Elfquest: the Broken One

The latest page of The Final Quest: Prologue is published online first for the first time here at Boing Boing. First time reader? You're a few issues behind.

• [David Miz]

  We love Reef!!!  So happy to see him getting some screen time, and to see a little more of his transformation that we didn’t get to see in The Discovery.

• [Shinya Doll]

  Yay! It’s Reef! I always wanted to hear more about him!

• [Margherita Tramontano]

  So Wavedancers babies take THREE years to be born? Whew!

• [Wolfen Moondaughter]

  He’s quite a cutie — love his hairstyle! Very intrigued to see more of him.

  So, three years — that’s what they were talking about before, about how it takes WaveDancers longer to bear young. A typical elf pregnancy is two years, if I recall correctly, yes? Do the WaveDancers take longer because they breathe in water and in air, and so have a more complex development?

  It’s very telling that Reef’s transformation back into his true form was painless, knowing as we do that Tyldak’s transformation was quite painful. Why would Winnowill choose to inflict pain on Tyldak, whose loyaylty she could use, rather than pleasure when she shaped him? Could she feel and enjoy the pain she inflicted, as a sort of masochism, or did she just enjoy his screams, or was it a demonstration of power, spurring him to fear the promise of more pain if he disobeyed her later?

• [Tavie]

   I think it’s simpler – she’s a sadist. She enjoyed hurting him.

• [Setsu Uzumé]

  I think in Tyldak’s case, the pain was partly for Winnowill’s pleasure, but also to STRENGTHEN his loyalty to her.  Pain means effort (growing pain, childbirth, Little Patch cutting his own face off), and it turned into part of the ritual.  For Tyldak, the pain represented his dedication and sacrifice to achieving his dream, and it just put him deeper in debt to Winnowill (it hurt the first time, he’ll be less likely to ask her to undo it).  Showing that kind of vulnerability–in her hands no less– bound him to Winnowill.  Pain is traumatic, and trauma forms bonds. 

  The question is whether Reef just crossed her path (the transformation = her equivalent of slapping him aside) or if there was anything to gain.  I’m inclined to agree with Tavie though.  We know she can do it in one shot if she wanted.  She melted a human’s bones in under a minute (Hidden years #13…?)

  • [Sara Jung-Claßen]

    If I remember correctly, it was just that – her lashing out at him in panic. After Tyldak dropped her on that island, she was hurt, both physically and mentally, and when Reef tried to heal her (reminding her of Leetah), she reacted the only way she knew how – by hurting him.

• [Sara Jung-Claßen]

   And I have no idea what that Rogue picture is doing there. Sorry!

• [David Miz]

  …and after this beautiful page we have to wait A WHOLE WEEK to find out what the truth is.  SIGH.  ;-)

• [Alex]

  Yeah, this whole once a page a week deal is killing me.  There’s no movement in the story and when we get filler pages such as the pod traveling, it’s really irritating