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The Last Unicorn (Graphic Novels) #1-6
The Last Unicorn
The Last Unicorn is one of the true classics of fantasy, ranking with Tolkien's The Hobbit, Le Guin's Earthsea Trilogy, and Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. Beagle writes a shimmering prose-poetry, the voice of fairy tales and childhood:
The unicorn lived in a lilac wood, and she lived all alone. She was very old, though she did not know it, and she was no longer the careless color of sea foam but rather the color of snow falling on a moonlit night. But her eyes were still clear and unwearied, and she still moved like a shadow on the sea.
The unicorn discovers that she is the last unicorn in the world, and sets off to find the others. She meets Schmendrick the Magician--whose magic seldom works, and never as he intended--when he rescues her from Mommy Fortuna's Midnight Carnival, where only some of the mythical beasts displayed are illusions. They are joined by Molly Grue, who believes in legends despite her experiences with a Robin Hood wannabe and his unmerry men. Ahead wait King Haggard and his Red Bull, who banished unicorns from the land.
This is a book no fantasy reader should miss; Beagle argues brilliantly the need for magic in our lives and the folly of forgetting to dream. --Nona Vero
The unicorn lived in a lilac wood, and she lived all alone. She was very old, though she did not know it, and she was no longer the careless color of sea foam but rather the color of snow falling on a moonlit night. But her eyes were still clear and unwearied, and she still moved like a shadow on the sea.
The unicorn discovers that she is the last unicorn in the world, and sets off to find the others. She meets Schmendrick the Magician--whose magic seldom works, and never as he intended--when he rescues her from Mommy Fortuna's Midnight Carnival, where only some of the mythical beasts displayed are illusions. They are joined by Molly Grue, who believes in legends despite her experiences with a Robin Hood wannabe and his unmerry men. Ahead wait King Haggard and his Red Bull, who banished unicorns from the land.
This is a book no fantasy reader should miss; Beagle argues brilliantly the need for magic in our lives and the folly of forgetting to dream. --Nona Vero
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 25, 2011
About the author
Peter B. Gillis
366 books21 followersPeter B. Gillis (born December 19, 1952) is an American comic book writer best known for his work at Marvel Comics and First Comics in the mid-1980s, including the series Strikeforce: Morituri and the digitally drawn comic series Shatter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,021 reviews
September 5, 2014
If you've been following me on social media for any amount of time, you probably know that the Last Unicorn is my favorite book.
You also probably know that I'm a bit of a curmudgeon.
So I went into reading this graphic novel with an unfair amount of skepticism. I wasn't just expecting to be irritated by a less-than-true adaptation of my favorite book. I was planning on it. I was pre-irritated.
Much to my surprise, I liked it. The art and the paneling were both complex and lovely. It's very true to the story. The depiction of the characters was just about perfect. The pacing and the story were intact.
Was it perfect? No. But I think it's about as close as you could ever hope to get.
In fact, I'd go so far as to say it's the best book-to-comic adaptation I've ever read. I'd be delighted if an adaptation of my book turned out this well.
You also probably know that I'm a bit of a curmudgeon.
So I went into reading this graphic novel with an unfair amount of skepticism. I wasn't just expecting to be irritated by a less-than-true adaptation of my favorite book. I was planning on it. I was pre-irritated.
Much to my surprise, I liked it. The art and the paneling were both complex and lovely. It's very true to the story. The depiction of the characters was just about perfect. The pacing and the story were intact.
Was it perfect? No. But I think it's about as close as you could ever hope to get.
In fact, I'd go so far as to say it's the best book-to-comic adaptation I've ever read. I'd be delighted if an adaptation of my book turned out this well.
July 4, 2017
I'm in love!
Ever since I was a child I was a fan of the story of the last unicorn and regularly watched the movie. A few years later, I read the book (though in the German translation). I've decided to do a re-read (of the English original this time) with my group this month and when looking for a nice paperback edition, I found this graphic novel.
The story is that of the book / movie (it's a mix of both versions - yes they vary slightly): a unicorn lives in a lilac forest and finds out that there are no others like it anymore. It goes looking for them, thus encountering a number of people while wandering the country (usually they are of the bad type, full of greed, malice and intrigue). However, finally, it also meets a failed but kind wizard, a compassionate woman, an evil king and his idealistic son, as well as a true demon- and discovers what happened to the other unicorns.
Although I'm sure most people know this classic fantasy story, I will not say any more, just in case.
Instead, let me tell you how utterly gorgeous this graphic novel version is! Just to showcase:
The colours are alive on the pages, every setting has its unique colour palette, the art itself is as fantastic as the story and very recognizable/distinct.
As much as I love the story itself, I'm glad I found this version that is actually even prettier than the art of the movie.
