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Elfquest: The Final Quest #13-18
ElfQuest: The Final Quest Volume 3
The late Angrif Djun's destructive fleet looms closer, seeking to wreak havoc on the elves and any humans that stand defiant. Rayek, influenced by the dark, dangerous spirit of Winnowill, fights back and fights for control of his very nature. And the Wolfriders fight to track down their chief who's own spirit hangs in the balance.
Winner of the Golden Pen Award from the Young Adult Advisory Committee!
Collects: ElfQuest: The Final Quest #13-#18
Winner of the Golden Pen Award from the Young Adult Advisory Committee!
Collects: ElfQuest: The Final Quest #13-#18
136 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 11, 2017
3 people are currently reading
111 people want to read
About the author
Wendy Pini
614 books395 followersWendy 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
November 12, 2024
Still sublime, I cannot believe there is only one more of these volumes to go to complete the Quest.
December 25, 2017
I really liked this graphic novel just because it's Elfquest written and with artwork by the Pinis. That's enough to make it fantastic imo. I've seen artwork as good but none better. And I love the variety of characters and the stories told about them in past comics.
However, after reading some reviews I realized I had some issues with this volume. The "tree elves" that were supposedly Savah's people prior to Sorrow's End came out of nowhere. So strange that she never mentioned them even after Cutter's people gain control of the palace.
Also, I haven't read old Elfquest in ages so don't remember the details of Cutter's dagger, what it's called, where it came from, what the key is for. And that's pretty helpful to know. There's an original elder troll no one knew about beforehand. Yet when we're introduced to him, he's evidently been there a long time. He even has guards so he's well established. I didn't get how they knew about him, realized he was there. I just felt lost. I guess I'll go back and read it again.
Just getting this was worth it but I felt a little lost. A must to add to your collection considering the revelations in this and the last volume and the stunning as usual artwork and characterizations.
However, after reading some reviews I realized I had some issues with this volume. The "tree elves" that were supposedly Savah's people prior to Sorrow's End came out of nowhere. So strange that she never mentioned them even after Cutter's people gain control of the palace.
Also, I haven't read old Elfquest in ages so don't remember the details of Cutter's dagger, what it's called, where it came from, what the key is for. And that's pretty helpful to know. There's an original elder troll no one knew about beforehand. Yet when we're introduced to him, he's evidently been there a long time. He even has guards so he's well established. I didn't get how they knew about him, realized he was there. I just felt lost. I guess I'll go back and read it again.
Just getting this was worth it but I felt a little lost. A must to add to your collection considering the revelations in this and the last volume and the stunning as usual artwork and characterizations.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 22, 2018
This volume continues the whole "Cutter has run mad because of Timmain's revelation" thing, and he runs around trying to reconcile it, then runs around trying to make amends on Timmain's behalf for the wrongs that the elves have done in the past. The new threads introduced are again waaaaaaay out of left field -- the "tree elves" were supposedly Savah's people prior to Sorrow's End, yet Savah never mentions them to the others before this. Even after Cutter's people gain control of the palace, she never thinks "Hey, let's seek this place out, what happened to my old family?"
There's an "original" elder troll, who lives in the chamber that Two-Edge built in the northern trolls' kingdom, but no one knew about him beforehand. Yet when we're introduced to him, he's evidently been there a long while, enough to have bodyguards & a retinue that ensures he's fed.
Not very satisfactory.
There's an "original" elder troll, who lives in the chamber that Two-Edge built in the northern trolls' kingdom, but no one knew about him beforehand. Yet when we're introduced to him, he's evidently been there a long while, enough to have bodyguards & a retinue that ensures he's fed.
Not very satisfactory.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 3, 2021
I don't care much for the change in Cutter. I liked him the way he was. he always made me smile and was such a good character that way. Now, he's empty and just another mysterious elf in a world full of mysterious elves.
I did find the story of the Rootless Ones interesting. I liked how it was a way of introducing new elves that have their own way of life and does not want a part of anything else. I like that it's OK not to want more, and that they get the choice. Also, I like how they're dealing with Winnowill. It's a way that makes sense, although it's a slow road.
I have to admit, however, that this story was very slow. As with Cutter's change, I don't care much about his little quest in this book. It makes sense that it came to the conclusion it did - I mean, why not? - but I feel like it doesn't really give much to the over-all story. It feels more like a way to pull the story to last longer.
And, on that note, I again felt like some of the panels and pages were disjointed, like I did with book 1. They jumped around and I kept feeling like I missed pages, which is frustrating and takes you out of the illusion a comic is supposed to pull you into.
I did find the story of the Rootless Ones interesting. I liked how it was a way of introducing new elves that have their own way of life and does not want a part of anything else. I like that it's OK not to want more, and that they get the choice. Also, I like how they're dealing with Winnowill. It's a way that makes sense, although it's a slow road.
I have to admit, however, that this story was very slow. As with Cutter's change, I don't care much about his little quest in this book. It makes sense that it came to the conclusion it did - I mean, why not? - but I feel like it doesn't really give much to the over-all story. It feels more like a way to pull the story to last longer.
And, on that note, I again felt like some of the panels and pages were disjointed, like I did with book 1. They jumped around and I kept feeling like I missed pages, which is frustrating and takes you out of the illusion a comic is supposed to pull you into.
December 7, 2018
I really wanted to like this more, but the story has gone... sideways. There are too many characters, there are too many threads she's trying to bring back together, and it's all very convoluted and not... engaging. The thread of the story has been lost in some concept that I feel is not being well expressed. The art, as always, is marvelous, but something about the story has lost me.
April 15, 2024
And so I’ve finished yet another of The Final Quest graphic novels…
I love this. I really really do… The weirdness with Cutter and Timmain continues here to, it is a bit of a central thing in the story after all. And I LOVE the reaction Cutter has on the fact he and Timmain share a soul. In a word, he goes insane.
To Wolfriders their innermost soul is the most precious thing of all, you’d die to protect it. It’s why they have soulnames after all. So to know this, that he shares a soul with a high one, it really breaks Cutter.
I’m a sucker for angst, so that is really up my alley!
And Wendy draws his insanity absolutely GORGEOUS! It’s in the eyes, really. I don’t know how she does it, but while Cutter is insane, his eyes are absolutely empty. There’s nothing behind them. And that’s kinda scary… But also awesome! He reverts totally to wolfpart of himself, the wild part. And he just runs, never resting, never sleeping until he literally collapses.
Were we meet a new… pack? Community? Or whatever you want to call it. While the Wolfriders connected with wolves, these elves connected with moss to the point they’ve transformed to a creature half moss half elf. It’s… freaking but also pretty cool. And using these elfs, Wendy closes a plot-thread from the FIRST FREAKING BOOK!!! I can’t even…
Then there’s, again, Strongbow and Moonshade that tries to find their way back to one another, but it just falls apart. Gawd. I feel for both of them. So heartbreaking. My sweet favorites…
Rayek and Ekuar gets some more spotlight here. Rayek who is a living prison to Winnowills spirit. Here she almost breaks free. Which is scary to say the least. Especially when Rayek is controlled by her spirit and goes on a murder-sphree killing humans left right and center. Venka, his daughter, does go head to head with her. With Two-Edge.
And Two-Edge is another character that gets a bit of a redemption in this story! The more I read of these books the more I love him, honestly! His love and admiration for Venka is beautiful! He’d do anything for her, to the point of dying. Which he almost does here. Unlike Cutter, Two-Edge millenia-old insanity is slowly healing. And man, does he deserve it, despite all the bad he’s done. Love it.
Can’t go through all characters, but the story itself is just… so good. In the end what gives you comfort is up to you. But for many, it’s family. Your chosen one.
I love this. I really really do… The weirdness with Cutter and Timmain continues here to, it is a bit of a central thing in the story after all. And I LOVE the reaction Cutter has on the fact he and Timmain share a soul. In a word, he goes insane.
To Wolfriders their innermost soul is the most precious thing of all, you’d die to protect it. It’s why they have soulnames after all. So to know this, that he shares a soul with a high one, it really breaks Cutter.
I’m a sucker for angst, so that is really up my alley!
And Wendy draws his insanity absolutely GORGEOUS! It’s in the eyes, really. I don’t know how she does it, but while Cutter is insane, his eyes are absolutely empty. There’s nothing behind them. And that’s kinda scary… But also awesome! He reverts totally to wolfpart of himself, the wild part. And he just runs, never resting, never sleeping until he literally collapses.
Were we meet a new… pack? Community? Or whatever you want to call it. While the Wolfriders connected with wolves, these elves connected with moss to the point they’ve transformed to a creature half moss half elf. It’s… freaking but also pretty cool. And using these elfs, Wendy closes a plot-thread from the FIRST FREAKING BOOK!!! I can’t even…
Then there’s, again, Strongbow and Moonshade that tries to find their way back to one another, but it just falls apart. Gawd. I feel for both of them. So heartbreaking. My sweet favorites…
Rayek and Ekuar gets some more spotlight here. Rayek who is a living prison to Winnowills spirit. Here she almost breaks free. Which is scary to say the least. Especially when Rayek is controlled by her spirit and goes on a murder-sphree killing humans left right and center. Venka, his daughter, does go head to head with her. With Two-Edge.
And Two-Edge is another character that gets a bit of a redemption in this story! The more I read of these books the more I love him, honestly! His love and admiration for Venka is beautiful! He’d do anything for her, to the point of dying. Which he almost does here. Unlike Cutter, Two-Edge millenia-old insanity is slowly healing. And man, does he deserve it, despite all the bad he’s done. Love it.
Can’t go through all characters, but the story itself is just… so good. In the end what gives you comfort is up to you. But for many, it’s family. Your chosen one.
April 15, 2022
The art is gorgeous and thoughtful, as always with the Pinis. I really should have re-read the series prior to this - there's some things that were clearly retconned and some things that were call backs to ooooooolllld events.
November 13, 2023
As with every penultimate story, so many threads are being drawn to a close and you wonder how it will ever be wrapped up adequately. The Wave Dancers (the ocean elves) and Rayek (Cutter’s antagonist) play a large part in this volume as we move toward the coming battle with the humans. We also, unfortunately, have had brand new characters introduced very late in the game, which muddies the waters since there is already an established huge cast. The elves recently discovered a new band of elves who have been hiding in plain sight, The Rootless Ones, a group of elves who a millennium ago shapeshifted into forms resembling plant life and became scavengers who think as a collective. Plus, a strange non-speaking elf Dre-ahn, who for some reason is larger than usual and only sings, is found. Cutter recovers from his discovery that he and High One Timmain are spirit-bound in a single soul. Cutter, who now knows more than he ever thought because of his connection to Timmain, says a poignant quote on the last page as he wonders “If I can know the larger truth and still live the smaller."
This review (plus V4) can be found on my blog: https://graphicnovelty2.com/2020/05/1...
This review (plus V4) can be found on my blog: https://graphicnovelty2.com/2020/05/1...
January 28, 2019
3/4
As always, the art was on point.
As far as Elfquest plots go, however, this one wasn't as...flamboyant(?) as the rest. I definitely enjoyed it, but the main story from the earlier, original quest has stuck with me for a long time. It's hard to beat that. Also, I wasn't quite sure what was going on with the sudden introduction to the tree-spirits (tree-elves? forest-things?). They were there as if they'd been there the whole time, and Savah had never mentioned them before. I guess it's just a little late in the game to be introducing such an (apparently) established species.
I'm sort of in agony over the whole drama between Moonshade and Strongbow. I really love them together. They're actually probably my favorite couple in the whole series, just because of their loyalty and devotion to each another. Fingers crossed for a happy ending!
As always, the art was on point.
As far as Elfquest plots go, however, this one wasn't as...flamboyant(?) as the rest. I definitely enjoyed it, but the main story from the earlier, original quest has stuck with me for a long time. It's hard to beat that. Also, I wasn't quite sure what was going on with the sudden introduction to the tree-spirits (tree-elves? forest-things?). They were there as if they'd been there the whole time, and Savah had never mentioned them before. I guess it's just a little late in the game to be introducing such an (apparently) established species.
I'm sort of in agony over the whole drama between Moonshade and Strongbow. I really love them together. They're actually probably my favorite couple in the whole series, just because of their loyalty and devotion to each another. Fingers crossed for a happy ending!
October 2, 2017
I NEVER WANT IT TO END. I really can't wait for the next one. I've grown up reading about Cutter and his quests since High School and I've truly grown attached to each character. Each elves' passing makes me sad and even Winnowill's insanity saddens me. I love what the Pini's have here; the creativity, the imagination, the entire world if fantastic. I just can't get enough. My life is pretty dull. This is a bit of spice in my day so please keep them coming. . . even after they leave this world -if they leave- to move onto their home world. The pack that remains could have wonderful stories if you think about it.
November 18, 2022
2018 Spring:
I did a reread of the entire last series for the ending of the main arc of Elfquest (aka Cutter, The Kinseeker's story). I still love it so very much and I love taking part in the community this time while doing it. Finding all the shoutouts to Dreamtime and to previous moments in the series across all the decades: right up to solving mysteries of the future comic connections.
I did a reread of the entire last series for the ending of the main arc of Elfquest (aka Cutter, The Kinseeker's story). I still love it so very much and I love taking part in the community this time while doing it. Finding all the shoutouts to Dreamtime and to previous moments in the series across all the decades: right up to solving mysteries of the future comic connections.
March 11, 2018
I'm never going to give anything less than 5 stars to ElfQuest. It's one of my heart books.
June 19, 2025
Huh. Still wandering around fishing for an ending. Still discovering old bits of myths. Missing Elves. Missing Trolls. Not the most coherent of books. And many of the individual elves are still figuring out what they are going to do next. And yet not a whole lot of character development advancement except maybe with the Wavedancers which is kind of weird. This may still really be about writing a whole lot of last scenes that end up not being last scenes. This might be clearer on a re-read. 3.5 of 5
August 2, 2020
Far from Wendy's best. Out of character moments for all her cast,ass-pulls worthy of Marvel and DC,coloring was off as was continuity. She pushed her pet agendas to the max as opposed to the subtlety of Original Quest. She ignored new characters and everything felt off. Still one of the best comic artists out there,but Final Quest is nowhere near as good as her earlier work.
June 17, 2025
A lot of things happening in this one. After the previous volume, Cutter is having an identity crisis. We meet the tree-shaped elves. Rayek wants to destroy the Djunsmen but the other elves are worried about him succumbing to Winnowill's spirit.
We see more of the magic of the palace. And a plot thread we didn't even know was a plot thread comes to the fore.
We see more of the magic of the palace. And a plot thread we didn't even know was a plot thread comes to the fore.
December 27, 2025
Another stellar, beautiful volume. The Rooted Ones were cool. Oh look, RAYEK IS STILL AN IDIOT. I can't bring myself to care much about the whole Dart/Mender thing, because Mender is still my least favorite ElfQuest character. I'm enjoying how much the elves have come to rely on making deals with Picknose and Drub to get things done. It's great for all of them.
On to Volume 4!
On to Volume 4!
April 19, 2021
More surprises, as Cutter runs away from a terrible truth he can't handle. Meanwhile, the war-men are sailing the seas, closer and closer to the elves' home.
Another great book in the series, and wonderful, brightly-colored artwork.
Another great book in the series, and wonderful, brightly-colored artwork.
November 3, 2018
More character killing.
More impossible ret-conning.
Not sure why I bothered.
More impossible ret-conning.
Not sure why I bothered.
June 24, 2019
The artwork is always great. I'm hoping it works out for Moonshade and Strongbow.
Read
August 12, 2020Turns out I read this the Complete Elfquest Volume 7.
November 28, 2018
Another wonderful addition to this decade-spanning epic.
January 17, 2026
I never liked the part with the long sleep and the advanced humans, but here we are. Everything else is surprisingly good, even if the Timmain plot twist is a bit weird.
June 7, 2017
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/
Volume 3 is clearly going to be about Cutter's 'discovery' from the end of volume 2 - and as such, this volume more than the others is about the emotion rather than the action. But Strongbow, Rayek, and others also get their moments of pathos as revelations and choices draw hearts in separate directions.Story: Cutter has all but been lost to his loved ones but they have not given up on him. As Sunstream's Call echoes around the world of Two Moons, it finds new elves who have found even better ways of hiding safely amongst the nature of the world. Cutter Kinseeker will live up to his name while the rest of the tribes face more problems - from betrayal of Ember's safe location to lifemates being torn apart by the decision to stay or leave with the palace of the high ones.
I'm happy that the humans feature less in the Final Quest since I rarely found them interesting as foils for the elves. I can't say that I really understood Rayak's decision regarding Winnowill or Cutter's strong reaction to Timmain's revelation. It felt like a lot of drama for drama's sake. But the story is less choppy now by volume 3 so it doesn't feel like we are being ping ponged across the plot by jumping into the POVs of so many characters.
Each of these volumes end on nice cliff hangers, attesting to the story being carefully plotted out. The illustration work is lovely if never perhaps as brilliant as the original series. It's always fun to see how each character will be outfitted newly or how they will have grown.
In all, I am enjoying the Final Quest and I am very happy to see the Elfquest Story finally coming to a close after enjoying the series all these decades. I'll always treasure my original comics and my Fire and Flight volume 1 looks like it went through the war, it's been read so often. This Final Quest may not have the impact of the first series, when we had such a small and therefore more focused set of characters. But it's still a joy all the same. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.
July 25, 2017
I love the introduction of the Hidden Ones and the Firstcomer troll. Wendy's art is gorgeous, as always.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews