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Title: Richard Wagner's the Ring of the Nibelung by Gil Kane, Jim Woodring, John Costanza, Roy L. Thomas ISBN: 0-932956-20-3 Publisher: Express Pub. Date: May, 1997 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.8 (5 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Refreshingly Lowbrow!
Comment: Unfortunately, one of the negative aftershocks that usually accompanies a towering, controversial work-of-art is the sheer amount of pretentious [stuff] written about it. Considering that Der Ring des Nibelungen is quite possibly the most stupendous artistic achievement ever devised by one single individual, please feel free to multiply the previous statement by twelve.
Here, however, we something refreshingly straightforward. The Ring's four operas are well-represented by Thomas' & Kane's comic-book format. The graphics are mostly well-done and the writing appropriately archaic-sounding.
Alberich, Mime, Fasolt & Fafner (giant version) are all drawn to be exceedingly gross, yet strangely sympathetic (this is especially true of Mime). Wotan looks like the most convincing 80-year-old bodybuilder you've ever seen, while Hagen & Hunding look truly menacing. Donner is a hybrid of Hercules & Thor, the Rhinemaidens seem to have lost their clothing somewhere downstream, and Brunnhilde is exquisite. Siegmund & Siegfried are regrettably a little too "Masters of the Universe," but Fafner (dragon version) is brilliant!
There's also an introduction written by the editor of "Opera News" basically giving the intellectual "all clear" for enjoying this format. Aside from the graphics, the book's primary appeal is making the somewhat convoluted story of the Ring accessible in one gulp. Therein lies the value of this volume: instead of daunting the reader with hundreds of pages of musical analysis & the presumed hidden meanings of the Ring, it unassumingly invites the reader to experience one of the greatest journeys in Western music.
Rating: 3
Summary: This isn't the best Kane and Thomas could've offered
Comment: I'm afraid the reviewer below is overly generous. The late Kane was an artist of extraordinary talent and intellect who unfortunately rarely showed his full potential. Thomas, too, is a fine writer, especially when one considers that he was a protoge of Stan "The Man" Lee. I don't know how the two of them came to collaborate on this project, but, whereas one might think they would have really gone to town (being freed from the absurd constraints of the technicolor long-johns genre), Kane's art is only pretty-good at best, and downright shoddy at worst. Thomas, too, seems to lose steam halfway through, and the excellent writing of the first issues gives way to writing which is merely adequate. Most disturbing in the art is the Barbie-and-Ken-type depiction of the gods and goddesses. The "monsters" seem drawn with much more passion and care. Perhaps Kane intended this ironically, since the gods and goddesses are largely contemptible, whereas the monsters have a certain sympathetic appeal. Having said all that, I still think this is far better than the huge majority of comics, and it is a must-have for anyone who is an admirer of either Kane or Thomas.
Rating: 5
Summary: Over 8 hours of Opera condensed to 200 stunning pages!
Comment: In a major departure of theme, Comix Art God, Gil Kane took on no less than The Ring Cycle from Alberecht's theft of the Ring of Power all the way through The Immolation and downfall of The Gods. Only an artist as confident as Kane could have ever gotten away with such a gutsy move. He is aided by a fairly tight and concise rendering of the story by Roy Thomas, no slouch himself. The magic of this pairing is that Thomas clearly knows when to leave certain elements of the story to Kane and his visual mastery. Every panel is kinetic with movement and the art is far more mature as it ought to be. Below there are reviews with silly warnings about the nudity in these books as if you would give your five year old a story about a Hero (sigfried)having passionate relations with his sister(brunhilde)! Laughable. The Ring Cycle is a very adult story by nature and Kane/Thomas treat it with the respect that a story for thinking individuals deserves. If you were expecting GOODNIGHT MOON, you are on the wrong page pal. However, I think any kid old enough to watch Discovery Channel unsupervised could be trusted with this material. In fact, this rendering of the RING is far more comprehensible than a Cliff Notes version they will inevitably buy in Highschool and far more entertaining.
Sadly, with Kane's death a year ago, we will not be treated to any more of his insightful and original treatments of timeless material. If you only know his Superhero stuff, you really need this book and you must also track down a used copy of the now out of print BLACKMARK. Kane's THE RING is simply a treasure for the art, the way the art tells the story and the succinct summary of a complex and lengthy Literature Classic. Too bad he couldn't have also done WAR & PEACE since his version would have been much more interesting.
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Title: The Ring of the Nibelung Book 2: Siegfried & Gotterdammerung: The Twilight of the Gods by P. Craig Russell, Patrick Mason, Lovern Kindzierski, Galen Showman ISBN: 1569717346 Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Pub. Date: 19 July, 2002 List Price(USD): $21.95 |
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Title: The Ring of the Nibelung: The Rhinegold & the Valkyrie by P. Craig Russell ISBN: 1569716668 Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Pub. Date: April, 2002 List Price(USD): $21.95 |
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Title: Wagner's Ring: Turning the Sky Round by M. Owen Lee ISBN: 0879101865 Publisher: Limelight Editions Pub. Date: October, 1994 List Price(USD): $10.00 |
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Title: Ring of the Nibelung by Richard Wagner, Andrew Porter ISBN: 0393008673 Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company Pub. Date: March, 1983 List Price(USD): $17.95 |
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Title:Wagner - Der Ring des Nibelungen / Levine, Metropolitan Opera (Complete Ring Cycle) ASIN: B00006L9ZT Publisher: Universal Music & VI Pub. Date: 12 November, 2002 List Price(USD): $119.98 Comparison N/A, buy it from Amazon for $104.35 |
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