Not as good as the originals, better than some other sequels I realize a lot of people are griping about the art, and it *would* look 1000 times better in full color.
However, the art's better, and truer to the Pini style, than I have seen in almost any other Elfquest sequel, and I could figure out what was going on in the story despite having not read many of the intervening books. If you're feeling Elfquest-deprived but don't feel like purchasing a lot of inferior art and lame plotlines in order to understand what's going on, this is the book for you.
The awesome story saves this book from the horrible artwork. I am a big fan of Elfquest and I have read a lot of it and I would have to say that storywise this is probably one my favorite stories in all of Elfquest. The reason is because it has something that I have been wanting to see for a long time. A human that is on the same level as the elves are. He is a hunter who goes by the name of Lehrigan that knows the way of the elves and has been ordered to capture a healer from them. Besides him, Ember is the main character of this one and she will have to deal with many problems as Lehrigan tries to capture Mender the healer. In my opinion, Lehrigan is probably one of the coolest characters that has ever appeared in Elfquest. My only real complaint about this book is the fact that most of the artwork is horrible. So horrible, that it almost kept me from reading this book until I got into it. The human characters look decent and Lehrigan does actually look pretty cool. But the elves look just awful. Sometimes I would be confused at what character was what. If it wasn't for the bad artwork this probably would've gotten 5 stars instead of 3. I am fortunate enough that I happen to have a library around my house that gets in a lot of elfquest books so I don't have to spend money on them. If you are doubtful about reading this one from the previous reviews, then I suggest that you try to find out if your local library has Elfquest books so if you don't like it you wont feel that you were gipped.
The sound of dogs howling... I am afraid I no longer care at all for EQ and this book is one of the poorer examples of the series. Honestly, the early work was good, but the later work should be avoided. It simply isn't quality work.
Oh my god . . .do they really publish this stuff? That's it, I jsut can't believe it. First of all, this can't even be professional work for chrissakes! This is just terribile - artwise, storyline, etc. The truth is, EQ has simply gone downhill ever since the creators decided they were weary of doing the comics and farmed it out to abysmal talents. For example, go take a look at the "Bedtime Stordies" to see what I mean. ...No, they actually hired someone else to do it for them. My advice is, read it at your own risk. You may never read another EQ book again . . .
Gripping, Thought-Provoking Addition to the Elfquest Saga!! For the true Elfquest fan, Shadowstalker is a definite don't-dare-miss. Joellyn Auklandus has taken followers of the series to a new and wonderful level. The story of Ember's struggle to save her tribe from their greatest threat yet is a page-turning wonder, cerebral and emotional on so many levels it's almost impossible to put down. Lehrigan, the mysterious human tracker, is one of the most complex adversaries the elves have ever faced. The final confrontation scene between he and Ember is one Cutter would be proud of. Unlike many other "bad guys" we have seen in the World of Two Moons, Lehrigan is not a cut-and-dried villain -- if indeed he is a villain at all. Love the elves though I do, I cannot help but admire the courage, audacity, cleverness, and intellectual complexity of this silent, no-nonsense tracker. Yet I was caught completely off-guard and carried away by the wonder of the lovely scene where one of Ember's tribe-folk sits in a tree playing elfin music -- only to have Lehrigan take out a similar small flute and play along, a kind of mystical "jam session" that proves what we later discover: the Silent One has spent so long getting to know the elves in order to track them, he is walking the fine edge of perhaps knowing them too well for the human world in which he must live. It is a haunting scene that sticks with one for days afterwards. Other wonderful scenes include the strife between Ember and Scouter, and the gut-wrenching decision of Teir as to where his heart must go. The climactic battle scenes are equally skilfully crafted, with a particularly neat twist in how one of the younger elves comes to be saved from certain death. The art is acceptable, though who could ever outdo Wendy Pini? Auklandus has shown herself to be a superlative crafter of storylines; from panel to panel there is so much to see, to ponder. Buy this book and devour it, then go back and read it over and over again!!
Anything Goes Trivia
Trevor
Megaton Man
