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Elfquest #7
The Cry from Beyond
The Wolfriders face their most daunting challenge when one of their number kidnaps Cutter’s mate and children into future time, to prevent the accident that first brought the elves to this world.
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
3 people are currently reading
150 people want to read
About the author
Wendy Pini
614 books391 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 - 20 of 20 reviews
December 2, 2018
So here we are….Book Seven of the Elfquest Saga...subtitled as “The Cry From Beyond,” it’s actually the first four anthologized issues of the “Kings of the Broken Wheel” story arc. We’re now getting close to the end of what I consider to be the “classic” Elfquest adventures. It’s been a fun ride for me as I had never really read through the series as a whole before. I understand now why so many people were swept up in Elfmania back in the day. Wendy and Richard Pini reinvented the idea of the independent comic and took a small publication right smack dab into the middle of the comics mainstream. Elfquest opened many a door for other independent publications, and they proved that you could produce quality mainstream product and get it to market in non-traditional ways.
Andy and John Byrne provide the introduction to this particular collection, and it’s interesting to hear from the guys who brought a new sort of darker characterization to their heroes at a time when comic book conventions were becoming stale and sales were beginning to stagnate for both of the major players in the industry. John Byrne made the X-Men an analogue for a generation that would eventually make itself heard through grunge music and the rise of goth culture. I have long suspected that Elfquest owes a lot of its cultural cues directly to the influence of the “X-Men.” The idea of outcasts looking for a home speaks to a pretty wide comics demographic, and “Elfquest” is nothing if not a quest for that ultimate ideal of acceptance and comfort in a place where sleep comes easy and the dreams are quiet. I’m not sure that the Byrnes are spot-on with their idea that Cutter is the Wolverine of the Elfquest universe, but there are a couple of outward similarities between the two characters.
“Kings of the Broken Wheel” opens with the Wolfriders in their new Holt, taking stock of their situation while Rayek and Treestump and Clearbrook make their way to the Palace of the High Ones. This sets up one of the most shocking scenes of the entire series, as Rayek engages in what amounts to a “scouring of the Go-Backs.” Using the channeled powers of the Gliders who are now in spirit form, Rayek destroys the entire Go-Back village and exiles the survivors. This is some pretty heavy stuff, as he buries his former lover Kahvi and the child that Rayek doesn’t know he sired in the rubble of the Go-Back home cave. It’s a bit of unwarranted violence that only serves to show Rayek as the power-mad boor that he’s always been, albeit now endowed with a set of Elven superpowers that would give John Byrne’s Phoenix pause. Shortly thereafter, they reach the Palace and the spirits of the Gliders destroy the barrier that the Gnomes had built to hide the Palace. The essences of the Gliders become one with the other elven spirits of the Palace, giving Rayek ultimate control of the now renewed ancestral home of the Elves.
Rayek harnesses the strength of the Palace to make it fly once more, and takes it on a journey to the Holt of the Wolfriders. Cutter’s son Suntop is in distress, hearing a cry for help that only he can detect. A plan is hatched to use the power of the Palace to find the source of the distress call, but first the Palace must make a pit-stop at the desert home of the Sun-Folk. The basic idea of this four-issue set is to set up the big events to come in the final book. In other words, no more spoilers for YOU.
The art, as usual, is fantastic. The writing is crisp and clean and things move along at a speedy pace. There is the loss of an old friend, the letting go of a spirit in pain, and all sorts of Elven revelry and love-making. The Moorcockian darkness that had settled over the series while the Glider story line held sway seems to have melted away, replaced by a brighter palette of colors and a rediscovery of the joy and abandonment of the earlier stories in the saga. Cutter and his band of plucky Elves seem to have returned to a Quest that rings truer to the roots of Elfquest as it was originally imagined.
There is also much more of a science-fiction element to “Kings of the Broken Wheel.” The alien nature of the High Ones has become apparent to all, and the Palace’s true purpose as a ship that can travel through time and space is finally realized. The fact that it now uses the spirits of dead Elves as a power source seems to not be an issue for any of the characters…..I guess if they’re good with it…..