Ever since I was a child I was a fan of the story of the last unicorn and regularly watched the movie. A few years later, I read the book (though in the German translation). I've decided to do a re-read (of the English original this time) with my group this month and when looking for a nice paperback edition, I found this graphic novel.
The story is that of the book / movie (it's a mix of both versions - yes they vary slightly): a unicorn lives in a lilac forest and finds out that there are no others like it anymore. It goes looking for them, thus encountering a number of people while wandering the country (usually they are of the bad type, full of greed, malice and intrigue). However, finally, it also meets a failed but kind wizard, a compassionate woman, an evil king and his idealistic son, as well as a true demon- and discovers what happened to the other unicorns.
Although I'm sure most people know this classic fantasy story, I will not say any more, just in case.
Instead, let me tell you how utterly gorgeous this graphic novel version is! Just to showcase:
The colours are alive on the pages, every setting has its unique colour palette, the art itself is as fantastic as the story and very recognizable/distinct.
As much as I love the story itself, I'm glad I found this version that is actually even prettier than the art of the movie.
August 27, 2026
In a Nutshell: A graphic novel adaptation of the classic fantasy story. Fabulous illustrations, but the story execution was too uneven to comprehend well. Perhaps I'd have liked this better had I read the actual novel instead of this illustrated version. This is an outlier review.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
The fifty-year-old children's classic novel was adapted in a comic series of six volumes. This graphic novel is a compilation of those six comics.
I had heard of this book and thought the comic adaptation would be a great way of accessing the story. But in retrospect, I think I made the wrong decision.
The book did start well for me. The Midnight Carnival in the first comic was quite interesting. But soon, the pacing as well as the plot development started to dip. After a while, I struggled to stay invested in the story.
The storyline is somewhat straightforward but overly episodic. Perhaps it fits the multi-comic structure but reading it at a go as a single graphic novel meant that I could see barely any connection between the start and the end.
Further, the adaptation skips over several important details. Some characters’ backstories and other subplots are not revealed in enough detail. As such, the story feels a bit unwieldy for this format. Many things weren't clear to me even till the end.
The unicorn is a key character but her presence is barely there after a point. The other characters have their strengths but they are somewhat monotonous. All their lives change after the unicorn's adventurous quest, but their character arc stays flat, as if there's no growth from their learnings.
The writing was also a bit too poetic for my taste with an overload of metaphors and flowery language. Many captions and speech bubbles had a lot of textual content but with no sensible meaning.
The tale offers the feel of a fable, but I couldn't really see its attraction to children. Then again, I've not had great luck with many popular old children's classics (‘Water Babies’, ‘Tuck Everlasting’ and ‘A Little Princess’ to name a few), so perhaps my tastes don't match the writing styles in some children’s books of the past.
A graphic novel version is, of course, not just the story but the illustrations as well. And that's where this book delivers excellently. The watercolour art style is put to great use. The colouring cleverly depicts the contrast of darkness and doom versus light and victory.
Overall, I'm very disappointed that I didn't like this book better but I can't give it a higher rating just because it's a classic. Perhaps it might have clicked better if I had read the actual book, but this graphical adaptation left me mostly bored. The illustrations saved my experience.
Then again, this is a beloved children’s classic with many fans. So it might just be that my jinxed track record with old kids classics hit again. Instead of dismissing the book outright, do read other reviews to take a better call. That said, I would still not recommend the graphic novel version.
Recommended only to fans of the classic book who might be interested in seeing it come alive through fantastical illustrations.
2 stars, all for the illustrations.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I follow the Goodreads rating policy:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Lifelong favourite!
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - I loved the book.
⭐⭐⭐ - I liked the book.
⭐⭐ - I found the book average.
⭐ - I hated the book.
The decimals indicate the degree of the in-between feelings.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || Facebook ||
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
A beautiful unicorn has been living around in a forest for as long as she can remember. But when she overhears some wandering humans talking, she finds out that they believe there are no other unicorns in the world. To know the truth of whether she is indeed the last unicorn, she sets out on a journey. But it turns out to be a far more dangerous and revelatory quest than she had anticipated.
The fifty-year-old children's classic novel was adapted in a comic series of six volumes. This graphic novel is a compilation of those six comics.
I had heard of this book and thought the comic adaptation would be a great way of accessing the story. But in retrospect, I think I made the wrong decision.
The book did start well for me. The Midnight Carnival in the first comic was quite interesting. But soon, the pacing as well as the plot development started to dip. After a while, I struggled to stay invested in the story.
The storyline is somewhat straightforward but overly episodic. Perhaps it fits the multi-comic structure but reading it at a go as a single graphic novel meant that I could see barely any connection between the start and the end.
Further, the adaptation skips over several important details. Some characters’ backstories and other subplots are not revealed in enough detail. As such, the story feels a bit unwieldy for this format. Many things weren't clear to me even till the end.
