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Customer Reviews (2)

A Must-Have for Beginning Watercolourists
I absolutely love this watercolour instruction book and guide.It's an excellent investment in any artist's reference collection.It is well-written and offers an excellent breadth of subject matter, so valuable to beginning artists in this medium.In addition, the artwork in the book is just lovely.I must say, it is one of my favorite art volumes.You can't go wrong with this one.

Good for beginners--but take note
Beginners will find this book helpful. The authors cover topics such as stretching paper, glazing, and mixing colors. Most emphasis is given to landscapes and outdoor scenes, but a section on flower painting is included as well. As the title suggests, the book includes important step-by-step instructions. The step-by-step demonstrations are accompanied by materials lists. Especially helpful are notes about color mixing. The novice doesn't have to guess at how the artist arrived at a color. NOTE: This book was originally published by Search Press in 2001 under the title "Working with Watercolour." ... Read more

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2,000 Illustrations215 pages ... Read more

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The built environment is responsible for an estimated forty-five per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions. As the greatest opportunities for reducing these emissions occur during the briefing and design processes, the pathway to better design lies in preparing environmental briefs, and using these to drive building design and produce buildings of high environmental performance. This process-driven book looks at the theoretical issues involved in an environmental brief, and outlines methods by which architects can approach the writing of a brief that considers all aspects of the natural and the built environment, and relates these concepts to a number of case studies from around the world.

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  As the Internet continues to develop as the central resource for entertainment, news, communication, and research, Web 101 continues to include all the tools readers need to acquire a foundational understanding of the online resources available today and how to take full advantage of the Web’s power. Lehnert and Kopec cover the fundamentals of the Internet’s most popular features—communication tools, e-mail, searching, personal safety, and software—with new material on social networking and Web construction and design. Web 101 gives readers all the background information and tools they need to become proficient users and savvy content-providers of the Internet.
Getting Started; Personal Safety Online; E-mail Management; Web 2.0; Find What You Want—Fast!; Software on the Internet; E-Commerce; Encryption and the Internet; Basic Web Page Construction; Advanced Web Page Construction; HTML Character Codes; Style Sheets; File Types; Copyright Law. For all readers interested in the fundamentals of the Internet's most popular features. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Very comprehensive and well written book for the beginning web designer or just an interested learner.
This is a great book for beginning web designers or even someone just wanting to learn about the history and basics of the web.
Well laid out and easy to read.

Recommended!

Truely Web 101
This book is the perfect book to help introduce anyone to the basics of the internet.Web 101 is the perfect title for everything it covers from web browsers to hackers and new technologies as well as internet security.If you are looking for an introduction guide to the internet this is the book for you

Clearly written with a nice dash of humor.
Ms. Lehnert makes learning fun with a clear style, good explanations, and lots of helpful links. An excellent book. ... Read more

Product Description
Here collected for the first time are the extraordinary sculptures of internationally acclaimed doll-maker Wendy Froud. Within these pages you will discover majestic, mysterious and fantastical faeries and angels, sphinxes and fauns, mad Queens, gothic seducers, goblins and trolls. Wendy's sculptures have inspired many great artist of our time: George Lucas, for whom she fabricated "Yoda" and Jim Henson, with whom she worked on his classic films, The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

She is wonderful
I absolutely loved this book. It is now in my hands at all times. I can't find a time that i haven't picked it up to look at it. The fairy art and creature art is amazing. i would tell everyone to find this book and buy it!

A Beautiful Book
A beautifully designed presentation of Wendy Froud's work, with an engaging and personal text.

Pretty Good
I think Wendy Froud is an amazing doll maker. I believe if you already own her past three books, listed on my Book List, you can live without this one however. It is nice, but there are only a few really good images. Her first three books are immaculately beautiful. However, if you absolutely must have it go ahead. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

An ok representation
I know that for die-hard Elfquest fans, the turn to other artists is difficult. Shards is a prime example of the shift to more comic book-like writing and art. It will never compare to the original Series 1-8. However, I had prepared myself for this when, after 5 years of not picking up an Elfquest, I decided to start back up with the series. Expecting the unfamiliar style of art, as from Worldpool, I was pleasantly surprised at the art in Shards. The characters were recognizable and often strikingly like Pini's work. Her art was mixed in and it made for an adaquate and enjoyable read. Although we would all love for Wendy to be doing it all, I think this will do. But I really hope the movie is worth all this!!

