Francesco Biagini

This graphic novel borders on a parody of Elric and the Eternal Champion, and I don't know whether that would please author Michael Moorcock or not. Where Moorcock is endlessly inventive (to the extent that he carelessly revises his earlier works), this piece by Chris Roberson is derivative. All the characters and places have been re-used like the tenth series of a popular TV show. It is pleasing to see favourite characters of the past strutting their stuff upon the pages of comics in full colour (I especially liked Corum -- does he have his own graphic novel somewhere?). But there is nothing new here. Like Neil Gaiman, who wrote the afterword (though it was intended for another book, 'Elric in the Dream Realms') I grew up with the early Elric tales, but 'Balance Lost', though well-illustrated, does not approach them for inventiveness.

I re-read this five years later (having justifiably forgotten the first time) and I concur entirely with my previous review.… (more)