Flying Solo (Meridian (Cross Generation Comics Traveler)) [Paperback]

Barbara Kesel (Author), Joshua Middleton (Other Contributor), Michael Atiyeh (Other Contributor)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Gr. 7-12. In this first anthology of the fantasy graphic novel series Meridian, Sephie, only child of the Minister of Meridian, lives in an amazing fantasy world of sky-cities and flying ships. After her father's death, she becomes a sigil-bearer, infused with mysterious powers based in healing, protection, and regeneration. When her nefarious uncle launches a hostile takeover of Sephie's city and starts a war for control over the planet's diminishing resources, Sephie must determine how best to serve her people as their new minister. Familiar themes run through the collection: family betrayal, the father-daughter bond, and the demands of leadership. The story emphasizes character more than action, and the full-color artwork flows beautifully, matching the richly imagined setting perfectly. This epic marking Sephie's personal journey from innocence to awareness is an appealing coming-of-age story; young women, a group not usually counted among graphic novel enthusiasts, may be especially intrigued. The cliffhanger ending signals more volumes to come. Cathy Buskar
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Paperback: 188 pages
• Publisher: Cross Generation Comics (March 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931484546
• ISBN-13: 978-1931484541
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,001,284 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it, June 6, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Flying Solo (Meridian (Cross Generation Comics Traveler)) (Paperback)

Picked this up on a whim - hey, look, ten dollars! - and absolutely adored it. It very, very much fits the fantasy mold, as a plucky heroine must save her homeland from an evil uncle, but it goes through the motions with style and warmth. The efforts (though moderately faint as of this volume) of the publisher to tie in the narrative to other events in the publisher's "universe" (aka, crossover ahoy!) is a little more sketchy - I've never understood the comic book mentality to shun stand-alone works - but it doesn't hamper the story.

Beyond that, I really hope that other comic publishers follow this pricing model - ten bucks is absolutely ace. It's an absolute bargain and you'd be a fool to pass it up.

3.0 out of 5 stars The first 95% was so good, and then..., October 29, 2011

By 

Sarah - See all my reviews

This review is from: Flying Solo (Meridian (Cross Generation Comics Traveler)) (Paperback)

A bit of background: I found this book recommended elsewhere on Amazon, by a reviewer who was quite adamant that readers should not read the book that I'd originally looked up, but instead read this one. So, I decided to check it out.

I thought that the first 95% of the book was magnificent. The story was tightly plotted and epic feeling in scope, the art is absolutely gorgeous (in a light and pastel way), there were awesome 'yay, girl power!' moments, and each new setting/world that Sephie (or other characters) ventured to was a new and exciting place for the reader to explore.

One of the pull quotes on the back of the book mentions Harry Potter and that is actually a rather apt comparison. A young girl is given too much responsibility at too young an age, and then must rise to the occasion and triumph over a multitude of magical dangers. And this truly is epic fantasy. The world building is exquisite and obviously meticulously plotted out. The characters just leap off of the page. You can tell that there is years worth of history between the characters, and bits and pieces are revealed at just the right moments.

Sephie's arc is also well-plotted, as she faces one danger after another, and discovers how to use her new powers. She makes new friends, and her old friends are ready to do anything to help her, and you can see the pieces lining up.

And for the first 95% of the book, I was hooked, and in awe, and ready to get my hands on volume two as soon as I finished volume one. And then we hit the last two pages, which I won't spoil, but... There was already a to-be-expected (even if you were hoping it wouldn't happen) plot twist with these characters, and that twist was going to be difficult enough for Sephie to escape from. And then bam: gratuitous (or at least it seems unneeded to me, at this point in time) plot twist. Which added nothing to the immediate story, and left me thinking, really?

It ended up being enough of a turn off that I never did pick up book two, so I don't know if the event that I'm referring to, that you'll recognize when you get to it, ended up serving a larger purpose and being worthwhile after all. So, in summary, I would give the first 95% five stars, and the last few pages one star, but... your mileage may vary.

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent read, May 21, 2003

By 

"kingrames" (Texas, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Flying Solo (Meridian (Cross Generation Comics Traveler)) (Paperback)

I saw this book in my local bookstore, and the front cover was already curved back from being read - it was brand new! so I gave it a whirl, and it's AMAZING.

this is the pocket-sized edition, and it's cheaper than the bigger version of the same graphic novel.

the story is that of sophie, a young girl who enjoys being free, who is placed into a very tough job as minister of meridian when her father is killed. It's truly an amazing storyline, and the artwork alone is worth ten times what you pay. The only reason not to buy this book is if you've already bought the bigger version.