Do they write their good reviews themselves
I can only assume the Pini's are writing the glowing reviews of the EQ graphic novels themselves. These books are so bad, so badly drawn, so awful, with such lousy reproduction and quality control that I can't imagine any EQ fan actually likes them.

The art looks like it came from a fanzine. It is not professional. The reproduction of the art looks like mud.

Buy at your own risk.

No longer among my favorites
EQ used to be one of my favorite works, but the series no longer has the quality it once enjoyed. My advice is to avoid later volumes and stick to the earlier books which are among the best comics ever published. The later work is embarassing.

"Why is Elfquest's quality going down?"
I just want to explain to you all why this doesn't have it's former luster. You see, so many people out there think that Elfquest is dying, because other-people are doing art and stories. But you know what? Youhaven't seen anything yet-- EQ isn't dying, just pregnant. She's about togive birth to the next level; the Elfquest FILM! It'll most likely come outin 2002; And our beloved Wendy is behind it all the way. THAT'S whyeverything else is so distracted. But ya know...I give them all 5 starsanyways, because for adaptations, they rock hardcore, and besides, they'rekeeping us alive till '02! AYOOAH packmates! ;)

A parting - and hope for reunion
Beginning in 1990, the Pinis radically expanded the scope of the story of Cutter and his Wolfrider tribe.First, "Kings of the Broken Wheel" (reprinted in Books 7 and 8) advanced the characters 10,000years in time - causing Cutter to have to cope, first, with the sudden lossof his family and second - after the reunion with his loved ones - with thechanged, more dangerous world in which he and his tribe now foundthemselves: a world with more, and more powerful, humans in it.Book 10,featuring issues 8 to 15 of the "Hidden Years" series, begins thenew tale of the elves' adventures in the midst of human civilization -above all, the seeds of their struggle to retake their ancestral home, thePalace of the High Ones, from the human dictator Grohmul Djun.

The firsttwo episodes in Book 10 repeat two sections of the now-withdrawn Book 9"Rogue's Challenge", so I will not touch on those in this review. The new story begins with the third and fourth chapters, when the elves'longtime enemy Winnowill, trying to hijack the Palace for her own ends,destroys it instead; the seizure of its shards (hence the title of thebook) by the Djun and his army not only robs the elves of their safe haven,but gives the five-fingers access to its magic - a power they may turnagainst the elves.Cutter comes to realize that his people must war withthe Djun to regain their rightful home... and that the only way to avoidthe extinction of the tribe is to send away some of its members.Indeed,the distinctive element of this story is the deft union of the"smaller" personal stories - the maturation of a chief-to-be, theprospect of a new birth, an elf extending her hand to humans in friendship;a leader contemplating the second separation of his family - with thelarger tale of the elves' impending battle for their lives.Though Wendyand Richard Pini did not create the artwork, they did write the script forthis tale, which rings as true as any of their earlier works.

The bulk ofthe artwork, from the fifth chapter onwards, was drawn by Brandon McKinney. While obviously not from Wendy's pen (McKinney uses a more angularpencilling style, and draws most faces somewhat wider than Wendy does),McKinney yet shows a natural feel for the distinctive qualities of eachcharacter, and the attention to detail is admirable - not only basicfigure-work but also inking and coloring are well executed.Having readthe original color issues, I must say that this black-and-whitereproduction gives only a partial view of the quality of the artwork.Thatis inevitable, since most of the scenes take place at night, and darkerinks and colors are difficult to reproduce well - this being the onlyrelative flaw of this edition.

Very little in the earlier EQ storiescould have prepared readers for the new directions this series has taken;but it is just such vision - worthy of Cutter himself - that has kept up,and even enhanced, the Pinis' reputation not only as artists, but asstorytellers.The theme of this book, then, is neatly summarized from aquotation from it: "Change is growth; love is never lost." ... Read more

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The Wolfriders, a band of elves, search for others of their kind in a savage Earthlike world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Graphic SF Reader
A race of Elves exist in a relatively primitive society on a planet that has two moons.There are other races on this world, like trolls, and some of the elves ride around on rather large wolves.

