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Elric: Stormbringer
There was a time when great movement fell upon the earth and above it, when the destiny of men and gods was hammered out upon the forge of fate, when monstrous wars were brewed and mighty deeds were designed. Greatest of these heroes was a doom-driven adventurer who bore a runeblade that he loathed. His name was Elric of Melniboné, king of ruins, and lord of a scattered race that once ruled the world. Legendary artist P. Craig Russell adapts Michael Moorcock`s climactic Elric novel -- the grand story of the final battle between Law and Chaos -- to the comics format. This is Russell`s finest work yet, and the greatest Elric epic of them all, combining the best elements of horror, sword, and sorcery into one amazingly powerful story.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
8 people are currently reading
561 people want to read
About the author
P. Craig Russell
513 books262 followersPhilip Craig Russell was the first mainstream comic book creator to come out as openly gay. Since 1972 his work has won multiple Kirby, Harvey, and Eisner Awards, and Cartoon Crossroads Columbus presented him the Master Cartoonist Award in 2019.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
March 12, 2022
When Elric's wife is kidnapped and the forces of Chaos threaten to overwhelm the world, he must once again take up his soul-sucking blade, Stormbringer!
I reread my two Elric omnibuses a couple weeks ago and finally caved in and picked this up. I'd been avoiding it for years because I didn't want it to influence how I pictured the characters in the novels. Once I got over that, this was something else.
This adaptation of Michael Moorcock's Stormbringer is hailed as P. Craig Russell's masterpiece and I'm inclined to agree. Sure, Stormbringer doesn't look like Moorcock described it and Moonglum is too handsome but in the grand scheme of things, those details ultimately don't matter all that much.
P. Craig Russell is a maestro with his linework, knowing when to go nuts with the hatching and when to leave things much more open. His style is cartoony at times, grotesque and magnificent. His monsters are suitably squamous, maidens fair, and his sad albino Elric looks exactly as I pictured him.
Snippets of Moorcock's texts are included to drive the narration and the dialog is also Moorcock's but PCR sets the pace and lets the images set the mood. He keeps things surprisingly open for such a dour, moody tale. It would have been tempting to use heavy blacks but Russell went the other way with it. It's a gorgeous book for being about the end of the Earth.
Nothing I can say really conveys how much I enjoyed this. I was reluctant and now I'm a believer. I'll be grabbing the rest of the Moorcock library.
Farewell, friend. I was a thousand times more evil than thou. Five out of five stars.
I reread my two Elric omnibuses a couple weeks ago and finally caved in and picked this up. I'd been avoiding it for years because I didn't want it to influence how I pictured the characters in the novels. Once I got over that, this was something else.
This adaptation of Michael Moorcock's Stormbringer is hailed as P. Craig Russell's masterpiece and I'm inclined to agree. Sure, Stormbringer doesn't look like Moorcock described it and Moonglum is too handsome but in the grand scheme of things, those details ultimately don't matter all that much.
P. Craig Russell is a maestro with his linework, knowing when to go nuts with the hatching and when to leave things much more open. His style is cartoony at times, grotesque and magnificent. His monsters are suitably squamous, maidens fair, and his sad albino Elric looks exactly as I pictured him.
Snippets of Moorcock's texts are included to drive the narration and the dialog is also Moorcock's but PCR sets the pace and lets the images set the mood. He keeps things surprisingly open for such a dour, moody tale. It would have been tempting to use heavy blacks but Russell went the other way with it. It's a gorgeous book for being about the end of the Earth.
Nothing I can say really conveys how much I enjoyed this. I was reluctant and now I'm a believer. I'll be grabbing the rest of the Moorcock library.
Farewell, friend. I was a thousand times more evil than thou. Five out of five stars.
June 12, 2022
The Moorcock Library: Elric - The Dreaming City is an adaptation of the Moorcock novel of the same name, originally published by First Comics in the 1980s.
This is going to be a short one. P. Craig Russell's art is gorgeous and his Elric is particularly expressive in this volume. His depiction of Melnibone is spot on. Yrkoon doesn't look like I picture him but that can't be helped.
Roy Thomas shouldered his share of the load, using Moorcock's descriptions in the captions but not going crazy with it, letting P. Craig Russell's art do the heavy lifting.
