçon, Fric Lajber, Fritz Leiber, Jr., Fritz R. Leiber, Fritz Leiber Jun., Фриц Лейбер, F. Lieber, フリッツ・ライバー

Reviews

[Theo Logos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fritz Leiber’s many tales of Fafhrd the hulking barbarian and his diminutive roguish companion, the Gray Mouser, are the finest achievement of the Sword and Sorcery genre. Leiber helped create the genre, and gave it its name. He wrote many tales of these heroes over a three decade span, and every fantasy fan should read them.

Having read most of those tales myself, I was eager to read this graphic novel adaptation of Leiber’s roguish heroes. The first half Fritz Leiber’s Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser Omnibus was well done. The tales chosen are iconic — ILL MET IN LANKHMAR, THE CIRCLE CURSE, THE HOWLING TOWER, THE PRICE OF PAIN EASE, BAZAAR OF THE BIZARRE, LEAN TIMES IN LANKHMAR— these are all good to great stories of these heroes. The artwork of Howard Chaykin, Mike Mignola, and others presents a fine visual representation of these tales, and Howard Chaykin’s script is faithful to Leiber’s original stories.

It’s the second half of the book that stumbles. The tales there are much earlier adaptations of the stories dating to the ‘70s. The artwork is far less sophisticated, in the old style of bold color pictures emblematic of the old comics aimed only at youthful readers. The script is likewise far less satisfying. This section was interesting from a historical perspective of the medium, but was not a pleasure to read.

Overall, the strength of the first half of the omnibus pulls this effort up to three and a half stars. I’m rounding downward because, ultimately, this adaptation of Leiber’s work feels less than necessary for anyone other than graphic novel aficionados.

[Dan Cassino · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Mignola/ Chaykin issues are wonderful: beautifully illustrated, light in their feet in the Weird Tales/Jack Vance tradition. This volume also includes DC’s adaptations from the 70s, most with (very) early Chaykin art and Denny O’Neil scripts, which are a slog.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first 60% of the book is amazing, carried by moody art by Mignola and some servicable writing by Chaykin. The back 40% is a bit tougher to read, feeling more generic and forgettable all around.

[Annarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I read all the stories in Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser series as Fritz Leiber is one of my favourite fantasy writer and Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser are amongst my fav hero/anti-hero.
Leiber is a genius and there's always some horror and dreamlike elements in this story plus a lot of humour, world building and character development.
it's not easy to review the visual version of one of your top fantasy series as it was like going through a magic portal and seeing what you had imagined becoming visual.
It's fabolous work, great graphic novel, an excellent way to get to know Leiber and his heroes.
Highly recommended
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[Neil Carey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful, light-on-its-feet fantasy

[Andrew Hale · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The price to pay to leave Lankhmar, where once I knew love, and where now I feel naught but loathing." - Fafhrd

From the Dark Horse's 1991 Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser series and DC Comics' 1973 Sword of Sorcery series, Mike Mignola's art matches Fafhrd and Mouser well. Chaykin's scripts had moments where the dialogue was not so clear, but I also recall feeling that way in some of Lieber's stories. All-in-all, it was faithful from what I remember. Denny O'Neil and other scripters' adaptations were OK for a nostalgic read that took some liberties but Howard Chaykin's art is the star for me on a couple of the Sword and Sorcery tales. I imagine it would really stand out more with a darker color scheme, similar to Sherilyn van Valkenburgh's in Mignola's art. As an omnibus, I ultimately enjoyed it as a light read.

Ill Met in Lankhmar
Howard Chaykin script
Mike Mignola pencils
Wit and humor, philosophical waxings, and sticky messes: the dubious duo have quite the dark shift by tale's end. Fafhrd, Gray Mouser, Graywand, Scalpel, and Cat's Claw all skirt the intricacies of thievery while Fafhrd and Mouser both flirt with the intimacies of their loves. Both couples are introduced to each other with the fellas finding they have camaraderie, but the fiery righteousness of Ivrian convinces the boys to take up Vlana's revenge against a murderous Thieve's Guildmaster. Necromancy in the shadows of civilization sever the ties that bind and no man or demon knows the wrath of a lover scorned.

The Circle Curse
Howard Chaykin script
Mike Mignola pencils
Leaving the heartache of Lankhmar loves lost behind, a premonition from the mysterious Sheelba of the Eyeless Face claims Fafhrd and Mouser will return to Lankhmar, causing both to swear an oath to never return. In their travels from city to city, from homeland to homeland, a final word from the mysterious Ningauble of the Seven Eyes sees the duo creep back to the wonderful Lankhmar.

