The Flying Ship Volume 1

The Flying Ship #1

by Jem Milton

Queer adventure, humor, and heartfelt friendships star in this fantastical comics tale that truly feels like it’s for everyone.

After being stranded in a forgotten military outpost, grumpy Dobrinia sets out on a quest to marry a princess. But in the vast Tzardom of Glas, where magic has been outlawed, troubled histories can catch up with even a flying ship.

The Flying Ship by Jem Milton makes its first foray into print comics! Their fan-favorite story, originally released digitally, is part of the new collaboration between Dark Horse and Tapas.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Comics, Young Adult, Queer, LGBT, Graphic Novels Manga

256 pages, Paperback

First published November 7, 2023

Reviews

[charlotte, · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rep: sapphic mc, Black gay mc, trans mc

[Vanna Book-Mage · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pleasantly surprised and can't wait to see how this story plays out. Also, I love the disability representation.

[Kaitlyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is it just me or were some of the panels out of order?

[Mackenzie (mackenziespocket) · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was a pretty fun read, and i enjoyed the artwork and color a lot

REP: i think all of the main characters are queer?

[Riz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so cool!
Not what I expected- in the best way possible.

Absolutely LOVED the nymphs, one of the coolest nymp design I have ever seen for sure!!!
The characters are so lovable, the setting enticing, and I am HOOKED for more!!

[Hunter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun time. Reminded me of a DnD campaign being played.

[AJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*

This was SO cute! I've already got the second one on hold at the library. My only critique is that the beginning felt extremely fast, like the MC didn't even process how wild it was that she was on a flying ship and that her leg transformed.

[Elisabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I really like the art, but the story was confusing. I think I might try reading it online and see if viewing it that way is less of an issue.

[Emma Baird · Rating 5 out of 5]

The art is gorgeous, the world is interesting and magical, and the characters all have layers to them that are fascinating to peel back as you see them all meet and bond. I’ve been a fan of this comic online for years and I cannot recommend it enough. Jem Milton is an incredible artist who really knows his way around a comic page composition and color pallet. You can see their style improve throughout the comic, which is an excellent experience as you watch Dobrinia grow as well. I can understand why some people don’t like the inconsistent style, but it’s unrealistic to expect the author to redraw all of the old pages. Also it’s super worth it for the beautiful chapter 3 art. The queer representation is absolutely amazing and lovely. I love how Tam is implied to be asexual in chapter 3, and the rusalki designs are gorgeous. I’m using the word gorgeous again because the whole book really is gorgeous, I am not kidding. All of the character designs are amazing! I’m a big fan of all of Margo/Max’s outfits and how her genderfluid identity plays into that. There is also bonus art and concept art in the back, which is super cool. I love how Dobrinia is disabled but nothing can stop her fiery spirit. Also she has hairy legs! As a woman! Super awesome detail. Overall, just a lovely looking comic with wonderful friendships and representation and a super fun sense of adventure with a bit of mystery and mythology. Please support this incredible storyteller! And consider continuing to read the adventures online!

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

It felt like the prologue and the novel itself were two different stories (and I liked the prologue better).
The protagonist, instead of being a gruff and coming-off-as-rude character, is straight-up mean and unlikeable ("Hey, I saved you a pastry!" "WHY TF WOULD YOU DO THAT, STUPID?" *snatches it anyway*)
The plot meanders along too slowly, trying meanwhile to do too many things without focusing on any of them long enough to do it effectively (one character is an amputee, one is implied to be lesbian, one is implied trans, one girl shows glimpses of body hair [but only the coarse-persona tomboy, so yay, same old stereotype], one character is briefly, incidentally, shown menstruating...)
Some of the art is nice--there were some cool character designs among the rusalki, though they were more faerie-like than fitting the actual rusalka mythology--but the two crewmates we meet in this volume have oddly stretched-out, peanut-shaped faces.
Couldn't connect with this story. Won't hunt down the next volume.

Content concerns: mean protagonist, no sex but occasional topless nymphs, occasional violence (sword fights, murderous creatures, etc), one incident of secondhand drugs (hallucinogenic smoke)

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun read that I enjoyed in concept more than the actual execution. The queer found family situation combined with the general quest storyline gave me strong She-Ra: Princess of Power vibes, which I really enjoyed. I liked that each character had a deeper backstory built in, even if we only got a small peek at it to start. The pacing and art style lost me a bit though. I found the style inconsistent and sometimes difficult to interpret and the pacing somehow made the book feel much longer than it actually is (not in a good way). Unsure if I will continue the series, but glad I checked out this first volume. I know there will be a strong audience for this content, even if it wasn't exactly spot on for me.

