In this review of Elric: The Necromancer #1 (of 2), the stage is beautifully set for another grand adventure taking Elric and his companion, Moonglum of Elwher, straight into the arms of their enemies.
Elric: The Necromancer #1
Writer: Julien Blondel
Artist and Main Cover: Jean-Luc Cano
Variant Covers: Paolo Grella, Pierre-Denis Goux, Valentin Secher
Release Date: July 17, 2024
This review contains spoilers
Elric: The Necromancer #1 — The Story
The first half of Elric: The Necromancer #1 is told in a series of jumps through Elric’s recent past; after the fall of the Dreaming City, when Elric’s legend is just getting started. He sits in a tavern, deep in his cups, while Stormbringer worms its way into his consciousness, seeking to separate Elric from the unfortunately human Moonglum. Elric remembers his first meeting with Sharilla, a woman of Myyrrhn but without the wings common to her people. He recognizes her as a kindred spirit and she offers to help him find the Dead God’s Book, rumored to grant the wishes of those able to understand it enough to wield it. It’s obvious what Sharilla desires from the book but all Elric seeks is the peace the gods have denied him.
On the journey they happen across a man fleeing from Dharzi hunters. Sharilla urges Elric to ignore the fray but Stormbringer is hungry and Elric knows things rarely happen to him by happenstance. After quickly dispatching the hunters Elric is introduced to Moonglum, who he finds amusing. Suddenly, Sharilla begins to fade, replaced by Elric’s eternal love, Cymoril, who is then stalked and taken by Stormbringer.
Elric cries out and we are taken back to the tavern where Elric’s cries have drawn attention. Moonglum pacifies the nervous crowd with drink and attempts to do the same for Elric. Time has passed. Sharilla is gone, sent away by Elric ostensibly to save her soul, and Elric cautions Moonglum that it is dangerous to be his companion, before retiring to his room. Elric stares out moodily over the city before giving into melancholia and going to bed, only to be seduced by a beautiful personification of Stormbringer, urging her “White Wolf” to sleep in her arms.
The next day, Elric and Moonglum board a ship taking them to Dhakos where the new queen, Yishana, has been seeking to bring Elric for some time. Moonglum is sure it’s a trap, Elric did kill Yishana’s brother after all, but Elric doesn’t care. On the way, the ship is attacked Pan Tangien slavers. Despite losing his own ship, Elric and Stormbringer are able to decimate the slavers and take control of the slavers vessel and continue their journey. The first issue ends with the revelation that more than just a vengeful queen will be waiting for Elric and Moonglum when they get to Dhakos.
Analysis:
First of all, I don’t usually get this in-depth with summaries but I really felt Elric: The Necromancer #1 in particular seems like it needed it. I have to confess, when I was first introduced to the Elric stories, I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to be reading. The heroes I was used to and comfortable with weren’t “anti,” they weren’t sick and weak, and they certainly didn’t go around feeding souls to their evil sword.
I was just never able to fully appreciate Elric of Melnibone. I always assumed it was a deficiency of character that I was ashamed I didn’t possess. Therefore, I was only familiar with the very basics of Elric’s story. With that in mind, this book and particularly the way it was structured, made me feel like I was jumping into the deep end of the pool without my trusty floaties.
Sure, I was a little confused but don’t take that to mean I didn’t enjoy the book; quite the opposite in fact. I found Blondel and Cano’s adaptation engaging, so much so that me and my ADHD didn’t mind re-reading the book a couple of times to make sure I got the jist. The tone of the story is extremely moody which one could easily assume considering the source material.
Elric is portrayed as someone slightly inhuman and not quite on the same level as his companions. This helps establish his aloofness and gives him an almost creepy, omniscient vibe to the point where it’s off-putting to see him laugh out loud in one panel, a marked difference from his usual doom and gloom but also wholly authentic. The personalities of the other characters are sparsely portrayed but still jive well.
The true hero of this story, however, is the art of Valentin Secher. Secher has been described as a “rising star” in Europe and it’s easy to see why. This book is beautifully rendered. I could not conjure in my head more appropriate depictions of these characters and I would hazard to pit Secher’s interpretations against the art of any others. He perfectly captures the mood of the book down to the smallest detail – from facial expressions to tavern walls. The art is also vital to visually helping the reader understand the transitions.
Overall, I would definitely recommend giving this book a go. It’s only a two issue commitment and it is well worth any extra time you may need on Google or Wikipedia to put into it.
Final Thoughts:
There is a lot of story left to be told in this beautifully rendered book and I’m excited to see how it all comes together.
Titan Comics provided The Comic Book Spot with an advance copy of this comic for review purposes. Find more reviews here.
