| Flight Volume 3 |
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| Posted by Kris Bather |
05:37 AM Wednesday, 17 October 2007 |
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 Flight is a hefty anthology series, edited by Kazu Kibuishi, to showcase young talent. The first two Volumes were released by Image Comics, in 2004 and 2005. This Volume was released last year and Volume Four was released in July this year. There are no themes that connect the stories. They are all just short, entertaining tales. It's no surprise that since Ballantine Books took over the publishing of this series (from Volume Three onwards) it has been given greater exposure. Hopefully Flight will show up more regularly in mainstream book stores, and libraries so more readers can enjoy what's on offer here.I must admit that most of the creators I've never heard of (which is kind of the point) as they work outside of comics. For example, animator Rodolphe Guenoden, gallery artist Yoko Tanaka and DreamWorks storyboard artist Phil Craven. Then there are the few I have heard of, such as alternative comics champion Becky Cloonan (Demo, American Virgin) and Oscar nominated animator Bill Plympton. When I first heard of the Flight series I thought it was a little too high brow for me - you know, a bunch of artists exploring the very foundation of the medium, pushing the creative envelope and stretching the frontiers of the imagination - stuff like that. However, I must say, after reading this Volume I was thankfully mistaken. That's not to say that the 26 short stories within aren't very inventive. They certainly are, and this would no doubt make a great present for someone who likes illustration, or story telling, or even for children who want to put aside their oversized picture books. However, as an adult I will say I was entertained too. This is one of those very rare books in today's market place - an all ages comic. There are some mature themes, but certainly no swearing or violence as is prominent in many superhero titles.  My faves would be the wordless tale set on a train by Guenoden, with a surprise uplifting ending and the cute, but deep Beneath The Leaves by Rad Sechrist. Though it is difficult to choose. I must say this was a breath of fresh air. No spandex in sight. Each tale is short enough to read in minutes, yet most are powerful enough to ponder after the book is closed. Talking animal stories abound, as do wordless tales of travel and adventure. And this book will open your eyes to the non-superhero cross hatching style. Deceptively simple is what I would call most of the art styles on display here. It's obvious that many here have an animation background, as fluid and beautiful pages bring a childlike glee to your face. It always amazes me how a good artist can use only a few strokes of a pencil or paintbrush to convey wide ranging emotions. There is a lot of talent out there, and it's equal parts rewarding and frustrating to see the massive talents and diverse creativity under the surface of superhero titles in this industry. It is difficult, of course, to give the varying artistic styles of the many contributors any justice with mere words on a computer screen though, so here are snippets from all 26 tales on offer , just to give you an idea.I'd like to leave you with a somewhat apt piece of dialogue from The Edge by Ben Hatke about two boys travelling to the edge of the world. "Well, you can't just take everything you see at face value, you know. Still, I don't know if we'll ever really know what that place was." Well, Flight would be a perfect name for that place. Equal parts mysterious and enchanting, and most certainly a place worth visiting again. Comments (0) |
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