ELRIC THE NECROMANCER #1, by Titan Comics on 7/17/24, finds Elric of Melniboné on a journey to confront the Queen of Dhakos after her brother dies at the battle of Imrryr.
Credits:
- Writer: Julien Blondel, Jean-Luc Cano
- Artist: Valentin Sécher
- Colorist: Valentin Sécher
- Letterer: Jessica Burton
- Cover Artist: Valentin Sécher (cover A)
- Publisher: Titan Comics
- Release Date: July 17, 2024
- Comic Rating: Teen
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Page Count: 34
- Format: Single Issue
Covers:
Analysis of ELRIC THE NECROMANCER #1:
First Impressions:
Julien Blondel and Jean-Luc Cano return to the world of Elric of Melniboné with another beautiful adaptation of Michael Moorcock’s fantasy world. Titan continues to prove itself to be one of the best comic publishers for adaptations of literary works, and this issue highlights the strength of Titan’s creator-vetting prowess. That said. Blondel and Cano cover a lot of ground very quickly, which may give Elric fans the feeling the story was too rushed to be satisfying.
Plot Analysis:
We begin with Elric sitting alone in a pub, resisting the constant calls for death and destruction by his sword, Stormbringer. He’s approached by a woman named Shaarilla, a Myyrrhn woman without her wings. She offers to help him restore whatever he may have lost if she will help find the Dead God’s Book.
Longtime Elric fans will get the gist of where this adaptation is heading without too much trouble. Blondel and Cano follow a depressed Elric as he considers his life without purpose or home after the events of the Dreamless City, so Moorcock’s grim fantasy atmosphere is presented with pitch-perfect accuracy.
Elric agrees to help Shaarilla. Later, they ride out into the countryside for the long journey. After a time, they hear yells for help by a man being chased by Dharzi hunting dogs. Shaarilla advises Elric to stay out of Dharzi business, but Stormbringer is hungry, so Elric intervenes to save the chased man. Indebted for his life, the man, Moonglum, quickly becomes Elric’s traveling companion.
In short order, readers get a primer on the Dead God’s Book, Shaarilla’s intentions for the book, the introduction of Moonglum, and the expansion of the traveling party. Technically, it all works, but the sequence of events happens so fast that there’s little time to let the developments develop weight and importance.
Elric sees a vision of the womanly personification of Stormbringer as she readies herself to kill Cymoril (see the Dreamless City conclusion). Suddenly, Elric wakes up in a tavern three months after parting ways with Shaarilla. Moonglum encourages ELric to eat, drink, and be merry, but Stormbringer’s ever-present influence refuses to let him have peace.
“Wait a minute. What happened to Shaarilla and the Dead God’s Book?” you might wonder. Unknown. The story jumps ahead several months without rhyme or reason, seemingly introducing a quest in the first pages, but then skipping right past it. The time jump in this scene is bizarre and jarring.
After a restless night’s sleep, Elric and Moonglum board a ship headed for Dhakos. Moongum worries that the Queen’s constant stream of messengers calling for Elric must mean it’s a trap since the Queen’s brother, the former King, died at Immryr. Elric believes the Queen’s summons is no trap since her brother’s death, although not by Elric’s hand, gave the Queen the throne.
Again, there’s that sense of rushing or shortcuts. We never see the messengers, how or why Elric decided to go to Dhakos, or where this new journey fits into the first part of the issue. At a high level, this issue may be consistent with the broad-stroke developments in the original books, but Blondel and Cano fall short in smoothing the transitions.
The issue concludes with Elric and Moonglum defending their ship against an attack by Pan Tang slaving raiders, and a mysterious man arriving at an old inn.
Artwork and Presentation:
Valentin Sécher’s artwork is richly detailed, atmospheric, and brimming with dark fantasy style. Truly, you’re not going to find a fantasy comic on the shelves that brings characters and worlds to life as vividly as Valentin Sécher does here.
Art Samples:
The Bigger Picture:
Historical Context:
Readers interested in the source material will be interested to know the comic loosely adapts Michael Moorcock’s book 2 in the Weird of the White Wolf saga, While the Gods Laugh.
Final Thoughts:
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ELRIC THE NECROMANCER #1 begins another visually stunning adaptation of Michael Moorcock’s dark fantasy creation with a grim atmosphere, mature themes, and a captivating protagonist. That said, the visually stunning look and richly detailed story can’t overcome the jarring skips that rush readers from one point to the next.
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