Elfquest is a comic book series created by Wendy and Richard Pini, first published in 1978. The comics and related works of prose fiction tell the story of the elves of the World of Two Moons, particularly the elfin tribe called the Wolfriders.
Elfquest was first published in the short-lived Fantasy Quarterly anthology in February, 1978; after one appearance there, it was published by Warp Graphics as a stand-alone series which began with issue #2 (the Fantasy Quarterly material was later republished as issue #1). Starting in 1992, it branched into multiple titles, many of which were re-absorbed into a single title which ran from 1996-1999. In 2003 Warp Graphics, after publishing a few single issues and graphic novels, licensed the publishing rights to DC Comics. They published reprints in manga-like graphic novel format, as well as new material. In 2003 DC Comics also began re-releasing the original collections in re-colored hardcover format. These are considered by the authors themselves to be "the definitive version" of the material.wendywords: Catching a quick breath In 2013 Dark Horse Comics acquired the publishing license for both reprint and new material.
Original material by publication date This list includes only the first publication date for a given publication. It does not include reprint material.
Comics 1978: Fantasy Quarterly #1 [anthology] From 1978-1992, Elfquest was published as a series of consecutive titles: 1978-1984: Elfquest: The Original Quest - 20 story issues plus one "extra" issue (#21); #1 reprints the story from Fantasy Quarterly #1; #21 was a "bonus" issue containing fan letters about the end of the quest, background sketches, published reviews, editorials, and other behind the scenes material. 1980: Epic Illustrated #1: anthology work containing new Elfquest short, "Homespun" (not originally identified as an Elfquest story, but its characters subsequently reappear in the Original Quest). 1986: Warp Graphics Annual, containing "Courage, By Any Other Name..." 1986-1988: Siege at Blue Mountain - 8 issues 1988-1990: Kings of the Broken Wheel - 9 issues In 1992, the Elfquest series split into several concurrently-running series: 1992-1996: Hidden Years - 30 issues (29 numbered issues plus issue #9.5) 1992-1996: New Blood - 35 issues 1993-1995: Blood of Ten Chiefs - 20 issues 1993-1994 WaveDancers I (not considered canonical, also known as Original WaveDancers) - 6 issues, created by Julie Ditrich, Bruce Love and Jozef Szekeres, also known as BMP (Black Mermaid Productions). This story's non-canon status may be due to a contractual dispute between its creators and the Pinis. 1993: New Blood Summer Special - 1 issue 1994: Elfquest Bedtime Stories - anthology work containing several new shorts. 1994-1996: Shards - 16 issues 1994-1996: The Rebels - 12 issues 1994-1996: Jink - 12 issues 1995-1996: Kahvi - 6 issues 1995-1996: Two-Spear - 5 issues 1996: WaveDancers II Special - 1 issue In 1996, the Elfquest lines were merged into a single monthly anthology comic containing several storylines: 1996: Metamorphosis - 1 issue 1996-1999: Elfquest II - 33 issues, containing the following storylines: "Dreamtime" (Elfquest II #4-7, 9-13, 15-16, 18) "Fire-Eye" (Metamorphosis, Elfquest II #1-7, 9-14, 16-17, 19-22 "Futurequest" (Metamorphosis, Elfquest II #10-11, 13-15, 17, 19-20, 22) "Leetah's Song" (Elfquest II #32) "Mr. Beat" (Elfquest II #9, 27) "Return to Centaur" (an Elfquest - Xanth crossover story) (Elfquest II #19, 23-24, 28, 30-31) "Rogue's Curse" (Metamorphosis, Elfquest II #1, 3, 8-10, 12-13, 15-17, 20, 22, 24-26, 28-30) "Tiny Toons" (Elfquest II #16, 25, 27) "Wavedancers" (Metamorphosis, Elfquest II #1-2, 5, 21, 23-24, 27-28, 30-31) "Wild Hunt" (Metamorphosis, Elfquest II #1-7, 10-12, 14-15, 18, 20-30, 32-33) "Windkin" (Elfquest II #4, 18) "Wolfrider!" (Elfquest II #19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31, 33) "Worldpool" (Elfquest II #2, 3, 4, 17, 18, 26, 31) Several mini-series or one-issue stories were also published during the run of the ElfQuest anthology: 1997: Kings Cross - 2 issues 1997: Worldpool - 1 issue 1998: Frank Frazetta Fantasy Illustrated #1: anthology work containing new Elfquest short, "Jury". 1998: Frank Frazetta Fantasy Illustrated #4: anthology work containing new Elfquest short, "Rogue's Curse". 1998: Elfquest: The First Twenty Years: anthology work containing new Elfquest short, "The Heart's Way" and reprinting "Homespun" and "Courage, By Any Other Name". After the Elfquest anthology comic came to an end in 1999, new material continued to be released in the form of one-issue stories, or as new material added to the Reader's Collections (which were primarily reprints of previously published storylines): 1999: Wolfrider - reader's collection containing the conclusion to the storyline begun in Elfquest II. 2001: Wolfshadow Summer Special - 1 issue 2001: Recognition Summer Special - 1 issue 2002: In All But Blood - reader's collection containing two new Elfquest shorts, "Troll Games and Soul Names" and "Full Circle" and reprinting "Wolfshadow" and "The Heart's Way". In 2003, Elfquest was licensed to DC Comics. Since then, new material has been released: 2004: The Searcher and the Sword (graphic novel) 2006: The Discovery - 4 issues Since 2013, new comics as well as more reprints have been published by Dark Horse Comics: 2013: The Final Quest Special (2013) 2014–2018: The Final Quest - 24 issues 2019–2020: Stargazer's Hunt - 4 issues
Prose fiction 1984: Journey to Sorrow's End - prose novelization 1986: The Blood of Ten Chiefs, edited by Richard Pini, Robert Asprin and Lynn Abbey - short story anthology: "Pendulum" - Richard Pini "Coming of Age" - Lynn Abbey "Plague of Allos" - Piers Anthony "Swift-Spear" - Mark C. Perry & C. J. Cherryh "Tale of the Snowbeast" - Janny Wurts "The Deer Hunters" - Allen L. Wold "Tanner's Dream" - Nancy Springer "The Spirit Quest" - Diana L. Paxson "Lessons in Passing" - Robert Lynn Asprin "Night Hunt" - Diane Carey 1988: Wolfsong ("Blood of Ten Chiefs Volume 2"), edited by Richard Pini, Robert Asprin and Lynn Abbey - short story anthology: "Colors" - Richard Pini "Love and Memory" - Lynn Abbey "Songshaper" - Nancy Springer "The Search" - Christine Dewees & C. J. Cherryh "Genesis" - Richard Pini, Lynn Abbey, & Marcus Leahy "Dreamsinger's Tale" - Janny Wurts "Summer Tag" - Allen L. Wold "Stormlight's Way" - Nancy Springer "A Very Good Year for Dreamberries" - Diana L. Paxson 1989: Winds of Change ("Blood of Ten Chiefs Volume 3"), edited by Richard Pini - short story anthology: "Ice" - Lynn Abbey "Wind Warning" - Katharine Eliska Kimbriel "A Friend in Need" - Mercedes Lackey "Song's End" - Janny Wurts "The Flood" - Allen L. Wold "At the Oak's Root" - Nancy Springer "The Fire Song" - Diana L. Paxson "Coyote" - Richard Pini "The Phantom of the Berry Patch" - Mercedes Lackey & Richard Pini 1990: Against the Wind ("Blood of Ten Chiefs Volume 4"), edited by Richard Pini - short story anthology: "The Good Summer" - Lynn Abbey "Court and Chase" - Katharine Eliska Kimbriel "Ties that Bind" - Mercedes Lackey "Season of Sorrows" - Heather Gladney & Janny Wurts "Firstborn" - Allen L. Wold "Howl for Eldolil" - Nancy Springer "The Changeling" - Diana L. Paxson "Hero Worship" - Len Wein & Deni Loubert 1994: Dark Hours ("Blood of Ten Chiefs Volume 5"), edited by Richard Pini - short story anthology: "In Memory Green" - Alice Cascorbi & Richard Pini "Starting Over" - Lynn Abbey "Personal Challenge" - Katharine Eliska Kimbriel "Riders of the Storm" - Mercedes Lackey "The Naming of Stonefist" - Allen L. Wold "Finder" - Nancy Springer "Turnings" - Diana L. Paxson "The Long Hunt" - Len Wein & Bill Rotsler "Five-Finger Exercise" - Esther M. Friesner A sixth volume titled "Hunter's Dawn" was planned, the stories even written, but never published. Elfquest volume II issue #26 contained some teasers. 1996: The Quest Begins - prose novelization 1996: A Gift of Her Own - children's book 1997: Captives of Blue Mountain - prose novelization
Nonfiction and game material 1981: The ElfQuest Gatherum #1 - background material book 1984: Elfquest Roleplaying Game: Elfbook & Worldbook 1985: Elfquest Roleplaying Game: The Elfquest Companion 1988: The ElfQuest Gatherum #2 - background material book 1997: The Big ElfQuest Gatherum - background material book (reprints from ##1 and 2 plus new material). 1998: Elfquest: The First Twenty Years 1999: The Wolfrider's Guide to the World of ElfQuest - background material book
Graphic novels / reprints Donning/Starblaze (color) Elfquest Book 1 (Elfquest I #1-5) (1981) Elfquest Book 2 (Elfquest I #6-10) (1982) Elfquest Book 3 (Elfquest I #11-15) (1983) Elfquest Book 4 (Elfquest I #16-20) (1984) Elfquest (Marvel - Epic Comics imprint) ElfQuest #1-#32 (reprint of Elfquest I #1-20) (1985-1988) The Complete ElfQuest (Father Tree Press) (recolored) Vol. 1 - "Fire and Flight" (Elfquest I #1-5) (1988) Vol. 2 - "The Forbidden Grove" (Elfquest I #6-10) (1988) Vol. 3 - "Captives of Blue Mountain" (Elfquest I #11-15) (1988) Vol. 4 - "Quest's End" (Elfquest I #16-20) (1988) Vol. 5 - "Siege at Blue Mountain" #1-4 (1988) Vol. 6 - "The Secret of Two-Edge" (Siege at Blue Mountain #5-8) (1989) Vol. 7 - "The Cry From Beyond" (Kings of the Broken Wheel #1-4) (1991) Vol. 8 - "Kings of the Broken Wheel" #5-9 (1992) Hidden Years #1-5 (1992) Vol. 9 - "Rogue's Challenge" (Hidden Years #6-9.5) (1994) New Blood #1-5 (1993) Bedtime Stories (New Blood #1, 7, 10) (1994) Reader's Collections (Wolfrider Books) (black and white) RC Vol. 1 - "Fire and Flight" (Elfquest I #1-5) (1998) RC Vol. 2 - "The Forbidden Grove" (Elfquest I #6-10) (1998) RC Vol. 3 - "Captives of Blue Mountain" (Elfquest I #11-15) (1998) RC Vol. 4 - "Quest's End" (Elfquest I #16-20) (1998) RC Vol. 5 - "Siege at Blue Mountain" (Siege at Blue Mountain #1-4) (1998) RC Vol. 6 - "The Secret of Two-Edge" (Siege at Blue Mountain #5-8) (1998) RC Vol. 7 - "The Cry From Beyond" (Kings of the Broken Wheel #1-4) (1998) RC Vol. 8 - "Kings of the Broken Wheel" #5-9 (1998) RC Vol. 8a - "Dreamtime" (Elfquest II #4-7, 9, 11-13, 15-18) (1998) RC Vol. 8b - "In All But Blood" (2002) RC Vol. 9 - "Rogue's Curse" (Elfquest II #1, 3, 8-10, 12-13, 15-17, 20, 22, 24-26) (2000) RC Vol. 9a - "Wolfrider" (Elfquest II #19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31, 33) (1999) RC Vol. 9b - "Blood of Ten Chiefs" #1-7, 10-11 (1999) RC Vol. 9c - "Kahvi" (Kahvi #1-6, Two-Spear #1-5) (2000) RC Vol. 9d - "Chief's Howl" (Blood of Ten Chiefs #12-15, 18-20) (2001) RC Vol. 10 - "Shards" (Hidden Years #8-15) (1998) RC Vol. 11 - "Legacy" (Hidden Years #16-22) (1998) RC Vol. 11a - "Huntress" (Hidden Years #23-29) (1999) RC Vol. 11b - "The Wild Hunt" (Elfquest II #1-7, 10, 12, 15, 18, 20-22) (2000) RC Vol. 11c - "Shadowstalker" (Elfquest II #23-30) (2000) RC Vol. 12 - "Ascent" (Shards #1-8) (1999) RC Vol. 12a - "Reunion" (Shards #9-16) (1999) RC Vol. 13 - The Rebels #1-6 (1998) RC Vol. 13a - "Skyward Shadow" (The Rebels #7-12) (1999) RC Vol. 14 - "Jink!" (Jink #1-6) (1999) RC Vol. 14a - "Mindcoil" (Jink #7-12) (1999) RC Vol. 15 - "Forevergreen" (New Blood #11-19) (1999) RC Vol. 15a - "Dream's End" (New Blood #20-27) (2001) RC Vol. 15b - "Phoenix" (New Blood #28-35) (2002) RC Vol. 16 - "WaveDancers" (WaveDancers Special #1; Elfquest II #1-2, 5, 21, 23-24, 27-28, 30-31) (2000) RC Vol. ? - "Worldpool" (New Blood #8, 9; Elfquest II #2-3, 16, 17, 25, 31; King's Cross #1-2) (2000) Elfquest Archives (DC Comics) (recolored again) Volume One (Elfquest I #1-5 (recolored), short The Heart's Way) (2003) Volume Two (Elfquest I #6-10 (recolored), short Homespun (reprinted in chronological sequence with the main EQ story for the first time)) (2005)