ELRIC: THE DREAMING CITY #1 – Review

In ELRIC: THE DREAMING CITY #1, available from Titan Comics on August 18th, 2021, Elric of Melniboné travels to the hidden city of his ancestors, braving deadly jungles and powerful magic, to find the answers leading to redemption.

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The Details

• Written By: Julien Blondel, Jean-Luc Cano
• Art By: Julien Telo, Robin Recht
• Cover Art By: Valentin Secher (cover B)
• Cover Price: $3.99
• Release Date: August 10, 2021

Was It Good?

Michael Moorcock’s Elric series has been around for decades, and admittedly, I’m only aware of it in a passing sense. I have a rough idea of the titular character and the tortured nature of his existence, but in reality, I’m coming into this series cold.

That said, I enjoyed this first issue a lot, and that’s high praise considering how much lore was included. Unlike some of the other high fantasy titles we’ve reviewed in the past (looking at you George R. R. Martin’s A Clash of Kings), the creators did a commendable job of laying out the world and following along with the source material without resorting to walls of narration and dialog.

After reading this issue, I have a clear sense of the characters, the magical rules of this world, and the stakes of Elric’s quest. Peppered throughout all of that information is some darn fine acting by the lead and supporting characters.

Part of the success in the acting is the writing, but big credit goes to the art team. The character designs are slightly whimsical yet grounded and human. The art style has a grim tone to it that feels reminiscent of other swashbuckling works such as Solomon Kane or Conan. I like this art style quite a bit, and I’m looking forward to seeing more.

This is a short assessment, but honestly, it’s a great first issue, so if you’re into fantasy in general or Elric in particular, you should be happy with this comic.

What’s It About?

[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]

We join Elric of Melniboné aboard a ship, helmed by Duke Avan, bound for R’lin K’ren A’a, the fabled origin of Elric’s people. The city has been lost to time (with a little magical help), but Elric is determined to find it on his quest for redemption, for the salvation of his kingdom, and for answers that may free him from service to Arioch.

The crew eventually finds the island where this city supposedly lies, and the away party heads through a series of streams into the dark jungle. As the trees block out the direct sun, the crew is suddenly attacked by murderous lizard men speaking the ancient tongue of Elric’s people. Before everyone is slaughtered, Elric and the crew are saved by swarms of insects under the command of Nuurc’, the gigantic master of insects.

As a friend to Elric’s kind, Nuurc’ offers to show them the way to the ancient city. When they arrive, they find the city is in near-perfect condition and populated by one man. The man, claiming to be over 10,000-years-old, is the city’s keeper and the only one left alive to maintain the library Elric is keen to find.

What Elric doesn’t yet realize is the city is under a curse that robs everyone of their memories and hides the library’s secrets from anyone searching for them. The curse is Arioch’s doing, and we conclude the issue with a revealing showdown between Elric and Arioch for the keys to the past.

Final Thoughts

ELRIC: THE DREAMING CITY #1 is the best example of a high fantasy adaptation into comic form. Without much beyond a passing knowledge of the source material, the creators bring you up to speed on the lore and plop you right into the action with tiresome exposition or volumes of dialog. The story has a swashbuckling fantasy feel that gives off strong Robert E. Howard vibes, and it’s a heck of a lot of fun to read.

Score: 9.5/10