The Moorcock Library: Elric - The Dreaming City is a gorgeous book depicting the first of Elric's many tragedies and many betrayals. Five out of five stars.
This is going to be a short one. P. Craig Russell's art is gorgeous and his Elric is particularly expressive in this volume. His depiction of Melnibone is spot on. Yrkoon doesn't look like I picture him but that can't be helped.
Roy Thomas shouldered his share of the load, using Moorcock's descriptions in the captions but not going crazy with it, letting P. Craig Russell's art do the heavy lifting.
The Moorcock Library: Elric - The Dreaming City is a gorgeous book depicting the first of Elric's many tragedies and many betrayals. Five out of five stars.
November 16, 2022
Nice adaptation of the novel. good art and writing. Recommended
August 27, 2022
Craig's artwork always stood out in the masses, for me, and here he has a particularly good story to work with.
February 12, 2019
A fitting end (although it was one of the first complete Elric books written by Moorcock) to the story of the Last Emperor of Melnibone.
May 26, 2009
Continuing my P. Craig Russell kick. While Stormbringer may not be the equal of Ring of the Nibelung for storytelling or readability, Russell's art is a perfect fit for the source material here, and there are a lot of absolutely wonderful panels and designs. The second time Elric sounds the Horn of Fate is a particular favorite panel of mine.
This volume also contains Russell's adaptation of Neil Gaiman's short story "One Life Furnished in Early Moorcock," which is one of my least favorite among Gaiman's pieces but which shows nicely Russell's grasp of Gaiman's storytelling style.
This volume also contains Russell's adaptation of Neil Gaiman's short story "One Life Furnished in Early Moorcock," which is one of my least favorite among Gaiman's pieces but which shows nicely Russell's grasp of Gaiman's storytelling style.
March 26, 2019
If it wasn't for the last 20 pages (the ones Russell drew first), i'd give this one 1/5. I know the story, elric is one of my favorite epic-fantasy series, third after LotR and Wheel of time. On that matter, Russell had excellent source material so no excuses there.
When it comes to that, Russell sucks at adaptations. Sorry, but it's true. He did the same thing with "The ring of the Nibelung". Adapting means transfering what can be transfered from the text of the book/opera script to image, leaving the least to be told in speech bubbles, not transfering EVERYTHING from the book in the same exact form and stylization. It seems he can't understand that what's said in a way in a book, doesn't have to be necessarily said the same way in a comic or vice versa. The 9th art provides the creator with so many tricks, narrating options and most of all, visualization that can, with each panel skip 2-3 pages. Use them.
Or, stop using other people's creations and ideas to creating a name for yourself and try writing something original. Let's see how you manage there.
His art is good. Not my style but I can see why some people adore his illustrations. Truly, some spash pages (especially at the finale of this great story of the stormbringer.The battle of the lords of law and chaos, as well as the battle between Elric and Jagreen were breathtakingly drawn) were phenomenal. Sadly, as I said, they too were drowned in the huge texts and speech bubbles.
When it comes to that, Russell sucks at adaptations. Sorry, but it's true. He did the same thing with "The ring of the Nibelung". Adapting means transfering what can be transfered from the text of the book/opera script to image, leaving the least to be told in speech bubbles, not transfering EVERYTHING from the book in the same exact form and stylization. It seems he can't understand that what's said in a way in a book, doesn't have to be necessarily said the same way in a comic or vice versa. The 9th art provides the creator with so many tricks, narrating options and most of all, visualization that can, with each panel skip 2-3 pages. Use them.
Or, stop using other people's creations and ideas to creating a name for yourself and try writing something original. Let's see how you manage there.
His art is good. Not my style but I can see why some people adore his illustrations. Truly, some spash pages (especially at the finale of this great story of the stormbringer.The battle of the lords of law and chaos, as well as the battle between Elric and Jagreen were breathtakingly drawn) were phenomenal. Sadly, as I said, they too were drowned in the huge texts and speech bubbles.
April 25, 2025
A completely different read now that I've actually read the whole series. Russell is more faithful to the story than Roy Thomas was in the previous 5 volumes (not actually the same publisher, but this is a spiritual continuation of those books).
Original review:
I haven't read the original work but this seems like a faithful adaption. Apparently P. Craig Russell took the text that he used in the comic straight from the book by Moorcock.
