World Famous Comics: Elfquest: The Discovery (Elfquest)
Elfquest: The Discovery (Elfquest)
By: Richard Pini, Wendy Pini Publisher: Elfquest Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Label: Elfquest Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 128 Publication Date: October 04, 2006 Release Date: October 04, 2006
Discovery of WaveDancers The ever-growing world of Two Moons, ever moving and loving to humans of our world. A little more inside depth of the Wolfriders' history.
Sunstream (Formerly Suntop) finally finds a soulmate. Brill of WaveDancers. Bright, Fun, Caring elfin maiden's soul bumps into Sunstream's soul while he is "goes out" to search for others of their kind.
Will the Wavedancers be peaceful or war-like to their own race?
Get it, read it and enjoy the art that is of Wendy Pini and that of the WolfRiders and their kin.
Cute, but not Elfquest! I cut my teeth on FIRE AND FLIGHT and FORBIDDEN GROVE. Being yet unable to read, I forced my parents and even my older brother to read them aloud to me, pointing to each character so i could tell who was talking. I learned how to read by flipping through editions of the original eight books, and so began my love of art and the written word. Now, in my adulthood, I've become a closet Elfquest junkie yet again, and I've wondered why I ever put them down. I've never felt much interest in the later volumes, since it the broad-sweeping yet ultra-realistic style of the original eight seemed to be Pini-exclusive, something the newer artists never appeared to capture. As a result, I've traversed the familiar pages of the first eight books countless times over, never venturing further.
That said, you can imagine my enthusiasm to see a new addition to the saga with the Pini's original artwork and storytelling. That enthusiasm waned some when I removed the packaging from my copy and opened the cover. The story focused on the meeting of the Wolfriders with yet another elf tribe, these being a kind of aquatic sea-elf. I confess I had structured in my mind my own idea of what a Pini sea-elf could be and was eager to see what the venerable Wendy would do. What I found was not what I had hoped. I always valued the Elfquest saga for it rustic and down-to-earth look, a good example of which was the costuming of the wolfriders being obviously hand dyed and sewn, within the limits of a primitive people. The sea-elves however looked like they belonged less in the pages of Elfquest, and would seem more at home swimming alongside Disney's Little Mermaid. Dressed in Day-Glo colors and bestowed with somewhat silly monikers such as Salt, Foam, and Tumble, this new tribe of elves are far departed from the world of two moons i remember as a child. The original characters that make appearances in this story are changed as well, looking more like animae art than ever. Every once in a while, about every to pages, you'd see some of Wendy's original art surface, but the majority was vastly different.
The way the art is structured of the page is disappointing as well. What I loved about Elfquest to begin with was its cinematic quality. Just reading one novel would make you feel as though you had sat down in front of an epic big screen movie. The art had movement and sequential action that i haven't seen equaled in any other graphic novel endeavor since. The three-dimensional colors and the varying page set-up made for a unique experience. This story however had none of this. It was more closely arranged to a Manga look, with never anymore than four, equal-sized panels per page.
As far as story goes, it seemed a bit trite. There really was nothing new brought to the on going story-line, with the same motif of tribe-meets-tribe, tribes-clash, tribes-resolve-differences-and- bond-for-the-greater-good that has already appeared several times in Elfquest history. The new characters seem hopelessly one dimensional while the old ones seem trivialized and goofy.
I think taken as a stand-alone story, it's worth reading. There are enjoyable passages, and as i said before, the old-Pini art shines through from time to time. But, ultimately, if you're and old Elfquest fan looking for newer material, look to the Hidden Years anthology, or even the slightly more composed THE SEARCHER AND THE SWORD story. This one is pretty good, but something other that the Elfquest we knew.
The Discovery I originally had the single issues of "The Discovery" but they have been stolen. I was so pleased to actually find the book on Amazon. It's not the same as single issues, no, but the artwork is phenomenal and story telling superb. It was worth every penny. I just wish I could have had it in hardback. Now I have "The Discovery" to tide me over until the movie is released! Ayooooah!
elfquest Elfquest continues and finally the Wolfriders meet the Wavedancers. It is not an easy meeting as the seaelves have forgotten too much about their past and living on land, and remember too well what they have suffered from humans. This is a good book and I am glad to have gotten it but the paranoic Wavedancer chieftain was annoying. I hope Wendy and Richard Pini continue to write more Elfquest. It is a very original story of rare quality.
Elfquest: The Discovery Yet again a fantastic story in the Elfquest saga! Both the story and the illustrations. One word: FANTASTIC!