The spiritual nature of the Elves really comes to forefront in these final volumes. The Wolfriders have exchanged immortality for a bonded relationship to the World of the Two-Moons. The High-Ones were immune to aging, but could certainly be killed through combat. Yet ALL of the Elvish descendants seem to have a powerful soul that seeks freedom and release once separated from the flesh. This idea of spiritual renewal has been one of the central thematic elements of Elfquest right from the start, and I like how it’s handled in this story arc.
One last note on aesthetics. I have mentioned before that I am lucky to have in my possession the first editions of the collected graphic novels. Father Tree Press did an exceptionally good job with the printing and binding of these volumes. I do my best to keep and protect them well, but the fact that they still look and feel great after 30 some-odd years is heartening to me. I loves me a beat-up old paperback and all...but to hold and enjoy a quality printing of a quality book is a true gift.
On to the conclusion of the series.
Andy and John Byrne provide the introduction to this particular collection, and it’s interesting to hear from the guys who brought a new sort of darker characterization to their heroes at a time when comic book conventions were becoming stale and sales were beginning to stagnate for both of the major players in the industry. John Byrne made the X-Men an analogue for a generation that would eventually make itself heard through grunge music and the rise of goth culture. I have long suspected that Elfquest owes a lot of its cultural cues directly to the influence of the “X-Men.” The idea of outcasts looking for a home speaks to a pretty wide comics demographic, and “Elfquest” is nothing if not a quest for that ultimate ideal of acceptance and comfort in a place where sleep comes easy and the dreams are quiet. I’m not sure that the Byrnes are spot-on with their idea that Cutter is the Wolverine of the Elfquest universe, but there are a couple of outward similarities between the two characters.
“Kings of the Broken Wheel” opens with the Wolfriders in their new Holt, taking stock of their situation while Rayek and Treestump and Clearbrook make their way to the Palace of the High Ones. This sets up one of the most shocking scenes of the entire series, as Rayek engages in what amounts to a “scouring of the Go-Backs.” Using the channeled powers of the Gliders who are now in spirit form, Rayek destroys the entire Go-Back village and exiles the survivors. This is some pretty heavy stuff, as he buries his former lover Kahvi and the child that Rayek doesn’t know he sired in the rubble of the Go-Back home cave. It’s a bit of unwarranted violence that only serves to show Rayek as the power-mad boor that he’s always been, albeit now endowed with a set of Elven superpowers that would give John Byrne’s Phoenix pause. Shortly thereafter, they reach the Palace and the spirits of the Gliders destroy the barrier that the Gnomes had built to hide the Palace. The essences of the Gliders become one with the other elven spirits of the Palace, giving Rayek ultimate control of the now renewed ancestral home of the Elves.
Rayek harnesses the strength of the Palace to make it fly once more, and takes it on a journey to the Holt of the Wolfriders. Cutter’s son Suntop is in distress, hearing a cry for help that only he can detect. A plan is hatched to use the power of the Palace to find the source of the distress call, but first the Palace must make a pit-stop at the desert home of the Sun-Folk. The basic idea of this four-issue set is to set up the big events to come in the final book. In other words, no more spoilers for YOU.
The art, as usual, is fantastic. The writing is crisp and clean and things move along at a speedy pace. There is the loss of an old friend, the letting go of a spirit in pain, and all sorts of Elven revelry and love-making. The Moorcockian darkness that had settled over the series while the Glider story line held sway seems to have melted away, replaced by a brighter palette of colors and a rediscovery of the joy and abandonment of the earlier stories in the saga. Cutter and his band of plucky Elves seem to have returned to a Quest that rings truer to the roots of Elfquest as it was originally imagined.
There is also much more of a science-fiction element to “Kings of the Broken Wheel.” The alien nature of the High Ones has become apparent to all, and the Palace’s true purpose as a ship that can travel through time and space is finally realized. The fact that it now uses the spirits of dead Elves as a power source seems to not be an issue for any of the characters…..I guess if they’re good with it…..
The spiritual nature of the Elves really comes to forefront in these final volumes. The Wolfriders have exchanged immortality for a bonded relationship to the World of the Two-Moons. The High-Ones were immune to aging, but could certainly be killed through combat. Yet ALL of the Elvish descendants seem to have a powerful soul that seeks freedom and release once separated from the flesh. This idea of spiritual renewal has been one of the central thematic elements of Elfquest right from the start, and I like how it’s handled in this story arc.