The complaint that I have is that it feels like an adaption. Russell should have used less text. Often the text depicts what is happening in the panel, albeit in greater detail.
Russell's art is among his best; especially his panel layouts. He always uses interesting fonts for his characters and the word-bubbles are never ordinary or dull. Every piece on the page works together to tell the story in an aesthically pleasing and effective manner.
As for the story itself;
The story was repetitive in parts. Elric has to defeat some enemy, but as a mystical/god creature tells him he needs a certain item to do so. Elric then goes out on a quest and seeks this specific item.
The ending of the story was very well-done and it made the rest of the book worth reading.
Original review:
I haven't read the original work but this seems like a faithful adaption. Apparently P. Craig Russell took the text that he used in the comic straight from the book by Moorcock.
The complaint that I have is that it feels like an adaption. Russell should have used less text. Often the text depicts what is happening in the panel, albeit in greater detail.
Russell's art is among his best; especially his panel layouts. He always uses interesting fonts for his characters and the word-bubbles are never ordinary or dull. Every piece on the page works together to tell the story in an aesthically pleasing and effective manner.
As for the story itself;
The story was repetitive in parts. Elric has to defeat some enemy, but as a mystical/god creature tells him he needs a certain item to do so. Elric then goes out on a quest and seeks this specific item.
The ending of the story was very well-done and it made the rest of the book worth reading.
June 14, 2022
"Meaning, Elric? Do not seek that, for madness lies in such a course."
Doomed to misfortune and violence, carrying out a unique destiny which he cannot see or understand, destroying everything he knows to give birth to a new world where he has no place, Elric the child of Chaos combats the Chaos that has forsaken him. Stormbringer is the culmination of the original Elric cycle Moorcock wrote in the 60s. Russell adapted it in the 90s and it's a fun, exciting read, although a little too much expository text for me. Some great illustrations in here - it really took me a while to get used to Elric's long, luscious hair, though: I pictured the congenitally disordered sorcerer as scrawnier, scragglier, and just uglier.
A magnificent story, magnificently illustrated.
Doomed to misfortune and violence, carrying out a unique destiny which he cannot see or understand, destroying everything he knows to give birth to a new world where he has no place, Elric the child of Chaos combats the Chaos that has forsaken him. Stormbringer is the culmination of the original Elric cycle Moorcock wrote in the 60s. Russell adapted it in the 90s and it's a fun, exciting read, although a little too much expository text for me. Some great illustrations in here - it really took me a while to get used to Elric's long, luscious hair, though: I pictured the congenitally disordered sorcerer as scrawnier, scragglier, and just uglier.
A magnificent story, magnificently illustrated.
July 29, 2016
elric is russell !!!!!!
May 19, 2022
I love the artwork in these books, and there is so much more writing than the newer Elric books that are out now. The graphic novel has taken me awhile because it's the last volume of the Elric story, that is until I discovered that the Moorcock Library is putting out another Elric based on novellas. I can't wait! This volume wraps up the end of the Elric epic. I will read them all again!
November 11, 2021
‘Elric: Stormbringer’ has two heroes: Stormbringer is a magic sword of great power. Elric is a miserable, pasty-faced whiner with a medical condition, dependent on drugs merely to stay alive. The adventures of Michael Moorcock’s famous albino have been issued, re-issued and adapted endlessly since his first appearance in 1961.
These Eisner award-winning stories by P. Craig Russell are surely among the finest examples out there. Originally published by Dark Horse and Topps comics in 1997, here they are bundled together in one luxurious volume with an interesting introduction by the artist.
I love Elric and I remember being awestruck by ‘Stormbringer’ when I read it as a teenager. It’s a compelling story and P. Craig Russell brings it marvellously to life. The art is simple but effective, mostly with sparse backgrounds except where the scene demands a panoramic view of Chaos powers. Russell’s figures are reminiscent of Steve Ditko and Gil Kane, lean and elegant.
The faces are often contorted with powerful emotion. The colour palette is muted, that is bright colours but with a matt effect rather than the too brilliant glossy shine of much modern fare. Happily, with the ‘look inside’ facility on some book websites you can take a peek before buying but I loved it.
There’s a lot to read as well. ‘Elric Stormbringer’ isn’t one of those graphic novels you will skim through in an hour. Roy Thomas scripted Russell’s previous adaptations of Elric but Russell did the chores himself for this project, selecting which dialogue and descriptions to include with the art.
