Elfquest Reader's Collection #11b: Wild Hunt

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Summary: "The Wild Hunt": Beyond monsters and tyrants...
Review: Book 11b in the Elfquest Reader's Collection reprints the first part of the "Wild Hunt" series (with the conclusion to the present story set to appear in Book 11c, "Shadowstalker"); the story revolves around the adventures of Wolfrider chieftess Ember and her tribe, as they contend with the evils plaguing their home in the New Land - monsters created by their late enemy Winnowill, and the vengefulness of the defeated dictator Grohmul Djun. (The WH episodes in this book first appeared between 1996 and 1998.)

The early episodes concentrate - seemingly - on the elves' battle against a vicious sea-creature named "The Redeemer". When the series first appeared, some readers were disappointed at what they considered an unoriginal, man-versus-monster plot. Gradually, though, it became obvious that the true theme of this tale was the superstitiousness of the humans, and their continuing fear of the "point-eared demons" - and when Ember's folk finally confront the Redeemer, they must also confront the hostility and credulity of the five-fingers: a much tougher enemy, indeed, than any monster, as the conclusion makes clear.

Fine as this early part of the story is, the series hits its full stride only as the plot moves to the next turn of events: the vanquished Djun's scheme to overthrow - through his children - the elves who cost him his empire. The result of his conspiracy stretches the elves' ability to deal with humans - and, in Book 11c - their very existence - near the breaking-point; the travails of Tyleet, the elf most sympathetic to the human race, are especially heart-rending.

The first eight episodes of WH featured artwork by Steve Blevins, who also pencilled most of the episodes in "Legacy" (Book 11) and "Huntress" (Book 11a), the two preludes to this story. Of the various artists who have drawn EQ episodes, Blevins has come closest to replicating Wendy Pini's unique style; and indeed the last two episodes by his hand, though uninked and therefore on the light side, are surprisingly nuanced and detailed for the black-and-white medium. The remaining episodes in Book 11b - and all those in Book 11c - are the work of Lorraine Reyes, and represent a complete shift in style: sharp, angular, and undeniably inspired my Japanese "manga" comics. Hers is not Pini-esque drawing and is not intended to be; at the same time, it is wonderfully lucid, and some of the best pencil work yet seen in an EQ story (though many of the Reyes-drawn episodes were very indifferently printed, especially the first one in this book).

As the showcase of the Elfquest canon for the past four years, "The Wild Hunt" has added newfound depth to the two-decade-old series; most importantly, without slavishly copying Wendy Pini's early work, WH has come closest to the essential spirit of the best-known EQ stories, and deserves to be considered their rightful heir. Recommended - even though the sequel will be more moving still!

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Summary: A.W.E.S.O.M.E.
Review: I am a major Elfquets fan and I thought this book was amazing. I just got this book so I was quite exicited to read it so I finished it in one day. The first half of this book was great telling the story of the time after Ember and her tribe join up with her father Cutter and his tribe. After the breif family reunion both tribes split up again Ember's tribe with a few new occupants and some lost from the last book are off in search of what's left of Winnowills bad magic and to destroy it. In this story there are a few new elf chrildren one of Tyleets and another from Krim. This story also has a love qurrel between Tier( of whom joins the Wolfrider tribe in this book), Ember, and Mender. This is help settled at the end by Yun daughter of Skywise. Though the first half of this story is a thirler the second becomes a major downer. Not only did the artwork sink down to a all time low but its just disappointing how the elves get easily tricked by the human girl Gifa daughter of the Djun and of whom gets killed in the end by her own...brother. So I would recomend this book but you should be prepared for a small disapointment at the end.