The new issue of Elfquest could not have come soon enough. I absolutely fell in love with the series just from the first issue. With that being said let me recap what happened last month. We saw our tribe of elves’ hunt, turn into a plot to ambush the hated Junn. [Spoiler] In this issue, we are back in the middle of the fight. Ember warns her tribe to retreat as the evil humans want their healer’s magic. Despite Ember’s best efforts one of her warriors is killed and another wounded. Then to add to the momentum, amongst all the chaos Ember and Teir have enough time to get it ON.

Even after their escape, the elves are being hunted and Ember makes a painful decision. She lets Junn’s men capture her to learn what he has in store for her.

What will Teir and the tribe do without their leader? Does Junn intend to kill Ember? Questions that may soon be answered in the next issue of Elfquest.

As I have mentioned in the previous review, I think reading up on previous arcs would contribute to the understanding of this storyline but I’ll give you a general idea. Cutter is the leader of the Wolf riders and he is also very wise; he feels that a dark change is upon them. Ember is Cutter’s daughter and now has her own small tribe. Junn is an evil human that wants to destroy the elves’ way of life but needs their healer, Mender, to cure him.

Wendy and Richard Pini’s work is a brilliant collaboration. The pages of colored illustrations bring their world alive. Everything from how the elves interact with each other to their intricate costumes is amazing. I have no complaints.

I’d also like to add that I really dig the equity of genders in this story. The females are just as brave and fierce as the males.

Score: 5/5

Writer: Wendy and Richard Pini Artist: Wendy Pini Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Price: $3.50 Release Date: 3/26/14