Elric: The Balance Lost #10
Elric created by Michael Moorcock
Written by Chris Roberson
Art by Francesco Biagini
Colors by Stephen Downer
Letters by Travis Lanham
Covers by Francesco Mattina, Dan Panosian
BOOM! Studios
BOOM! Studios
Release Date: May 23, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

With four of the incarnations of the Eternal Champion in one place, you would think they would be nearly unstoppable. But we learn very quickly in Elric: The Balance Lost #10 that as amazing as these men are, there are far greater powers in the multiverse. Far greater and far larger in fact.

We enter the issue gawking at the stature of the two Lost Gods, Kwll and Rhynn. Their game is responsible for the destruction of the balance and the aftershocks that are echoing through the worlds. While some have come under the sway of Law, many have embraced chaos in it’s raw form. Our heroes (and anti-heroes) are trying to restore the balance and seek an audience with these powerful beings. Things, as they are wont to do, go horribly awry.

Elric finds himself the subject of discussion because of his original affiliation with Chaos but his interest in now balancing it with Law. This leads to a dilemma that the Lost Gods rectify by changing the rules of the game, which doesn’t bode well for our group, that is, until Elric summons allies to aid them in their quest to save the multiverse.

Michael Moorcock has got to be loving this series. Chris Roberson has kept it fresh and inventive, and I’m both excited and sad to see that this mini-series is reaching its climax. The most impressive thing in this issue was the artwork, however. Well, it was less the art itself and more the way it was displayed at times. You will have to see it to understand, but Francesco Biagini did a wonderful job of making the frame reflect the characters in the panels. And the covers…oh, the covers…Francesco Mattina captures the essence of Elric perfectly, time after time.

You are missing out if you have not kept up with this series. These characters have been around for decades and have their own followings. I mean, I have been a fan of the Eternal Champion books since the seventies. It’s time for new generations to love these characters the way my friends and I do. I implore you to read these if you like fantasy books or comics at all. These characters are iconic in the realms of fantasy writing. Don’t just wonder about them, explore them now! It has never been easier to immerse yourself in a great story filled with magic, science, and swordplay! That’s all I’ve got, if you aren’t convinced to give this series a try by now, then I mourn for your loss of enjoyment. The rest of us know the greatness of these epic tales.