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)
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Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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
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Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