The unicorn is a key character but her presence is barely there after a point. The other characters have their strengths but they are somewhat monotonous. All their lives change after the unicorn's adventurous quest, but their character arc stays flat, as if there's no growth from their learnings.
The writing was also a bit too poetic for my taste with an overload of metaphors and flowery language. Many captions and speech bubbles had a lot of textual content but with no sensible meaning.
The tale offers the feel of a fable, but I couldn't really see its attraction to children. Then again, I've not had great luck with many popular old children's classics (‘Water Babies’, ‘Tuck Everlasting’ and ‘A Little Princess’ to name a few), so perhaps my tastes don't match the writing styles in some children’s books of the past.
A graphic novel version is, of course, not just the story but the illustrations as well. And that's where this book delivers excellently. The watercolour art style is put to great use. The colouring cleverly depicts the contrast of darkness and doom versus light and victory.
Overall, I'm very disappointed that I didn't like this book better but I can't give it a higher rating just because it's a classic. Perhaps it might have clicked better if I had read the actual book, but this graphical adaptation left me mostly bored. The illustrations saved my experience.
Then again, this is a beloved children’s classic with many fans. So it might just be that my jinxed track record with old kids classics hit again. Instead of dismissing the book outright, do read other reviews to take a better call. That said, I would still not recommend the graphic novel version.
Recommended only to fans of the classic book who might be interested in seeing it come alive through fantastical illustrations.
2 stars, all for the illustrations.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I follow the Goodreads rating policy:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Lifelong favourite!
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - I loved the book.
⭐⭐⭐ - I liked the book.
⭐⭐ - I found the book average.
⭐ - I hated the book.
The decimals indicate the degree of the in-between feelings.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || Facebook ||
July 28, 2011
Breathtaking.
No words to waste. Just gaze and gaze and gaze ... until the magic wells up inside you too, and springs forth ....
P.S. Oh ... and more beautiful than the movie. I loved the movie (to the point of deciding to translate the book into Bulgarian, and later having a host of wonders happen to my life), but this soars to another level.
No words to waste. Just gaze and gaze and gaze ... until the magic wells up inside you too, and springs forth ....
P.S. Oh ... and more beautiful than the movie. I loved the movie (to the point of deciding to translate the book into Bulgarian, and later having a host of wonders happen to my life), but this soars to another level.
December 3, 2022
4.0 stars
I love the movie so it's not surprising that I love the graphic adaptation of the original novel. The artwork is gorgeous and the story stays true to the narrative I know.
I love the movie so it's not surprising that I love the graphic adaptation of the original novel. The artwork is gorgeous and the story stays true to the narrative I know.
March 7, 2017
The Last Unicorn (The Last Unicorn #1-6) by Peter B. Gillis (Adaptor), Peter S. Beagle, Renae De Liz (illustrator), Ray Dillon (illustrator) is a wonderful graphic adaptation of the novel. Gorgeous illustrations, easy to read fonts, followed story well, touching story, thought provoking, and I just loved it! A nice change from a normal novel. I got this book from the library.
November 29, 2020
5 Sterne
Die Geschichte kennt denke ich jeder, der Zeichentrickfilm von 1982 gehört zu jeder Kindheit. Und für mich gehört sie auch in die Weihnachtszeit.
Trotzdem der Vollständigkeit halber, die Handlung kurz zusammengefasst:
Ein Einhorn erfährt das es das letzte ist, es macht sich auf die Suche nach seinen Artgenossen die von König Haggard und seinem roten Stier gefangen wurden. Unterstützt wird sie dabei vom Zauberer Schmendrick und der Räuberfrau Molly. Unterwegs muss sie feststellen das die Menschen, Einhörner nicht mehr erkennen und sie wird von einer Hexe, der ein Wanderzirkus gehört gefangen genommen. Sie wird auch in einen Menschen verwandelt, lernt das Gefühl der Liebe durch den Prinzen Lir kennen. Am Ende kann sie dem roten Stier und König Haggard besiegen und ihre Verwandten? Aus dem Meer befreien.
Als ich das Buch im Thalia gesehen habe musste ich es einfach haben, die Zeichnungen haben mich so sehr an den besagten Zeichentrickfilm erinnert. Das Buch hat keine 150-Seiten und ist im Comicstyle aufgebaut, es lässt sich in einer Sitzung durchlesen und ich könnte mir vorstellen das sich das sehr gut mit Kindern lesen lässt. Die Texte sind schön und für die Charaktere auch passend gewählt. Für mich waren aber die Zeichnungen der Ausschlaggebende Grund zum Kaufen und Lesen. Ich kann dem Buch aus Nostalgiegründen nur 5 Sterne geben, ich überlege mir jetzt auch die Geschichte als "richtiges Buch" zu holen und nochmal zu lesen.
Die Geschichte kennt denke ich jeder, der Zeichentrickfilm von 1982 gehört zu jeder Kindheit. Und für mich gehört sie auch in die Weihnachtszeit.
