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The Last Unicorn Hardcover – February 8, 2011

by Peter S. Beagle (Author), Peter Gillis (Author), Renae DeLiz (Artist),

4.4 761 ratings

Part of: The Last Unicorn

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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 malignant evil of the king who wields his power. Adapted by Peter B. Gillis and lushly illustrated by Renae De Liz and Ray Dillon.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Since it was first published in 1968, Beagle's beloved fantasy novel has been made into a stage play and a film—and now this gorgeous, emotive graphic novel adaptation. Set in a fully realized but slightly tongue-in-cheek fantasy world that has inspired everything from The Princess Bride to Stardust, Beagle's story is a romantic fable about a regal unicorn who leaves the forest she has protected since time immemorial to find more of her kin. After a short spell of imprisonment by a witch's traveling circus, she journeys onward with an accident-prone magician, hoping to find the answer to her quest in the land of a coldhearted king and a monstrously fearsome red bull. Along the way, the unicorn and her good-hearted but hapless companion have many encounters, including one with a Robin Hood–esque group of bandits who seem dropped in from a Monty Python skit. Beagle's sumptuously descriptive writing, adapted ably by Gillis, casts a spell throughout, while De Liz's glowing, painterly artwork meshes perfectly with the haunting otherworldly beauty of the story. (Feb.)
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About the Author

Peter S. Beagle is a novelist, screenwriter, and poet, and an icon of fantasy fiction. He was born in New York City in 1939 and raised in the Bronx, surrounded by education and the arts. He published his first novel, A Fine and Private Place, at the age of nineteen. Subsequent works include the perennially poplular travelogue I See By My Outfit, his second novel and fantasy classic The Last Unicorn, and "Two Hearts," a Last Unicorn sequel that won both the Hugo and Nebula awards in 2006. Peter has also written hundreds of additional works, among them the screenplays for the animated adaptations of The Last Unicorn and The Lord of the Rings, an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, a libretto, and numerous short stories, songs, and poems. He lives in Oakland, California, where he continues to write.

Peter B. Gillis is an American comic book writer best known for his work on Doctor Strange for Marvel Comics. His other works include Strikeforce: Morituri, also for Marvel; and Warp and Shatter, both for First Comics.

Renae De Liz is a comic book artist best known for her work on IDW titles like Rogue Angel: Teller of Tall Tales and Servant of the Bones, both with her husband, Ray Dillon. She's also contributed to the Sonic the Hedgehog books from Archie Comics and worked, along with Ray, on DC Entertainment's The Legend of Wonder Woman.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ IDW Publishing; First Edition (February 8, 2011)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 152 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1600108512
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1600108518
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 13 - 16 years
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ GN570L
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.5 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.7 x 0.7 x 10.4 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #801,451 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2,767 in Fantasy Graphic Novels (Books)
- #14,746 in Short Stories (Books)
- #18,025 in Classic Literature & Fiction

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4.4 761 ratings

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Peter S. Beagle

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Peter S. Beagle was born in 1939 and raised in the Bronx, where he grew up surrounded by the arts and education: both his parents were teachers, three of his uncles were world-renowned gallery painters, and his immigrant grandfather was a respected writer, in Hebrew, of Jewish fiction and folktales. Today, noted author and screenwriter Peter Beagle is a recipient of the prestigious Hugo, Nebula, Locus, Mythopoeic, and World Fantasy Awards, and he is a Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America 2018 Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master, among many other literary achievements. He has given generations of readers the magic of unicorns, haunted cemeteries, lascivious trees and disgruntled gods. A prolific author, his best-known work is The Last Unicorn, a fantasy novel, which Locus Magazine subscribers voted the number five "All-Time Best Fantasy Novel" in 1987. Fellow Hugo and Nebula-award-winning author Neil Gaiman has described Beagle’s A Fine and Private Place as his “I-wish-I'd-written-that-first" novel. In addition to writing novels, short stories, poems, and songs, Peter S. Beagle is also known for his work on screen, including the screenplay he co-wrote for the 1978 Ralph Bakshi-animated version of The Lord of the Rings. He also wrote the teleplay for "Sarek", one of the most critically-acclaimed and popular episodes of the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation.

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The Casual Nerd

The graphic novel experience is magnificently summed up best in one word; stunning.

Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2017

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So there is a bit of history with The Last Unicorn and myself. Aside from the fact that the unicorn is most certainly my spirit animal, I go way back with this story. My deep fondness and connection with Beagle’s timeless story was originally established as a result of the animated film that was first released in 1982 and directed by Arthur Rankin, Jr.and Jules Bass (who happen to be associated with many of my animated favorites). The now somewhat outdated but no less nostalgic music score by America and timeless animated continue to solicit feelings of excitement and love with each viewing. Yes, I own this and will actually be revisiting this evening since completing this graphic novel.

The graphic novel experience is magnificently summed up best in one word; stunning. The adaptation and gorgeous illustrations hold true to the original experience providing a delicious serving of fantasy at its best that I greedily consumed.

Looking at the story, this has been adapted well. Almost flawlessly if I may. We are presented with the same familiar, eccentric, endearing and occasionally terrifying characters. Our enchanting and somewhat arrogant unicorn is accompanied by Schmendrick the Magician and Molly Grue on a treacherous journey to face King Haggard and the Red Bull after discovering that she may very well be the last Unicorn. She seeks to find her own.

“I would know if all the other were gone.I’d be gone too. Nothing can happen to them that does not happen to me… But suppose they are hiding somewhere far away? What if they are hiding and waiting for me?”

This is a timeless tale of love and loss, of courage and growth. Full of hope and promise, it is perfectly presented with gorgeous illustrations that contribute tremendously to the elements of fantasy and magic. I leave the remainder of this beloved tale for you to explore on your own if you have not done so.

“-And then the brightness answered her with a bellow like the sound of ice breaking up in the spring!”

This is currently one of my absolute favorite experiences with a graphic novel. Each page was crafted with such care and a true feeling of love being poured into the pages. Combined with a heartfelt introduction by the author that explores just how this story possibly came to be and his own experience with comic books, this is will find a cherished spot among fans of the story and graphic novels alike.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

31 people found this helpful

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Larania Drake

For fans of the book and movie, this is for you

Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2012

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I have been a fan of The Last Unicorn since I was a child. I was introduced to the movie before I was five, and watched it so often that I could still quote the whole thing from memory. Then, when I was 11, I read the book, and it was weird and cool for my fifth grade brain and the subject of my very first book report. I still remember both with a great deal of happy nostalgia. With this in mind, I went looking for something for my Kindle Fire.

The bad: Like all adaptations, a lot is condensed. While the art helps provide context, I felt the story presented was quite disjointed. Only my knowledge of the film and the book helped me piece bits together because there was very little sense of continuity. Of course, given the source material, this was something hard to do anyways. The Last Unicorn is a story that thrived on being a deconstruction of a fairy tale. You aren't allowed to slip into full suspension of disbelief unless it wants you to.

The good: The art is beautiful. It evokes the film and is quite capable of standing on its own at the same time, and the full splash pages are nicely framed and constructed, lacking the mess you get in some comics. One thing I will quite happily note is the utter LACK of broken spines on the female characters, one of my major objections to some of IDWs art in the past. There is also enough of the oddities and general weirdness from the book that was cut out of the movie to keep any book purist happy.

Overall, I give this a high rating for a combination of striking, beautiful art and being a sort of 'extended cut' of the movie, involving just enough of Beagle's poetic prose and imagery to invoke the book.

5 people found this helpful

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J

This book shall have a permanent home with us.

Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2016

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I remember as a child, being sick, at home, and watching TV.

"The Last Unicorn" came on TV, and I was hooked, completely and utterly hooked - It actually was a huge part of my childhood, a real shaping movie, I loved it.

When I had my first child, I wanted to share that movie with her, and she loved it as much (if not more) than I did. It is a huge part of our lives.

However, my daughter is definitely more into snuggles and reading, but I didn't think she was quite ready for the actual book. So I got this! The illustration is beyond words, it's amazing, it definitely has a sort of comic-book anime/manga feel to it, it has bought us so close, to snuggle together, read, but have plenty of pictures to help her follow along the story. This book will be with us until it turns to dust, I cannot wait to read it to my other children when they grow up a little more! I love reading this book. It's truly magical

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Ana V F

Un clásico moderno

Reviewed in Mexico on June 30, 2023

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No puede faltar en la biblioteca de aquellos que vieron la película y gustan de leer, una experiencia con más detalles

One person found this helpful

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Laurie

The art was gorgeous.

Reviewed in Canada on March 4, 2021

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While I mistook this for the full book and was a bit disappointed, I'm still glad I read this. The art was amazing and absolutely stunning. A call back to the movie but also new.

I liked that this wasn't just the movie and incorporated elements that I assume are from the original story. It added a lot more depth.

Time to track down an ebook of the full story.

One person found this helpful

Lavinia

Last unicorn

Reviewed in France on March 17, 2021

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Superbe! Arrivé en excellentes conditions, j’en suis ravie.

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Raquel Pezzotta

Satisfatória. Veio exatamente como pedi. Só me confundi por causa da capa, na hora de pagar.

Reviewed in Brazil on February 23, 2018

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Veio tudo certinho, como sempre vieram todas as encomendas. O que aconteceu é que, eu acabei comprando errado esse volume de The Last Unicorn, porque na foto de capa, mostrava outra figura de outro livro, e não deu pra entender muito bem. O tamanho da capa do livro, também mudou de uma figura para outra, quando passei o mouse. Mas eu adorei a história, principalmente, porque eu não conhecia autor, nem o livro. Achei outro dia no Pinterest a imagem dos personagens.

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Prean

Precioso. Hace muchísima ilusión ver este cómic si eres fan

Reviewed in Spain on September 26, 2019

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Como fan del libro de Beagle y de la maravillosa película de 1982, este cómic no podía faltar en mi biblioteca. Llegó en perfecto estado.

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