As far as I can tell, he did a great job. I have a copy of the original ‘Stormbringer’ to hand and Russell’s chapters align with those of the book. It’s not really a novel. Moorcock didn’t do novels back then but would string three 15,000 word novellas together and make a book. Nine would make a trilogy. The format is usually a quest with the hero in pursuit of some Macguffin.
The opening quest here is to find his wife. As the story begins, Elric is retired and living peacefully in Karlaak by the Weeping Waste, married to Zarozinia, daughter of Lord Voashon. When Chaos demons kidnap her, he must go to war to win her back. His enemy is Jagreen Lern, Theocrat of Pan Tang, an unholy land of warrior wizards trying to emulate Elric’s ancient race of Melnibonéans. Jagreen Lern has made a pact with the Lords of Chaos and is set to assault the Young Kingdoms as a prelude to further conquest that will unleash Chaos over all the world.
Some lowlife rulers have allied themselves with the Theocrat to be on the winning side. Elric, too, has allies. His only remaining kinsman Dyvim Slorm; Queen Yishana of Jharkor; Rackhir of Tanelorn and, of course, his old companion Moonglum. His strongest helper, reluctantly wielded, is Stormbringer, the black sword that sucks in souls as it slays and passes some of the victim’s vitality onto Elric, transforming a weedy albino into a mighty warrior. But the cost. Oh, the cost!
Elric pays dear but you won’t. The book is good value. The eBook isn’t. I’m happy reading ordinary fare on a tablet but it makes no sense that a few bytes of data cost not much less than these beautiful hardcover bound crisp pages you can hold in your hand and gloat over.
Quality material of this sort deserves dead trees and Titan Books have put them to good use in this very nice edition. Recommended.
These Eisner award-winning stories by P. Craig Russell are surely among the finest examples out there. Originally published by Dark Horse and Topps comics in 1997, here they are bundled together in one luxurious volume with an interesting introduction by the artist.
I love Elric and I remember being awestruck by ‘Stormbringer’ when I read it as a teenager. It’s a compelling story and P. Craig Russell brings it marvellously to life. The art is simple but effective, mostly with sparse backgrounds except where the scene demands a panoramic view of Chaos powers. Russell’s figures are reminiscent of Steve Ditko and Gil Kane, lean and elegant.
The faces are often contorted with powerful emotion. The colour palette is muted, that is bright colours but with a matt effect rather than the too brilliant glossy shine of much modern fare. Happily, with the ‘look inside’ facility on some book websites you can take a peek before buying but I loved it.
There’s a lot to read as well. ‘Elric Stormbringer’ isn’t one of those graphic novels you will skim through in an hour. Roy Thomas scripted Russell’s previous adaptations of Elric but Russell did the chores himself for this project, selecting which dialogue and descriptions to include with the art.
As far as I can tell, he did a great job. I have a copy of the original ‘Stormbringer’ to hand and Russell’s chapters align with those of the book. It’s not really a novel. Moorcock didn’t do novels back then but would string three 15,000 word novellas together and make a book. Nine would make a trilogy. The format is usually a quest with the hero in pursuit of some Macguffin.
The opening quest here is to find his wife. As the story begins, Elric is retired and living peacefully in Karlaak by the Weeping Waste, married to Zarozinia, daughter of Lord Voashon. When Chaos demons kidnap her, he must go to war to win her back. His enemy is Jagreen Lern, Theocrat of Pan Tang, an unholy land of warrior wizards trying to emulate Elric’s ancient race of Melnibonéans. Jagreen Lern has made a pact with the Lords of Chaos and is set to assault the Young Kingdoms as a prelude to further conquest that will unleash Chaos over all the world.
Some lowlife rulers have allied themselves with the Theocrat to be on the winning side. Elric, too, has allies. His only remaining kinsman Dyvim Slorm; Queen Yishana of Jharkor; Rackhir of Tanelorn and, of course, his old companion Moonglum. His strongest helper, reluctantly wielded, is Stormbringer, the black sword that sucks in souls as it slays and passes some of the victim’s vitality onto Elric, transforming a weedy albino into a mighty warrior. But the cost. Oh, the cost!