Trotzdem der Vollständigkeit halber, die Handlung kurz zusammengefasst:
Ein Einhorn erfährt das es das letzte ist, es macht sich auf die Suche nach seinen Artgenossen die von König Haggard und seinem roten Stier gefangen wurden. Unterstützt wird sie dabei vom Zauberer Schmendrick und der Räuberfrau Molly. Unterwegs muss sie feststellen das die Menschen, Einhörner nicht mehr erkennen und sie wird von einer Hexe, der ein Wanderzirkus gehört gefangen genommen. Sie wird auch in einen Menschen verwandelt, lernt das Gefühl der Liebe durch den Prinzen Lir kennen. Am Ende kann sie dem roten Stier und König Haggard besiegen und ihre Verwandten? Aus dem Meer befreien.
Als ich das Buch im Thalia gesehen habe musste ich es einfach haben, die Zeichnungen haben mich so sehr an den besagten Zeichentrickfilm erinnert. Das Buch hat keine 150-Seiten und ist im Comicstyle aufgebaut, es lässt sich in einer Sitzung durchlesen und ich könnte mir vorstellen das sich das sehr gut mit Kindern lesen lässt. Die Texte sind schön und für die Charaktere auch passend gewählt. Für mich waren aber die Zeichnungen der Ausschlaggebende Grund zum Kaufen und Lesen. Ich kann dem Buch aus Nostalgiegründen nur 5 Sterne geben, ich überlege mir jetzt auch die Geschichte als "richtiges Buch" zu holen und nochmal zu lesen.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 25, 2011
"The Last Unicorn" was one of my favorite movies from my childhood, and a few years ago I got around to reading The Last Unicorn. When I saw that a graphic novel version had been published, I of course had to read it.
The story does not differ from the book or movie, but the illustrations alone are worth it. The style is similar to that of the movie, but care was taken to make each image beautifully rendered, and the way several scenes could be placed on a page while not chopping it up into little comic book blocks was artful. The entire book was so ethereal. Fans of the book/movie will enjoy rereading the story with the gorgeous art, and newcomers will have a wonderful introduction to a wonderful story.
The story does not differ from the book or movie, but the illustrations alone are worth it. The style is similar to that of the movie, but care was taken to make each image beautifully rendered, and the way several scenes could be placed on a page while not chopping it up into little comic book blocks was artful. The entire book was so ethereal. Fans of the book/movie will enjoy rereading the story with the gorgeous art, and newcomers will have a wonderful introduction to a wonderful story.
December 10, 2012
Did I really need to check the graphic novel after reading the book and watching the movie?
YES! I'm really glad I did, because this adaptation has gorgeous graphics and follows the storyline very well. The author was directly involved in the transcription, and one of the bonuses of the graphic novel is an extensive interview with Peter S Beagle about his start in the literary world and the genesis of the story, the difficult re-writes and the unexpected jump in popularity, the enduring succes of succesive reprints and the numerous adaptations.
I will not repeat the plot or analyze the characters, most readers are probably familiar with the story - it works well for both youngsters and old-timers like me. If you are not, I would suggest getting acquainted with it soon.
YES! I'm really glad I did, because this adaptation has gorgeous graphics and follows the storyline very well. The author was directly involved in the transcription, and one of the bonuses of the graphic novel is an extensive interview with Peter S Beagle about his start in the literary world and the genesis of the story, the difficult re-writes and the unexpected jump in popularity, the enduring succes of succesive reprints and the numerous adaptations.
I will not repeat the plot or analyze the characters, most readers are probably familiar with the story - it works well for both youngsters and old-timers like me. If you are not, I would suggest getting acquainted with it soon.
June 13, 2021
Eine sehr schöne Vorlage, die zeichnerisch fantastisch umgesetzt ist. Die Story aber liest sich im Comic nicht flüssig, wirkt stellenweise sperrig und bockt beim Lesen.
September 8, 2025
My kidlets only made it halfway through. . . .I finished it, and it was pretty and folk tale-y. Sad about the unicorn, but I think it really was Schmedrick's story to keep Molly engaged and interested. Hope they settled in a long-lived village and had some magical kids who heard about this unicorn every other day.
May 22, 2011
As a child, I greatly adored horses and, even more, their mythological counterparts, pegasi and unicorns. It should come as no surprise then that one of my favorite movies as a child was The Last Unicorn. It is very much one of those kid's movies that you either watched as a child and will thus adore forever, but, if watched for the first time in adulthood, definitely comes off as incredibly creepy. I can totally see why others don't like it, but it will forever hold a dear place in my heart.
For the most part, this graphic novel version of the story covers the same ground as the film. The look of the characters very clearly was inspired by the film version as well. The small additions to the plot in some places, and the subtractions (like the tree that freaked people out the most in the movie), made me even more curious to read the original novel. That is definitely a thing I need to do someday.
The graphic novel is definitely pretty and oh so colorful. However, its brevity means that a few things have to be cut. Much of the trimming took place in the latter half of the tale, making it rather confusing and, did I not know the story, I likely would have been confused by much of the time spent in King Haggard's castle.
For the most part, this graphic novel version of the story covers the same ground as the film. The look of the characters very clearly was inspired by the film version as well. The small additions to the plot in some places, and the subtractions (like the tree that freaked people out the most in the movie), made me even more curious to read the original novel. That is definitely a thing I need to do someday.
The graphic novel is definitely pretty and oh so colorful. However, its brevity means that a few things have to be cut. Much of the trimming took place in the latter half of the tale, making it rather confusing and, did I not know the story, I likely would have been confused by much of the time spent in King Haggard's castle.
Read
July 30, 2016Such an amazing addition to all my treasured memories of the movie. The animated film, The Last Unicorn was the first movie I saw in the theater. I remember falling head over heels in love with the unicorn and then bawling my eyes out over the intense face off with the ominous Red Bull. This graphic novel captured everything I love about the story. I loved it. Too bad I checked it out from the library because I need to own it and will most likely buy it soon so I can leaf through it at random. Stunning artistry and full of nostalgia.
September 4, 2024
Ein bisschen Eskapismus.
August 7, 2026
I could not get over how tiny the Unicorn’s head was to it’s body 😅🤣
August 20, 2019
I decided to read this graphic novel version of Peter Beagle's book after the strong endorsement from Patrick (is he ever going to finish The Doors of Stone?) Rothfuss, who says its the best novel to graphic novel adaptation he has read. True to the story, even to the extent of using the author's own words, The Last Unicorn goes off to find others of her species, with the help of friends and the setbacks of evil foes, eventually discovering what happened to her brethren. Illustrators Renae De Liz and Ray Dillon, with adaptation help from Peter Gillis did an amazing job. Beautiful illustrations, great use of color, and easy to read text. In the end though, I did not like the story very much: perhaps some of the richness of the story was lost in this format so I may read the original.
October 29, 2014
it pains me to give this a "meh" review because i've loved the book & cartoon since i was a kid, and i'm sure the adaptor & artist put a lot of heart into this. the art is very pretty, but not really to my taste - maybe a bit *too* pretty (certainly molly should have looked older, and schmendrick less cute). the bigger problem for me was that the layout & pacing just didn't jive. it read like a storyboard for a cartoon, not a comic book. i don't think the dialogue or plot would have made sense to me if i didn't already know them by heart. but ya know, it's cool - i probably came to it with too many expectations. based on all the good reviews, i'm glad it's introducing new people to a wonderful story.
June 2, 2019
I wanted to read this graphic novel because I really liked the movie when I was a child.
February 23, 2026
The art is gorgeous but i like the animated movie more.
December 8, 2019
Meine Meinung
Gerade in der kalten Jahreszeit gibt es nichts Schöneres als legendäre Geschichten über Mythen, Märchen und Sagengestalten zu lesen. Vielleicht ist auch dies ein Grund, warum in der (Vor)Weihnachtszeit auch so viele Filme aus diesem Bereich im Fernsehprogramm gezeigt werden und so flimmert jedes Jahr aufs neue die animierte Filmadaption von Peter S. Beagles Roman »Das letzte Einhorn« über die Bildschirme. Dadurch ist fast jedermann die ergreifende Geschichte über das wunderschöne Tierwesen geläufig, dass auf der Suche nach seinen Artgenossen durch die Welt zieht und dabei nicht als das erkannt wird, was es eigentlich ist. Nur der Zauberer Schmendrick und Molly Grue können das wahre Wesen des letzten Einhorns erkennen und schließen sich ihm auf dem Weg zu König Haggard und seinem roten Stier an.
Zu dem zauberhaften Romanstoff gibt es auch eine Comic-Adaption, die 2011 zum ersten Mal in Deutschland erschien und nun in einer besonders edlen Hardcoverausgabe durch den Panini Verlag neu aufgelegt wurde. Schon alleine bei dem märchenhaft-schönen Cover werden nostalgische Gefühle wach und im Kopf springt automatisch Amercias Song »The Last Unicorn« an.
Die Illustrationen der Künstlerin Renae De Liz sind zwar stark an das Erscheinungsbild des Filmes angelehnt und dennoch ist der Zeichnerin gelungen auch ihren eigenen Stil in ihren eindrucksvollen Bildern einfließen zu lassen. Bereits nach wenigen Panels beginnt sich der Zauber der märchenhaft-melancholischen Geschichte zu entfalten und nimmt die Leser*innen mit auf eine Reise durch die düsteren Täler der menschlichen Abgründe bis hin zu dem Mut und der Liebe, die es zwischen all der Düsternis dennoch gibt.