Like a few others, there is actually an explanation for these people. They are not your sidhe or Tolkien type elves, but descendants of an alien race that came to the planet.


... Read more

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Chapters: Warp Graphics Titles, Elfquest, Mythadventures, Chosen Eight, Apple Comics, Wendy and Richard Pini, a Distant Soil, Thunder Bunny, Blood of the Innocent. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 51. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt:Elfquest (or ElfQuest) is a cult hit comic book property created by Wendy and Richard Pini in 1978. The basic premise is a fantasy story about a community of elves and other fictional species who struggle to survive and coexist on a primitive Earth-like planet with two moons. Several published volumes of prose fiction also share the same setting. Over the years Elfquest has been self-published by the Pinis, then Marvel Comics, then the Pinis again through their own company Warp Graphics and more recently DC Comics. All issues of Elfquest are available online for free at the official ElfQuest site. The first Elfquest story was published in the spring of 1978, in the underground comic book Fantasy Quarterly, published by Lansing, Michigan-based IPS (Independent Publishers Syndicate). (Sandwiched between Elfquest's "Fire and Flight" parts one and two was a brief story written by T. Casey Brennan and illustrated by future Cerebus the Aardvark creator Dave Sim titled "Doorway to the Gods".) Despite the obvious talent of the contributors, the quality of the publication was terribly disappointing to Wendy and Richard Pini. The cover was only slightly better than newsprint (the exterior was printed unglossed with a very limited color palette) and the paper used inside of the comic book appeared to be newsprint. The poor quality of this publication convinced the Pinis that they could produce a higher quality publication on their own. After borrowing money in order to start WaRP Graphics, the Pinis started publishing with Elfquest #2 (published tabloid size wit...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=152854 ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Not bad condition, but not good condition
First things first. I'm happy with the arrival time n the price n to have this book in my collection.

My ONLY qualm is with the fact that it said "good" condition on the site, but when i received it, it the lower right section was bent. ... Read more

Product Description
This profusely illustrated auction catalog for The Richard and Wendy Pini Collection, Heritage Comics Signature Auction #815, conducted on February 10, 2005 in Dallas, TX, is accompanied by a complete list of the prices realized for each item sold. A valuable reference, which makes interesting reading for hobbyists and researchers.

Heritage Galleries & Auctioneers is the world's largest collectibles auction house (over $250 million in annual sales), and the third largest public auctioneer in the United States. Heritage specializes in live and online auctions in venues throughout the United States of rare coins and currency, vintage sports collectibles, comic books and comic art, illustration art, Americana, celebrity and music memorabilia, autographs, books, manuscripts, and historical memorabilia. Heritage now also auctions fine American and European paintings and decorative arts. Heritage's website offers free online auction results archives to its 150,000+ registered Internet bidder-members (membership is free), with over one million enlargeable images. Whether you are a collector or a potential seller or consignor, these back-issue auction catalogs from Amazon.com are a perfect way to learn more about Heritage and the collectibles categories and markets that interest you most. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Sex, magic, nationalism: a story of love and war
The first ElfQuest story to be set in the far future, "Jink", a 12-issue series first published between 1994 and 1996, follows the adventures of the title character, an exotic woman of strange powers andquestionable parentage, and her lover, Ensign Kullyn Kenn.The first halfof the series, covered in this book, describes the couple's effort to staveoff a catastrophic space-war between the humans of their world and amysterious, warlike race called the Neverending.(The second half of theseries will be published as the book "Mindcoil" inSeptember.)

First, let it be known that Jink is the most charismatic newElfQuest character in many years.She is a study in opposites - godlikeforesight and amusing improvidence; hard street wisdom and a soft heart;sophistication and innocence - that make her seem at once both most adultand most childlike.The contrasts between she and Kullyn Kenn - haplessand too laid-back by half, yet uncommonly brave and clearheaded - iscontinually fascinating.

As vividly as the protagonists are presented,the real masterstroke is the portrayal of the "enemies", theNeverending aliens.Wendy Pini, who conceived and co-wrote the story,hints in the Afterword that the culture of the aliens is heavily based onthat of the Japanese Empire of the 1930s, a regime then openly committed toworld domination.Ingeniously, she presents the aliens as a symbol of theperils of nationalism, and especially of the futility of conquest as a wayof life; the plot turns on Jink's revelation to the Neverending warriorsthat their campaign of space-conquest has not empowered their people, buthas instead virtually destroyed it.This leads to a climax as sobering asthe early chapters are lighthearted.