Elric pays dear but you won’t. The book is good value. The eBook isn’t. I’m happy reading ordinary fare on a tablet but it makes no sense that a few bytes of data cost not much less than these beautiful hardcover bound crisp pages you can hold in your hand and gloat over.
Quality material of this sort deserves dead trees and Titan Books have put them to good use in this very nice edition. Recommended.
September 21, 2017
This is P.Craig Russell's adaption of Michael Moorcock's Epic novel Stormbringer. It follows the adventures of Elric, once Sorcerer Emperor of the mythic isle of Melnibone, now sorrowful wanderer on his last adventure. The final battle between the forces of Law and Chaos are drawing nearer, so much so that the world itself and the people in it are changing. Elric, once a pawn of Chaos with his sorcerous runeblade Stormbringer, travels to rescue his kidnapped wife. Along the way, he encounters old friends and new enemies, struggling to assert his control over a destiny that is clearly already written.
As a book, the novel "Stormbringer," is an odd one. Though last in the original chronology of Elric stories, it was actually the first one written. As a result, the character seems off, more melancholy than usual. The story, made up of four segments that wer published in serial form, seems to meander somewhat but this is replicated in the comic.
Russell's art really shines in this book. Law and Chaos are clarly deliniated - Law is all straight lines and bright yellow and white, while Chaos is curved and turning and deep purples and pinks and blues. The pain and emotion amid all the twists and turns of form is illustrated well. Elric's sorrow and pain are well expressed here as he is slowly drawn toward his destiny, though at first I was a little put off by his David Coverdale from Whitesnake hair. I kept expecting him to break out in "Here I Go Again." (not really.) (As an aside, why Elric never became an icon in the gothic rock scene like Lestat de Lioncourt, I'll never know. He's got the white skin, black outfit, vampiric hellsword at his side, sorcery and angst... But I digress.) I enjoyed the art and color, nowhere near as pastel colored as the earlier Elric volumes. But you can tell this was a dream project for all involved and this would sit nicely among any Elric collection.
The volume is opened by an excellent adaption of Neil Gaiman's "One Life Furnished in Early Moorcock." a semi-autobiographical story about a young Moorcock fan. You probably don't need much more than that. If you are at all like me, you can see yourself in these pages.
"Stormbringer" completes the original arc with the treatment it deserves. Hopefully Titan comics will come out with a nifty new hardcover to match. Or maybe they will continue with some of the latter day Elric novels - Fortress of the Pearl or Revenge of the Rose perhaps.
As a book, the novel "Stormbringer," is an odd one. Though last in the original chronology of Elric stories, it was actually the first one written. As a result, the character seems off, more melancholy than usual. The story, made up of four segments that wer published in serial form, seems to meander somewhat but this is replicated in the comic.
Russell's art really shines in this book. Law and Chaos are clarly deliniated - Law is all straight lines and bright yellow and white, while Chaos is curved and turning and deep purples and pinks and blues. The pain and emotion amid all the twists and turns of form is illustrated well. Elric's sorrow and pain are well expressed here as he is slowly drawn toward his destiny, though at first I was a little put off by his David Coverdale from Whitesnake hair. I kept expecting him to break out in "Here I Go Again." (not really.) (As an aside, why Elric never became an icon in the gothic rock scene like Lestat de Lioncourt, I'll never know. He's got the white skin, black outfit, vampiric hellsword at his side, sorcery and angst... But I digress.) I enjoyed the art and color, nowhere near as pastel colored as the earlier Elric volumes. But you can tell this was a dream project for all involved and this would sit nicely among any Elric collection.
The volume is opened by an excellent adaption of Neil Gaiman's "One Life Furnished in Early Moorcock." a semi-autobiographical story about a young Moorcock fan. You probably don't need much more than that. If you are at all like me, you can see yourself in these pages.
"Stormbringer" completes the original arc with the treatment it deserves. Hopefully Titan comics will come out with a nifty new hardcover to match. Or maybe they will continue with some of the latter day Elric novels - Fortress of the Pearl or Revenge of the Rose perhaps.
August 23, 2015
Il fumetto è noioso. Si salvano solo i magnifici disegni di Russell e il finale, il quale è particolarmente gustoso rispetto al resto.
In pieno stile fantasy, riprende alcuni temi della letteratura romanza (della quale viene citato il paladino Roland, da noi meglio conosciuto come Orlando). La trama procede per piccoli capitoli dove si trovano tutti i temi romanzeschi: la dama in pericolo, la spada magica, la lotta tra Legge e Caos, la guerra tra imperi, il misterioso personaggio che arriva in aiuto, il messaggero che porta notizie improvvise. In più, nel testo regna un destino già segnato, elemento che rende il personaggio principale, Elric, davvero bidimensionale. Anche l'unico elemento di complessità, la spada di Elric che in battaglia lo rende malvagio e capace di uccidere i propri amici, viene affrontato in maniera piatta, poco conflittuale, accettato in maniera supina.
E' un puro racconto di eventi, messi l'uno dietro l'altro. Non ci sono né colpi di scena, né punti di suspense.
I disegni, invece, sono capaci di restituire tutta la bellezza di questo mondo ricco di magia ed elementi meravigliosi. Ma credo che siano sprecati per una storia così piatta, tant'è che le due stelline vanno quasi solo ed esclusivamente ai disegni.
Tanto per non uscire dai cliché, c'è anche una ripresa del ciclo Asgardiano. All'attento lettore il compito di scoprire qual è (poiché forse è l'unico elemento succoso della storia).
In pieno stile fantasy, riprende alcuni temi della letteratura romanza (della quale viene citato il paladino Roland, da noi meglio conosciuto come Orlando). La trama procede per piccoli capitoli dove si trovano tutti i temi romanzeschi: la dama in pericolo, la spada magica, la lotta tra Legge e Caos, la guerra tra imperi, il misterioso personaggio che arriva in aiuto, il messaggero che porta notizie improvvise. In più, nel testo regna un destino già segnato, elemento che rende il personaggio principale, Elric, davvero bidimensionale. Anche l'unico elemento di complessità, la spada di Elric che in battaglia lo rende malvagio e capace di uccidere i propri amici, viene affrontato in maniera piatta, poco conflittuale, accettato in maniera supina.
E' un puro racconto di eventi, messi l'uno dietro l'altro. Non ci sono né colpi di scena, né punti di suspense.
I disegni, invece, sono capaci di restituire tutta la bellezza di questo mondo ricco di magia ed elementi meravigliosi. Ma credo che siano sprecati per una storia così piatta, tant'è che le due stelline vanno quasi solo ed esclusivamente ai disegni.
Tanto per non uscire dai cliché, c'è anche una ripresa del ciclo Asgardiano. All'attento lettore il compito di scoprire qual è (poiché forse è l'unico elemento succoso della storia).
September 16, 2023
(Zero spoiler review) 4.5/5
I've been waiting for these Elric books to click with me, or hoping they would anyway. volume one was a little ponderous and bland. Volume two was great in places, and less so in others. But with volume three, The Dreaming City, these books have finally hit their stride, and what a stride it is. With stunning art from P Craig Russell and a phenomenal script adaptation from Roy Thomas (the man is a comics god). We get a short, sharp and rather special story, with a little bit of everything, and a lot of bloodshed and treachery, with the ending hinting at an interesting new direction. One can only hope the remainder of this series lives up to this rather high bar. 4.5/5
OmniBen.
I've been waiting for these Elric books to click with me, or hoping they would anyway. volume one was a little ponderous and bland. Volume two was great in places, and less so in others. But with volume three, The Dreaming City, these books have finally hit their stride, and what a stride it is. With stunning art from P Craig Russell and a phenomenal script adaptation from Roy Thomas (the man is a comics god). We get a short, sharp and rather special story, with a little bit of everything, and a lot of bloodshed and treachery, with the ending hinting at an interesting new direction. One can only hope the remainder of this series lives up to this rather high bar. 4.5/5
OmniBen.
April 15, 2015
Unbelievable play with styles, colors, frames, sequencing, characters - it makes up for all the shortcomings in the original story and even for the Robert Plant-looks of Elric. It brings out all the best points of the novel and does it with the flourish and a life of its own.
A must read for all the Elric/Moorcock fans.
A must read for all the Elric/Moorcock fans.
January 5, 2022
Enjoyed this very much Elric was one of my earliest ventures into Fantasy. It has been a number of years since I read to Novel Stormbringer so I can't remember how true to the book this adaptation is, but I thought it was great!
