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Michael Moorcock’s Elric returns to comics with the legendary Walt Simonson delivering the artwork. What more could you want?
Before Elric became the legendary figure fantasy fans know and love, he was a young man still trying to find his identity and carve his place in the world. Elric had to set forth on a set of four dream quests that lead him to the throne of Melniboné, the first of which is chronicled in this issue. Beset by his power hungry cousin, Yyrkoon, Elric must travel to far away lands to visit the dragons in the caverns of Imrryr, confront the earth giant Grome and further his quest to return the Black Blade to its rightful owner. While this dream quest may have been easy for a fully matured Elric to conquer, the younger version of the one called White Crow doesn’t find it quite so easy.
Michael Moorcock’s imagination is legendary. His ability to script comic books, not so much. While this tale is extremely vivid in its breadth and scope of imagination, it suffers somewhat from the density of the tale. At more than one point I was left wondering how we’d gone from point ?a’ to point ?b’ in the story, but chalked it up to the intangibles of the dream quest. Moorcock’s comic scripting skills may still leave a bit to be desired, but there is no mistaking his mastery of fantasy storytelling. Elric is one of the most highly regarded fantasy properties in literary history and fans should be delighted at this never-before-seen glimpse into this compelling mythos.
The artwork delivered by Walt Simonson does nothing more than fully justify the legendary status he has achieved for himself. While not every page is a masterpiece, every page is a visual treat. His ability to propel the story sequentially, while reaching deep into our souls and communicating with us on a level reserved for true masters of visual storytelling, is apparent on every page. If you were ever fond of Simonson’s work in the past, you’ll be overjoyed with his efforts in this issue. It’s very easy to see why his run on Thor is so highly regarded. One can only hope Simonson will return to a monthly series once this one has been put to rest. Talent such as his should never be kept away from the public eye.
Steve Oliff’s color work is warm and compelling. While Simonson’s art would still deliver the goods if it were uncolored, Oliff adds that extra touch that helps ensure the artwork on the book is completely over the top.
While the issue is by no means an easy read, the depth of the story will surely provide new insight with each subsequent re-reading. With the art team of Simonson & Oliff, I highly doubt anyone would complain about having to read this again? and again? and again?
–Mike Bullock
