Elfquest: No guarantee of serenity

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.

• [Tavie]

  I have a question about the… the… “codpiece” section….

  • [Melody]

    Are you wondering if it is ummm part of his form or if it is clothes?

• [Margherita Tramontano]

  I think I just fell in love with Reef. <3 _ <3

  • [Emby Quinn]

     I think I just Recognized him. *.*

  • [Wyldenay]

    Reef is gorgeous! And for some odd reason, I have head canon screaming, “Reef needs to hook up with Kimo! Romantically! Asap!”

    • [David Miz]

      Each time I read this comment I want to “like” it again and again!

  • [Melody]

    Reef is adorable!

• [David Miz]

  Gorgeous!!!  I just re-read The Discovery last night and I have to comment on how much more delicate the line-work and coloring of The Final Quest has been than that story.  Not that The Discovery didn’t have beautiful art, but FQ just seems a lot more refined and subtle.

  • [Wyldenay]

    Agreed. I think all the work Wendy did on Masque helped her refine her tablet technique. Discovery is done digitally as well but predates Masque by a couple years or so, I think. Her lines in FQ remind me of the lines from the end of JtSE and The Forbidden Grove, before her inks got heavier in the last two graphic novels. I love how her style evolves with each story.

• [Tavie]

  Sunfish-Sunstream looks like a BITCH to draw/color. Impressive as hell, an eye-feast.

• [Erika Westberg]

  Most of the mer-elves still look sorta “elfish”, with hair, maybe some odd colours or fins but still built similarly. Why does Sunstream choose such an outrageously odd shape? Just because he can? I have to say I’m not too fond of it, but eh – I’ve seen him often enough as his “regular” self.

  • [cjporkchop]

     I don’t like the Vegas-showgirl/West-Hollywood Halloween Sunstream, either.

  • [Melody]

    It does seem unnecessary. It looks a lot like Surge……

    • [David Miz]

      I think the look is symbolic of the elves’ return to the ways and abilities of the Firstcomers, who could choose whatever form they wished, no matter how gaudy or outrageous.  Sunstream might not be able to change his own form at will, but with the power of the Palace and three healers, he can push his WaveDancer look to the limit.

  • [Christina Handt]

    I agree. I guess it’s just his taste. Sunstream likes to do things a bit different than most. Why choose an ordinary shape when you have 3 healers ‘at your command’?

    I’m not fond of his looks either, but I think it makes sense that he chose a different shape than the regular wavedancers

    • [Erika Westberg]

       Yes, when those three work together, why not go as much over the top as you can get away with. :-) Maybe he’s inspired from all the things he’s seen in the Scroll of Colours.

      Isn’t there something called lionfish or something like that which looks a bit like he does?

    • [Diana OmegaSama Davidsson]

       If that’s his taste… *shudders*

  • [Ananda Syapin]

    Leetah explained it, “It’s how Brill sees you.” Remember back in the original quest when Tyldak and Dewshine Recognized? There was one shot that showed “So she sees him, he sees her.” Recognition shows the inner soul/heart. When Brill looks at him, this is what she sees. The healers have just manifested her inner vision for the rest of us.

    • [Erika Westberg]

       Eh, I guess you’re right. Maybe his inner fish is part of why they were attracted to each other to begin with. ;-P Still bugs me slightly though – not that the colours aren’t pretty, but I like the shape of for example Snakeskin or mohawk-guy better. However, I really love the design of the Wavedancers’ ears. Gorgeous.

• [Pongo Lyn]

  Reef looks like he’s got a bit of Linsner’s “Dawn” in him…hair always falling over the same eye…

• [William Clark]

  I’m not crazy about Sunstreams design either. The codpiece is distracting. Why not leave him naked or remove his genitalia? But his mother Leetah and Reef both look amazing.

  • [Shannon Prince]

     Maybe that IS Wavedancer genitalia! I do wonder why that is how Brill “sees you.” Very odd. Maybe since he doesn’t have a wolf form, when you recognize Suntop you see that?

  • [David Miz]

    I think codpiece is probably the best way to think of it.  Seems to me to be an ornamental, protective flap of skin to contain his “bits.”  It alleviates the need for protective clothing and also is a way to create a cool-looking character design that really wouldn’t have the same effect with clothing.  (Being realistic, it’s not like Wendy is going to show Sunstream fully naked –it’s a PG/PG-13 comic after all.)

• [Alex Hope Goldberg]

  Makes me think of how Tyldak saw Dewshine after they recognized each other…

• [David Miz]

  Thought folks would be interested in the original art that Wendy did that ended up becoming Sunstream’s WaveDancer incarnation.  Several years back, Wendy did a series of fantasy art prints for a company called Land of Myth and Not.  Check out the designs, and pay particular attention to the one entitled “Little Sea Prince.”  http://www.elfquest.com/news/LoM.html 

• [Megi Saunders]

  I, for one, love Sunstream’s lion-fish look. It radiates the beauty of his soul and the love he shares with Brill. Bravo, Wendy, Bravo. :)

• [Krondor2000]

  Well Wendy did show Newstar nearly naked even though she wore that very sheer wrap/dress.  Besides elves are not at all shy at being nude the way we humans are sans clothing.