Der Comic zu Peter S. Beagles erfolgreichem Roman »Das letzte Einhorn« umgesetzt von Peter B. Gillis & Renae De Liz ist auch die perfekte Gelegenheit für Comic-Einsteiger in die phantastische Welt der Bilder einzutauchen und sich von der speziellen Magie dieser Geschichte verzaubern zu lassen.
Fazit
Die ganze Magie der märchenhaften Geschichte über das letzte Einhorn wurde hier im edlen Comic-Format eingefangen.
Gerade in der kalten Jahreszeit gibt es nichts Schöneres als legendäre Geschichten über Mythen, Märchen und Sagengestalten zu lesen. Vielleicht ist auch dies ein Grund, warum in der (Vor)Weihnachtszeit auch so viele Filme aus diesem Bereich im Fernsehprogramm gezeigt werden und so flimmert jedes Jahr aufs neue die animierte Filmadaption von Peter S. Beagles Roman »Das letzte Einhorn« über die Bildschirme. Dadurch ist fast jedermann die ergreifende Geschichte über das wunderschöne Tierwesen geläufig, dass auf der Suche nach seinen Artgenossen durch die Welt zieht und dabei nicht als das erkannt wird, was es eigentlich ist. Nur der Zauberer Schmendrick und Molly Grue können das wahre Wesen des letzten Einhorns erkennen und schließen sich ihm auf dem Weg zu König Haggard und seinem roten Stier an.
Zu dem zauberhaften Romanstoff gibt es auch eine Comic-Adaption, die 2011 zum ersten Mal in Deutschland erschien und nun in einer besonders edlen Hardcoverausgabe durch den Panini Verlag neu aufgelegt wurde. Schon alleine bei dem märchenhaft-schönen Cover werden nostalgische Gefühle wach und im Kopf springt automatisch Amercias Song »The Last Unicorn« an.
Die Illustrationen der Künstlerin Renae De Liz sind zwar stark an das Erscheinungsbild des Filmes angelehnt und dennoch ist der Zeichnerin gelungen auch ihren eigenen Stil in ihren eindrucksvollen Bildern einfließen zu lassen. Bereits nach wenigen Panels beginnt sich der Zauber der märchenhaft-melancholischen Geschichte zu entfalten und nimmt die Leser*innen mit auf eine Reise durch die düsteren Täler der menschlichen Abgründe bis hin zu dem Mut und der Liebe, die es zwischen all der Düsternis dennoch gibt.
Der Comic zu Peter S. Beagles erfolgreichem Roman »Das letzte Einhorn« umgesetzt von Peter B. Gillis & Renae De Liz ist auch die perfekte Gelegenheit für Comic-Einsteiger in die phantastische Welt der Bilder einzutauchen und sich von der speziellen Magie dieser Geschichte verzaubern zu lassen.
Fazit
Die ganze Magie der märchenhaften Geschichte über das letzte Einhorn wurde hier im edlen Comic-Format eingefangen.
January 22, 2016
Classic tale!
This is probably one of my favorite childhood stories that isn’t quite a happily ever after in the typical Disney way. I would have to say it’s a close tie between The Princess Bride and The Last Unicorn as to what my favorite childhood film was. The Last Unicorn is has a bittersweet ending that is for sure and it’s composed of various characters. Quirky ones, comedic relief, pure evil, neutral, supporting roles and heroes. What more do you need? Oh, I know… UNICORNS.
Amalthea is such a strong character to me, she’s gentle, pure and kind, but when her kind is in danger she takes matters into her own hooves and sets off to find them if they are even still alive. Along the way, she gets into hairy situations and meets friends as well as enemies.
Schmendrick is amongst the quirky individuals and he is one of the supporting roles, he’s a clumsy wizard who has magic that scarcely works or at least in the way he wants it to. When the wicked Mama Fortuna captures the unicorn and places her in a cage, it is Schmendrick who saves the day!
I really really could talk about all of the characters involved in this story, there is so much growth, development, and feelings that are part of this beautiful classic tale.
I love love love this story, it just never gets old and now as an adult I can really appreciate it.
This is probably one of my favorite childhood stories that isn’t quite a happily ever after in the typical Disney way. I would have to say it’s a close tie between The Princess Bride and The Last Unicorn as to what my favorite childhood film was. The Last Unicorn is has a bittersweet ending that is for sure and it’s composed of various characters. Quirky ones, comedic relief, pure evil, neutral, supporting roles and heroes. What more do you need? Oh, I know… UNICORNS.
Amalthea is such a strong character to me, she’s gentle, pure and kind, but when her kind is in danger she takes matters into her own hooves and sets off to find them if they are even still alive. Along the way, she gets into hairy situations and meets friends as well as enemies.
