PopCultHQ received a review copy of THE COMPLETE NORSE MYTHOLOGY from Dark Horse Comics. Released on December 12th in bookstores & December 13th in comic book shops, there are a grippa big name creators in this collected edition (see the creator breakdown below).
Here’s PopCultHQ’s spoiler-free review of…
THE COMPLETE NORSE MYTHOLOGY HC
Story and Words by Neil Gaiman
Script & Layouts by P. Craig Russell
Letters by Galen Showman
Slipcase Cover Art by David Mack
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PROLOGUE
Art by P. Craig Russell
Colors by Lovern Kindzierski
YGGDRASIL AND THE NINE WORLDS
Art by P. Craig Russell
Colors by Lovern Kindzierski
MIMIR’S HEAD AND ODIN’S EYE
Art by Mike Mignola
Colors by Dave Stewart
THE TREASURES OF THE GODS
Art by Jerry Ordway
Colors by Lovern Kindzierski
THE MASTER BUILDER
Art by Piotr Kowalski
Colors by Lovern Kindzierski
LOKI’S CHILDREN
Art and Colors by David Rubín
FREYA’S UNUSUAL WEDDING
Art and Colors by Jill Thompson
THE MEAD OF POETS
Art by Matt Horak
Colors by Lovern Kindzierski
THOR’S JOURNEY TO THE LAND OF GIANTS
Art by Mark Buckingham
Colors by Lovern Kindzierski
THE APPLES OF IMMORTALITY
Art and Colors by Gabriel Hernandez Walta
THE STORY OF GERD AND FREY
Art and Colors by Sandy Jarrell
HYMIR AND THOR’S FISHING EXPEDITION
Art and Colors by David Rubín
THE DEATH OF BALDER
Art and Colors by Colleen Doran
THE LAST DAYS OF LOKI
Art by Galen Showman
Colors by Lovern Kindzierski
RAGNAROK: THE FINAL DESTINY OF THE GODS
Art by P. Craig Russell
Colors by Lovern Kindzierski
Format: FC, 456 pages; HC; 8″ x 12 3/16″
ISBN-13: 978-1-50673-153-7
ISBN-10: 1-50673-153-8
Genre: Fantasy
Age range: 16+
SRP: $124.99
Bookstore release date: 12/12/23
Comic shop release date: 12/13/23
Collects Norse Mythology Volumes 1-3.
The complete Norse Mythology comic book series, adapted by comics legend P. Craig Russell from the New York Times bestselling novel by Neil Gaiman, in a deluxe, oversized collection with a slipcase and ribbon.
The Hugo, Bram Stoker, Locus, World Fantasy, and Nebula award-winning author Neil Gaiman and Eisner award-winning comics legend P. Craig Russell breathe new life into the ancient Norse stories by taking readers through the creation of the Nine Worlds to the epic origin and adventures of Thor, Odin, and Loki all the way to the end of life–Ragnarök.
Having previously written about deities in American Gods and The Sandman, Gaiman teams with Russell to finally bring readers to follow the northern gods in their own setting in this comic book adaptation of the hit novel!
PopCultHQ’s Comic Book Review:
Since ancient times, great stories of heroes, gods, and monsters have fueled the imagination of humanity with a fire so hot it has burned down through the ages. Whether it is the tales of Greece, the glories of Rome, or the wild creatures of Celtic lore, mythology is a veritable fountain of stories from towering epics that have been written. Now, Neil Gaiman and P. Craig Russell have teamed up, alongside a fantastic cadre of creative personalities, to bring to life the mythology of the Norse world. I could wax philosophic about this review endlessly, but honestly, two things that stand out utterly are the stories/scripts and the delightful artwork throughout the book.
Writing: Whenever someone who runs in literary or pop culture circles even hears the name Neil Gaiman, the association with the kind of in-depth, high-quality writing that one has come to expect from this gentleman guarantees excellence across the board. Partner him up with P. Craig Russell, given that both of them have worked on previous projects, including The Sandman, and to be honest, nothing more needs to be said to upsell a book of this magnitude. Neil’s efforts to bring the mythology of the Norse world to the 21st century, with Russell adapting the text for comic books, is a sure-fire win. These two have a writing style that compliments their skills and abilities as storytellers and weavers of imagination. Top that off with the group of artists who were part of this HC, and the book practically sells itself.