Married to this ingenious story ishigh-quality artwork; though the original color illustrations are presentedhere in black-and-white, the clarity and precision of the line-art comethrough.In all, _Jink_, a tale far more than skin deep, points to afascinating new direction for the ElfQuest saga. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

I have no catchy title
Although not drawn by elfquests original artistthis is undoubtably one of the best non wendy books.Theres no way to sum up all the great moments of the shards war.You sit through the agonizing loss of characters you have never met yet seem to know like your best friends and you cheer along with the rebellion and final victors.The story sucks you in and you find yourself crying laughing and not being ashamed of it.
So...A awesome book but not to be read in the company of strangers.
They may give you funny looks.

Great Read, Despite Poor Paperback Edition
I'm a big fan of all the original Elfquest graphic novels, and while this one is far from being one of the best, it's still an excellent read.Reprinted from the second half of the "Shards" series, with excellent writing from Wendy and Richard Pini, this follows the wolfriders final ascent to restore the palace and stop Winnowill once and for all.The art, while not even close to Wendy Pini's abilities, is done particularly well by Brandon McKinney.Most notable though is the art done by Wendy who returns for the last 3 chapters of this book.The most interesting aspect is the final chapter of the book which is done in a storybook form instead of the regular comic form.The only real downside is this is one of the tortured victims of the xeroxed in black and white from the orginal color comic books (with the exception of the last few chapters which were originally published in black and while), which is unfortunate cause it deserves much better.

Trash.
Before I begin my tirade on this disappointing addition to the Elfquest series, I would like to aquatint the reader with my past experience with Elfquest. I first discovered Elfquest when I was eight and from thatencounter I learned to read well and not only that, to love reading. Tenyears later I'm again interested in the series. I reread the first fourbooks and was happily surprised that the sentimental power of Elfquest hadnot faded; collectively, these books are unequalled in their ability toattach the reader to the characters. However, the quality of the artworkhas declined sharply since Quest's End and the narrative has suffered asimilar depreciation. Don't get me wrong, I thought all the books up toReunion were pretty good, if not at Elfquest's peak. Unfortunately, Reunionis trash. The drama begins with an interesting plot (the palace isdestroyed, Rayek's duel with Cutter, etc.) but is rapidly reduced toembarrassingly trite and unoriginal characterization and story line. Forexample, the human girl Joan of Arc character is utterly ridiculous not tomention terribly contrived....right, this girl organizes a revolt, saves theElves, and becomes a warrior within the course of two nights.To make itworse, the cliché of the evil warlord is repeated yet again: Evil Warlord'srepressive policies incite revolt giving the heroes the time to sneak intothe enemy compound and save the day. Trash. I can't understand how thegifted artist who produced Quest's End could stand to let this be printed.

If you want to read this book despite these glaring flaws, plop down ina bookstore and read it there (like I did) and save your money. With this,much of the very rich tradition of Elfquest is squandered.

A walk through grief, toward joy
"Reunion", volume 12a in the Reader's Collection and the sequel to "Ascent", features the heartrending conclusion to the story of the elves' quest to reclaim the Palace of the High Ones from Winnowill andher partner, the warlord Grohmul Djun.

The story in these episodes is themost sobering and poignant yet seen in the Elfquest series - and,ultimately, the most uplifting.Surprisingly, the suspense does not comefrom wondering whether the elves will survive their attack on the Djun'sfortress.Rather, the story revolves around how the heroes react to thedeaths of two of their own (just in the first three chapters!), and whethertheir quest is worth so much suffering.The sobering death-scenes early inthe story serve only to heighten the effect of the climax, to make it muchmore meaningful.Many, indeed most, Elfquest stories have been asmemorable, but none have been as moving as this one.