June 8, 2012
Russell's artwork is beautiful but it can not save Moorcock's story. How these stories became as esteemed as they are is truly beyond me.
August 15, 2012
I read the entire series in high school. I wish that I could find the original books. It is a very good series.
October 20, 2019
I am only vaguely familiar with the character of Elric, and while I am a HUGE fan of P. Craig Russell's art, this adaptation just doesn't work. I was lost or bored the whole time.
May 10, 2023
Michael Moorcock’s Elric Stormbringer graphic novel by Dark Horse Comics I picked up a long time ago.
For what it’s worth I had read some of the original Moorcock Elric stories, having heard for years what great fantasy stories they were. I did not find them so. The idea was neat, but the execution left me cold and I did not complete the series.
It’s starts out with an interesting story about a young kid who reads Elric stories along with other sci-fi stories and who doesn’t fit in with the other kids at school. An interesting start and certainly familiar notes to me.
I don’t think this is the only thing I’ve ever read by Neil Gaiman, but it’s certainly among the first. I’ve heard his name over the years but never really had a chance to get to know any of his work. Sadly as old as his work is, it’s still before my time!
The art is excellent, stylish and evocative. I know it’s meant to have a kind of ‘Peter Maxx’ influence, but it really sings as its own style. Maybe a little ‘heavy metal’ before Heavy Metal (the magazine).
It’s interesting and certain familiar to read about the boys life being compared to his ‘reading life’ and I had to laugh at the familiarity of realizing that the “Chronicles of Narnia” were really just a marketing scam pretending to be legitimate fantasy!
The Neil Gaiman story was just weird and pointless. That may be because I didn’t grow up in a British boy’s school, but having grown up in an American Boys school I still found it pretty meh.
A google search for “define nigromantic” returns nothing.
I’m loving the art work for this book - it reminds me of Ralph Bakshi’s “Wizards” movie, rare books of which I had to buy from Germany!
I’d always heard that Cymoril was Elric’s One True Love but she lives and dies shorter than my first marriage in this book!
The artwork is amazing. The story is a lot of bloody battles.
Having never been a fan I can tell that this adaptation goes farther into the stories that I have read. But the artwork is so evocative and so hauntingly good that it’s making me want to read the stories!
It’s actually a really good story, but obviously compressed. Unfortunately, Elric’s friend Moonglum appears out of nowhere so as a reader I don’t really understand how they became friends, but it is still very well done.
More than anything this was an amazing work of art. I’m not sure how it works as an adaptation, I don’t think I ever finished reading the Elric saga and honestly, have no urge to do so after having read this.
But despite the downer story, it was an incredible work of art and well worth reading if you have any interest at all.
I give it 4 stars, but probably won’t keep it.
For what it’s worth I had read some of the original Moorcock Elric stories, having heard for years what great fantasy stories they were. I did not find them so. The idea was neat, but the execution left me cold and I did not complete the series.
It’s starts out with an interesting story about a young kid who reads Elric stories along with other sci-fi stories and who doesn’t fit in with the other kids at school. An interesting start and certainly familiar notes to me.
I don’t think this is the only thing I’ve ever read by Neil Gaiman, but it’s certainly among the first. I’ve heard his name over the years but never really had a chance to get to know any of his work. Sadly as old as his work is, it’s still before my time!
The art is excellent, stylish and evocative. I know it’s meant to have a kind of ‘Peter Maxx’ influence, but it really sings as its own style. Maybe a little ‘heavy metal’ before Heavy Metal (the magazine).
It’s interesting and certain familiar to read about the boys life being compared to his ‘reading life’ and I had to laugh at the familiarity of realizing that the “Chronicles of Narnia” were really just a marketing scam pretending to be legitimate fantasy!
The Neil Gaiman story was just weird and pointless. That may be because I didn’t grow up in a British boy’s school, but having grown up in an American Boys school I still found it pretty meh.
A google search for “define nigromantic” returns nothing.
I’m loving the art work for this book - it reminds me of Ralph Bakshi’s “Wizards” movie, rare books of which I had to buy from Germany!
I’d always heard that Cymoril was Elric’s One True Love but she lives and dies shorter than my first marriage in this book!
The artwork is amazing. The story is a lot of bloody battles.
