Sword & Sorcery

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Sword & Sorcery

Post by omega_override »

What do you fine folks think of fantasy comics involving wizards and warriors and such?
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Re: Sword & Sorcery

Post by Elveen »

Loved Conan by Dark horse. Really, really great. Infact top 5-7 run all time.
Liked some of the Marvel old school stuff, some not as much. (Sometimes the stories blend together)

Liked the 1st Eleric mini series, I've read it a few times. Pretty good. I've also read some later Elric stuff, not as good.

Liked Sojourn by Crossgen, liked it a lot, but no end. It just stopped.

Loved D&D as a younger person, but that might be it for s&s comics.

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Re: Sword & Sorcery

Post by omega_override »

Elveen wrote:but that might be it for s&s comics
For you as a reader or the ones that you know of?
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Re: Sword & Sorcery

Post by Elveen »

omega_override wrote:
Elveen wrote:but that might be it for s&s comics
For you as a reader or the ones that you know of?

Ones that I have read.

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Re: Sword & Sorcery

Post by Andy »

I loved Tellos and am looking forward to my kids reading it someday but its not a true swords and sorcery comic in the last issue. Still well worth it.

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Re: Sword & Sorcery

Post by Tim »

Warlord.

Game over.

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Re: Sword & Sorcery

Post by Tim »

Andy wrote:I loved Tellos and am looking forward to my kids reading it someday but its not a true swords and sorcery comic in the last issue. Still well worth it.


One of my favorite series ever.

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Re: Sword & Sorcery

Post by omega_override »

Tim wrote:Warlord.

Game over.
The only sword and sorcery comic that can top Warlord is Thorgal, a polish comic that got translated into English by a UK company called Cinebook. I hardly ever get choked up or distraught when reading comics, but the first four volumes of Thorgal alone are one big emotional rollercoaster
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Re: Sword & Sorcery

Post by Elveen »

omega_override wrote:
Tim wrote:Warlord.

Game over.
The only sword and sorcery comic that can top Warlord is Thorgal, a polish comic that got translated into English by a UK company called Cinebook. I hardly ever get choked up or distraught when reading comics, but the first four volumes of Thorgal alone are one big emotional rollercoaster

Really? It's on my radar now.

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Re: Sword & Sorcery

Post by omega_override »

Elveen wrote:Really? It's on my radar now.
It's fantastic, in the first book, a young Thorgal saves some Dwarves and to repay him, the Queen of the Fairies blesses him with a mate who will have teardrops on the palms of her hands. She's born days after Thorgal returns to the village

There's also some small sci-fi elements to it that are introduced, but never really mentioned again. Won't spoil what it is
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Re: Sword & Sorcery

Post by Tony_H »

Here's a decent, recent thumbnail guide to S&S comics by a current short-fic writer of the (sub)genre: http://www.swordandsorcery.org/comicshistory.asp

FWIW, if you guys haven't read Titan Comics' new English-language translations of the recent Elric comics from France, I'd recommend that you at least try the first volume. Measured by story or illustration quality, it beats the BOOM! "Balance Lost" series by a couple of hundred miles.

Any D&D-type fantasy series ultimately competes with Marvel's The Savage Sword of Conan mags from the '70s, though…and probably loses the match.

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Re: Sword & Sorcery

Post by String »

Elveen wrote:Loved Conan by Dark horse. Really, really great. Infact top 5-7 run all time.
Liked some of the Marvel old school stuff, some not as much. (Sometimes the stories blend together)

Liked the 1st Eleric mini series, I've read it a few times. Pretty good. I've also read some later Elric stuff, not as good.

Liked Sojourn by Crossgen, liked it a lot, but no end. It just stopped.

Loved D&D as a younger person, but that might be it for s&s comics.
Is that Elric mini the one featuring art by P. Craig Russell? I have a few of those issues which I thought was very good. Did you read any of the more recent Boom! series, the Balance Lost I think it was? Been meaning to catch up with that. Awhile back, DC released a 4 issue Elric mini written by Moorcock with art by the great Walt Simonson, detailing Elric's early training to someday assume the throne, that was good.

@ Tony H

Thanks for the reminder about Titan Comics' release too. I remember seeing some early previews of those books over on CBR but forgot when they were released. Have to track them down now.


As for other fantasy comics, one word: Groo.

Destruction with comic hilarity. :thumb:

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Re: Sword & Sorcery

Post by omega_override »

String wrote:As for other fantasy comics, one word: Groo. Destruction with comic hilarity. :thumb:
I like the general idea of Groo, as well as Cerebus, but I didn't find either of them to suit my particular tastes when it comes to comics
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Re: Sword & Sorcery

Post by Elveen »

The Eleric book I'm talking about is by Pacific I think. I think it's an 8 issue mini.

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Re: Sword & Sorcery

Post by cray_ws »

Here's a list of fantasy books I've read on comixology;

Artesia - Kind of a adult fantasy version of Joan of Arc

The Autumnlands: Tooth & Claw - described as Conan meets Game of Thrones meets Kamandi in an original high-fantasy epic for mature readers. I've only read the first issue and I am hooked.

