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Rating: 
Summary: Eyes on the prize: Kahvi's strange quest
Review: Since Kahvi first appeared in the original Elfquest series in late 1983, the elf-chieftess has become one of the best-known and most distinctive characters in the story. However, of her background virtually nothing was known, until the publication of the "Kahvi" miniseries in 1995- 6. The present story explains how the Go-Back chief, seeking a great elfin relic as a trophy for her tribe, instead discovers a far greater trophy: the secret of her, and their, origins, and their place in the world. The plot, extremely action-filled within its six episodes, depicts Kahvi's journey as she pursues the Egg of Six Spheres, the repository of all elfin history. But, though she seeks only a totem for her warlike but declining tribe, the Egg revives her memory that she is the daughter of the long-ago chief Two-Spear, and that all her people are thus descendants of the Wolfriders. At first, though, Kahvi refuses to deal with this knowledge, not wishing to see herself or her tribe as lowly "Wolfrider cast-off" (as she puts it). Her struggle to accept this revelation leads her on another quest, during which the elf-chieftess is forced to draw on her long-dormant Wolfrider nature (senses, skills, even bonding with a wolf) to survive the trek back home. In the process, she realizes that her tribe needed no physical trophy after all; their survival as a people, their ability to defend themselves and other elves against all enemies, are all the trophy they need - a lesson she finally brings home to the Go-Backs. This storyline was conceived, and partially written, by the late Kim Yale, whose stories have a pronounced mystical/supernatural bent. This sometimes affects the dialogue, which in the first three chapters is often too bombastic to be credible (especially the lines spoken by Tyldak and Aurek). The later chapters, however, were completed by Joellyn Auklandus (because of the illness of Yale, who died of cancer in 1997), and these feature much more natural and convincing dialogue; she is equally adept at portraying humor (part 5) and gravity (much of part 6). The story concept as a whole is excellent, but its execution evidently took time to perfect. Credit is also due for the crisp artwork by Steve Blevins; not only is the drawing style surprisingly close to that of Wendy Pini, he also shows mastery of those things which are deceptively hard to draw (complex facial expressions, characters dismounting their animals, and suchlike). Turning to Two-Spear, he too is featured in this book, in the series of the same name (which for some reason follows, rather than precedes, "Kahvi" in this edition, contrary to chronology). This series is of a radically different stamp, both as literature and as art. The story (written by Terry Collins) is grim and unsentimental, the artwork (pencilled by Delfin Barral, of "The Rebels" fame) hard-edged, almost expressionistic at times. So the tale is conventionally "ugly" to mind and ear; yet the plot forces one to proceed further. The bare outline of the story - the schism of the early Wolfrider tribe - had already been known to longtime readers (from stories in the EQ prose-books of the 1980s); but this tale adds important dimensions to the basic conflict. It explains the elf- chief's profound hatred of humans, and his willingness to kill as many as possible to safeguard his tribe - which shelves into a blind willingness to destroy the tribe in order to save it. More surprisingly, the death-match between the chief and his half-sister Huntress Skyfire is portrayed not only as a tribal crisis, but as a family tragedy - the culmination of years of jealousy and suspicion that poisoned the siblings' once-friendly relationship. As is the case with "Kahvi", some of the dialogue in "Two-Spear" becomes stiff and crabbed at times, but the story's premise is convincing and demands the reader's attention, and thoughtfulness. Care has clearly been taken with the tone of each episode, not only in terms of storytelling but also through subtle changes in artwork from part to part; for instance, part 2 - which includes a "vision sequence" - is pencilled very lightly and is left uninked, while part 3 - in which Two-Spear murders an entire human hunting-party singlehanded - uses heavy ink-work to convey the chaos and brutality of this scene. Though these two EQ stories are not directly related - and though "Kahvi" should have placed second rather than first in this book - each tale is a fine complement to the other. Most importantly, the writers ultimately portray Kahvi as a true heroine - a flawed heroine, but a heroine nonetheless. Overall, a compelling read, if an often unsettling one.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent with a few annoying flaws
Review: This is actually a compendium of two thematically related series about Kahvi and Two-Spear. It would probably have made more sense had Two-Spear's part of the story come first. In any case, the art in the Kahvi series was done by the less competent of Pini's successors, with the result that she looks rather like a chipmunk-cheeked 12-year-old. They do manage to instill some visual humor, as Tyldak attempts to hunt for himself. The story line was exciting, even upsetting at times -- Kahvi seems to have somehow become a less wise person than she was in the earlier books. There's an intense fight scene between... wait and see. The readers discover the origin of the Go-Backs, which is what I always suspected it was, though Kahvi's personal origin (and apparent amnesia heretofore) seem a little far-fetched. The Two-Spear segment is more artistically, but more confusingly, drawn and involves a story line with which most Elfquest readers are already familiar. It's well done here but doesn't really add anything new. I'll add a general complaint: Why can't any Elfquest artists, including Pini herself, look at some pictures of wolves and figure out how to draw them?
Rating:
Summary: Excellent with a few annoying flaws
Review: This is actually a compendium of two thematically related series about Kahvi and Two-Spear. It would probably have made more sense had Two-Spear's part of the story come first. In any case, the art in the Kahvi series was done by the less competent of Pini's successors, with the result that she looks rather like a chipmunk-cheeked 12-year-old. They do manage to instill some visual humor, as Tyldak attempts to hunt for himself. The story line was exciting, even upsetting at times -- Kahvi seems to have somehow become a less wise person than she was in the earlier books. There's an intense fight scene between... wait and see. The readers discover the origin of the Go-Backs, which is what I always suspected it was, though Kahvi's personal origin (and apparent amnesia heretofore) seem a little far-fetched. The Two-Spear segment is more artistically, but more confusingly, drawn and involves a story line with which most Elfquest readers are already familiar. It's well done here but doesn't really add anything new. I'll add a general complaint: Why can't any Elfquest artists, including Pini herself, look at some pictures of wolves and figure out how to draw them?
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