Having never been a fan I can tell that this adaptation goes farther into the stories that I have read. But the artwork is so evocative and so hauntingly good that it’s making me want to read the stories!
It’s actually a really good story, but obviously compressed. Unfortunately, Elric’s friend Moonglum appears out of nowhere so as a reader I don’t really understand how they became friends, but it is still very well done.
More than anything this was an amazing work of art. I’m not sure how it works as an adaptation, I don’t think I ever finished reading the Elric saga and honestly, have no urge to do so after having read this.
But despite the downer story, it was an incredible work of art and well worth reading if you have any interest at all.
I give it 4 stars, but probably won’t keep it.
September 10, 2023
Elric of Melniborne, created in a short story by Michael Moorcock in 1961, has one of the richest and most powerful sagas in all of fantasy. Moorcock, like C.S. Lewis, published his novels out of chronological order, stating in the middle, continuing with the conclusion, and going back for the origin and to fill in earlier adventures. Elric is an albino prince addicted to his magical sword and constantly in a state of depression who has incredible adventures mostly based around vengeance and destiny. All of the novels are improved when read in graphic novel format, and since they’re short stories, translate well without missing too much information. Reading this 6 book sequence told over seventeen years has been one of my favorite journeys this summer. Highly recommend.
October 1, 2024
Premesso che non ho letto i romanzi di Elric, ma conosco il personaggio per altre vie (magnificatomi da un paio di amici) ho onestamente fatto fatica a terminare questo volume.
Di certo non è colpa dei disegni di P. Craig Russel, disegnatore che mi è sempre piaciuto. E nemmeno della storiella introduttiva dal sapore vagamente autobiografico scritta da Neil Gaiman.
Forse ho solo scelto il momento sbagliato per leggerla, ma mi sono annoiato a tratti. O meglio, non mi veniva la voglia di proseguire la lettura, ho trascorso l'ultimo mese leggendolo due o tre pagine al giorno fino a oggi quando ho deciso di accelerare.
Dò 3 stelle al volume, ma non credo che lo rileggerò mai.
Di certo non è colpa dei disegni di P. Craig Russel, disegnatore che mi è sempre piaciuto. E nemmeno della storiella introduttiva dal sapore vagamente autobiografico scritta da Neil Gaiman.
Forse ho solo scelto il momento sbagliato per leggerla, ma mi sono annoiato a tratti. O meglio, non mi veniva la voglia di proseguire la lettura, ho trascorso l'ultimo mese leggendolo due o tre pagine al giorno fino a oggi quando ho deciso di accelerare.
Dò 3 stelle al volume, ma non credo che lo rileggerò mai.
September 21, 2025
(THIS REVIEW IS ORIGINALLY FROM STORYGRAPH, FROM 29TH APRIL 2024.)
This was incredibly enjoyable and definitely an amazing entrance to the world of Moorcock's fantasy and Elric as a series (even if this book covers the ending of that series). I loved it, especially for the art, but the story that is told and Elric's struggle throughout. There were definitely some emotional moments that I believe the graphic novel could have focused a little longer on - perhaps they do in the book by Moorcock? - but regardless it was an enjoyable read that expanded my idea of what fantasy can be.
This was incredibly enjoyable and definitely an amazing entrance to the world of Moorcock's fantasy and Elric as a series (even if this book covers the ending of that series). I loved it, especially for the art, but the story that is told and Elric's struggle throughout. There were definitely some emotional moments that I believe the graphic novel could have focused a little longer on - perhaps they do in the book by Moorcock? - but regardless it was an enjoyable read that expanded my idea of what fantasy can be.
October 15, 2022
This was an up and down book for me. The art was interesting and different. The color palette was a bit off for part of it (just hard to rad and see).
The story was a bit tough and I’ll have to go back into it. Maybe I’ll understand more of it. But the end was really interesting.
The story was a bit tough and I’ll have to go back into it. Maybe I’ll understand more of it. But the end was really interesting.
January 1, 2018
Always a pleasure to read Russell's adaptions, and the Elric saga works very well for his style.
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
April 21, 2022
As histórias de Elric me encantam a mais de 30 anos, universo medieval dos mais ricos, queria ter mais acesso aqui no Brasil
June 10, 2022
It was a graphic novel and I expected a regular book. still it is an ending in color and that cant be argued with.
September 27, 2022
Realmente um épico….
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