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The Michael Moorcock Library: Elric #4
The Weird of the White Wolf
Compiling the short stories "The Dream of Earl Aubec," "The Dreaming City," "While the Gods Laugh" and "The Singing Citadel," "The Weird of the White Wolf" brings the albino prince back to his city of Melnibone for a series of epic adventures, where his might and magic will face the ultimate test.
145 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 29, 2015
9 people are currently reading
98 people want to read
About the author
Roy Thomas
4,479 books271 followersRoy Thomas was the FIRST Editor-in-Chief at Marvel--After Stan Lee stepped down from the position. Roy is a longtime comic book writer and editor. Thomas has written comics for Archie, Charlton, DC, Heroic Publishing, Marvel, and Topps over the years. Thomas currently edits the fanzine Alter Ego for Twomorrow's Publishing. He was Editor for Marvel comics from 1972-1974. He wrote for several titles at Marvel, such as Avengers, Thor, Invaders, Fantastic Four, X-Men, and notably Conan the Barbarian. Thomas is also known for his championing of Golden Age comic-book heroes — particularly the 1940s superhero team the Justice Society of America — and for lengthy writing stints on Marvel's X-Men and Avengers, and DC Comics' All-Star Squadron, among other titles.
Also a legendary creator. Creations include Wolverine, Carol Danvers, Ghost Rider, Vision, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, Valkyrie, Morbius, Doc Samson, and Ultron. Roy has also worked for Archie, Charlton, and DC among others over the years.
Also a legendary creator. Creations include Wolverine, Carol Danvers, Ghost Rider, Vision, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, Valkyrie, Morbius, Doc Samson, and Ultron. Roy has also worked for Archie, Charlton, and DC among others over the years.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 26, 2022
Nice adaptation of the book. the Art goes well with the setting and the writing follows the story well. Nice read. Recommended
July 11, 2022
This book adapts Michael Moorcock's The Dream of Earl Aubec, The Dreaming City, While the Gods Laugh, and the Singing Citadel. Roy Thomas does the writing and Michael T. Gilbert, P. Craig Russell, and George Freeman handle the art.
This one didn't have the luster of the previous ones, mostly because it feels like filler for the most part. I did like that The Dream of Earl Aubec was used as a framing sequence around the other stories. The Dreaming City was a two page summary of the tale presented in the last tale. While the Gods Laugh was my favorite story in the book, although I still think Moonglum is too handsome in these books.
Things will pick up in book 5 when the main tale kicks into high gear, I think.
This one didn't have the luster of the previous ones, mostly because it feels like filler for the most part. I did like that The Dream of Earl Aubec was used as a framing sequence around the other stories. The Dreaming City was a two page summary of the tale presented in the last tale. While the Gods Laugh was my favorite story in the book, although I still think Moonglum is too handsome in these books.
Things will pick up in book 5 when the main tale kicks into high gear, I think.
September 24, 2024
On a re-read I quite enjoyed this after reading the novel. The book includes four parts
The Dream of Earl Aubec - in the comic they put puts of this story throughout which I think was an excellent idea. A good framing mechanism for each issue. Michael T. Gilbert
The Dreaming City - previously published in Marvel Epic 3+4 and as a Marvel Graphic Novel in full. Here they just give a brief summary of the story. I wonder why they didn't publish the full story again. Drawn by P. Craig Russell. Odd missed opportunity but I guess they would imagine most Elric fans would already own that comic.
While the Gods Laugh - previously published in Marvel Epic 14, it's published here in full again.
Drawn by P. Craig Russell. A little more rare than The Dreaming City, so it makes some sense to publish the whole thing again.
The Singing Citadel - Elric helps overthrow a villain of Chaos who set up home in the real world. Drawn by Michael T. Gilbert.
Original review:
Kind of a weird hodge-podge of different short-stories bookended with a kind of generic Knight in a castle story. He meets a mysterious woman who tells him these stories about Elric.
It has P. Craig Russell's two short Elric stories kind of remixed into the plot. These were originally published elsewhere and drawn by Russell and Michael T. Gilbert. Those were fine, the first one had new narration by the woman in the castle and was an abridged version of the graphic novel "Elric The Dreaming City". The second story was originally published as "Elric: While the Gods Laugh" and is presented here unchanged... which is a bit odd that the first story had new narration and this one doesn't. I think it could have been cool to get the 'mysterious woman's' narration.
The third story was pretty poor in comparison the Russell's. The artist was just Michael T. Gilbert so it was missing Russell's magic touch.
Overall totally fine, but this is not near the level of "Elric of Melniboné" (Book 1)
The Dream of Earl Aubec - in the comic they put puts of this story throughout which I think was an excellent idea. A good framing mechanism for each issue. Michael T. Gilbert
The Dreaming City - previously published in Marvel Epic 3+4 and as a Marvel Graphic Novel in full. Here they just give a brief summary of the story. I wonder why they didn't publish the full story again. Drawn by P. Craig Russell. Odd missed opportunity but I guess they would imagine most Elric fans would already own that comic.
While the Gods Laugh - previously published in Marvel Epic 14, it's published here in full again.
Drawn by P. Craig Russell. A little more rare than The Dreaming City, so it makes some sense to publish the whole thing again.
The Singing Citadel - Elric helps overthrow a villain of Chaos who set up home in the real world. Drawn by Michael T. Gilbert.
Original review:
Kind of a weird hodge-podge of different short-stories bookended with a kind of generic Knight in a castle story. He meets a mysterious woman who tells him these stories about Elric.
It has P. Craig Russell's two short Elric stories kind of remixed into the plot. These were originally published elsewhere and drawn by Russell and Michael T. Gilbert. Those were fine, the first one had new narration by the woman in the castle and was an abridged version of the graphic novel "Elric The Dreaming City". The second story was originally published as "Elric: While the Gods Laugh" and is presented here unchanged... which is a bit odd that the first story had new narration and this one doesn't. I think it could have been cool to get the 'mysterious woman's' narration.
The third story was pretty poor in comparison the Russell's. The artist was just Michael T. Gilbert so it was missing Russell's magic touch.
Overall totally fine, but this is not near the level of "Elric of Melniboné" (Book 1)
March 31, 2022
I appreciate the turning of Earl Aubrec into a framing device to cover the rest of the stories. In the original book it always felt a little out of place, not concerning Elric himself much at all.
October 27, 2023
(Zero spoiler review) 3.75/5
A slightly obscure and disjointed story, although still imbued with the antiquated magic of these older Elric collections. It goes without saying by now, but if you have Roy Thomas helming your project, the man is going to get the absolute most out of it. I've never read Moorcock's prose writing, but Thomas effortlessly transforms the longer form story into an inherently enjoyable and readable tome. The final issue goes a bit off the rails, well and truly earning the 'weird' in the title, but comes back together well enough in the end. The only other gripe I had would be the artist change right at the end, which was somewhat of a downgrade, although not so dissimilar as to be overly jarring. All in all, a solid addition to the series, although not my favourite. 3.75/5
OmniBen.
A slightly obscure and disjointed story, although still imbued with the antiquated magic of these older Elric collections. It goes without saying by now, but if you have Roy Thomas helming your project, the man is going to get the absolute most out of it. I've never read Moorcock's prose writing, but Thomas effortlessly transforms the longer form story into an inherently enjoyable and readable tome. The final issue goes a bit off the rails, well and truly earning the 'weird' in the title, but comes back together well enough in the end. The only other gripe I had would be the artist change right at the end, which was somewhat of a downgrade, although not so dissimilar as to be overly jarring. All in all, a solid addition to the series, although not my favourite. 3.75/5
OmniBen.
May 22, 2023
Esta es la última miniserie de First Comics del personaje con dibujos de Gilbert, Freeman y Craig Russell que me faltaba por leer y vaya bacatazo después de haber disfrutado de las dos anteriores en mi ya lejanísima juventud y que, visto lo visto, mejor dejar que descansen en el sueño de los justos del armario de los tebeos.
