The Quest for the Time Bird was originally published between 1983 and 1987. Originally published in French, it contains four volumes. This was then followed by a prequel series over a decade later. Titan Comics have collected the first four volumes into a deluxe collection that will spoil genre fans for the year.
The Quest for the Time Bird is a high fantasy epic that is done so well, it is clear that it belonged in comic format. The Story takes place in Akbar, which is about to descend into darkness. An evil god, Ramor will return unless the Time Bird is located. Luckily Pelisse, the daughter of the sorceress Mara has taken up the task of finding the Time Bird. She enlists the help of an old knight, Bragon to help rescue Akbar from Ramor. Along the way they interact with many species as they journey towards triumph over evil.
The characters are equally well developed, each having their own time to shine. The artwork is nothing short of spectacular for this particular adventure, and the artist created the correct sense of nostalgia when creating this series. Although this is a fantasy tale, there are many humours moments throughout the tale which add to the comical feel of the artwork. Titan Comics are always keen to add in some bonus material with their collections. In this case, we get the first few pages of the original black and white version that were created in 1975 and published in Imagine, the Sci-fi magazine. This added material, whilst in French, shows the detail that goes into the artwork.
This comic series has become a cult classic with fans. It is rare to find an epic fantasy tale done well in comic form, and it is clear that Titan Comics appreciates this. They have created not only a hardback collected edition, but it is also in large format, which allows the reader to enjoy the artwork in a deluxe format. Fans of the series will be really pleased with this collection. When originally translated to English, the central character Pelisse was originally changed to Roxanne, and it is great to see Titan Comics sticking to the routes of the comic and giving her the original name. Titan Comics have realised that this series is a cult classic, and have created a worthy collection that fans will be eager to add to the collection. Easily Titan Comics best collected graphic novel of 2015. A fun and comical adventure that has stood the test of time.
THE QUEST FOR THE TIME BIRD / AUTHOR: SERGE LE TENDER / ARTIST: REGIS LOISEL / PUBLISHER: TITAN COMICS / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
