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Elfquest #9.2
Blood of Ten Chiefs
This volume reprints material from issues 1-11 of the Elfquest "Blood of Ten Chiefs" comic book series. Before Cutter, leader of the Wolfriders, there were the Ten Chiefs, ancestors going all the way back 10,00- years to the very first elves to land upon the World of Two Moons. These shadowy characters come to life in tales that show how the elves lived, loved and died as they struggled to make a home on their new world.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1987
2 people are currently reading
107 people want to read
About the author
Wendy Pini
615 books395 followersWendy Pini is one-half of a husband and wife team with Richard Pini that created, most notably, the Elfquest series.
Wendy was born in California and adopted into the Fletcher Family in Santa Clara County. Early on, she developed as an artist and was the illustrator of her high school year book. She submitted samples of her artwork to Marvel Comics at 17 that were rejected.
Pini attended Pitzer College and received her B.A. in the Arts and joined the Los Angeles Science Fiction Society.
In 1972, she married Richard Pini and began illustrating science fiction magazines, including Galaxy, Galileo, and Worlds of If. In 1977, Richard and Wendy established a publishing company called Warp Graphics to publish their first Elfquest comic. Elfquest was self-published for 25 years and in 2003, licensed to DC Comics. The comic series has won several awards, including the Ed Aprill Award for Best Independent Comic, two Alley Awards, the Fantasy Festival Comic Book Awards for Best Alternative Comic, and the Golden Pen Award.
Wendy has illustrated other works, including Jonny Quest in 1986, Law and Chaos in 1987, and in 1989, two graphic novels of Beauty and the Beast. Recently in 2007, she completed a graphic novel entitled The Masque of Red Death.
Wendy has received several awards over the last four decades, including the San Diego Comic Convention Inkpot Award, the New York State Jaycees Distinguished Service Award, the Balrog Award for Best Artist, and was inducted into the Friends of Lulu Women Cartoonists Hall of Fame in 2002.
Wendy and her husband currently reside in Poughkeepsie, New York.
Wendy was born in California and adopted into the Fletcher Family in Santa Clara County. Early on, she developed as an artist and was the illustrator of her high school year book. She submitted samples of her artwork to Marvel Comics at 17 that were rejected.
Pini attended Pitzer College and received her B.A. in the Arts and joined the Los Angeles Science Fiction Society.
In 1972, she married Richard Pini and began illustrating science fiction magazines, including Galaxy, Galileo, and Worlds of If. In 1977, Richard and Wendy established a publishing company called Warp Graphics to publish their first Elfquest comic. Elfquest was self-published for 25 years and in 2003, licensed to DC Comics. The comic series has won several awards, including the Ed Aprill Award for Best Independent Comic, two Alley Awards, the Fantasy Festival Comic Book Awards for Best Alternative Comic, and the Golden Pen Award.
Wendy has illustrated other works, including Jonny Quest in 1986, Law and Chaos in 1987, and in 1989, two graphic novels of Beauty and the Beast. Recently in 2007, she completed a graphic novel entitled The Masque of Red Death.
Wendy has received several awards over the last four decades, including the San Diego Comic Convention Inkpot Award, the New York State Jaycees Distinguished Service Award, the Balrog Award for Best Artist, and was inducted into the Friends of Lulu Women Cartoonists Hall of Fame in 2002.
Wendy and her husband currently reside in Poughkeepsie, New York.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
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April 6, 2024#1 pretty background art. no framing. The story is somewhat confused depending on which character we are focusing on. Timmorn is confused by his life, so we are confused when we are in his head. This book is trying to separate out what it means to be an elf from a wolf from a Wolfrider.
#2 story starts with a young Bearclaw, recognizable especially since the coloring helps, not yet chief. And a young Joyleaf, recognizable from the hair. In this story we see that Bearclaw is already partially lost from the Now of wolf-thought even if it is only over dream berries. And we get to see that doubting your Chief or Chief-to-be was not a new thing. The art is not quite as pretty, not the backgrounds or the characters. But the flavor is there.
#3 Swift Spear Part 1 - The art is a bit rough - but good enough to tell the story. The text is a little too simple. And this is clearly not a full story.
#4 Swift Spear Part 2 - The story is just not that compelling. The characters are too obvious. The art not bad, but not anywhere near Pini quality. It did end well.
#5 again the art is not as good. But the story works and feels like a wolfrider story.
#6 starts with snow - perhaps that's a good sign - maybe snow is easier to draw? Some humor. This felt like a smaller story
#7 tanner? ugly duckling aka not a wolf? works though
#8 a bit of framing on this one - the art is perhaps a bit better - though I don't like how Goodtree is drawn. And what are Wolfriders doing up in the daytime anyway?
