Elric: The Sleeping Sorceress #1 Review
Writer: Julien Blondel
Artist & Colorist: Valentin Sécher
Translator: Marc Bourbon-Crook
Letterer: Jessica Burton
Cover Artists: Valentin Sécher, Norm Konyu & Florent
Maudoux
Editor: Ibraheem Kazi
Designer: Matt Bookman
Publisher: Titan Comics
Price: $4.99
Release Date: April 29, 2026
Elric feels an absence where his heart should be. As the
emperor of a fallen empire travels through the Young Kingdoms, he mourns his
beloved Cymoril. Nor can he forget that Stormbringer, the sword that sustains
his life, killed her. Queen Yishana might have loved him. But like Shaarilla of
Myyrrhn, Elric will not give Stormbringer the chance to drink the soul of
another woman he cares about.
When most people see Elric, they regard him as an oddity.
They associate his white skin with sickness and weakness. But some crave his
power. Theleb K’aarna, who summoned the Singing Citadel to Queen Yishana’s
kingdom, burns with ambition. Will the Pan Tangian find a way to harness
Elric's link with Chaos? And can Elric protect the Young Kingdoms from the
ambitious sorcerer? Let's leap into Elric: The Sleeping Sorceress #1 and see!
Story
Queen Yishana banished Theleb K’aarna from Jharkor for his
treachery. But the sorcerer doesn't care about being the chief sorcerer to any
ruler. He believes he's entitled to command the forces of Chaos. Despite how
Arioch disregarded him, Theleb wants to be the champion of Chaos in the Young
Kingdoms. And he doesn't care how many people die as he strives to achieve his
goal.
Chaos and his black sword destroyed Elric’s world. Now,
Elric yearns for peace. Perhaps one day, he can find Tanelorn, where he can
enjoy a reprieve from the lords of Law and Chaos. Yet in Elric: The Sleeping
Sorceress #1, a messenger finds him. If he wishes for the Young Kingdoms to
survive, Elric must aid the Empress of the Dawn.
Julien Blondel's story forces Elric to contemplate his
relationship with lord Arioch. The former Emperor of Melniboné must choose
between his past and his future. Like Arioch, Elric regards the Young Kingdoms
as children. With the fall of Melniboné, all the accumulated knowledge and
wisdom of his former kingdom is gone. He cannot share it with the younger
cultures. By serving Law, perhaps Elric can balance the Chaos Theleb K’aarna is
unleashing. But as the messenger warns, the gods never tell you what they really
want.
Art
As the robed figure walks down a cobblestone street, tall,
decaying wooden buildings rise on either side. Rats perch on wooden posts as
the figure approaches the city gates. Despite the rain, yellow and green light
fills the air and tinges the tenements. Then more figures appear, brandishing
weapons in Elric: The Sleeping Sorceress #1.
When Valentin Sécher introduces Elric and Moonglum, orange
fills the night sky. Yellow mixes with brown as the two face warriors in the
forest. Later, after finding refreshment in a tavern, warriors find them again.
The yellow from the city that Theleb K’aarna entered links with the gold
spilling from coffers and heaped around the man he visits. The Pan Tangian’s
red face paint finds echoes in a tavern sign, the ring Elric wears, the
messenger who meets him, and the fire that burns from the words inscribed on
Stormbringer. Yet just as orange begins Moonglum's story, it also illuminates
his climactic actions in Elric: The Sleeping Sorceress #1.
Amid the detailed art and luminous colors, Jessica Burton fills
rectangular balloons and narrative boxes with small uppercase black letters.
Stormbringer fills black boxes with larger, white letters as Elric contemplates
the messenger’s words, and unwittingly follows the man’s advice to Moonglum.
Thanks to Titan Comics for providing a review copy.
Final Thoughts
Moonglum of Elwher is the opposite of Elric. Like
Stormbringer, Moonglum sustains Elric. His buoyant spirit helps Elric carry on
after losing his world. Arioch may have claimed that the Lords of Law were
easier for mortals to understand. But as Moonglum remains by Elric's side, the
bouncy, ever-cheerful man must tame his thoughts, lest he end up forever lost
and unable to help his friend or his world, in Elric: The Sleeping Sorceress
#1.
Rating: 9.3/10
To look inside, see my preview of Elric: The Sleeping Sorceress#1.