ElfQuest #16

Wendy and Richard Pini's ElfQuest continues its Marvel/Epic run with this striking 1986 issue, whose cover — penciled and inked by Wendy Pini — puts a white-haired, pointed-eared elf in close, tense proximity with a wide-eyed green creature clutching a large curved blade, while iridescent purple wings fan dramatically behind them. The story title "Noisybad Highthing!" hints at a collision of very different worlds, perfectly mirrored in that face-to-face confrontation on the cover. With Wendy Pini's fluid linework and Petra Scotese's vivid coloring, this issue is a fine example of the creative energy the Pinis brought to their beloved fantasy saga.