Final Quest #18

Depressing AND repetitive! The one light at the end of the tunnel of misery was the vaguest hint that Rayek and Winnowill were finally coming to a truce, even if only for a single night when she would let him sleep. And that's when the series cut off abruptly!

That's the night where they all did their story swap with Ekuar? TBH, that was the best part of that entire series.

from Elfquest.com

Wendy Pini wrote:

Have begun work on “Elfquest – the Final Quest” issue 18, which turns out to be another long one…24 pages. But then, why not? Since it wraps up the 6 issues that comprise “Final Quest Volume 3,” it better be a doozy! Very much have that same feeling as back in the early 80s when I embarked on Book 4 of the Classic Quest. Terror? Indeed! For, as well planned out as this thing is, the story must be brought home as the total catharsis we’ve always envisioned. As Ron Koslow said to me just before I started painting “Night of Beauty,” my second “Beauty and the Beast” graphic novel, “nothing like being under pressure, is there?”

(shakes head) I still find it hard to believe the story was always intended to be like this. It still feels like a giant retcon. A rushed one, at that; it's as if Wendy and Richard just want it to be over and can't take the time to give it the glory it deserves.

That makes me feel disappointed, but like others have said, the Pinis have been working on "ElfQuest" for ages. It is time for the story to end. I just wish there was a way it could've been done to make everyone, creators and readers alike, more satisfied with it.

I'm tentatively hopeful. They could still mess it up, but I really like the Tammain-twist so far and it solves alot of the things I had noticed and couldn't figure out when obsessing over dreams and mysteries. My issues with Future Quest is way more about the pacing, the art and the way they tend to solve ALL the mysteries that really don't need solving. Teir and the compost elves were nice as mysteries, I didn' need to know about them in a big Final Quest! Less is more, let there be a bit of mystery left! (and while it was nice to see kahvi again, Teir being Ember cousin is gross and completely fully unecessary)
But I still think they could wrap it all up to a nice conclusion.

And about Rogues curse. My theory about Winnowill has always been that she does indeed need forgiveness and love in order to be healed, so that to me at least is a bit rewarding to see play out.
The problem I now have with Rogues curse is that I thought that maybe the point of Rayeks journey was him realizing that it isn't HIS love and forgiveness she needs (it's obviously Two-Edges), and maybe let her go after that in an act of true actual redeeming love, but now it turns out he's had his chance way earlier than I thought and he was too entitled to even notice! He used to be one of my problematic faves, but the creepyness of him liking to see Winnowill vulnerable just tipped me over the edge to disliking. And the worst part is I think we were meant to find that moment endearing!

the preview is out:

[url=The preview is out: https://www.bleedingcool.com/2017/01/10/exclusive-previews-elfquest-final-quest-18-conan-slayer-6/]

[quote="Lunakat"]the preview is out:

Thanks, Lunakat. Man, that site is really hard to load on my computer initially! But it looks
like the only option.

Anyone want to place bets on Two Edge and Ahdri possibly hooking up?

Don't know what to think otherwise, except maybe Cutter is weird about doing anything extreme to trolls even in self defense due to righting a wrong possibly?
Have no idea who they are.

I think the wrong has to do with the reasons for the original troll rebellion. And he is going to give them the option of coming with the elves or not when they leave the planet-- but as equals this time.

'Don't kill!'
Oh come on. You are going to get people killed when they end up in a situation where they only have 5 seconds to do something and the thought 'Don't kill!' is going to take 3 of those seconds you goddamn clod. 

Also I'm disappointed in how little Skywise got hurt.

Well-- I think Cutter came to make nice with the trolls.

Yeah- it does seem unrealistic to fall that far and land flat on stone and be that okay-- for both of them.
Maybe they're running on adrenaline?

I'm liking the color better still. A lot of problems seem fixed in that regard.

Lunakat wrote:

Well-- I think Cutter came to make nice with the trolls.

Yeah- it does seem unrealistic to fall that far and land flat on stone and be that okay-- for both of them.
Maybe they're running on adrenaline?

