Comic Book Review – Elric Volume 1: The Ruby Throne

Michelle Herbert reviews Elric Volume 1: The Ruby Throne by J. Blondel, D. Poli, R. Recht and J. Bastide…

Eric, the albino emperor, has ruled Melnibon for millennia. However, Elric’s empire is crumbling before him and now his envious cousin and prince of Melnibon, Yyrkoon, plots to claim the Ruby Throne for himself. A superb mix of high and dark fantasy that will satisfy fans of the original novels!You may be confused by the authors and artists listed here – isn’t Elric a character created by Michael Moorcock? But there is no need to worry this is Michael Moorcock’s Elric; he had given his blessing for this adaptation of his work, which you can read in an introduction by the author himself. This isn’t a reimagining of the character but a graphic retelling of Elric’s story brought to life in glorious colour in this first volume of Elric’s life as the last Emperor of Melniboné.

The Ruby Throne is a story of Empire; Melnibonéans are loved by the Gods of Chaos as they have ruled supreme over the lesser races for centuries, but in Elric, their albino Emperor, war seems to be on hiatus, and this has caused tension in the court mostly stirred by Yykroon, Elric’s cousin, who longs for the bloodshed of the past. This is the main set-up of Volume 1 – a power struggle right at the top, which seems almost childish that will have dire consequences for all Elric holds dear.

Elric is married to Cymoril, his cousin and sister to Yykroon. She is a powerful sorceress in her own right and uses her magic to help Elric gain strength. Hopefully we shall see more of her in the next volume of the book. In Melniboné it seems that males are the main protagonists; it will be nice to see if Cymoril will be a strong female character or just a damsel in distress.

This is a fantasy of the darkest nature and this is reflected on the pages of this graphic novel. There is so much detail in each panel although you are never left feeling overwhelmed. The colour is beautifully rendered so that it is muted to match the gloomy walls of Immyr, reds and purples are used to great effect. Blood is frequently seen either through torture or battles. When the scenes are lit up they are gold and ice.

If you have never read anything by Michael Moorcock then this maybe a good place to get yourself acquainted with a world many people have grown to love. Alternatively if you know this world do not be put off by this graphic novel, instead look at it as an extension to the existing mythology.

Michelle Herbert

Originally published November 22, 2014. Updated April 13, 2018.