One last note on aesthetics. I have mentioned before that I am lucky to have in my possession the first editions of the collected graphic novels. Father Tree Press did an exceptionally good job with the printing and binding of these volumes. I do my best to keep and protect them well, but the fact that they still look and feel great after 30 some-odd years is heartening to me. I loves me a beat-up old paperback and all...but to hold and enjoy a quality printing of a quality book is a true gift.
On to the conclusion of the series.
August 27, 2023
Rayek goes inexcusably berserk in front of a large crowd of witnesses, and gets away with it. The others yell at him a bit, but go right on cooperating with him, albeit grudgingly. He's become not just a terrible person, but a terrible character - an antagonist whose motives are stupid and boring, and who never experiences any serious consequences.
Strongbow, meanwhile, can't get over the reasonable actions he took in defense of his family, which makes for a weird contrast.
Oh, yeah, and Suntop's hearing a cry for help. That's the only interesting plot thread here, and it doesn't really go anywhere until the end of the volume. In other words, this is just an overly long prologue for a new story arc.
August 11, 2014
These are a series of graphic novels that I first read in my tweens and hold a special place in my childhood reading. I have since come back to them and re-read them several times, and for me, they continue to stand to the test of time. This series changed drastically in plot and voice after the eighth volume, and increasingly became more and more of the saccharine sweet fantasy fluff that I can't bear to read. The first eight volumes are literary treasures that I continue to cherish.
July 15, 2017
I really like seeing Nightfall and Redlance's plot arc here, and watching Strongbow, Clearbrook, and Treestump struggle with finding closure. It's also great to see Cutter as a father, something we've seen relatively little of in previous books, as he's often been separated from his cubs. And the art, as always, is lovely. But this is more of a "bridge" book, summing up what's happened before, tying up some loose threads, and setting up for the real conflict of book eight.
February 11, 2010
Hooray for ElfQuest online! Good call, Richard.
January 9, 2024
ElfQuest is a beautiful exploration of people and culture in a fantasy world that started back in the 1970's and still runs to this day. On this world humans are still very much in their barbaric cavemen days while elves are the fierce hunters but also fun loving children of the forest who just want to be left alone. We meet Cutter and his clan of Wolf Riders just as they're escaping a deadly clash with the humans of their area that results in them burning down the whole forest and its through these elves' eyes that we get to explore this lush world and storytelling.
Back when I was introduced to this world in middle school by my cousin, I was immediately taken with the stunning artwork and the way these characters were portrayed. The Wolf Riders and the other elves in the story are very obviously part of the same race, but show a wide variety in every aspect of their design depending on where in the world they settled (much like actual humans in our world). From the beginning we have a large handful of characters to keep track of, elf, troll and human alike, and yet it never felt like a struggle to keep track of them because of their design and how their names just fit them so well...
Read my review on the full series at Well, Are They? A Queer Review blog
https://wellarethey.blogspot.com/2022...
Back when I was introduced to this world in middle school by my cousin, I was immediately taken with the stunning artwork and the way these characters were portrayed. The Wolf Riders and the other elves in the story are very obviously part of the same race, but show a wide variety in every aspect of their design depending on where in the world they settled (much like actual humans in our world). From the beginning we have a large handful of characters to keep track of, elf, troll and human alike, and yet it never felt like a struggle to keep track of them because of their design and how their names just fit them so well...
Read my review on the full series at Well, Are They? A Queer Review blog
https://wellarethey.blogspot.com/2022...
November 4, 2023
This actually contains Kings of the Broken Wheel # 1-4.
If this weren't called The Cry From Beyond, I wouldn't know what it's about. It begins immediately after the last book. Rayek has the spirits of the Gliders in him, intending to carry them to the palace. But first he has a confrontation with the Go Backs. Bringing the Glider sprits to the palace gives it enough power that the palace can fly. Suntop hears a sending for help that no one else can hear. The elves fly the palace to the Sun Village for a reunion, and then they go to investigate the sending.
The art is subtly different. The way the elves are drawn feels a little more cartoony and exagerrated, but not dramatically. I'm reading this in black and white, and the rendering isn't as subtle or detailed as it was in the early comics. Which probably wouldn't be noticeable in color.
If this weren't called The Cry From Beyond, I wouldn't know what it's about. It begins immediately after the last book. Rayek has the spirits of the Gliders in him, intending to carry them to the palace. But first he has a confrontation with the Go Backs. Bringing the Glider sprits to the palace gives it enough power that the palace can fly. Suntop hears a sending for help that no one else can hear. The elves fly the palace to the Sun Village for a reunion, and then they go to investigate the sending.
The art is subtly different. The way the elves are drawn feels a little more cartoony and exagerrated, but not dramatically. I'm reading this in black and white, and the rendering isn't as subtle or detailed as it was in the early comics. Which probably wouldn't be noticeable in color.
September 30, 2023
Continuing along on the grand Elfquest re-read. I have reached the volumes I know less. So I know where this story is going, but I don't know the words, I don't know all the details. In some ways, not a lot happens in this one. We start the story and Suntop hears a call, a plea, a cry for help, and by the end of the book he's on his way to find it. In between, a lot of loose ends are tied up. And a whole bunch of the characters get moved around. But there's a lot more here than I remembered. Still too hard to separate the impact of Elfquest on earlier me than this particular read.
April 9, 2020
Note to self: Read this online. This is Kings of the broken wheel part 1 (1-4).
February 19, 2008
I think I bought this in high school at Border's Books because it was on the clearance table. I don't remember it being especially confusing or bad because I was starting out of order, in fact I remember being really drawn into the story.
When I re-read this book it all seemed kind of amateurish and unoriginal...and very dated. It is the kind of fantasy story were characters have names like "Suntop" and "Skywatcher." In fact, characters are often referred to by what they do, like "he who spins spells" instead of just magician.
The book also seems very dated in the elves weird combination of hippy and androgynous glam rock look, with a healthy portion of faux Native American.
It could have been a lot worse, but time has definitely not been kind to this series.
When I re-read this book it all seemed kind of amateurish and unoriginal...and very dated. It is the kind of fantasy story were characters have names like "Suntop" and "Skywatcher." In fact, characters are often referred to by what they do, like "he who spins spells" instead of just magician.
The book also seems very dated in the elves weird combination of hippy and androgynous glam rock look, with a healthy portion of faux Native American.
It could have been a lot worse, but time has definitely not been kind to this series.
October 3, 2012
I love how ElfQuest has now incorporated time travel into the story. The magic users have really developed since finding the palace, and all the intricate relationships are lovely. I really felt sorrow when Rayek committed his great atrocity. The choice between 'the way' and the need to be with his family again was really a struggle for Cutter, and I like how the story turned out.
September 25, 2023
The Wolfriders are in a new place and have a new home. They are trying to find a new home, and make it their own. They decide to travel with the palace which has unintended consequences. This is a wonderful volume. It truly explores all the strengths and weaknesses of the different tribes. The message of love and hope at the end is beautiful as well.
November 11, 2010
I want to love this one, I really do! I loved all the other ones... But the artwork has changed too much, and not for the better, and the story is getting really tangled. But I still love all the characters to death.
April 26, 2025
A personal favorite.
**********
Second review, 2025:
Still 5 stars. The One-Eye and Strongbow storylines here made me cry again. Also, Rayek is going from idiot to straight-up a-hole.
**********
Second review, 2025:
Still 5 stars. The One-Eye and Strongbow storylines here made me cry again. Also, Rayek is going from idiot to straight-up a-hole.
Read
July 6, 2009I had no concept that these books were slightly seventies when I read them. Just a little dated.
January 11, 2010
This one made Rayek a lot less interesting to me. Bleh.
April 17, 2012
I remembered this being much less coherent (and that was back when I was reading it as a comic book and didn't know where ElfQuest would go in the future). But I still hate Rayek.
February 14, 2016
Fantastic blend of fantasy and comics. Incredible characters and storyline. Highly recommended
November 26, 2016
Part of my great ElfQuest re-read!
March 19, 2021
Suntop hears a piercing psychic scream...but no one can reach the screamers. The elves decide to seek them out and help. But can they even reach as far as they find they have to?
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews