I passed on the first volume of this
anthology book when it was originally released,
and it didn't take me long to realize that was a
mistake. Reviews of the book seemed to be
universally positive. I finally picked up
Flight Volume One weeks later. When this
second volume was solicited, I made damn sure I
didn't miss the boat again. I'm more than happy to
jump on the Flight bandwagon. Though the
book lacks any kiknd of coherent theme, it's
hardly a concern, because the creators -- from
well-known ones to the obscure -- turn in work of
such high quality. Most anthologies boast several
strong pieces, some decent ones and some mediocre.
The people behind Flight clearly have set a
higher standard.
Though maturity and thoughtfulness shine
through in much of the material in this volume,
most of the stories boast a charming innocence.
Doug TenNapel's slightly surreal and twisted story
of a tea party, for example, is hilarious, but
it's the simplicity of the main character's
motives constrasted against the more bizarre
elements that from which the short story derives
its strength. Though the mood shifts from story to
story, there's an overall playfulness to the book
that's rather soothing and welcome. Another
recurring trait is a sense of the surreal, of a
dream-like fluidity. Given that quality, Michael
Gagne was the perfect choice to eopn the book. His
cute yet organic style captures that weirdness
perfectly but presents it in a most beautiful
light.
There are darker segments as well, but
sometimes, even they manage to be playful.
Rodolphe Guenoden's "The Ride" is one such piece.
It's full of energy, but it's far more seductive
than the more cartoony pieces elsewhere in the
book.
There are several contributions from
recognizable names in the industry here, from
TenNapel to Jeff Smith, from Sonny Liew to Becky
Cloonan. I have to admit that a good deal of the
fun of this book was discovering new artists and
the incredible strength of the work of so many
unknowns. The professionalism of almost every
effort here is thoroughly impressive, as is the
diversity of subject matter, moods and styles.
Animation is clearly an important influence for
many of the creators here.
One of the segments that really struck me was a
slice-of-life piece exploring an American visiting
the East to get back in touch with his Indian
roots. "The Golden Temple" by Neil Babra is the
continuation of a story from Flight Volume
One, but it stands up well on its own. Babra's
storytelling style -- both in terms of art and
writing -- reminds me a great deal of Craig
Thompson's Blankets. Babra makes the
cultural setting easy to understand; Westernrs
will be relate to the piece thanks to the strong
characterization and dialogue.
Also worthy of note are the high production
values of the book. The paper quality really
allows the colors to pop. The coloring is textured
and energetic; there's no four-color simplicity to
be found here. It's a slick-looking volume, one of
the best treatments of the anthology format I've
seen in North American comics. The storytelling
and the publication itself boast strong European
and Asian influences throughout.
10/10
