Flight, Volume Four [Comic]

Kazu Kibuishi (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 10, 2007

A full-color graphic anthology of short stories by some of the hottest creators in the field, FLIGHT, Volume Four is the newest addition to a great success story in graphic novel publishing.

Since 2004, when the first Volume of Flight burst on the scene, the publication of subsequent volumes has become a highly anticipated annual event. Artists are constantly contacting Kibuishi (the editor of the Flight volumes and himself a contributor), asking to be included in the next volume of Flight. So it's no wonder Flight has ascended so rapidly in the graphic novel universe, becoming a fan favorite and developing a rabid following. Each contributor's story in the anthology represents a labor of love, and that fact shines through in the overall quality of the series.

“With truly stellar art from masters of the field, this fantasy anthology is a must for comics connoisseurs and a delight to readers who like pretty stories.” Publishers Weekly on Flight, Volume Three (Starred Review.)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Even as the Flight anthologies grow larger—this volume has about 80 pages on its immediate predecessor—there is still so much good material it never feels like too much. Many of the stories are silent and depend on the cartoonist's ability to tell fluid and accessible narratives by pacing their stories with extreme delicacy. Fortunately most of the cartoonists meet this demand, notably the opening Castaway by Michel Gagne as well as N by Phil Craven. The stories that do feature dialogue have an inviting, warm feeling to them, an appreciated effect considering how many stories here there are to read. To Grandma's by Clio Chang has the most fun with the power of childhood dreams and fantasies. The Forever Box by Sarah Mensinga takes childhood as a major theme, as do many of the selections; its mix of imagination and humanity is a great example of what the Flight books work so well. As the reader nears the end, after so many varied stories, a comic like Twenty-Four Hours by Andrea Offerman bursts out with wild images never seen before. Flight Volume 4 is good to the last drop. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

The fourth opulent Flight anthology showcases 30 stories by mostly young, animation-influenced artists. If it doesn't soar quite as high as its predecessors, many of whose standout contributors have moved on, it still features plenty of top-notch talent. Highlights include another installment of animator Michael Gagné's saga of the plucky young fox Rex, Amy Kim Ganter's manga-derived tale of an epic clash between a fish seller and a clam seller, Sarah Mensinga's story about a girl who escapes grief via a magic box that can stop time, Johane Matte's delightful depiction of a comically jealous Egyptian cat, Clio Chang's media-age updating of Red Riding Hood, and Andrea Offermann's surreal account of what appears to be the end of the world by means of elephant attack and aerial invasion. In most of these stories, plots are minimal, and many are wordless. The collection's substantial appeal lies primarily in the impressive variety of often stunning artwork, presented in full color that ranges from the thoughtfully subtle to the vividly lush. Flagg, Gordon
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Comic: 352 pages
• Publisher: Villard (July 10, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345490401
• ISBN-13: 978-0345490407
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 0.8 x 10.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #166,519 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kazu Kibuishi is the author and artist of the popular Amulet graphic novel series. He is also the creator of the Flight Anthologies, a critically acclaimed comics series, and Daisy Kutter: The Last Train, a winner of the YALSA Best Books for Young Adults Award. Born in Tokyo, Japan, Kazu moved to the U.S. with his mother and brother when he was a child. He graduated from Film Studies at the University of California Santa Barbara, and then moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. He currently works as a full-time comic book artist. Kazu lives in Alhambra, California, with his wife, Amy, and their son, Juni.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Taking Flight, July 9, 2007

By 

Tony Medeiros "Sandbox World" (Montreal) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Flight, Volume Four (Comic)

Flight is one of those great reads. They have become a regular appetite of mine since they were created 4 years ago. Book your flight today, because this volume is a bang for your buck. The greatest known and unknown comic illustrators are here. This tome is a keeper in any bookshelf.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Great Anthology, August 23, 2007

By 

c5 (Louisiana, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Flight, Volume Four (Comic)

I think this might be my favorite Flight book so far, overall. As in the previous volumes, the stories and art styles vary dramatically. Each story is very short, but these comics are worth reading slowly or more than once to enjoy the excellent artwork and all the imagination involved.

These aren't traditional comic book-style comics, and they aren't newspaper-style comics (though I think that some belong in the same general category as older newspaper comics such as those by Winsor McCay). It just seems clearly evident that the artists in these books love what they are doing, and I hope that the series continues to be successful so that more will get a chance to do so in this ideal format.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun to read--very enjoyable, July 31, 2007

By 

Armchair Interviews (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Flight, Volume Four (Comic)

Flight 4 is the fourth book in the flight series. These books are anthologies of stories told through the use of comic format. Each of these collections showcase young, innovative artists, with the intent to create stories that are fun to read for both the seasoned fan of comics, and those readers new to the format.

Flight 4 continues this tradition. Out of the series, the stories in this anthology really make the reader think about their storylines, and are quite introspective. The short stories included cover a wide range of subjects that are varied in style and tone. The book contains twenty-five stories by twenty-six talented artists and storytellers.

A few of my personal favorites from this Flight collection are: Food from the Sea by Amy Kim Ganter, The Window Makers by Kazu Kibuishi, Dinosaur Egg by Raina. Each of these stories plays with the ideas of the power of imagination, the joy of finding your own strengths and weaknesses, and the fun of discovering new things and ideas.

I've been a fan of the Flight collections since reading Flight Volume 3. I'm most impressed with this current collection and look forward to future flight collections.

Because, as the folks over at Flight Comics believe, reading comics should be fun and Flight 4 is defiantly a fun and thought provoking read.

The artists who contributed stories to the book are: JP Ahonen, Graham Annable, Neil Babra, Bannister, Vera Brosgol, Scott Campbell, Pascal Campion, Joel Carroll, Cleo Chiang. Phil Craven, Ryan Estrada, Michel Gagné, Amy Kim Garter, Thomas Herpich, Azad Injejikian, Kazu Kibuishi, Jon Klassan, Sarah Mensinga, Fabio Moon, Ovi Nedelcu, Andrea Offermann, Lark Pien, Dave Roman, Israel Sanchez, Raina Telgemeir, and Joey Weiser.

Armchair Interviews says: Check out all 4 in the series.