Although this bookis not in color, a note on the production is in order.The artwork, whichhad been rendered in color originally, reverted to black-and-whitebeginning with the fourth chapter of this book; for budget reasons WaRPGraphics gave up color production in September 1995, the year the Americancomic-book market tanked.Understandably, some of the BW chapters looksketchy, since these were to have been colored-in originally.The lastchapter, though, was drawn entirely by Wendy Pini, and is a visual treat,nothing new for her!(It also served as a preview for the artistic styleshe would show in the "Dreamtime" series, now published as Book8a in the Reader's Collection.)

Despite the production troubles I havementioned, this is a most memorable tale and a fitting capstone on thisseries.(Moreover, the Pinis are currently working on the _sequel_ to thisstory - stay tuned!) ... Read more

Product Description
The final chapter in the very first ElfQuest storypresented in DC's new compact format for easier reading! Introducing Cutter, Skywise, Leetah, Rayek and the other elves, trolls, wolves and humans in this fantasy world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

A Touching Masterpiece
This work of fantasy rivals some of the best of the century, with superb artwork by Wendy Pini, and a brilliantly planned storyline by Wendy and Richard Pini. Follow the adventures of a tribe of woodland elves who are forced to abandon their forest dwelling in the face of fire. Tricked by their fickle friends the trolls, they find themselves lost in the desert, where they find...But thats for you to find out when you read this work of art. Full of emotions that anyone can relate to, and characters who clash, and come together to form grand friendships and rivalries that will keep you reading through the whole series of Eight full color, and unfortunately, out of print Elfquest Stories.

Calling it Amazing would be a drastic understatement.
Where does one begin to review a masterpiece like this? Even more thought provoking, where does one end? This book's praises cannot be sang too often. The artwork and color are astonishing. They will leave your jaw hanging open, and your mind thirsting for more. Is emotions are so clear, you can feel Cutter's heartache, Leetah's mixed emotions, and Rayek's hate and mistrust of the new strangers. Read this book, and I promise you will not be disappointed, but don't take my word for it. Go on, see for yourself.

Amazing is the understatement of a lifetime
Where do you begin with a book like this? Even more thought provoking, where do you end? Not enough can be said about this book. The artwork is astonishing and the colors will leave your jaw hanging open and your mind thirsting for more. You feel the heartache of Cutter, the mixed emotions of Leetah, and Rayek's hate and distrust of the new strangers. Buy this book, and I promise, you will not be disappointed, but don't take my word for it. Go on, see for yourself.

Favorite Since Third Grade!
I loved the hardcover edition. With the full color illustrations. Of course the whole story line. Is amazing!Love it!

Love the BookPLEASE HELP ME
I have been collecting thegraphic novel series for about 8 years last month I moved and lost the whole collection if anyone knows how I can get this collection again please let me knowthank youJamie ... Read more

Customer Reviews (28)

For old fans and new alike
Elfquest Archives: Vol. 1 / 1-4012-0128-8

My first, very brief exposure to ElfQuest occurred when I was just a child - somehow the bright colors of this archive or one very like it drew my eye in a bookstore and I spent an hour or more pouring over the colorful pictures. This wasn't like the "comics" that the boys at school read - ElfQuest had real, bright colors (besides every color in the 'gray' spectrum), and fantastical creatures that seemed more 'human' and realistic than any other characters I'd seen.

Sadly, I was old enough to understand, even then, that this book was not something that I could ask for from my parents - even despite the occasional flashes of female nudity, the fact that all of the female elves are built like a miniature Playboy model and all the male elves are shirtless Calvin Klein knock-offs nailed that coffin shut. (And that's not even getting into all the discussions about mating, children, and multiple partners in relationships!) ElfQuest stuck with me, though, and two decades later, I stumbled upon the name (which I had long since forgotten) and was delighted to finally be able to read "that colorful comic" that I'd seen all those years ago.

And "colorful" doesn't begin to describe this archive volume. The drawings are incredibly detailed, beautifully shaded, and lovingly crafted - several of the full page drawings (particularly some of the pastel portraits contained in the Elfquest - Archives, Volume 4) are so artistic that I'm tempted to just frame them and hang them on my walls. The drawings are so realistic and lovely, that it's easy to become instantly immersed in the storyline, and it's fascinating how compelling the ElfQuest tale is.