The Howling Tower
Howard Chaykin script
Mike Mignola pencils
Being guided through a Nehwon desert, the duo learn that the ghostly howls are a mystery though many go lost in this area, more so if they find a menacing tower. First the guide disappears, and then one of the duo, only for the answer to be in the morbid tower, a magical family's history of evil and sacrifice. Fafhrd and Mouser will face their ghosts, and the ghosts of the wronged, as well as the demons of a greedy sorcerer.

The Price of Pain Ease
Howard Chaykin script
Mike Mignola pencils
A night of drinking accidentally puts the duo in the ashes of their former home. Seeing also Duke Danius' pretty house, they get a crew and steal the whole thing, placing it in the ashes. Inside, Danius' obsession with Death and Sex is intriguing, but the ghosts of Vlana and Ivrian drive the duo on to separate journeys to rid themselves of their memories forever. Sheelba sends one, and Ningauble the other, to steal Death's Mask, but Danius' fear of Death sees him there to destroy it. In the end, both entities will have to share, and the duo will live on together, but with less haunting memories and more romps in the hay.

Bazaar of the Bizarre
Howard Chaykin script
Mike Mignola pencils
The Plaza of Dark Delights is a shadowy area of Lankhmar that many can come for release or dark dealings. A new merchant has his bizarre bazaar of intriguing items for sale, including foul books of ill repute. Mouser is to meet Sheelba here but is instead ensnared by the beauty and novelty of the items, including caged women. Fafhrd, like Mouser, is to meet Ningauble, only to find both Ningauble and Sheelba together, to tell of the Devourers, merchants/wizards of other universes that sell trash masked as treasure, and the ruin of society/mankind by enslaving them and indebting them to their product. Gifts from both wizards will give Fafhrd the stealth and sight to see what is evil (giving a cool imagery of Fafhrd in costume), and to save Mouser from bedding down a monster.

Lean Times in Lankhmar
Howard Chaykin script
Mike Mignola pencils

When the Sea King's Away
Howard Chaykin script
Mike Mignola pencils
The boys seem to be at an impasse in the ocean, so Fafhrd drops anchor and then a rope down a magical opening to the sea floor where he wants to pursue the ? legend of the sea-king's concubines looking for lovers while the king is away. They find rotting treasure, monsters with swords, and some scaley concubines that must be enchanting the duo, or they are beer-goggle horny. A quick tale that has them rushing to an exit that puts them closer to their new destination, and wondering if the recent event really happened.

Fafhrd the Barbarian and the Gray Mouser (adapted from The Price of Pain Ease)
Dennis "Denny" O'Neil script
Howard Chaykin pencils
Stealing gems from the thieves guild becomes a nuisance for the duo's carousing and drinking, for as they put some bounty hunters to sleep, the city guards are now after them to keep the peace. Evading, they find the vacant mansion of Duke Danius, but this version sees ghostly unicorns and a slightly different sequence of events play out, though the ending is ultimately the same as the Dark Horse version.

Revenge of the Skull of Jewels (adapted from Thieves' House)
Dennis "Denny" O'Neil script
Howard Chaykin pencils
Fissif, Fafhrd, and Mouser raid the tomb of Votishal, with Fissif getting the ruby-eyed, diamond-toothed skull of Ohmphal, among other things. Unfortunately, Fissif cheats them both with drugged wine. The Thieve's House on Cheap Street, assassins, a mystery woman, ancient Lankhmar thief ghosts, and supernatural stranglings. Par for course, Fafhrd seeks drinking, and Mouser seeks the bones of Ivlis.

Betrayal
Dennis "Denny" O'Neil script
Howard Chaykin pencils
The duo are passengers on the Samantha, rabble-rousing with the crew as a warship for Overlord Glipkerio draws alongside. Murder, chaos, a princess, slavemaster whip eating, a wizard's airship, a cursed beauty, a jealous necromancer, magical cards, the duo go from water, to the sky, to the ground, to under the ground, while a secret wedding shocks the duo and a sacrifice shocks the viewer. What about Shada though? What about Lissa? Was all for naught? Will King war with overlord?

Cloud of Hate
Dennis "Denny" O'Neil script
Howard Chaykin pencils
Hunkering against a fire in an alleyway, the duo follow the sounds of swordery and a menacing fog, only to be creeped upon by Gis and Gnarlag, looking to rob or murder. A revenge in the making for a young woman, a cult praying for discord, tendrils of hate, the strength of Fafhrd and the top-tier agility of Mouser cut straight to the eye of the storm to squash this hateful uprising.

The Prophecy
Dennis "Denny" O'Neil script
Walter Simonson pencils
Young Fafhrd and his sweetheart Aynsa talk Love as they walk a snowy mountainside where a prophetical priest warns them to get away from the snow serpent lair that is close, in which Fafhrd doesn't yet believe in the legends of monsters. Scoffing, Fafhrd serenades his Love only for events to shift to a song of despair, yet the prophet eventually muses that where the steel fails, a song will do.

The Sunken Land
Dennis "Denny" O'Neil script
Walter Simonson & Al Milgroma pencils
Hauling in a squid for lunch, onto their sloop, Fafhrd finds a ring with a key in the squid's belly, thanking his luck as a twin, while Mouser forsakes it since it has symbols of Simorgya, an evil land of magicians swallowed by the sea. A sea storm, a familiar ship, the silence of Lavas Laerk, mysterious giant figures, all to the end of Fafhrd's brand new battle axe.

The Mouse Alone
George Effinger script
Jim Starlin & Al Milgrom art
A young apprentice wizard on Bathaal named Mouse, who neither chooses white magics nor black, neither evil nor good, he chooses gray. He sets out for more glory, requesting to be of service to the king of Bathaal by proving his sword work against a warrior. He is put under the tutelage of Shendai the Deft. Attacked together by cutthroats, Shendai gives Mouser valuable advice in Skill, Subtlety, and Misdirection, but he also learns a costly truth in who he trusts.

[Paul Spence · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always loved the Fafhrd and Mouser tales which I discovered in the mid 70's. These adaptations are among my favourites. Howard Chaykin channels Fritz Leiber like a kindred soul. Chaykin brings out the pairs' wit, arrogance, doubts and, ultimately their worldly humour 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 colourist Sherlyn van Valkenburgh provides a great reason to shun digital colour. 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.

[Jonk · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Mignola illustrated issues are definitely the draw. The classic stories look just how I imagined them, and Mignola's brooding use of shadow conveys the gritty, stinking city of Lankhmar to a tee. The stories drawn in the 70s look it, and while they have a certain charm they are definitely second to the newer stuff.

I am glad I had read most of these stories in prose first as the comics don't have the space to add all the context that the books bring, like the way shrines will move up the Street of the God the more popular they get in Lean Times in Lankhmar.

Great adaptation overall though!

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a comic adaptation of some of the books of the OGs in fantasy stories. This was really well done though the last few stories were not the best. Probably should have stuck to the source material. Still great fun.

[Victor · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Two vastly different bodies of work (that whoever edited this edition did zero favors for by putting them in reverse chronological chunks): first, the Chaykin/Mignola miniseries from 1990 (5 star work), and then the 70s reprints from DC's short-lived attempt to compete with Marvel's phenomenal success with licensing Conan. Most of these are Denny O'Neil adaptations with Chaykin's art (not his writing, as in the miniseries), and they're rock solid work, but the shorts (with very early work by Walt Simonson, some of the worst Jim Starlin work I've ever seen, and writing by SF novelist George Effinger) are meh to abysmal, knocking the overall rating down a bit. I get that Mignola's art is probably why this edition exists, but good lord, do your readers a favor and end the book on a high note, not on the worst of the scraps available for publication.

[Yoshiro · Rating 5 out of 5]

POPKULTUROWY KOCIOŁEK: Lost in Time wydając na naszym rynku omnibus Fafhrd i Szary Kocur pozwala miłośnikowi fantasy zanurzyć się w świat Lankhmaru oraz jego niezrównanych bohaterów. Album ten zbiera adaptacje komiksowe klasycznych opowieści Fritza Leibera, oddając hołd wizjonerskiemu geniuszowi autora, którego wpływ na literaturę fantasy i science fiction jest niezaprzeczalny. Nagrodzony licznymi prestiżowymi wyróżnieniami, Leiber stworzył uniwersum pełne przygód, magii i niejednoznacznych moralnie postaci, które na stałe zapisały się w kanonie gatunku. W tym zbiorze spotykamy się z interpretacjami jego dzieł przez prawdziwe legendy komiksu: Howarda Chaykina, Mike’a Mignolę, Dennisa O’Neila, Ala Williamsona i wielu innych.

Ten obszerny tom łączy dwie zasadniczo różne adaptacje przygód Fafhrda i Szarego Kocura. Pierwsza z nich, pochodząca z 1991 roku, jest dziełem scenarzysty Howarda Chaykina i rysownika Mike’a Mignoli. Druga, starsza, bo z roku 1973, ukazała się pod szyldem DC Comics, a za jej scenariusz odpowiadał głównie Dennis O’Neil, z rysunkami Chaykina.

Intrygującym zabiegiem ze strony wydawnictwa jest umieszczenie nowszej adaptacji na początku tomu. Mike Mignola uważa bowiem swoją pracę nad tym tytułem za swoje najlepsze osiągnięcie przed Hellboyem, co niewątpliwie przyciąga wielu czytelników. Jednak lektura obu adaptacji w kolejności chronologicznej ujawnia fascynującą ewolucję interpretacji tych kultowych postaci w medium komiksowym. Możemy obserwować zarówno podobieństwa w podejściu do materiału źródłowego, jak i wyraźne różnice wynikające z kontekstu czasów i oczekiwań rynku.

Adaptacje z 1973 roku, publikowane w okresie, gdy DC próbowało rozszerzyć swoją ofertę poza superbohaterów, wciąż noszą znamiona tamtej epoki. Stroje bohaterów przypominają kostiumy herosów w pelerynach, pozostając niezmienne w każdym zeszycie dla łatwiejszej identyfikacji. Jednocześnie, w cieniu popularności komiksowego „Conana Barbarzyńcy„, scenariusze tych wczesnych adaptacji zdają się czerpać inspirację z prozy Roberta E. Howarda, tworząc interesującą, choć nie zawsze spójną, mieszankę. Wczesne adaptacje O’Neila, mimo dobrych intencji, bywają powierzchowne i zbyt swobodnie traktują oryginał. Próby implementacji humoru również nie zawsze trafiają w ton prozy Leibera. Niemniej, nawet te słabsze fragmenty mają wartość historyczną i pokazują, jak rodziła się komiksowa mitologia sword & sorcery.

Przeskok o niemal dwie dekady przynosi zupełnie inną jakość. Adaptacja z 1991 roku, prezentuje się jako produkt wręcz prestiżowy. Bogatsza kolorystyka i przede wszystkim swoboda twórcza, jaką dano zespołowi, zaowocowały dziełem wybitnym. Pozwolono Mignoli w pełni rozwinąć swój charakterystyczny styl operowania nastrojem i tempem, a Sherlyn van Valkenburgh otrzymała format idealnie współgrający z jej subtelną paletą barw. Ta część komiksu to dzieło zdecydowanie dojrzalsze. Chaykin wchodzi głębiej w psychologię bohaterów, a Mignola demonstruje swoją fascynację mrokiem, ekspresją i rytmem narracyjnym. To bezsprzecznie wersja, która lepiej oddaje ducha prozy Leibera....

https://popkulturowykociolek.pl/recen...

[Gonzalo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve ment to read the stories of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser for many years, and it is only fitting that I do that first as comic books. After all, that was how I first encountered Conan and Elric. In addition, my wife says a movie cannot ruin a book, but the opposite is not true. I believe that might be the case for comics too.

This omnibus can be divided into two parts that deserve independent evaluation. The first two thirds are stories written (adapted) by Howard Chaykin and drawn by Mike Mignola. The other third are older comics drawn (mostly) by Chaykin and written (again, mostly) by Dennis O’Neil. I am fairly certain I have read some of O’Neil’s Daredevil, but, strangely, I have never read anything drawn by Mignola, and I believe I am completely new to Chaykin’s work.

The Chaykin/Mignola part is great. For some reason, the drawings reminded me of the little Hugo Pratt I have read, or at the very least something more French than American. Which if, even if not completely true, helps keeping distance with, say, Buscema’s Conan. Chaykin’s introduction is priceless as far as this things goes, and helped me understand that perhaps Fafhrad and the Mouser share more with Batman and Robin (Or Catwoman and…) than with other heroes of Sword and Sorcery. And there is certainly more sword than sorcery. There is magic aplenty, but I would argue the heroes interact with it even less than Conan does. They are also, for the most part, far more normal individuals than our favorite Cimmerian—which is to say, I’d bet Conan is stronger than Fafhrd. The Sword part takes a decidedly different aspect than elsewhere in the genre in as much as there is more swashbuckling than brute force thanks to the Mouser—again, more Spiderman or Daredevil than Hulk. A pleasant surprise both in terms of art and the stories is that they seem to be far away from the grim dark I thought they might be. There is a darkness that might not be present in other versions of fantasy, but that has more to do with the fact that these are thieves’ stories, and not some apocalyptic world.

The last third is, sadly, rather weak. I wouldn’t criticize’s Chaykin’s technique as much as the overall appearance. It looked old without being quaint, and certainly closer to conventional S&S. Perhaps they were trying to sell a Conan clone rather than something different. It lacked the distinct personality of the previous two thirds, and although I think it is a valuable addition to the volume in terms of history of the media, and of the characters, they are rather forgettable stories.

[Tim Schneider · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, I was the guy who while everyone else I knew was reading Conan or Elric was reading Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. I mean...I read Conan and Elric too...but Fritz Lieber's sword and sorcery duo were more my jam. They were so much more fun.

I read this one over a few days and it is very much a tale of two time periods. The first 60% or so of the book reprints the adaptations done by Howard Chaykin and Mike Mignola for Marvel in the very early 90s. It's early work for Mignola, but is very much up his alley and he's ably abetted by the great Al Williamson. And by this time Chaykin was a well-accomplished writer. This is just super solid sword & sorcery comics adapting some foundational work in the genre by Fritz Lieber. I'd have happily taken a whole lot more of this.

The last 40% or so of the book reprints the stories that Dennis O'Neil and Howard Chaykin did for the five issues of Sword of Sorcery that DC published in 1973. And...damn that was a rough read. I'll happily recognize that O'Neil is a legend is superhero comics. But at this point I find a LOT of his work to be a slog. And this was no exception. Terribly overwritten. And a lot of it was just pointless. The saving grace was Chaykin's art, which was good even though this was quite early in his career. It's not helped at all that the inks on all the issues were done by committee so there's no consistency at all. And the two short stories that rounded out the last 6 pages of issues 4 and 5 are pretty much unreadable. The first done by O'Neil and (a very young) Walt Simonson is the better of a bad two. The second was apparently written by Geroge Alec Effinger with some of the very worst Jim Starlin art I've ever seen (and I'm not a Starlin fan at all). Honestly these stories only needed reprinted for whatever historical value they may have because they're not worth the time to read.

[Rex Hurst · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are actually two sections to this book. The first reprints the Howard Chaykin and Mike Mignola Dark Horse series from the 1990s and the second is filled with 1970s reprints of a similar series that was published in DCs Sword and Sorcery comic. One of Fritz Leiber's stories is adapted twice in this volume.

The Dark Horse volumes are the closest to capturing Leiber's original style of writing, deadly serious with an undercurrent of humor, morally gray characters who generally don't want to hurt people, but refuse to live ordinary lives, men who are caught up in unusual circumstances by fate and by design. While this is not Mignola's best art, his style has definitely evolved into its present condition.

The one's from the 1970, drawn on the cusp of the Bronze age, with much of the Silver Age ideas of how to write a comic still in play, definitely feel like they're from that time. The dialogue, the action, the presentation could be any of the sword and sorcery characters produced by the big 2 at the time. They do not have the same feel, the flavor, that made Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser stick out. It's actually rather difficult to describe. It is the characters, but they feel off. In the originals even when the story is light, there is an underlining current of sadness, of squalor, that these stories do not capture and the Dark Horse ones do.

[Christian · Rating 4 out of 5]

[3.7]
I like the world that's created here, and who better to draw it than Mike Mignola. His pages convey the right mood and with great composition they give focus to the right things. They are often beautiful as well.

The tone of the dialogue is fun. It is bombastic, while still being down to earth. The chemistry between the main characters is great, and the stories are interesting. It's similar to Hellboy in some ways. Hellboy leans more into the artistic and mysterious, while Fafhrd more into comedy and dialogue. If I would compare it against the Mignolaverse, I'd say that I like it a bit better than B.P.R.D and it's about on par with the weaker Hellboy stories. The last third of this volume reprints some earlier adaptations of the same material. They seem fine, but I only read one. I don't like the art style very much, especially not when just coming off Mignola's work. It's a fun comparison though, so I like that they are added here.

Easy recommend for fans of Mignola or just people who enjoy fun swashbuckling adventures

[Richard Balmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mignola and Chaykin's adaptation of the classic Lankhmar stories results in a heroic failure. The real joy in Fritz Leiber's stories is the wry prose, which can't really be captured in the comics medium, however well put together. Still, Mignola's Byzantine Empire-inflected art is wonderful - decadent and grey, an unusual combination - and the entire thing is clearly created with deep love of the source material. Howard Chaykin's introduction in particular really added to my appreciation of both the comics and the original stories.

This volume also includes a much earlier adaptation of the same stories written by Dennis O'Neil and drawn by Chaykin instead of Mignola. These are pure technicolour pulp, let down a little by the limitations of 1970s comics colouring, but entertaining enough. My favourite thing about the latter half of this collection is the costuming - surprisingly chic and dapper for medieval scoundrels!

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser are basically D-list Conan comics, but I dug them regardless. Maybe it was the witty dialogue or maybe it was the early-Mignola artwork. Either way, the stories were fast-paced, often silly, and beautiful to look at. The titular anti-heroes are thieves in a generic fantasy kingdom who keep getting caught up in shenanigans when their main goal is truly to find some beauties and some booze.

Howard Chaykin and Mike Mignola both write brief commentaries about the characters and comics they produced, and both note that the 70s versions (illustrated by Chaykin) were sub-par. Sad then that this omnibus includes those comics and... yeah, they're not nearly as great. Highly recommended that you set the book down after Mignola's off the page.

[Cale · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was literally twice as long as it should have been.
The collection of the series done by Mike Mignola was decent to good - Mignola's style worked well for the characters and settings, and he and Chaykin do some creative layouts and designs.
But then the collection includes a previous version of the characters that Chaykin did with someone else, and that version has not aged well (plus both versions have variations on one story, which is academically interesting to compare and contrast the approaches). I'd say 3 stars for Mignola's section, but the second half definitely lets the characters and setting down.

[Joshua Begley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a huge fan of Leiber, and the Fafhrd and Gray Mouser stories in particular. These adaptations are delightful, especially the ones drawn by Mignola. They capture the unique feel of Newhon and her greatest rogues. Well worth checking out if you're a fan.

[Peter Bernhardt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wasn't adapted well, should have just read the stories.

[Jack T · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

[Yuliya Urumova · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF @ 50%

[Christoph Weber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super fun. But please try to read the books first.

The old comics at the back aren't as good as Mignola's.

[Colin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly awesome collection of graphic novelizations of the Lankhmar tales of Fritz Leiber - highly recommended!

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great setting with lots of nooks and crannies. Interesting magic and abilities. THe pair keep getting knocked out though and then making a daring escape. Lots of fun to read.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some fine, classic adaptations of Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser stories. Mignola's art is terrific. Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser are a fun duo, always getting themselves into trouble in this old school fantasy world. These have been out of print for a long time and it's nice to have them all collected in one place.

[Czterysta Czterdzieścicztery · Rating 2 out of 5]

Niestety nie miałem nigdy okazji przeczytać żadnego opowiadania o Fafhrdzie i Szarym Kocurze pióra samego Fritza Leibera. Natomiast nie ukrywam, że gratka było dla mnie zobaczyć jak radzi sobie Mike Mignola w fantasy z czasów sprzed "Hellboya". Muszę przyznać, iż "wczesny" Mignola był znakomity i to właśnie strona graficzna rysowanych przez niego zeszytów jest najmocniejszym punktem tego omnibusa. O ile sama para głównych bohaterów jest bardzo ciekawa, to niestety żadna z tych opowieści mnie nie wciągnęła.
Nie do końca rozumiem też decyzje aby umieścić w ramach tego zbioru na prawie jego 1/3 objętości adaptacje opowiadań powstałe w latach 70-tych. Są one fatalne pod każdym względem: naiwne i nudne scenariusze, okropne kolory i "toporne" rysunki. Myślę, że z całego tego materiału można było się pokusić o zostawienie tylko adaptacji opowiadania ''The Price of Pain Ease", czyli "Ceny Ulgi Serca" O'Neila z rysunkami Chaykina, którą można by porównać z "Ceną Lekkiego Serca" tym razem ze scenariuszem Chaykina i rysunkami Mignoli.

Scenariusz: ** (Chaykin)/ * (O'Neil)
Rysunki: **** (Mignola)/ * (lata 70-te)

[Eloi Puig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ressenya en català:

https://tuit.cat/vFrK3

Reseña en castellano:

https://tuit.cat/KgsqA

[Michael Daines · Rating 3 out of 5]

The “Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser Omnibus” gave me an overview of Fritz Leiber’s two iconic characters. The first half, written Howard Chaykin and art by Mike Mignola, was better than the latter half, but it still convinced me that I don’t need to read any more Fafhrd and Gray Mouser stories. There wasn’t anything endearing to me about the characters.