ElfQuest #3
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeElfQuest #3 — 'The Challenge' (December 1978) — is the issue where Wendy and Richard Pini's self-published independent series first fully inhabited the narrative heart that would define the entire Original Quest: the Trial of Head, Hand, and Heart, in which Rayek pits himself against Cutter in three contests overseen by Savah for the right to court Leetah. This confrontation between the forest-dwelling Wolfriders and the desert-dwelling Sun Folk gave the series its central romantic and cultural tension, establishing Recognition — the elven soul-bond — as a concept with real dramatic weight rather than mere backstory. As part of a series that was, per the Pinis' own account, the first continuing fantasy/adventure comic created, written, and illustrated by a woman, each early issue carried the weight of proving that creator-owned independent comics could sustain a sophisticated, character-driven narrative outside the Marvel/DC ecosystem — and this issue delivered one of its most compelling story engines.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
By the time issue #3 reached newsstands in December 1978, Wendy and Richard Pini had already overcome the disappointment of their first publication (in the short-lived Fantasy Quarterly) by borrowing money to found WaRP Graphics — an acronym of 'Wendy and Richard Pini' — and committing to a magazine-sized format with glossy full-color covers and a painted character portrait on each back cover, a standard they maintained throughout the entire 20-issue Original Quest run. Richard Pini, who still held a day job at IBM at this point, handled editing, publishing logistics, and co-plotting while Wendy wrote the scripts and produced all interior and cover art. The letters page of issue #3 drew responses from notable comics voices including Mark Evanier, Trina Robbins, and Rick Norwood, signaling that the fledgling series was already generating genuine industry attention after only its third installment.
Trivia · 7 facts
- Title of story: 'The Challenge,' written by Wendy Pini (plot and script) and Richard Pini (plot); all art by Wendy Pini.
- Savah — the Mother of Memory, eldest of the Sun Folk — makes her first named/speaking appearance in this issue; she had appeared briefly and without dialogue on the final page of issue #2.
- The issue introduces the concept of the Trial of Head, Hand, and Heart: Rayek, the Sun Folk's chief hunter and Leetah's prior suitor, challenges Cutter to three contests — of physical prowess, mental wit, and courage — before Savah as arbiter.
- The issue includes an illustrated in-universe reference page listing all 17 Wolfrider characters, functioning as a reader's guide to the growing ensemble cast.
- The letters column features contributions from comics professionals Mark Evanier, Trina Robbins, and Rick Norwood, reflecting the series' growing profile among comics creators within its first year of publication.
- The back-cover portrait — a format Wendy Pini maintained for every issue of the Original Quest — features Rayek, tying the painted gallery directly to the issue's central antagonist.
- The story contained in this issue has been reprinted multiple times across formats and publishers: in the Donning/Starblaze color graphic novel (1981), the Marvel Comics color series (1985), the WaRP Graphics Reader's Collection (1998), the DC Comics Archives edition (2003), and the Dark Horse Complete ElfQuest collection (2014).
Cast · 25 characters
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Reprints
Reprinted in ElfQuest #1 (1981), ElfQuest #3 (1984), Alverfolket #3 (1984), Abenteuer in der Elfenwelt #3 (1984), Alvefolket #2 (1985), Alvefolket #3 (1985), ElfQuest #4 (1985), ElfQuest #5 (1985), The Complete ElfQuest #1 (1988), ElfQuest #1 (1993), ElfQuest Reader's Collection #1 (1998), ElfQuest Archives #1 (2003), The Complete ElfQuest #1 (2014), ElfQuest Gallery Edition #[nn] (2014), Abenteuer in der Elfenwelt #2, Abenteuer in der Elfenwelt #2
Key issues in ElfQuest
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