Volume 1 portrays the movement of the Wolfrider elves from their ancient forest home after the evil humans destroy their home and everything they've ever known and loved. The young and inexperienced chief, Cutter, leads his people to the nearby home of the trolls, hoping to half-bargain, half-threaten passage through the mountain to the other side of the world, a world where perhaps the humans no longer exist and can no longer slaughter them. What they find on the other side, however, is a world so alien and inhospitable that survival seems impossible - until they chance until another tribe of elves, as alien and foreign to the Wolfriders as the desert that now threatens to kill them. From there, the Wolfriders and the Sun People must learn to live together in harmony; with Cutter's romance with the exotic Leetah a metaphor for the blossoming relationship between the two tribes.

It's hard to know how to classify ElfQuest. There's a lot of action here, in the early battles with the humans, the trolls, and the beasts of the forest, and yet ElfQuest is not primarily an action-adventure tale, as witnessed by the long periods of dialogue, emotional adjustment, and day-to-day life details of the elves and their pets. There's a great deal of 'adult' material, as Cutter and Leetah struggle with the imperatives of their hearts and bodies, but this isn't gratuitous titillation - the emotional turmoil that the pair explore is relevant and significant to all of us. Reasonable people will disagree as to what age minimum this comic is suitable for, and yet the sensitive and intelligent treatment of adulthood themes such as love, lust, friendship, honor, moderation, and self-control are so well-handled here that I'd prefer to hand this to a child over, say, the latest 'harmless' shoot-em-up graphic novel that fails to give more than mere lip-service to the idea that violence for its own sake might be bad. ElfQuest explores these and other concepts in detail, and in a manner that is always thought-provoking yet never bombastic or dictatorial.

Because I'm a new fan, I can't speak to how this archive compares to the original old issues. Snippets of the old issues are included in the beginning and ending of each archive; sometimes in black-and-white panels, others in full color portraits and covers. I believe, however, that the spirit of the original was perfectly preserved, and I find ElfQuest to be just as compelling today as it was when I was a little child wandering through a big bookstore waiting for something to catch my eye.

Is it meant for children or adults?Both?Neither?
First, I have to disagree with the reviews that complain about the coloring of this edition.It is colored beautifully with artistic intent behind the coloring decisions.I'm guessing those that have complained about the coloring are referring mostly to scenes in Savah's hut.The mishmash of pastel colors is what it might actually look like in a room lit through stained glass windows.This is an intentional effect.Interestingly, we see this effect again during Lord Voll's optimistic scene at the floating egg.(The egg was never lit like this when Winnowill was there...)Both of these locales foreshadow the climactic scene at the scroll of colors.Hmm.Think about that...

Secondly I'd like to praise Wendi Pini for the quality of the art.Not only are the full-page and two-page spreads worthy of wall-hanging, but the individual panes are laid out, drawn, and colored well.The eye is drawn to important story points.The strength of Elfquest is in the artwork.It is head and shoulders above any other comic in its consistent quality.

The second strength of Elfquest is in the pacing.The action is interspersed by scenes where the plot unfolds comfortably, allowing us to get to know and care about the characters.This imaginary world is creative.What's not to love about a magical fantasy world populated with wolf- and eagle-riding elves, trolls, and fairy-like preservers?

So far a five-star review.What then is the weakness of Elfquest?It seems to target an audience that can't exist.The plot payoffs aren't quite big enough for adult drama.The ignorance of the wolfriders to magnets and words like "desert," "war," and "armor," also seem to target a child audience.However, the sexual content makes Elfquest inappropriate for kids.The Pinis claim that it's just too bad that we humans are uncomfortable with some aspects of the elf lifestyle.Tongue in cheek, eh?Well, I cluck my tongue back at you.Shame on you, Pinis.You may believe in the realism of your craft, but in the end you have created their world, including the sexual content.What then is Elfquest but a medium to introduce cleavage of all types, nudity, and sexual suggestiveness (at times more overt than suggestive) to children?It shouldn't be in the story otherwise.Even when done tastefully adultery, threesomes, orgies, and bestiality are inappropriate.I'll even go so far as to suggest that depicting sex with a spouse is inappropriate.

Elfquest,...Recognize.
When I was 12 years old, my oldest sister Kristine gave me ElfQuest Volume 1, and I said "a comic book?" and she took it out of my hands and said "No, it's a graphic novel and you are going to love it" and handed itback to me like she was passing on something very important. She was.

