Monday, November 4, 2019

The Complete ElfQuest Volume One

The Complete ElfQuest, Volume OneThe Complete ElfQuest, Volume One by Wendy Pini
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When the Wolfriders are driven from their forest home, they endure great heartships before joining with the elves of the desert. But are there more tribes of elves on the world of two moons and where did the come from in the first place? That's what Cutter, Leetah, and the rest of the Wolfriders want to know!

ElfQuest was always in the periphery when I was playing Dungeons and Dragons back in the day but I never read an issue. We were milling around in Barnes and Noble not too long ago, waiting for some of my wife's college friends to show up, when I flipped through this tome. Needing a new series to read now that I'm caught up on Usagi Yojimbo, I eventually decided to give it a shot.

Yeah, I should have picked this up decades ago. For my money, ElfQuest has a lot going for it. It's not your typical Tolkien by way of Dungeons and Dragons fantasy. There are science fantasy elements lurking in the background. The Wolfriders have more in common with Native American culture than they do Professor Tolkien's creations. I have to think there's a little Michael Moorcock in their parentage as well. Instead of wanting to save the world, the Wolfriders and their elfin allies seek only to find where they came from and where they belong.

Flowery hippy crap aside, this is great stuff. The art isn't your typical comic fare of the time period. Wendy Pini drew inspiration from more than the usual suspects of the day, from diverse sources as Disney cartoons and manga. Yes, I'm aware manga is influenced by Disney cartoons brought to Japan after World War II. She puts a lot of detail in the background, probably more than she needs to, and her elves are both beautiful and alien. I have to think it was an influence on later works like The Dark Crystal and Pirates of Darkwater.

It was easy to get enthralled by the adventures of Cutter, Skywise, and the rest as they go from adventure to adventure, battling men, trolls, and even other elves in their quest for the truth. Since the Pinis are working without a net, I had no idea who would live or die.

There's not a lot else I can share without spoiling too much. The Complete ElfQuest is a journey I should have embarked on years ago. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

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