#9 again the art works but is a bit jarring
3.5 - it's still elfquest
#2 story starts with a young Bearclaw, recognizable especially since the coloring helps, not yet chief. And a young Joyleaf, recognizable from the hair. In this story we see that Bearclaw is already partially lost from the Now of wolf-thought even if it is only over dream berries. And we get to see that doubting your Chief or Chief-to-be was not a new thing. The art is not quite as pretty, not the backgrounds or the characters. But the flavor is there.
#3 Swift Spear Part 1 - The art is a bit rough - but good enough to tell the story. The text is a little too simple. And this is clearly not a full story.
#4 Swift Spear Part 2 - The story is just not that compelling. The characters are too obvious. The art not bad, but not anywhere near Pini quality. It did end well.
#5 again the art is not as good. But the story works and feels like a wolfrider story.
#6 starts with snow - perhaps that's a good sign - maybe snow is easier to draw? Some humor. This felt like a smaller story
#7 tanner? ugly duckling aka not a wolf? works though
#8 a bit of framing on this one - the art is perhaps a bit better - though I don't like how Goodtree is drawn. And what are Wolfriders doing up in the daytime anyway?
#9 again the art works but is a bit jarring
3.5 - it's still elfquest
August 12, 2014
The thing I LOVE about this book is learning more about the ancestors of my beloved elves. We already know snippets of stories and some of the broader ideas surrounding the lives of some of them but its fun to have a whole sequence devoted to them.
The thing I actively dislike is that the artwork is not Wendys. The Pinis are always extoling on the artwork of artists they let draw elquest and how lovely it is to let others be part of the experience of drawing such a beloved series but that's not what I come to elfquest for. Elfquest is certainly about the story, but its also the artwork. At least 50% about the artwork and by using other artists it kind of loses its magic.
The thing I actively dislike is that the artwork is not Wendys. The Pinis are always extoling on the artwork of artists they let draw elquest and how lovely it is to let others be part of the experience of drawing such a beloved series but that's not what I come to elfquest for. Elfquest is certainly about the story, but its also the artwork. At least 50% about the artwork and by using other artists it kind of loses its magic.
January 30, 2013
Continuing with my online reading of the ElfQuest graphic novels, I just finished up 1-20 of the Blood of Ten Chiefs series. I really enjoyed reading stories of the current elves' ancestors. Some were funny, some were disturbing, but all had that certain trait that makes ElfQuest so good. A few of the artists might bug me from time to time (I really only like Wendy drawing ElfQuest -- I'm a snob that way). Otherwise, the tales themselves were quite enjoyable.
April 2, 2021
Tales of the ten chiefs who came before Wolfrider chief Cutter - his father Bearclaw, grandfather Mantricker, Goodtree, Tanner, Freefoot, Mistress Skyfire, Swift-Spear/Two-Spear, Preypacer, Rahnee the She Wolf, and Timmorn the Yellow-Eyed - and one of Cutter. As usual, excellent world building and characterization. Wendy and Richard Pini are two of my favorite artists and writers.
June 30, 2025
Read for the Great ElfQuest Read of 2025. I have some of these individual issues and I think I'd read some of them before, but not all.
These stories are interesting and the various artists are doing a great job, each in their own way. I think some of the stories are comic versions of the ones in the Blood of Ten Chiefs (prose) story anthologies, but I'm not 100% sure.
This paperback reprints Blood of Ten Chiefs #1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11. Dunno why they left out 8 and 9, but I read them online anyway.
These stories are interesting and the various artists are doing a great job, each in their own way. I think some of the stories are comic versions of the ones in the Blood of Ten Chiefs (prose) story anthologies, but I'm not 100% sure.
This paperback reprints Blood of Ten Chiefs #1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11. Dunno why they left out 8 and 9, but I read them online anyway.
November 13, 2014
I never enjoyed reading until I was given this to read: absolutely loved reading this! I was in the 9th grade dreading what high school would bring but after reading this, I felt a whole new world open up just for me. Hopefully, you will feel the same.
October 19, 2015
This is gonna sound weird, but ElfQuest was the only comic I read when I was young. It became my go-to reading material if things really started to suck. I'm much older, and I still occasionally pull out the collection books and read through the entire story. Love the art and the story.
May 8, 2011
Elf Quest was very cool! Enjoyed the graphic novels as well.
November 23, 2014
very interesting book
June 19, 2015
Childhood nostalgia. Few things have left such a big imprint on me growing up like Elfquest has.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews