Dark Horse
ElfQuest: Hidden Years Gallery Edition
Please Note:
***This item is a preorder and will ship when it releases!***
Estimated Release Date: 07/14/2026
A color art collection of exquisitely-illustrated, standalone short stories from the world of ElfQuest.ElfQuest premiered in 1978 as a black-and-white independent comic—with an engaging tale, diverse cast of characters, and alluring art by Wendy Pini—and the title quickly took fandom by storm.In 1990, co-creators Wendy and Richard Pini made a leap into full-color publishing, with the series ElfQuest: Hidden Years. The first five issues contained standalone stories that could be enjoyed by anyone. Wendy Pini created those iconic pages in vibrant watercolor, with each brush stroke, line, and tint now presented in a unique gallery edition hardcover to present the full effect of her original art pages, which are now permanently housed at Columbia University’s Rare Book & Manuscript Library for preservation and study.Each of the five color issues within the ElfQuest: Hidden Years Gallery Edition hardcover are standalone stories, unlettered to offer an unprecedented look at Wendy Pini’s lush artwork, complete with her margin notes, color tests, and behind-the-scenes material. This volume is a powerful example of the incredible world-building and visual storytelling in ElfQuest that has set the standard in fantasy comics for decades.
UPC/ISBN: 9781506748542
SKU: PRH-9781506748542
FOC Date: 04/13/2026
Estimated Release Date: 07/14/2026
Product Information
Due to the nature of collectible items and ever changing market demand, we are unable to cancel pre-orders on ratio variants and select other items (1 per store variants, exclusive covers, ect) for a refund.For preorders on regular open order comics (the majority of which are normally cover price), we can cancel preorders and refund with a store credit that can be used in our brick and mortar stores or at thirdeyecomics.com
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At Third Eye, we ship thousands of comics every week, and we know condition matters. Whether you're reading, collecting, or grading, we want you to feel confident when a Third Eye package arrives.
This policy outlines our standard for new release and shipped comics, and the industry-standard guidelines we follow.
OUR STANDARD
Books without a stated grade will be offered as Near Mint 9.4 or better. We do not guarantee 9.8 condition on any book unless specifically noted.
We use industry-standard grading guidelines from:
- CBCS Comic Grading Scale
- Overstreet Comic Grading Standards
- CGC grading standards
If you're new to comic grading, the resources above are a great place to start.
WHY WE DON'T GUARANTEE 9.8
Modern comic printing is an imperfect process. Books are printed in massive
runs, bound at high speed, and shipped in bulk to retailers. Even brand
new books off the truck will exhibit minor production characteristics,
and that's normal, and consistent with industry standards across every
retailer.
A 9.8 grade represents near-perfection, and the reality is that not every printed book qualifies for that grade no matter where you buy it from.
We can absolutely commit to NM 9.4 or better. We cannot commit to 9.8 on every book, because that's not how comics are made.
WHAT QUALIFIES AS NM 9.4
Per industry standards, a book may exhibit the following minor characteristics and still grade as Near Mint 9.4, as long as there's no accumulation of defects:
Bindery characteristics:
- Minor to moderate corner tears
- White edges along the spine (common on most modern printings)
- Covers slightly offset from interior pages (common on cardstock covers)
Printing characteristics:
- Slight color rub on back covers
- Small paper wrinkles present from the paper roll prior to printing
- Wavy paper texture from the printing process
Spine characteristics:
- 2-3 small color-breaking spine ticks
- Minor non-color-breaking spine dings
These are normal modern production characteristics, not damage from handling or shipping. They are present on books across the industry, regardless
of retailer.
OUR RETURN & EXCHANGE POLICY
We do not accept returns or exchanges on books that meet our NM 9.4 or better standard.
We will replace or refund:
- Books damaged during shipping (clear shipping damage, not pre-existing print characteristics)
- Books that fall below NM 9.4 standard (significant spine damage, major creasing, tears, etc.)
- Wrong cover or wrong issue shipped
For premium variants (1:25, 1:50, 1:100, 1:250, 1:500 incentive covers, signed editions, exclusive variants), we apply enhanced QC during pull and packing. If a premium variant arrives outside our standard, contact us within 7 days of delivery and we will work with you on a replacement.
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