By Wendy and Richard Pini Publisher: Dark Horse Books (July 10th, 2018).
Softcover, 168 pages.
It was like saying goodbye to an old and dear friend. The final
volume of the Elfquest saga was as
sad and hopeful as expected. All the loose ends were wrapped up. All the drama
over. It ends on a note of peace and hope where a collaborative tribe of 4 elf
tribes, trolls, and humans come together. I was happy with the result, I was
just sad that there will never be a new Elfquest
story.
The final groups of elves gather together to decide whether they
will stay on the World of Two Moons or travel with the Palace of the High Ones.
There are some difficult decisions, families separate forever, deaths and
births occur, and we have a very violent finish. It ends with the death of an
important character causing everything to come full circle. If readers find
this character's death forced, Wendy Pini at the end of the book provided the
original rough drafts from over twenty years ago. It was always planned to end
this way. Sad, but inevitable.
For forty years, Elfquest
has been one of the greatest standard bearers of the indie scene. Though this
last collection was put out by Dark Horse, Elfquest
has always been its own master. No one had a story like it. No one drew
like it. It was, and probably always will be, a unique experience. And one that
I will miss, but I still have piles of old issues to pour through when I get
the urge to revisit these characters. I can always console myself with that.
And while, again, I’m sad because the series ended, I am also glad that it
ended well. It was as good as send off as could be expected and it ends the
possibility of others sticking their scabby fingers in the story and possibly
ruining it for good.
Farewell Elfquest. Gone, but never forgotten.
Ps. If you've never read the series before. This is definitely NOT the book to start with. Begin at the beginning and you will definitely be hooked.
For more readings, try books by Rex Hurst.
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