Customer Reviews

Elfquest Reader's Collection #1: Fire and Flight

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This very artful fantasy saga first opens with a ghostly castle suddenly appearing right out of the sky to float down to a prehistoric world, where all the lordly elves in exile were forced to settle down to a crude existence deep in the woods inhabited by their savage enemies, the elf-hating cavepeople. As it happens, the human leader decides to set the forest afire in order to get rid of all the strange, pointy-eared creatures that ride on wild wolves. Thus it was quite a fatal move for both the humans and the elves, who had to turn to the treacherous trolls for help, like it or not. As a result, the unfortunate elves found themselves out in the very midst of a very dry desert - and a whole new world to behold...and the rest is history. A very intriguing vision so skillfully handmade by a very talented young woman and her equally talented husband - a very rare find in the whole world of comic books and graphic novels. Gorgeous flower-like art, excellent layout, and very interesting characters with their multi-faceted personalities ranging from the fiercefully brave Cutter to the sly, woman-chasing Skywise to the beautiful, sexy Leetah to the giggly little blonde Newstar in a simple blue dress. In addition, since the creative couple is unable to have any children of their own, they also had the big opportunity to conjure up their personal parenting fantasy by inventing the very concept of Recognization, a very spiritual process that forces the elfin couples to fall into love with each other and after a two-year gestation, produce an incredibly perfect child with a magical gift of its own to benefit the entire elfin race. Very unique and imaginative. Unfortunately, after only a few volumes, the very quality of the Elfquest stories began to lose its touch due to the fact they had been turned over to the other hands. Too many witches spoilt the brew, as the old saying would have gone, I guess.

This is a series that grabs you and won't let go. Gorgeous illustration, adventure, and a lot of heart. Fire & Flight is only the first of many stories told by the Pinis, and is in my opinion the best way to get to know these unforgettable characters. You will love this story and will be eager to get your hands on the further adventures of Cutter and his clan.

ElfQuest impacted my life in ways I'll probably never be able to comprehend. I first read the comics that make up this graphic novel when I was 13, and I was hooked. I collected all the reprints of the original series I could find, and then found my way to more. This story of love, honour, betrayal, and being one with nature is a must-read for anyone from 8-80. If you find comic books a little daunting and/or simplistic, there are novels as well. Perhaps read those and then come back to the comics and allow them to fill in the blanks. A marvellous gift for a creative kid or an adult who hasn't lost that gleam in their eye.

What all readers in the world should realize before sitting down to ANY book, is that the author has taken time and energy to present to you a story that will move, excite or anger you. Regardless of the ElfQuest content, the authors have made this book for everyone. Just like George Lucas and Steven Speilberg have done countless times with their fantasy films that audiences all over the world have fallen in love with, Wendy and Richard Pini scribe and draw a beuatifully enriched story of love, deception, adventure and magic. One need only scan through the first two pages and instantly find that they cannot put this book back onto the shelf.

This husband and wife present to you a story full of many strong characters, an aspect that is sadly lost in most stories. The tribe of elves invovlved are described as being not only a tribe, but a family. And Richard Pini's heartfelt stroy-telling sucks you into that family, sucks you into the love and the devotion each thickly developed character feels for one another.

The fact that this epic is in comic-book form adds to the escape effect you will feel upon reading this book. The beautiful artwork becomes your environment and soon you find yourself there with the tribe as they trek through the desert and the forest of a deformed Earth-like world. Enter these richly drawn settings and be transported into mystery. Brilliant!

You can't pidgeon-hole ElfQuest into a warlike, adventurous "boy-comic" or a cutesy, romantic "girl-comic." Neither can it be dismissed as a children's story or reserved for adults. It's got a little bit of everything. Okay, so I may be biased given that the ElfQuest series is one of my all-time favorite tales, and certainly my favorite graphic novel :P - But I have good reasons, you see. I guess the most basic reason EQ is so COMPELLING is that it has the magic of any beloved story: it feels true. The characters and storylines, exotic though they are, reflect our own conflicts and passions. That means no flat characters or cheesy plots, hooray! Plus it has all those prrrrrrrretty pictures... I'm still drawing elves 11 years after I bought book 1! I recommend volumes 1-8.

I grew up reading this series with the original black and white single issues with the awesome character sketches on the back. I feel that this world of Elfquest allowed me and my friends to escape into a world of wonder and excitement that I feel everyone who is lucky enough to experience will benefit from. I feel honored to write this review 15 years after I read my 1st Elfquest and still feel the nostalgia of running through the woods in my childhood neighborhood howling and climbing trees in our imaginery holt. Thanks to the Pinis for this treasure from my childhood!

The Elfquest books pulled me completely into the world of comics. In Fire & Flight I met a whole new family I hoped to acquaint myself with and instead got captured in a fantastic world of stories and found a new home for my imagination. Cutter, Chief of the Wolfriders, is forced to lead his Tribe/family to a new home and ends up with more than he bargined for when they arrive! They must all learn to adjust to the changes and still hold on to 'The Way'.

This book is exelent, I first read the book when a friend lent it to me. I loved it by the time I got to the second page. A very good buy.

Elfquest - Fire and Flight has to be one of my favourite fantasy books that I have read. At first I was skeptical about reading a novel based on comics, and it has been sitting on my shelf for about 2 years before I thought about reading it. At first I thought it was very childish and rather silly but after the part about the meeting with the trolls, I started to get into the story. To summarise the plot as simply as possible, the story is basically about a group of elves (Wolfriders), driven from the forest after it has been destroyed by humans, and their journey across a desert to a place known as Sorrow's End, which is inhabited by another group of elves. There Cutter, the leader of the Wolfriders, meets Leetah, a healer from Sorrow's End and they know each other through what the elves call "Recognition".(Read the book to find out about this!). An elf, called Rayek, who is in love with Leetah, is hateful of Cutter and is jealous of him.

I really enjoyed how the authors drew out all the characters, especially Cutter and Leetah, and because of this and the simplicity of the story, one can guess how the story would evolve and pan out as one can guess how the characters would behave. That is not a bad thing. Believe me. Even though the story is short, it is an engrossing and entertaining read.

I believe the reason why I liked this book a lot has to deal with the emotions and feelings the Wolfriders undergo, especially the part where they travel through the desert. We have Cutter trying his best as leader trying to hold his tribe of Wolfriders together, Skywise and his trust in the "magical stone" and the love Nightfall has for Redlance, and the anguish of the elves and wolves. All the emotions are portrayed briefly and powerfully. You see many examples of the good and bad side of elven nature which can easily be translated into our lives and which makes the reader feel good all over.
I recommend this story/comic to anyone who wants to read an inspiring story, abut the strength of the elven (human) spirit and how love overcomes all.

I bought this one for my 9 year old son who loved it but ended up reading it myself. I plan on buying all of them!