Ring of the Nibelung Volume 1: The Rhinegold & the Valkyrie

by P. Craig Russell

P. Craig Russell's adaptation of the Ring cycle by German composer Richard Wagner is about to be collected in a handsome two-volume set. Volume One, with new introductions and behind the scenes production art, presents The Rhinegold and The Valkyrie. The magical gold of the Rhine maidens is stolen, leading to a twisted story of vengeance and betrayal. The tainted product of the theft, a simple ring, perverts the will of everyone it comes in contact...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1569716668
• ISBN13: 9781569716663
• Release Date: April 2002
• Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
• Length: 200 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.7" x 10.2"
• Age Range: 16 years and up

Customer Reviews

Gorgeous translation to comic medium

Russell has done it again, breathing new life into Wagner's story by translating it into a contemporary visual medium. His visual style always works well in fantasies, so it makes the ideal vehicle for a story like this. Staging it to the fullest would be nearly impossible, with its varied surrounds of mountains, meadows, rainstorms, caves and more. Imagery on paper supports these scenes in ways that would be nearly impossible for stagecraft. The story comes through strongly, too. And what a story - the operatic style in music is an acquired taste, and many younger readers won't have taken the time to acquire it. As a result, they might not have heard of the swindling gods, taunting Rhinemaidens, lovestruck valkyrie, incestuous relations, and other seedy goings-on. More than just the adventure of the story, there's a whole soap opera (if you'll pardon the term) in play. And, who knows? The gorgeous art and thrilling story might even tempt someone to give a listen to some of Wagner's incredible music. -- wiredweird

Fresh adaptation of a cool opera

Ring of the Nibelung is the first of two books that make up a very literal adaptation of Wagner's opera to comic book form. It may seem strange to adapt an opera (all sound in most forms of distribution) to an all visual medium, but in many cases the sets and the visual element were a huge part of opera. This is a very visual opera and the comic does it right. The plot: Mermaids who guard a small piece of gold in the Rhine river pass the time by making fun of a Nibelung (a little dwarf type thing) who thinks they are hot. The gold they are guarding is very beautiful but also powerful if it can be forged into a ring. This ring would give who ever wear's it the power to command the entire race of Nibelung. The catch is the ring must be made by someone who has given up love forever. Love isn't doing the Nibelung much good, since he is not at all good to look at and so he ends up making the ring. From then on everyone wants the ring. It passes hands again and again and always in bad circumstances. Despite questionable material (all of it comes from Wagner) this is an excellent comic for school libraries. It is a well done adaptation that could spark interest in the subject and is definitely very readable. There is also a short introductory section about techniques that were used in making the comic, that was interesting for me and would appeal to teens who are interested in drawing their own comics. I highly recommend this adaptation. It keeps the detail from the opera, and the visual nature of a comic book says more than just words could. I finished this and I was like - where is book two? I want it now.

Buy This!!!

This is a coupling of the excellent graphic novel of The Ring. Do yourself a real favor, and buy both parts-immediately. There is something that hearing this monumental work only hints at, and that is the graphic, ie. photorealism of the staged work itself, a precursor to films. If you are new to The Ring, or are an old veteran, this, and other, graphic novelizations of The Ring, will help bring it to stunning life.

Admirable Work!

P. Craig Russell has created a masterpiece of comic book out of a materpiece of Opera. A absolute delight in every opera fan's colelctions! (BTW, I love P. Craig Russell's other opera adaptions, but Ring of the Nibelung is the best by a mile)

Opera Manifests In New Form

The story of one of Wagner's timeless operas, adapted here into comic form. I do not know the original, but this version makes me wish to find out more. It is comprised of 4 parts collected into two books, corresponding to the original 4 operas, which were independant but held together in a loose confederation to make on complete whole.The first quadrant, The Rhinegold, begins with the founding of the gods and the tree of life, before advancing to when the story begins, in the middle ages. A dwarf, Alberich, is spurned by a trio of mermaids and steals their precious Rhinegold in order to make a ring of power from it, with which he can rule the world. The scene changes to Voton, leader of the gods, admiring his newly built Valhalla. The price for this was his wife's sister, who gives life to the gods, and when the giants come for their payment, Voton attempts vainly to talk them out of it. Finally, an agreement is made; if the god can get Alberich's ring, they will exchange that for the girl. And so Voton and Loge the Trickster climb down into the depths of the earth, where the dwarves are held under cruel sway. They trick the new leader and steal his ring, along with a tiara of shapeshifting and all of his gold, but not before the ring is cursed to bring death upon whomever else wears it. Voton is mesmerised by the power, but finally convinced to give it up by the eldest spirit; immediately the ring brings death, when one giant kills his brother coveting it.The Valkyrie begins with a hotblooded young man finding shelter from pursuers in a lonely house, telling of deeds done in misguided honor; his host gives him shelter in waiting for a duel on the morn. That night Siegmund and Sieglinde fall in love, the former taking the ancient sword and with it his host's wife. Fricka, goddess of marriage, demands that Voton avenge this, even though they are his children; finally his will is overcome and he demands that a Valkyrie give Siegmund defeat in battle. She defies him, but Voton steps in and lets him die. As her punishment Brunehilde is taken from godhood and locked on a cliff, to be wed by any hero to find her.The mini-series is continued in Vol. 2.Even such a long summation can barely do this dense and powerful opera justice. Rather than the standard practice of rewriting or removing speech in parts, nearly everything is kept, translated directly from the original words of Wagner. The translation itself is very nice, keeping an archaic and formal syntax, while remaining accessible to modern readers. It is similar to Shakespeare or any contemporary, high without pretnetion. While the music cannot be included, the songs remain, to be fleshed out instead by lush art. The parallel goes deeper, in fact; as mentioned in the introduction, where Wagner's music has its lietmotifs, quickly recognizable strains that pull the whole together, so does the art include its own repeated motifs.The story is classic, and told as well as befits a master. The politics