Schmendrick is amongst the quirky individuals and he is one of the supporting roles, he’s a clumsy wizard who has magic that scarcely works or at least in the way he wants it to. When the wicked Mama Fortuna captures the unicorn and places her in a cage, it is Schmendrick who saves the day!
I really really could talk about all of the characters involved in this story, there is so much growth, development, and feelings that are part of this beautiful classic tale.
I love love love this story, it just never gets old and now as an adult I can really appreciate it.
June 16, 2018
This book is on several Top 100 SF-Fantasy lists, which is quite surprising as it seem impossible to find. It's been on my 'want' list for many years and until this graphic novel version showed up I had been unable to find it in any of my local libraries or books shops.
After reading this I find myself putting it into the same boat as 'A Wrinkle in Time'. I would probably have been great if I had read this as a young adult, but now, not so much. It's a decent enough story and you can read some hidden meanings and themes into it. Art in this graphic novel version was adequate, but I think they ruined it by printing a long interview with the author in 5 point font. Surely a couple of extra pages would have been better than squeezing it in as an afterthought with the smallest type possible.
Not really for me. If I come across a copy of the original book I might give that a try.
After reading this I find myself putting it into the same boat as 'A Wrinkle in Time'. I would probably have been great if I had read this as a young adult, but now, not so much. It's a decent enough story and you can read some hidden meanings and themes into it. Art in this graphic novel version was adequate, but I think they ruined it by printing a long interview with the author in 5 point font. Surely a couple of extra pages would have been better than squeezing it in as an afterthought with the smallest type possible.
Not really for me. If I come across a copy of the original book I might give that a try.
August 14, 2023
Es war so schön wieder in diese Geschichte zu tauchen ❤️
Ich habe den Film damals geliebt und auch dieser Graphic Novel hat mich in den Bann gezogen. Es sind wunderschöne Illustrationen, die man sich wirklich Stundenlang anschauen könnte!
Ich habe den Film damals geliebt und auch dieser Graphic Novel hat mich in den Bann gezogen. Es sind wunderschöne Illustrationen, die man sich wirklich Stundenlang anschauen könnte!
January 11, 2018
I loved the art in this book and it made me smile. I liked the characters and I liked the plot. I'm happy I read it.
January 9, 2021
In some ways it's a more complete adaptation than the Rankin-Bass movie was, but to my disappointment it falls a little flat two-thirds in, starting to rush its way through and skipping or downplaying a few good scenes. The art was serviceable but never great - the movie had some better design.
So it falls into the rather disappointing middleground between the original and the movie. It gives us more than the movie does but never as much as the book, and it also shows better visuals than the book does (obviously) but nowhere near as much as the movie. If you for some reason are unable to read the book or watch the movie, then this would serve... but I'd rather just pick those other two.
So it falls into the rather disappointing middleground between the original and the movie. It gives us more than the movie does but never as much as the book, and it also shows better visuals than the book does (obviously) but nowhere near as much as the movie. If you for some reason are unable to read the book or watch the movie, then this would serve... but I'd rather just pick those other two.
February 20, 2018
I had to buy this graphic novel version of The Last Unicorn for my daughter for her birthday. She is a big fan of the illustrators. This story adaptation meticulously follows the original plot and even retains some of its poetic feel. It is, however, truncated to the point that I felt it missed a lot of the subtle philosophical nuances that I love about the original. The artwork is, of course, exceptional!
January 12, 2022
Fantastic graphic novel adaptation of a wonderful classic fantasy book. Part of what makes this adaptation work so well is Gillis, the adaptor of the original story, using source material as best he could whenever he could. Beagle's stamp of approval is clear on this one. I was thoroughly impressed with the artwork matching the 1980s animated movie very closely. The interviews with Beagle and Gillis at the back of the book were happy bonuses for me.
August 4, 2019
Loved this graphic novel! It reminded me of the movie that I watched as a kid.
January 8, 2026
ENGLISH VERSION BELOW
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Ich hatte mich schon innerlich darauf eingestellt, dass ich eventuell enttäuscht sein würde – und dann passiert das Gegenteil: The Last Unicorn (#1–6) ist richtig, richtig gelungen. Die Geschichte bleibt erstaunlich nah an Roman und Film, wirkt dabei geschlossen, stimmig und behält genau dieses bittersüße Märchengefühl, das Das letzte Einhorn so besonders macht.
Der größte Trumpf ist die Optik. Renae De Liz’ Artwork ist üppig, detailreich und gleichzeitig gut lesbar; Paneling und Rhythmus tragen die märchenhafte, melancholische Stimmung sehr konsequent. Vor allem die Farbgebung ist herausragend: Jede Station der Reise hat ihren eigenen Ton, jede Szene eine eigene Palette – das macht die Welt lebendig, ohne den märchenhaften Schleier zu verlieren. Auch die Figuren sitzen: Amalthea mit dieser stillen Stärke, Schmendrick herrlich schräg und warm, Molly Grue, Haggard, Lir. Die Figuren wirken nicht wie bloße Wiedererkennungs-Ikonen, sondern bekommen Haltung und Präsenz. Dass das Design stellenweise an den Film erinnert, ist hier eher ein Plus: nostalgisch, aber nicht kopiert, sondern mit eigenem Strich.