I'm liking the color better still. A lot of problems seem fixed in that regard.

It's a snippet. We could get a shot of Leetah patching them up in the background in the page(s) we don't see.

And Cutter has a point. The majority of people will not look kindly on what you have to say if you start hacking'n'slashing.

True, true...

Well, that was an anticlimactic brawl. Which is pretty much what I expected. It reminds me of the old Batman serials: end on a CLIFFHANGER OF CERTAIN TRAGEDY!!!!!!! and then magically by the next ep some little gizmo on the Batbelt saves the day.


....I know that Skywise and Cutter both promised to get right back to the fight later, but still, the last page of last ish seemed to be promising a HY 9.5-level throwdown. And instead we get a couple little biffs and rolls around before the plot intervenes again. I do wish Wendy could write this story in something other than a "hop from crisis to crisis" style. Not every issue needs to each on a "WHAM!" panel - esp. when the WHAM usually gets dealt with very quickly.

Wendy now says that Futurequest may or may not be canon. Sorta an alternate Scroll of Many Colors reading.

Wait, but she's said Jink is canon, right? Or is she backtracking on that also?

She created Jink and did her own illustration of Jink, so it's probably a character she'll hold on to.

She designed and created the Rebels too. Does anyone know what their canon status is?

I'm guessing same as Future Quest since it's in the future?

I wasn't much of a fan of the Future Quest or Rebels series so I don't really care about whether it's dismissed or not. I do know some people though really liked it (I'll try to re-read them again). I like the idea of Jink being Timmain/Skywise connected, and since the possibility of having a child with Skywise was discussed in FQ, I kind of figured it might happen. Not holding my breath for it though.

I still really wish Rogue's Curse wasn't canon. If Future Quest isn't canon, there are so many reason RC shouldn't be at anything but some world pool thing either.

Zadzi wrote:

I still really wish Rogue's Curse wasn't canon. If Future Quest isn't canon, there are so many reason RC shouldn't be at anything but some world pool thing either.

Yes. Please.

On the preview - well, whatever that short episode now was. Maybe it's more comprehensible once we see the full comic. Maybe there is a reason to show these new(?) troll people, maybe they'll come into action later for something. But standing alone it seems a bit like another half-weird thing to happen.

Two thoughts when reading the last post:

1 - How are there trolls that have been so isolated since the crash when every damn elf on the planet is related?

2 - Once again, Cutter literally falls into a new group of characters. I mean, he is one of my favorite characters - but really?

Further destroys the whole idea of needing the palace and Sunstream. Just get Cutter whacked out (fever, emotional upheaval) and let him wander around with Skywise for a while and they'll find everybody.

Suntop found one person it seems.

I'm also curious as to how they're trolls forgot what elves are. Trolls are supposed to be immortal- right? Picknose and Old Maggoty are still alive. They told their offspring about elves. So what gives with the mountain trolls? Did an entire generation just die off?

lol It's true, Cutter Kin Seeker really is good at his job. even if they're not kin. I agree, the palace seems superfluous... but tbh it always has been in a way for me at least. I feel like it became a literal character and just started to wreak havoc on the storyline some time ago.

Lunakat wrote:

I'm also curious as to how they're trolls forgot what elves are. Trolls are supposed to be immortal- right?

Bad memory maybe? Thousand of years is a lot of time. Maybe they're like "I'm sure I've seen this before but where...?"

@zadzi-- I just don't know why they didn't introduce some benign background tribe or two to make it seem like the palace was doing its thing. All those years of training on Suntop's part-- just to invite the same people to the party. Three new elves- two whole were unconscious- is two tribes less than Cutter discovered in a year. And then, in the middle of the party celebrating the arrival of this one conscious guy, Cutter just goes stumbling off blind and lands in a tangled mess of new elves. Awkward.

Yeah- I guess the trolls do breed quickly. Maybe these are new generations who have not yet encountered elves. Maybe the story of where they came from was never passed down to them?