ElfQuest: The Original Quest: Book 1--Fire and Flight

by Wendy Pini, Richard Pini

Discover ElfQuest, one of the most beloved fantasy series in comic-book history! Now in full color for the first time from Dark Horse Comics, ElfQuest is a tale made for our times.

Chief Cutter and the Wolfriders are driven from their forest home by fearful humans bent on their destruction. As they wander the ever-changing landscape of their harsh primeval world, the elves discover hidden danger, odd creatures…and to their surprise, other elfin tribes. Follow the Wolfriders as they forge new alliances, take on hidden enemies, and discover truths about themselves and their origins they never imagined.

Collects The Original Quest #1–#5.

Genres: Comics, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Graphic Novels Comics

200 pages, Hardcover

Published March 4, 2025

About the author

Wendy Pini is one-half of a husband and wife team with Richard Pini that created, most notably, the Elfquest series.

Wendy was born in California and adopted into the Fletcher Family in Santa Clara County. Early on, she developed as an artist and was the illustrator of her high school year book. She submitted samples of her artwork to Marvel Comics at 17 that were rejected.

Pini attended Pitzer College and received her B.A. in the Arts and joined the Los Angeles Science Fiction Society.

In 1972, she married Richard Pini and began illustrating science fiction magazines, including Galaxy, Galileo, and Worlds of If. In 1977, Richard and Wendy established a publishing company called Warp Graphics to publish their first Elfquest comic. Elfquest was self-published for 25 years and in 2003, licensed to DC Comics. The comic series has won several awards, including the Ed Aprill Award for Best Independent Comic, two Alley Awards, the Fantasy Festival Comic Book Awards for Best Alternative Comic, and the Golden Pen Award.

Wendy has illustrated other works, including Jonny Quest in 1986, Law and Chaos in 1987, and in 1989, two graphic novels of Beauty and the Beast. Recently in 2007, she completed a graphic novel entitled The Masque of Red Death.

Wendy has received several awards over the last four decades, including the San Diego Comic Convention Inkpot Award, the New York State Jaycees Distinguished Service Award, the Balrog Award for Best Artist, and was inducted into the Friends of Lulu Women Cartoonists Hall of Fame in 2002.

Wendy and her husband currently reside in Poughkeepsie, New York.

Reviews

[Melissasfandomworld · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5 stars

For me this is the first time reading it. I was gifted this book by a good friend of mine whom has loved the books for years and I'm so happy she decided to introduce me to this world! Absolutely loved it and I can't believe it's almost 50 years old.

Can't wait to get the next one and continue with it all. This was a very nice one as a first read of '26.

[Soteralzobooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Blaze · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read these for the first time when I was way too young for them. The fun thing about that is that I didn't really pick up on the things that I was too young for. The action, art style, desperation, discovery, and all of those other elements outweighed the more adult content for me. Re-reading this as an adult hasn't really changed my opinion about the action, art style, etc. at all.

I need to see if I can get my hands on the other installments of the Original Quest. I don't even remember how far into the story I got.

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

Collected here are the full color first chapters of the Elfquest series. Extras include a new side story chapter at the end as well as the covers from the original comics. I envy those who are reading this series for the first time; it's been a favorite since its introduction in the late 1970s and truly magical in every way.

Story: Cutter and his tribe of elves live on the world of Two Moon, fighting for survival against encroaching humans. When the humans try to burn the elves out of the forest, Cutter is forced to leave their tree holt and take his tribe to a new location. It is in this travel that they come across another tribe of elves; desert dwellers living peacefully in the land. It is there that Cutter and his tribe must learn to remake their lives while danger is ever present.

It is hard to give a decent synopsis to what is a journey of redemption and desperation so his tribe can survive. As well, we get the backstory of how the elves ended up on the world and why his tribe rides the wolves of the forest when the desert dwellers do not. It's a mix of two cultures with the threat of the primitive humans always on the horizon. But there is also the story of Cutter winning the heart of the desert tribe's healer, Leetah.

The artwork is stunning and suits the story perfectly. The authors are a husband-wife team and put their heart and souls into story over the last 50 years. Those reading the story now are privileged in that they don't have to endure the agonizing 3 month wait between comic issues. As well, these are in full color, unlike the original comics.

The new chapter provides a side story of Skywise getting to know the desert tribes women and how he has never wanted to settle down with just one person. But there is also insight into his relationship with Cutter, brother in all but name.