Klar, ein paar Nuancen des Romans werden komprimiert – aber das ist der einzige kleine Wermutstropfen. Insgesamt ist das eine Adaption, die nicht nur „respektvoll“ ist, sondern magisch. Für Fans ein überwältigend schönes Wiedersehen – und ehrlich: ein Format, in dem diese Geschichte noch einmal ganz neu leuchten darf.
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I’d already braced myself for the possibility of being disappointed—and then the opposite happened: The Last Unicorn (#1–6) is truly, truly excellent. The story stays remarkably close to both the novel and the film, while still feeling cohesive and well-paced—and it preserves that bittersweet fairy-tale atmosphere that makes The Last Unicorn so special.
The biggest strength is the visuals. Renae De Liz’s artwork is lush and richly detailed, yet always easy to read; the paneling and overall rhythm carry the dreamy, melancholic mood with real consistency. The coloring, especially, is outstanding: every stop on the journey has its own tone, every scene its own palette—bringing the world to life without losing that storybook haze. And the characters are spot-on: Amalthea with her quiet strength, Schmendrick wonderfully odd and warm, Molly Grue, Haggard, Lír. They don’t feel like mere recognition icons; they have presence and personality.
That the design occasionally echoes the movie is actually a plus here—nostalgic, but not copied, with a distinct style of its own.
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Ich hatte mich schon innerlich darauf eingestellt, dass ich eventuell enttäuscht sein würde – und dann passiert das Gegenteil: The Last Unicorn (#1–6) ist richtig, richtig gelungen. Die Geschichte bleibt erstaunlich nah an Roman und Film, wirkt dabei geschlossen, stimmig und behält genau dieses bittersüße Märchengefühl, das Das letzte Einhorn so besonders macht.
Der größte Trumpf ist die Optik. Renae De Liz’ Artwork ist üppig, detailreich und gleichzeitig gut lesbar; Paneling und Rhythmus tragen die märchenhafte, melancholische Stimmung sehr konsequent. Vor allem die Farbgebung ist herausragend: Jede Station der Reise hat ihren eigenen Ton, jede Szene eine eigene Palette – das macht die Welt lebendig, ohne den märchenhaften Schleier zu verlieren. Auch die Figuren sitzen: Amalthea mit dieser stillen Stärke, Schmendrick herrlich schräg und warm, Molly Grue, Haggard, Lir. Die Figuren wirken nicht wie bloße Wiedererkennungs-Ikonen, sondern bekommen Haltung und Präsenz. Dass das Design stellenweise an den Film erinnert, ist hier eher ein Plus: nostalgisch, aber nicht kopiert, sondern mit eigenem Strich.
Klar, ein paar Nuancen des Romans werden komprimiert – aber das ist der einzige kleine Wermutstropfen. Insgesamt ist das eine Adaption, die nicht nur „respektvoll“ ist, sondern magisch. Für Fans ein überwältigend schönes Wiedersehen – und ehrlich: ein Format, in dem diese Geschichte noch einmal ganz neu leuchten darf.
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I’d already braced myself for the possibility of being disappointed—and then the opposite happened: The Last Unicorn (#1–6) is truly, truly excellent. The story stays remarkably close to both the novel and the film, while still feeling cohesive and well-paced—and it preserves that bittersweet fairy-tale atmosphere that makes The Last Unicorn so special.
The biggest strength is the visuals. Renae De Liz’s artwork is lush and richly detailed, yet always easy to read; the paneling and overall rhythm carry the dreamy, melancholic mood with real consistency. The coloring, especially, is outstanding: every stop on the journey has its own tone, every scene its own palette—bringing the world to life without losing that storybook haze. And the characters are spot-on: Amalthea with her quiet strength, Schmendrick wonderfully odd and warm, Molly Grue, Haggard, Lír. They don’t feel like mere recognition icons; they have presence and personality.
That the design occasionally echoes the movie is actually a plus here—nostalgic, but not copied, with a distinct style of its own.
September 25, 2025
A solid 7 for me. I think the way I read it impacted my reading experience, and I would probably have enjoyed it more if I sat down and read it in fewer long periods of time rather than the broken up way I read it. Since I took long breaks between reading and usually only read a little bit at a time, the middle really felt like it dragged despite being a short book. However, the ending regarding the Unicorn and the travellers was satisfying in terms of the story (although bittersweet), so overall I'd say I enjoyed it (to an extent, despite the seemingly low rating).
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