En este caso se trata de un fix-up de relatos cortos en los que la adaptación de Thomas no resulta muy brillante precisamente con los textos de apoyo en plan ladrillo y unos diálogos de opereta fantasy bastante ufff. Conociendo a Moorcock es casi seguro que el original era como mínimo regular, pero hombre, adapta, aligera un poco que esto no hay quien se lo lea (miedo me da revisarme Conan...). La tarea de dibujar se reparte entre Michael Gilbert en los bocetos y George Freeman en el acabado (qué poco se ha prodigado este dibujante que a mí me gustaba bastante) quienes se encargan del relato-marco y de "The Singing Citadel", con su estilo en plan línea clara del fantasy peleando con unas historias aburridísimas que no les brindan demasiadas ocasiones de lucir sus puntos fuertes (sólo necesito ingentes cantidades de pasta y una máquina del tiempo para encargarle al Freeman de los ochenta una adaptación de "El porteador y las tres mujeres de Bagdad" para que se pudiera explayar a gusto). Un Russell en buena forma aparece en dos de las historias, una versión resumida de "The Dreaming City" cuyo mayor hándicap es que si has leído la novela gráfica pues no sorprende. Y el otro relato del que se encarga es "While The Gods Laugh" donde cumple muy bien, pero que siendo una historia chorra y tediosa, plagada de clichés facilones, que se la ve venir desde el minuto uno y en la que Elric se comporta como un canallita un poco tontolculo, no se disfruta demasiado.
En este caso se trata de un fix-up de relatos cortos en los que la adaptación de Thomas no resulta muy brillante precisamente con los textos de apoyo en plan ladrillo y unos diálogos de opereta fantasy bastante ufff. Conociendo a Moorcock es casi seguro que el original era como mínimo regular, pero hombre, adapta, aligera un poco que esto no hay quien se lo lea (miedo me da revisarme Conan...). La tarea de dibujar se reparte entre Michael Gilbert en los bocetos y George Freeman en el acabado (qué poco se ha prodigado este dibujante que a mí me gustaba bastante) quienes se encargan del relato-marco y de "The Singing Citadel", con su estilo en plan línea clara del fantasy peleando con unas historias aburridísimas que no les brindan demasiadas ocasiones de lucir sus puntos fuertes (sólo necesito ingentes cantidades de pasta y una máquina del tiempo para encargarle al Freeman de los ochenta una adaptación de "El porteador y las tres mujeres de Bagdad" para que se pudiera explayar a gusto). Un Russell en buena forma aparece en dos de las historias, una versión resumida de "The Dreaming City" cuyo mayor hándicap es que si has leído la novela gráfica pues no sorprende. Y el otro relato del que se encarga es "While The Gods Laugh" donde cumple muy bien, pero que siendo una historia chorra y tediosa, plagada de clichés facilones, que se la ve venir desde el minuto uno y en la que Elric se comporta como un canallita un poco tontolculo, no se disfruta demasiado.
January 28, 2020
A little too trippy. I read all of the Elric novels and stories as a teenager. I grabbed this out of a sense of nostalgia and was disappointed. I don’t like the art. It’s a little too psychedelic. The style does remind me of the old comic that populated barbershops and waiting rooms of my childhood, but that wasn’t enough to make me like it. Elric isn’t Conan, however, the artist makes him look a bit like a strung out, emancipated tweaker. The writing is also a weak. Most of the plots involve busty, barely dressed women throwing themselves at the hero then assigning him a mysterious quest.
July 21, 2023
This actually reaches back through time to resurrect the First Comics adaptations. Strong work from Roy Thomas in adaptation managing to capture the strength of the novel and blend it with the power of the graphic novel.
December 10, 2017
Love the artwork in this series. I feel sorry for Elric in many ways for being cursed with mercy.
March 6, 2017
The "Weird of the White Wolf" collection contains four comics. "The Dream of Earl Aubec" is used as a frame to present "While the Gods Laugh", "The "Singing Citadel", and a horribly abridged version of "The Dreaming City". The loss of "The Dreaming City" was always the biggest problem with this collection, the result of it recently being published by Marvel, and now corrected by Titan with their publication of The Michael Moorcock Library - Elric, Vol.3: The Dreaming City.
As a whole, this is a weak collection. The Dream of Earl Aubec is overly stretched to serve as a frame, The Dreaming City is barely there, and The Singing Citadel was the first of the retroactive stories, and so not as strong as the first wave of Elric stories. Still, there's some good swords & sorcery here, and that's backed up by artwork that ranges from good to great.
As a whole, this is a weak collection. The Dream of Earl Aubec is overly stretched to serve as a frame, The Dreaming City is barely there, and The Singing Citadel was the first of the retroactive stories, and so not as strong as the first wave of Elric stories. Still, there's some good swords & sorcery here, and that's backed up by artwork that ranges from good to great.
May 4, 2017
Consistently great art and with Elric, bliss.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews