The Final Quest

I think she likes it.

I think Sonny does the colors. And all trough Wendy has always used a bright palette, the computer rendered colors are a bit much for me. It's all, eh, a little bit Lisa Frank... Over-saturated.

As for the story, I think I should take your suggestion, Lunakat, and read it all in one sitting.

Elwing wrote:

No, Tymber, you're not alone and you are completely right. There is a complete lack of focus in the FQ books. It's not necessary to tie up every lose end ever left to be in 35 years of storytelling. However it is always completely necessary to tell a compelling story! And in order to do that, it needs to be clear who the main characters are. It's OK to give a bit of screen time to secondary characters every now and then, but there are now so many sidelines that the whole thing is a muddled mess. It's been a bit better in the last few books, though, so maybe there is hope.

The book feels very disconnected and jarring to me, because it's trying to cover so many things - in a single issue. I kind of wish, if this is the plan - that each issue kind of focuses on one section of the story/tribe - so that way, it doesn't feel like, "Here's two pages of Cutter, now over here is three pages of Ember, back over here for 2 pages of Cutter, now 3 pages over here with Strongbow & Moonshade, over here 2 pages with Suntop {I can't even remember his current name!}, now back over here to 3 pages of Cutter!" I'd rather it be, something like, "Here's 15 pages on Cutter, here's 15 pages on Strongbow & Moonshade" - next issue, "Here's 15 pages of Ember, here's 15 pages about the Palace" - so it wouldn't feel like I'm being whiplashed trying to figure out what everyone is doing.

Lunakat wrote:

I actually think the story itself is coming along nicely. And I do think that the line art is fine. The main problem Wendy had with PhotoShop was in coloring. And it was a pretty common problem. I actually don't draw or paint as well in PhotoShop as I do by hand. You really miss something there, I think, in not being able to feel what you are laying down.

Just to be clear, I don't have an issue with the art in Final Quest. I think it's beautifully done. (Discovery seemed VERY rough around the edges, and I was initially concerned that Wendy had lost her "touch" - but Final Quest, the art puts me back at ease!)

manga wrote:

I've been kind of wondering if Wendy is having trouble with her sight because of the way everything is neon candy-colored.

Huh... Maybe she's doing it on purpose? Because I just realized how well the colors match up with stuff like "Wreck-it Ralph." It is literally like a computer-animated movie. Maybe she likes it or feels it will catch reader's attention better.

I think after so many years of B&W, she's wanting to make the colors pop (and hopefully catch the eye of new readers).

Personally, with Wendy's art, I think it shines the best in B&W.

I quite like the art, and the coloring. Yes, it is quite bright compared to the OQ or KotBW... but I think that SatS and/or Discovery were even brighter!

Oh, and boooo Barry Blair! I could never quite figure out which elf was which, unless they were named on that same panel... very confusing!

Suntop now prefers the name Sunstream, Tymber


In my mind, the reason for 3-page parts is because all this is happening at the same time. With half-issue parts, some tribe(parts) would progress further in time than others, making it difficult to keep track on what is happening simultaneously or not.
Yes, it sucks to not have longer updates on anyone... but then again, would you really want to have to wait like half a year to find out if Teir dies? (his almost-drowning was a cliffhanger, right? I wouldn't have wanted the next issue to be all Cutter & Wavedancers or something!)

You know, another thing occurred to me about the coloring is that the hard quality of it may have to do with the smooth, glossy paper on which it is printed. Which is a modern thing, they tended to use more newspaper-like paper in past decades, which rendered the colors a bit more muted.

Blair was indeed....shudder worthy.forever green one of the stories i still hate the most.meh.

i actually rather like the new coloring style for final quest, SATS, and Discovery! but that's because i think it makes it much easier for me to recolor and stuff...and i generally like bright clear colors.

brushes are indeed a wonderful thing and an artists friend, but you do have to use them intelligently...and pick well designed brushes. i've found many a welcomed addition to my brush list on Deviantart!^^ but i rather doubt Wendy would ever think to look there...

This is the blurb for Final Quest- Book 2:

“It is time. Sunstream, son of Wolfrider chief Cutter Kinseeker, finally fulfills his destiny and becomes the psychic link among all the elfin tribes scattered across the World of Two Moons. At long last, the seeds planted 20,000 years ago in the original, classic Quest can come to fruition. But a devastating secret, long hidden in plain sight, is also moving into the light. When the full impact of this revelation becomes known, it will affect the entire elfin race forever.”

What is the "devastating secret, long hidden in plain sight"?

It's got to be something more than the Djun's ships- right?

What can it be? Been twisting my head, but maybe it's something we haven't heard about yet?

" When the full impact of this revelation becomes known, it will affect the entire elfin race forever.”

Sounds like something bigger, if he isn't going to unleash a deadly viruse or something.

Maybe the High Ones, and thus our elves, are the last of their species and the Palace is less a ship than an ark-cum-zoo? And its protocols for protecting the folk on it have become corrupted to the point where it "protects" them from life and deliberately promotes stagnation.

wonder it it's the tree elves thing...

Elwing wrote:

wonder it it's the tree elves thing...

That makes the most sense, with the clue of "being in plain sight"...

Tymber wrote:

Elwing wrote:

wonder it it's the tree elves thing...

That makes the most sense, with the clue of "being in plain sight"...

How about the Wolfriders being mortal? That wasn't fully widely known, right?
Or was it?

Elves have a borg-like hive mind, which will threaten the oh-so-secluded Wolfrider souls?

The elves are an invasive species?

Hm, those blurps don't always deliver; Strongbow didn't have to suffer a major betrayal so far.

But how will the tree elves affect the whole elfin race forever? Even if they were somehow literally part tree, I don't see it having that kind of impact.

What's been long hidden in plain sight?

Wolfrider mortality
the spirit existance of the elves
the elfblooded wolves
elfin magic

the truth about Recognition?
the hive mind?

It's definitely gonna be something bigger than Angrif. Look at the cover for issue 10; I suppose he's the guy in the background, he looks sick, dying.

Right now, though, I'm just rather glad issue 9 can't possible end on a cliff-hanger since issue 10 takes place 10 years later and at least partly involves a celebration.

something not just hidden in plain site, but a devastating secret.

Hmm.. I bet it's just the realization that the purpose of the palace is to remove them from the planet. Maybe Skywise has been prepping it all this time to do that.

Or... maybe that's not an image of him recognizing. Maybe that's him learning the devastating secret (that the female seems so pleased about)... No, given the Dreamtime story-- that has to be him recognizing.

The only surviving High One, so far, is Timmain- right? Maybe there are others...?

Lunakat wrote:

The only surviving High One, so far, is Timmain- right? Maybe there are others...?

What if the tree Elves are High Ones? Perhaps awakened by the call. Improvised, since they had no Preservers to "preserve" them - they took form of trees and "slumbered" as trees.

That's possible. They were hidden in plain sight, for sure. But why would that be devastating?

Lunakat wrote:

That's possible. They were hidden in plain sight, for sure. But why would that be devastating?

Perhaps a secret they have?

Oh my god, they went further back in time than even they knew, the world of two moons is the high ones original home!

*cackles at kathleen's idea*

i kinda can't help but think the palace...it's long been hidden in plain sight, and the elve's secret. gaaaawd isn't it july yet?!!...this waiting seems longer than usual...though that may be because i bought my online edition early...