'Whimsical. Lyrical. Poignant. Adapted for the first time from the acclaimed and beloved novel by Peter S. Beagle, The Last Unicorn is a tale for any age about the wonders of magic, the power of love, and the tragedy of loss. The unicorn, alone in her enchanted wood, discovers that she may be the last of her kind. Reluctant at first, she sets out on a journey to find her fellow unicorns, even if it means facing the terrifying anger of the Red Bull and the malignant evil of the king who wields his power.'
The Last Unicorn was one of my favourite films growing up. One of the few films that I'd watch again and again that was actually designed for children, there was something about it that grabbed my imagination. Whilst today unicorns seem to have been relegated to being all about sparkles and seen as 'girly', back when the film came out they were still viewed as the awesome fantasy creatures that they are, and were often depicted as pretty cool. The recent IDW adaptation of the original book goes back to this kind of feel, presenting the unicorn as a creature that is graceful and beautiful yes, but also filled with wisdom and courage.
The Last Unicorn tells the story of a unicorn that has been living alone in a forest for hundreds of years, until one day she hears a pair of hunters talking who suggest that she may be the last unicorn in the world. Despite being solitary creatures the unicorn is disturbed by this notion, and sets out to try and discover what happened to the rest of her people. She soon hears of a story about The Red Bull, a vicious creature that drove all of the other unicorns out of the lands.
Along the way to find The Red Bull the unicorn is captured by an old witch, and put into a circus show. It's here that she befriends Schmendrick the wizard, who helps to set the unicorn free and joins her on her journey. Later the pair meet a woman named Molly Grue, and the three travel to the land of King Haggard, the place where legend says The Red Bull came from.
The trio are beset by the vicious bull, and Schmendrick transforms the unicorn into a woman in order to save her. The three of them must then work out a way to find the lair of The Red Bull so that they can find the unicorns, before the unicorn forgets who she really is in her new human body.
The Last Unicorn has a lot of fairy-tale like qualities to it. It features magical creatures such as the unicorn, and even a terrifying harpy. There's wizards and witches, talking skulls, and ancient curses. However, it doesn't present these ideas in a way that's been sanitised for children. The world of The Last Unicorn is dark. There's a grimness that fills the lands seen here that makes the story feel somewhat depressing a lot of the time.
This actually helps to improve the story, as many things that could at first feel too fantastical feel much more grounded, as it's not all sunshine and happiness, but a world where people can be victims of curses, where communities suffer, and magic and wonder are leaving the world.
The book has been adapted from Peter S. Beagle's original work, and contains a lot of elements that people who only saw the movie will find new and surprising. There's a subplot involving Hagsgate, a town nestled in the shadow of King Haggard's castle. The town and it's inhabitants suffer from the same curse that befell King Haggard, and there's even a subplot here to kill the King's son, Prince Lir. I was also surprised to learn in this version of the story that Schmendrick wasn't just a bumbling young wizard, but a man much older than he appears, having been cursed with immortality until he 'stopped being a fumbler'. These inclusions bring the comic adaptation closer to the original story, and provide a few surprises for readers that aren't familiar with the original.
The artwork in The Last Unicorn is beautiful, and some of the splash pages are presented in such a way that it feels closer to a work of art than a normal comic page. Here panels flow into each other, with beautiful borders and tiny details that make it something a little more special. Renae de Liz
really outdoes herself on this book, and brings a level of beauty in her artwork that doesn't just compliment the story, but elevates it. Whilst the book would have still been good under another artist, de Liz seems like the perfect choice for bringing this world to life.
Whether a long time fan of The Last Unicorn, or a newcomer, this book is sure to entertain and impress. It's a perfect gateway into a story that has been adapted into a number of mediums, and is sure to encourage people to check out the original novel and the film adaptation. A wonderful addition to the legacy of The Last Unicorn.
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