Book Review: Elixirs
At the Stripdagen in Haarlem I picked up this gem and it’s sequel. One of the reasons I was there was to look for inspiration for a longform comic I am planning.
In this case the artwork really caught my eye. The author, Christophe Arleston, apparently have various different comic series in his name. This being a more recent one where the art is being done by Alberto Varanda. I totally dig the stylized way of drawing Varanda has.
But on top of great artwork the writing and story are surprisingly entertaining. Elixirs tells of a fantasy world that is constantly on the brink of decay. Through the use of elixirs produced by mages this decay can be countered. The story starts with a princess attending the school of magic which is situated in a neutral city. Though a portal under the city monsters invade it and start ransacking it. With the help of a not so succesful magic student, who spends most of his time chasing girls, the princess and her bodyguard manage to make their escape.
They soon find their way through strange temples and snowy mountains fighting for their survival. Big things are happening in their world and it would seem they are the ones chosen to save it.
On the one hand the story is kinda standard in terms of a group saving the world. But the characters are quite endearing and it’s rather interesting to see something other than orcs and elves these days.
The second book continues the story as they try to find their way. The secret of the Glupion (a small furry animal) that accompanies them is revealed, as are other facts about their adventure.
I’m looking forward to reading book three once it’s released and translated to Dutch. If you get a chance to pick it up I can certainly recommend it. I’m not aware of any official English translations, which is a shame.