Art: The list of artists who worked with Gaiman and Russell on this book is impressive. All of them are brilliant creators and artists in their own right, but having them all partnered up on a project like this is extraordinary. It helps that they all contributed to various chunks of the comics throughout the three-book run of Norse Mythology, so anyone who has yet to read the original comics should be aware of the different art styles that permeate these pages. It merely symbolizes the creative brilliance that Neil and P. Craig command to get such talented folks as Mike Mignola, Colleen Doran, and Jill Thompson under one creative umbrella. Each issue of the overall series is chock full of gorgeous artwork from everyone who worked on this project, including Mike, Colleen, and Jill.
Colors: A volume of this undertaking, let alone the series overall, requires many hands to make light work. Everyone who contributes to something like Norse Mythology has a part to play. One of those parts is that of the colorists. And some fine people were taking up the task of picking out the palettes for this HC. One of the things that I noticed as I read and re-read the book is that even though the art styles varied throughout, the color choices for particular things stayed consistent. For example, the armor worn by noteworthy Æsir such as Odin, Thor, or Loki or their skin tones remained the same throughout all 456 pages. Such coordination can only come when a dedicated group of colorists works in tandem, like a refined engine of creativity and ingenuity. If anyone has any doubts, look within the book to see what I mean. The colors speak for themselves.
Letters: Galen Showman is one of those creative personalities who tends to fly under the radar if you pay attention to their work. This is a darn shame because the lettering they produce is lovely, with a career stretching back over the years working for various publishers on some excellent books. For Norse Mythology, Galen brings in a style that is both elegant and a bit showy, which makes sense given that this HC is about the various stories and tales from the Norse world. The letters produced for the comics’ titles reminded me of what the script for an old hardbound leather volume of such lore would have. Meanwhile, the lettering for the dialogue and narrative text is more understated, blending well with the artwork. My hat goes off to Galen for such excellent, top-notch work.
Overall Assessment:
“Fasolt and Fafner, have ye not felt yet my hammer’s heavy blow?”
—Donner, the god of thunder from The Ring of the Nibelung
Even though the tales and myths of the Norse world come from long ago, their impact is still felt within society even today. Whether it is the works of Richard Wagner and his Ring cycle, certain films featuring superheroes and costumed adventurers, or Neil Gaimain’s own Norse Mythology and this graphic novel adaptation; such works as those can still be looked upon (in other mediums) and be appreciated with the same respect and admiration as they were thousands of years ago. It only proves how powerful such stories are. The combined efforts of the creative team on this volume only further highlight what a treat it was to delve into such a weighty and wonderful tome. Whether you are a fan of mythology or comics or want something new to read, pick up a copy of this delightful hardcover collection because you will surely not regret it.
PopCultHQ’s Rating:
5 out of 5 Stars
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Pick up one of the remaining two in-stock deluxe,
oversized collections at Things From Another World!
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About Dark Horse Comics:
Founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson, Dark Horse Comics is an excellent example of how integrity and innovation can help broaden a unique storytelling medium and transform a company with humble beginnings into an industry giant. Over the years, Dark Horse has published the work of creative legends such as Yoshitaka Amano, Margaret Atwood, Paul Chadwick, Geof Darrow, Will Eisner, Neil Gaiman, Dave Gibbons, Faith Erin Hicks, Kazuo Koike, Matt Kindt, Jeff Lemire, Mike Mignola, Frank Miller, Kentaro Miura, Moebius, Chuck Palahniuk, Wendy Pini, Richard Pini, and Gerard Way. In addition, Dark Horse has a long tradition of establishing exciting new creative talent throughout all of its divisions. The company has also set the industry standard for quality licensed comics, graphic novels, collectibles, and art books, including Stranger Things, Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Legend of Korra, Minecraft, The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario, Dragon Age, James Cameron’s Avatar, Game of Thrones, Mass Effect, StarCraft, The Witcher, and Halo. Today, Dark Horse Comics is one of the world’s leading entertainment publishers.
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