In all, those finding this for the first time get to enjoy this wonderful series in full color. It's a great journey and well worth the time. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

[Ángel Javier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Magnífico cómic de aventuras incomprensiblemente ignorado por el «fandom» en España (tal vez sea por la pésima edición de Norma de hace unos años), pero venerado en los USA por un buen número de razones, todas ellas excelentes: la evidente pasión de los Pini por su obra; su hito en la historia de la autoedición (apareció muy poco después de la seminal Cerebus, y, en mi opinión, resulta muy superior a la pesadísima —y pedantísima— saga del cerdo hormiguero, aunque puede que el hecho de que sus autores no hayan acabado siendo absolutos lunáticos, sino adorables ancianitos, haya influido en esta); el amor que respira por todos lados y que logra transmitir a los lectores; y, claro está, los encantadores dibujos de Wendy, apoyados por su agradable prosa. Todos estos motivos convierten Elfquest en una obra que debería ser reeditada por siempre jamás (a lo Watchmen pero sin estafa editorial de por medio), y, de hecho, eso es precisamente lo que ocurre en América, en ediciones cada vez más cuidadas y mimadas por sus autores, que la tratan como a si fuera su propio hijo, tal vez porque ellos mismos carezcan de descendencia. En fin, entre sus páginas encontraremos una historia vieja como el tiempo: la lucha por la libertad, por la vida en paz, por el amor, a la que se oponen la opresión, los prejuicios, el odio. Los elfitos son auténticos jipis transgresores de un «establishment» — simbolizado por una primitiva humanidad— que los quiere destruir sin más motivo que el miedo a lo desconocido. En este primer tomo, se encontrarán a otros elfitos, estos de piel oscura (dudo que por casualidad), aislados en un oasis en mitad del desierto, y tendrán que superar sus diferencias culturales a fin de prepararse para la siguiente fase de su periplo. Acompañémoslos, pues, ya que el relato intemporal que podremos encontrar en sus páginas es tan relevante en nuestros días como lo fue en su momento.

¡Larga vida a Elfquest!

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, it's great to finally have these in a modern, full-color hardcover. The rest of Dark Horse's reprints of these books have been deeply disappointing because of the poor quality of the books and the fact that they're in black and white when so much of the artwork has been colored. But, yeah, finally, and hopefully it goes far beyond the Original Quest.

Second, wow, I cannot believe how good this still is. I expected a nostalgic enjoyment, as I first read these in the Marvel-Epic (color) reprints in the '80s. But these are top-rate stories that could have been written today. The characterization is deep. The storyline is epic (not just Epic). The world-design is intriguing. the emotions are real.

Blended with that, you have elements that feel like they were definitely born of the 70s, like soul names and recognition, but I mean that in the best possible way. It's a look at a fantasy comic influence by a different time than the more modern fantasies.

I look forward to continuing with these reprints as far as the Pinis and Dark Horse go.

[Will Hinds · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nostalgia weighted heavily on this read, and as I read I kept thinking ahead to other beats in the story and how much I looked forward to them. It's probably been about 30 years since I first, and probably last, read this original arc. I can't say I've re-read much dating back that far, Calvin and Hobbes, maybe, but then again, I never really sat down and re-read that in the sequence I read it in my childhood, so that's not even comparable... Anyway, I'm getting into the weeds. Today, I see this a bit as a product of it's time, 70's/80's comic telling, before the cataclysm that Alan Moore set off in comic-book story telling. Very linear, a fair amount of hand-holding, but well done. I'm not sure how far down the rabbit hole I'm going to go with ElfQuest, I have some desire to re-read the whole series, but at the same time, I'm weary to be disappointed and lose the luster it retains in my memory. By itself, this single volume doesn't have a home on my bookshelf long term, so I guess I keep going until I either give up, or turn the corner.

[Guina Guina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read these for the first time when I was way too young for them. The fun thing about that is that I didn't really pick up on the things that I was too young for. The action, art style, desperation, discovery, and all of those other elements outweighed the more adult content for me. Re-reading this as an adult hasn't really changed my opinion about the action, art style, etc. at all.

I need to see if I can get my hands on the other installments of the Original Quest. I don't even remember how far into the story I got.

[Jo M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five Fantastically Magical Stars! I first read Elfquest in the early 2000s and LOVED it. Noone I knew had ever heard of it. I soon devoured all the stories my local library had. Fast forward to 2025 and after googling Elfquest I find out it's been reissued into these gorgeous new editions, I am overjoyed. I absolutely can't wait to purchase and read the rest of the series again! ✨🧝🧝‍♀️🧝‍♂️✨

[Charlene Mattson · Rating 5 out of 5]

So excited to read these again in full colour!

[pʕałxʷ-Grahm Wiley-Camacho · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crazy that this book is about to turn 50! Nice to see it in color.

[Jacob Clifton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fundamental reading! Read it for Leetah, if nothing else — she rules!

[Siri Olsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review with Book 4.

[Luke · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

[Ariel Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

A phenomenal reprint that shows Wendy's touch in every sumptuously recolored page. As ever, despite being originally printed in the 70s, the themes are as relevant today as they were then.