Customer Reviews

Elric: Stormbringer

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a sumptuous feast for the eyes. Stormbringor has been adapted in a grand form by one of the comic industry's finest storytellers. P.Craig Russell has never delivered a more beautifully and well designed project in his entire career. Stormbringer is the last of the Elric tales, for the sake of continuity, and he's in fine, tragic form. This adaptation is very close to the novel and it's Russell's patience with the sequential form and his love of the source that shines through. The package is very well done. Good quality paper, cover stock (and awesomely rendered cover art) and wonderful coloring makes this book stand out among what's been passing for graphic novels. In short, this is what a graphic novel should be. I read Stormbringer in my 18th year and loved this ending of the tragic Elric saga. Russell's adaptation is a fine way to read it for the first time, or, the last. Enjoy this one. It's a rare package and well worth the price of admission. Books like this one are the reason I'm still reading comics in my middle age.

This is a very good work of fantasy fiction. Russell has a beautiful and distinct drawing style and he's taken Gaiman's script (which sounds exactly like a Sandman voicover) and brought it to life with great skill. There are no deep or emotionally complex characters here, but it doesn't matter - this is a great adventure yarn and a fun read.

There's even a thematic story - something about the cyclical nature of the universe and the timeless conflict between chaos and law.. I actually think there's something to this story - it's a fantasy-extension of Nichomachean philosophy. In any case, it resonates as a moving and interesting fable.

Elric has been a fixture since he was dreamed up by Moorcock in the 1960's. I recommend this to anyone who has a yen for fantasy fiction and is sick of the LOTR already.

My reasons for buying this were fond memories of the Elric novels and the fact that Russell illustrated it. Russell's work is beautiful, A+++, and it complements the story well.

HOWEVER...

I also feel that there was too much story here. Elric reads well in novel form, but put illustrations to it, and you find out just how bland some of the stories can be (even the First Comics adaptations).

Also, the Topps Comics story "One Life, Furnished in Early Moorcock", by Gaiman and Russell, is included. All I can say is, these guys must have had one heck of a childhood. I'm not sure what the point of this story was, other than to talk about homosexuality.

Unfortunately, I have not read the Elric novels. However, I have read some fantasy and some comics. This comic ranks up there with the best of the titles by the masters of the comics medium. There's a philosophy expressed in every panel and every word balloon. There's also a lot of energy expressed and you can tell Russell loves the Elric stories.

Those of us who love comics will tell you the undisputed master was Jack Kirby. And his New Gods is his masterpiece. This book ranks up there with this work of the King. Every page astonishes.

I should have known better than to buy this book, but I just could'nt help myself as I knew the artwork of Russell would be awsome. And it was!

Unfortunitalythat was the only good thing about the book.

Now dont get me wrong. I'm sure the original text based stories of Michael Moorcock are awesome. But unfortunitaly any complex translation from text to comic will virtually always leave something to be desired. This was the case with this book. To much story, which works well with text, just cant get crammed into a comic and retain the enjoyability.