Finished watching your Netflix queue and looking for another unhealthy obsession, I introduce to you Elfquest: The Final Quest. So I know Elfquest has been a classic since the late seventies but I never got in to it till now. I’m all about whimsical fantasy so it was impossible not to become completely absorbed with this franchise once reading this issue. Be warned, this issue will lead you to down a road of expedited Amazon orders of all the back issues and elf fan fiction. I think Wendy and Richard Pini knew exactly what they were doing. Okay, if you’re thinking this is just about a bunch of jolly cutesy elves prancing around then you’re wrong! These elves are actually fierce wolfriders dedicated to protecting their tribe. There’s a lot going on in this issue and may seem a bit chaotic but it’s what I love about it; the issue is continuous action that never slows down. The wolfriders meet a mortal man that they are not too keen on trusting but aids them in an attack against Junn’s warriors. Let me tell you something about this Junn; he’s one evil dude that threatens the lives of the tribe. I will be impatiently waiting for what happens next in the coming issues.
Everything from their elven colloquialisms to the character relationships creates a mythical world to escape in. The dream like art perfectly captures that fantasy element in the series. It’s pages of potent wonder like scenes; I’m just really impressed with the illustrations, even details such as the costumes add to the fantasy world of Elfquest.
As you may guess I give this issue 5 out of 5 and even though it is amazing, I would suggest reading earlier issues in order to get a better feel for the series before jumping into Final Quest. However, this issue does give you an Elfquest 101 introduction to help you out if you are a first timer. Just read all of them and say hello to insomnia.
Score: 5/5
Authors: Wendy and Richard Pini Artist: Wendy Pini Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Price: $3.50 Release date: 1/22/14