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Elf ‘n Troll is about an elf named Perri and a green troll named Angus. Perri, of course, wants to go on adventures and save the princess. Perri wants to be a legendary adventurer but he is stuck working the dock in the town of Harborgate.

The background details like barrels, birds and costumes are properly entertaining and don’t distract you needlessly. Likewise, the linework and colors work well together and with just enough detail to focus your interest on the setting but not overwhelm the story itself. The art is just cartoonish enough that you can suspend your disbelief but the background details and colors serve to ground the reader in the world of Elf ‘n Troll.

The story, as it has progressed so far, leads Perrin from the docks and into trouble. Very quickly, Perrin has embarked on a course of assault, breaking and entering and theft. Angus, despite wanting to avoid jail time, stands by his friend and accompanies him to protect him. Trouble is never far behind and they meet a number of other characters - some of whom are not what they first seem to be. Perrin is getting his wish, though. He’s having an adventure. The storytelling is very good, with something interesting happening on every page to move the story along.

I also enjoyed the mood evoking splash pages and the flashback sequence that subtly played out. I had to back up several strips, figure out where it had started and then reread those pages again; paying closer attention the second time through.

Elf ‘n Troll successfully walks that fine line between story and detail, so very important when dealing in a fantastical setting. It’s easy to solve every fiddly problem with story (in the style of Star Trek or Disney films.) It would be just as easy to over-focus on the minute details like overdrawing the cobblestones or doing lengthy background creation of unimportant characters in order to make things seem more “real.” I’m happy to say that Elf ‘n Troll gives you exactly the portion you need to make you want to see more.

Elf ‘n Troll
by AP. Furtado
updated Monday through Friday

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