Birthright - Blends fantasy themes with everyday urban adventure. Kinda like ongoing episodes of Mojoverse in the X-men.

Brides of Helheim - Norse fantasy, enough said.

Hinterkind - Post-Apocalyptic fantasy. Basically like Hunger Games or Revolution but with fantasy elements.

Luminae - Indie fantasy book about female warriors.

Madame Xanadu - Sorcery meets historical fiction.

Mouse Guard - A series about medieval mice.

Okko - fantasy series featuring martial arts.

Princess Ugg - a barbarian princess goes to school. The book is aimed at younger readers but it's by no means simpleton.

Ragnarok - Norse mythology with some high-fantasy elements.

Ramayan 3392 AD - Indian/Hindu mythology with some high-fantasy elements. A re-telling of one of the oldest stories known to Indian culture.

Robotica - Described as a steampunk wasabi western. There's lots of sword and sorcery action despite the themes.

The Sword - A woman with a mighty sword. It's not quite true fantasy but it fits the whole Sword & Sorcery. The Luna Brothers have a way of writing female characters that will pull you in.

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Re: Sword & Sorcery

Post by Tony_H »

Whoa! Thanks for the list, Cray. Of the books you mentioned, I've only read Ragnarok and Helheim, and they're excellent. Artesia and Autumnland jump out as soon-to-read candidates. For my money, two of the best US S&S books are Simone's Red Sonja (which is ending very soon) and Tim Truman's periodic King Conan minis.

An obscure old fantasy title that's not stellar but interesting as a curiosity is Paul Levitz's Stalker. He wrote it for DC in the early 70s with Steve Ditko on art. When he was on a panel here at NYCC 4 or 5 years ago, Levitz admitted to a questioner from the audience that the plot and characters from the series were rehashed from Mike Moorcock's Eternal Champion books; it was refreshing to hear somebody actually fess up to doing that kind of thing.

Speaking of the EC, Titan re-released the P. C. Russell Elric series a short while ago:http://titan-comics.com/c/182-the-micha ... elric-of-/
Re: Groo: :insane:...Aragones!

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Re: Sword & Sorcery

Post by dornwolf »

IDW had a solid Dungeons and Dragons series a while back which was solid

also loved the World of Warcraft comic when it initially started.

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Re: Sword & Sorcery

Post by Cyberstrike »

The Rat Queens-Image's funny, sexy, and somewhat subversive take on the fantasy genre continues to be a great read with great art.

Dragon Age-the Dark Horse series (not the IDW one it's one of the worst 4 comics I've ever read) Plotted by former Dragon Age lead writer David Gaider these books might or might not be "canon" to games but they do offer some great takes into the backstories of several popular characters in DA Universe.

Merdian-Crossgen's version of Skies of Arcadia was the "core" title I thought I would like the least and ended up being the one that I liked the best.

Sword of Sorcery Say what you about DC since they debuted the "New 52" but they have taken some gambles and while this one didn't quite work out it's a decent read and good artwork.
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Re: Sword & Sorcery

Post by Elveen »

Cyberstrike wrote:The Rat Queens-Image's funny, sexy, and somewhat subversive take on the fantasy genre continues to be a great read with great art.

Dragon Age-the Dark Horse series (not the IDW one it's one of the worst 4 comics I've ever read) Plotted by former Dragon Age lead writer David Gaider these books might or might not be "canon" to games but they do offer some great takes into the backstories of several popular characters in DA Universe.

Merdian-Crossgen's version of Skies of Arcadia was the "core" title I thought I would like the least and ended up being the one that I liked the best.

Sword of Sorcery Say what you about DC since they debuted the "New 52" but they have taken some gambles and while this one didn't quite work out it's a decent read and good artwork.

Meridian is GREAT! but....... again, no ending. Dang Crossgen.

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Re: Sword & Sorcery

Post by dornwolf »

Did anyone ever read Battle Chasers?

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Re: Sword & Sorcery

Post by Cyberstrike »

dornwolf wrote:Did anyone ever read Battle Chasers?
I know read it, I also know I don't remember much about it.
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Re: Sword & Sorcery

Post by String »

Northlanders. It's not fantasy per se but still a terrific medieval title.

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Re: Sword & Sorcery

Post by lorddunlow »

Umbral was a really great dark fantasy that I tried to get everyone to read. Canceled after 12 issues on a cliffhanger. Damn it.

It is still a great read.
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Re: Sword & Sorcery

Post by grendeljd »

I'm a big fan of the old Marvel Conan stuff, I have a near complete run of it [the standard comic, not the magazines]. Never got too hooked on the Darkhorse stuff, although I loved Cary Nord's work on it.

Also love Warlord too - and I have a complete run of the original series.

Artesia is great, I have one TPB.

Someone mentioned The Sword by the Luna Brothers - I didn't finish that series but I liked what I have read, it is great for a modern take on S&S.
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Re: Sword & Sorcery

Post by kjjohanson »

omega_override wrote:
Tim wrote:Warlord.

Game over.
The only sword and sorcery comic that can top Warlord is Thorgal
Just Thorgal?
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