Special thanks to Dark Horse for an ARC in exchange for review.

[becca · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up (bc the dog is adorable)

In theory, I really like the idea for this: the story concept is good, looks like it'll have the found family trope, queer rep, disability rep, all the fun stuff.

Buuuuuut, the art just made this super hard for me to get into. It's inconsistent in style and the way people are drawn can be really odd. There was a point where I genuinely could not recognize one of the characters and had to flip back and forth between the pages because I thought my eARC was missing a page.

[Starr ❇✌❇ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC from Edelweiss
4.2

This was really fun! I love this take on a traditional Russian folktale and the ways in which is embodies that stories as well as where it totally diverges into something new. Dobronia is incredibly rough around the edge, a little careless, and as realistic as she is selfish and she is such a fantastic main character. I love her and the little nudges of character growth we get to see, especially when it comes to her new crew. The art in this is lovely and I'm really looking forward to seeing where this goes!

[Lucy Lennox · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series! The queer, trans, disability representation and body positivity are all fantastic, the art is gorgeous, and the story and setting are so original. In a sea of Tolkien fantasy knock-offs, the Russian folktale setting stands out.

Dobrinia is such a great hero. A grumpy girl with limb difference on a quest to find the princev (ie, gender neutral princess), sign me up! I love how she's just so unselfconsciously herself, both physically and personality-wise.

If you can't wait for the next volumes, go read it on Tapas. Highly recommended!

[Hope · Rating 5 out of 5]

The art and illustrations were beautiful! I think my favorite part was when they encountered the Rusalka and raced for the treasure. When all the Rusalka were trying to get to Tam but he was so out of it nothing was affecting him and the Rusalka were upset. But I can’t wait to see the next volume of this story, it was really enjoyable and I love anything that includes Eastern European folklore like the Rusalka.

[Blue · Rating 5 out of 5]

A curse, a quest, a queer hero, a flying ship, and treasure upon treasure! Dobrinia is determined to find the crew with her flying ship and get the treasure, but with magic being outlawed, all this is easier said than done. Can't wait to see how this all ties in with the cursed arrow. Recommended for those who like poppy seed rolls, message birds and "back scratchers."

[Rae the Reviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I randomly stumbled across this on Hoopla and I’m so glad I did. The illustrations were gorgeous! I really enjoyed this start and I’m excited to see the world expanded in the next volume. The characters were compelling and I liked seeing the ways they interacted with each other. It was nice to see an amputee MC whose disability isn’t “healed” by the magic of her world.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Going to give this graphic novel the benefit of the doubt and give it four stars. Good things: the queer and disabled rep; the artwork; the story being one big D&D quest. The bad: an unlikable main character and art so inconsistent I thought there were four artists involved. I will check out volume two, however.

[Amanda Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the realistic bodies, genders, attractions, and disabillities. I love the leg hair and armpit hair especially. The characters are unique, funny, and interesting to uncover their backstory. The russian folklore has been interesting to see as a theme in the book. Lovely artwork, great pacing, I can't wait to see how all the various threads of story weave together!

[Evelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent re-read! I'm so glad to have the Flying Ship as a book, I adored reading the comic on Tapas, and Im looking forward to re-reading it, one volume at a time. The designs of the Nymphs are so so good, they have lived rent free in my head for a long time now! I think these first free chapters are around the time i first started reading too.💕

[Janessa Paun · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.85 stars. This graphic novel was a little all over, and I didn't love the pacing. On the other hand, I thought the art was great, and Tamiel Bello was a great character. I also enjoyed the magic system, especially the arcane magic part of it. This graphic novel has promise, and I hope the next in the series is better.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

A YA queer comic about a a one legged girl putting together a crew for her flying ship in a world where magic is outlawed but not always enforced. It's alright. The art can be wonky. This started as a webcomic and it's the first time it's in print.

[Jo-Chan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really really really wanted to like this series as it hits a lot of what I like, but I don't know what it was lacking, but I lost interest half way. I don't know how to explain it, but it could be better and more engaging.

[Aurora · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t think I like the main character, but thankfully (?) this is an ensemble piece, and I do like both of the crew members introduced so far! So it’s worth going on to at least the next volume, I think.

[kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

if nobody else has me, a queer graphic novel about a found family has me

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dobrinia, you are unhinged girlie. Gorgeous art and a fun story.

[Yuuto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cool, looking forward to the next volume!

[Dylan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a sucker for queer fantasy and ships, throw in found family and a scrappy dog and I'm sold.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow I was blown away with this graphic novel!! The story had me hooked right from the beginning and the art was stunning!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

So good!