From the first page, I knew I was hooked for life. I had read other stories about Elves and quests and fantastical worlds but Wendy and Richard Pini had created something amazing and new that has never been matched to this day. The Elves are drawn with such personality as are every other creature in that world. You know their names by the end and actually care about them fiercely.So many characters but each carved out of love and loyalty so unique.

The story itself, a family of Elves burned out from their forest home by humans, and tricked by the trolls, trying to find a new beginning and ultimately trying to find out where they really came from and if there is any ancestor (the High Ones) left to tell them the true history of their race.

Within elfish lore, partners came be formed through mutual consent and these creatures have no problem expressing their needs in that matter, but there is such a thing called "recognition" where "soul meets soul" and you find yourself knowing the other persons true name that cannot be shared with anyone else. Cutter, the leader of his people the Wolfriders, finds that recognition with a perfect stranger, Leetah and she doesn't know if she wants him (a barbarian to her) as a life-mate (the elf's version of marriage). This first Volume basically deals with the Wolfriders trek into "sorrows end" where Leetahs family also thinks they are the only ones of their kind! The battle for her heart is a tough one, seeing as how she has another Suitor in Rayek, the village's hunter and protector. I personally loved how the start of the series doesn't just take for granted the need to build up familiarity, background, and a wonderful story.

I guarantee you at the end of Volume 1 you will be scrambling to pick up volume II, and than onto a lifelong adoration of everything ElfQuest. My own copies of these are ragged and well read.

BTW I hear there is a movie in the works, and being an old fan I know that there have been rumors before of a film version, but I really hope this time its true and they do the novels justice!

"Practically perfect in every way"
Elfquest has been my favorite literary work since I was introduced to it in 1983 at age 14 (matched only by "The Count of Monte Cristo" in my list of favorites). If you love fantasy, you will love Elfquest.

Being an artist myself, the wonderful art by Wendy Pini has always been just as important and valuable to me as the wonderful story. The Starblaze editions colored with watercolors and printed in the 1980s were my first introduction to EQ. I have always been perfectly happy with the Starblaze volumes, but I wanted to get an Archive volume out of curiosity. And I do think the coloring of the new Archives edition (done in Photoshop by Wendy Pini) is superior to that of the Starblaze edition. Everything 'pops' and often looks like it's in 3D. It also is more accessible to a modern audience which is used to Photoshop-based comics.

The lettering is also much cleaner and more elegant, and some awkward or 'amateurish' wordings were fixed. And the paper is so lush and nice-feeling it's a sensory delight as well. I am very glad I bought this edition and will be re-reading this edition of Elfquest exclusively from now on!

I only have two small complaints about the Archives. One is the size: the original EQ comics were 8.5 x 11 and these have been reduced to the 'standard' comic size of 6.5 x 10. That's a big reduction, especially for someone like me who loves just staring at Wendy Pini's beautiful artwork.

The other is that in Archives Volume 1, an extra story is inserted at the end called "The Heart's Way," an extremely minor side story which was originally published in 1998 in "Elfquest the First 20 Years." I wish this story hadn't been included in the Archives because it doesn't mesh with the rest of the volume. It was written 20 years after the original series; the story is (IMHO) just plain DUMB; and the artwork, although by Wendy, doesn't 'match' and is looser. And unlike the rest of Archives 1, it's not appropriate for children because of its heavy sexual content. The Pinis never claimed EQ was for kids in the first place, and of course it's their right to write stories that are not appropriate for kids. But it's a bit annoying that a book that is pretty much PG throughout has an "epilogue" that is NC-17. Knowing the Pinis' fierce dedication to "hippie" values (pacifism, tolerance and free love) I wonder if it was perhaps included as a way for them to say, "In your face, all you Puritan prudes!" Anyway, for all those reasons, to me the insertion of this story was not only unnecessary but annoying. So I had a simple solution: I got an Exacto blade and cut those pages out, and secured pp. 175 and 192 together with photo mounting tape. ...ah, much better! ; )

A longtime favorite that I've recently revisited.
And rediscovered.I never really knew there was alot more to elfquest than those first five or so.Can't really remember the number offhand.

My original collection had somehow been lost over time, so I just rebought all of them, and then some.I got lost again in a beautifully created other world.Great art, epic story, what more can one ask for.

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