Elves, Vol. 1 (1)

This graphic novel was great. A great read. Thoroughly enjoyed. I could not put it down.

Love the book going to be getting all. Excellent Artwork and a well workable plot. Just the cover is enough to draw you in

Elves has some incredibly beautiful illustration and color work that somewhat offset a drearily earnest collection of two stories (each focusing on a type of elf: Blue (water) and Sylvan (forest). The Lord of the Rings reference is pronounced: from the names, stories, characters, world building, races, etc., I couldn't help but feel the author was attempting to add to the LoTR mythos. While not necessarily a bad thing, it was hard to separate the Peter Jackson movies from this graphic novel. There just wasn't an originality here.Story 1: An elf huntress and nomadic hunter discover an elven city has been slaughtered. Evidence points to a rival human kingdom but both elf and human have their own suspicions. Together, they set out to discover the truth behind the murders. At the same time, an elf maiden has been scryed as the 'chosen one' - the one to find/wield the powerful magic crystal that will unite the races. But if she is the chosen one, why are the crystal's guardians fighting so hard against her? Story 2: a human princess sets out to forge an alliance with the Sylvan elves to help fight the Orcs. But the elves don't want anything to do with the humans and so it will come down to one lone elf to throw away centuries of xenophobia and reach out to the princess.I'll be honest here - the stories are shallow and lacking nuance. Character dialogues are flat and unimaginative (perhaps too literal a translation from French?) and hardly feel interesting. All the characters pretty much sound the same despite the difference in races, cultures, and social levels. The evil guys are eeevil and the good guys are just plain stupid. Plot twists aren't very interesting and fairly well telegraphed in advance so as not to be all that interesting. The story is meant to be serious but the tepid pacing defeats any attempt at depth. By the end of both stories, one had to wonder why people were so clueless. It's all simple linear plots.The illustration work is quite lovely but again, you'll feel like you are looking at sketches for the next Peter Jackson Lord of the Rings movie. From circlets to flowy fabrics, we've seen these elves before. Add in a lot of braids and it really starts to go Peter Jackson fast. But the coloring is also quite beautiful, although I could wish for fewer blocked shadowing so we could get more definition.Elves Volume 1 was not a bad read but it also was one where I never became invested in the story or the characters. More caricature than person, it all felt so painfully idealized and romanticized. As such, those looking for a Lord of The Rings type fantasy will likely enjoy Elves, even with the simplistic storytelling. But I honestly expect more sophistication in storytelling to match the lovely artwork. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher

<em>Elves, Vol. 1</em> is a beautiful graphic novel.This graphic novel contains two parts, written by Jean-Luc Istin and illustrated by Kyko Duarte.A pair of individuals has discovered that an Elven city has been slaughtered. It looks as though humans may be at the cause of it, further fracturing already tense relations between the species. But not everyone is convinced as to what happened and set out to further investigate. And of course there are some who don't want anyone poking around.What works so nicely here is that we are getting a story of epic proportions - an entire race war is on the edge - while we are more directly experiencing the moment to moment journey of just a few individuals. It's the frame of epic works as you might find in opera (think Wagner's <em>The Ring Cycle</em>). I tend to really like this sort of story-telling.On the other hand, it is so incredibly difficult to tell a story with elves and orcs and humans and not immediately place it in the world of J.R.R. Tolkein. Even the gorgeous art is incredibly reminiscent of Peter Jackson's iconic films. There are some small differences ... some of the elves here are blue, for instance, but since a mythos has been set that elves are lithe, with pointy ears, that's what we get. And since orcs are brutish and swamp-water green, that's what we get.The dialog here is more than a little bit simple and stilted. Is it because of the translation? Or is the translation merely capturing the simple language of Jean-Luc Istin? That's something I can't tell. But know that it's the over-all story that will draw you in (along with the art), and not the character patter.The art is above-average comic-book art. If what you like most in your graphic novel is the art, then this is definitely one you want to consider.Looking for a good book? If you want a page-to-page-turning excitement, then you might be really disappointed here. But if you like a beautiful art and a high-reaching story that spans the pages rather than living on each one, then the graphic novel, <em>Elves, Vol. 1</em>, by Istin and Duarte, is the perfect selection.I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

'Elves Vol. 1' by Jean-Luc Istin and Nicolas Jarry with art by Kyko Duarte and Gianluca Maconi features two stories featuring elves. I can't tell if they are in the same world, but they have a similar feel.The first story "The Crystal of the Blue Elves" features a blue elf and her human friend as they seek to discover who slaughtered a city full of blue elves. This leads them into contact with a group of men who hate Elves and are looking for an excuse to start a war.The second story, "The Honor of the Sylvan Elves" is about a young human woman who seeks help from the wood elves against an army of orcs and goblins. She is mistrusted by most of the wood elves, but finds an ally amongst them. It may be too late though.Both stories are detailed an interesting. Both have decent art. In both stories, there are side stories are flashbacks and in the first, this was a bit confusing, but I still really enjoyed these fantasy stories about elves and the humans that they live uneasy lives with.I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Insight Editions and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel

Wonderfully illustrated on very good quality paper. very small text though so deducted one star.

Les dessins sont beau, l'histoire simple mais plaisante, j'ai voulu faire un essai d'une nouvelle serie de BD et je pense prendre la suite des ELVES !