Published by Dark Horse Comics (home of Hellboy) since 2013, ElfQuest is much older than that as it was launched in 1978. Back then, the Fantasy series created by Wendy and Richard Pini was self-published, taking advantage of the emerging Direct Market. Things didn’t start without a bump.
The first Elfquest story was the lead feature in Fantasy Quaterly #1. But with Independent Publishers Syndicate immediately going out of business after one issue, the adventure could have ended pretty quickly, especially as the publisher refused to give the Pinis back the work they already provided for issue 2. Richard had to take a very long trip to get everything back. After that, the couple learned as fast as possible how to become publishers. They formed WaRP Graphics and put ElfQuest #2 out.
ElfQuest became a success story, one of the most popular self-published comic books (and brand). There were difficult times through the years, like the 1990s bubble. WaRP Graphics was closed in 2003, but ElfQuest is still here.
The story of ElfQuest started with the “Original Quest.” It was about Chief Cutter and the Wolfriders being driven from their forest home by the threat of annihilation. As they wander an ever-changing landscape inhabited by excitable humans–and other odd creatures–they discover other elf tribes as well. Alliances are forged, enemies discovered, and savage battles fought…
It is an epic fantasy adventure with sci-fi elements about nature-loving elves trying to survive on a world that isn’t theirs to begin with.
ElfQuest Reading Order
Dark Horse’s The Complete Elfquest and plus
The easiest way to read ElfQuest on paper today is with the Dark Horse complete collection that reprint all the core stories of Elfquest in order, plus there’s the last series, Stargazer’s Hunt.
- The Complete Elfquest Volume 1: The Original Quest
Collects ElfQuest #1-20. - The Complete Elfquest Volume 2
Collects The Siege at Blue Mountain and Kings of the Broken Wheel. - The Complete ElfQuest Volume 3
Collects ElfQuest: Dreamtime and ElfQuest: Hidden Years. - The Complete ElfQuest Volume 4
Collects ElfQuest: Hidden Years #10-15 and the ElfQuest: Shards saga #1-16. - The Complete ElfQuest Volume 5
Collects material from Elfquest – Hidden Years #16-29, as well as the entire “Wild Hunt” sequence from Elfquest comics (vol.2). - The Complete ElfQuest Volume 6
Collects short stories and full series including Wolfrider, Homespun, Troll Games and Soul Names, The Heart’s Way, Jury, Wolfshadow, Full Circle, Searcher and The Sword, and The Discovery. - The Complete ElfQuest Volume 7
Collects ElfQuest: The Final Quest TPB volumes 1-4. - Elfquest: Stargazer’s Hunt Volume 1
Collects Stargazer’s Hunt #1-4. - ElfQuest: Stargazer’s Hunt Volume 2
Collects Stargazer’s Hunt #5-8.
The Elfquest Comics Library
Wendy and Richard Pini started to put online and for free the old Elfquest stories. If you go to the elfquest.com website, you’ll find everything The Original Quest until the start of The Final Quest–which is, like Stargazer’s Hunt, only available at Dark Horse for now.
Some fans already did a great work guiding the new readers through the collection. So, what follows is a chronological order of the core story based on the work of Esther Bosbach (there are a lot more details on her page). There are a lot more. This is just the essential to read. For the complete chronological reading order, I’ll recommend you to check out the guide available at ourgazebo.net compiled by librarian Amy Green.
First, the Hero’s Journey:
- ElfQuest – The Original Quest
- Siege at Blue Mountain
- Kings of the Broken Wheel
This is where things get a little complicated, but not by much.
- Hidden Years #2
- New Blood #10, 12-13
- Hidden Years #3, 8, 4, 9.5, 10-15
- Shards #1-15
- New Blood #25-26, 32
- Shards #16
- Full Circle (It’s a short story from the Reader’s Collection “In All but Blood“)
- Searcher and the Sword
- WaveDancers #1
- The Discovery
And then:
- The Final Quest
- Stargazer’s Hunt