Beautiful comic/graphic-novel adaptation.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Honestly, a much better adaptation than I was expecting. Like Hawkmoon, Corum is never going to be my favourite Moorcock creation, but this?

Damn.

The story was typical Moorcock, and Mike Baron did a decent job of adapting it. But it's Mignola's art that absolutely elevates this work, something I never thought I'd say. I'm not a fan of Mike Mignola's art, I find it far too cartoonish and blocky, but here, pre-Hellboy, it's much more fluid and whimsical, and shows that, had he gone in a different direction, he could have been the next P. Craig Russell.

And don't get me wrong, I understand why no artist wants to be the "next (fill in the blank)" when they can be the first in their own style. Very likely why Bill Sienkiewicz stopped aping Neal Adams and went off his own way as well.

But for this Corum series, this pre-Mignola Mignola style is perfect. ( )

A lovely adaptation of the first Michael Moorcock Corum book with illustrations by early Mike Mignola. Corum is a cool hero, probably now my favourite Eternal Champion, a lonely Vadagh in a world gone mad. I will look out for the others in the series, and maybe even re-read the original book. ( )