Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser: The Cloud of Hate and Other Stories

In 1973, in the wake of Marvel Comics' success with its Conan the Barbarian comic book (based on the character created by Robert E. Howard), DC published these stories featuring the red-haired barbarian Fafhrd and the stealthy Gray Mouser, stars of a long-running series of sword-and-sorcery tales by Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy Award winner Leiber. Most of the work here is adapted loosely from Leiber's originals, emphasizing fast-moving action. O'Neil jettisons virtually all of Leiber's often-marvelous prose, but the banter he invents for the two leads does preserve a semblance of the original humor. Chaykin turns in some impressive artwork, as does Walter Simonson (later famed for a 1980s run on Thor), who illustrates two stories here, including an original solo tale of young Fafhrd. Chaykin later scripted a more faithful series of Fafhrd and Mouser adaptations (including a redo of this volume's first tale) with art by Mike Mignola and Al Williamson, also available from Dark Horse.