Image Comics Presents: Flight, Volume Two [Vol. 2]

Starred Review. Last year, the first volume of Flight introduced a squadron of talented young cartoonists whose anime/animation influence struck a fresh note among jaded comics readers. This edition shows substantial growth while introducing some veterans, such as Jeff Smith (Bone) and Doug TenNapel (Creature Tech). The general theme is flight, but many of the contributors use that as a springboard to examine symbolic journeys into adulthood or love. This thick volume is almost an embarrassment of riches, with exquisite art and coloring throughout. The story content is more variable, from the straight-out fantasy adventure of Khang Le's "Monster Slayers," to the more personal "Dust on the Shelves" by Bannister. Several stories, like Michael Gagné's "Inner Sanctum" and "Sky Blue" by Kness, take the title literally and present storyboardlike flights of fancy. It's hard to pick a standout, but Jen Wang's charming "Destiny Express," about a girl artist who doesn't want to board a symbolic train to her destiny for fear of losing her inspiration, is certainly one of them. This collection strikes a few callow or self-indulgent notes, but the sheer force of creative energy on display is impressive, and young readers should find much to spark their own imaginations. (Apr.)
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*Starred Review* More than 30 accomplished young artists take off on the theme, sometimes loosely construed, of flight in this follow-up to an acclaimed anthology that appeared last year. A few, such as Jeff Smith (Bone, 2004) and Doug TenNapel (Creature Tech, 2002), have achieved prominence in the graphic-novel world, but most have devoted their considerable talents to web comics and animation. Despite their newness to print, they master the medium beautifully. The anthology's batting average is impressively high--there's nary a dud in the bunch--but standouts include TenNapel's warped funny-animal tale, with touches of both Krazy Kat and Spongebob; Rodolphe Guenoden's cautionary equation of lust and death; and Doug Holgate's wordless saga of a canine astronaut. The spirit of Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki--whose films often depict flight--is especially strong in several stories. It's encouraging to see so many young creators whose influences stem from Japanese and European comics rather than the superhero stories that have dominated American mainstream comics for decades. At more than 400 pages, there is something in this elegantly produced collection for everyone, including readers who usually snub comics. It will be exciting to watch these young creators take flight in future volumes of Flight. Gordon Flagg
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