ElfQuest

Title: ElfQuest
Creators: Wendy and Richard Pini
Published: 1978 ==>
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: ...YOU count them.


A couple of weeks ago I got the urge to read ElfQuest again. I first came across it sometime around 1993, and it's the one series I have the most comics collected from (yes, even counting mangas). ElfQuest is where I learned to draw from, and it also taught me several lessons about life. It was the biggest thing to hit me since Lord of the Rings. In other words, I adore this series.

Or, at least, the original stories.

This time I read everything from Fire and Flight to Kings of the Broken Wheel, and even though I dug up the rest of my collection, I've no urge to read the 'other stuff'. These are the original and the best stories. Wendy's art is gorgeous, she has some mad skills with figures, and the characters are real, loveable, hateable, and very good company. The writing is sometimes a bit... too... well... emotional? Dramatic? But it goes up to an annoying level only a few times. Art and story live in harmony quite like the elves, until humans or Rayek or Winnowill get up to no good.

Good news is that you can read ALL of ElfQuest on their official pages: http://www.elfquest.com/gallery/OnlineComics3.html

I recommend reading at least the Original Quest, Siege at Blue Mountain and Kings of the Broken Wheel, which are what I read here. I recommend NOT reading Kings Cross from the category The Rest. My reaction to that, while reading and immediately afterwards, was What the FUCK did I just read?!

I'm not saying everything else is rubbish or anything like that. Except Kings Cross. There are some great stories after the originals. Personally I just prefer the ones made by the Pinis over everything else. Artwise and storywise. No one can draw the ElfQuest elves like Wendy. If I ever find someone who comes even close, I'll let you know.


"Shade and sweet water!"