Flight, Vol. 2

Flight #2

by Kazu Kibuishi (Editor)

Collects short graphic novels with varying themes, artists, and genres.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Fantasy, Short Stories, Fiction, Anthologies, Young Adult

416 pages, Paperback

First published July 8, 2005

About the author

Kazu Kibuishi (born 1978) is an American graphic novel author and illustrator. He is best known for being the creator and editor of the comic anthology Flight and for creating the webcomic Copper. He has also written (drawn) the Amulet series. The webcomic artist and noted critic Scott McCloud has said that some of Kazu Kibuishi's work is so beautifully drawn that "it hurts my hands when I look at it".

Reviews

[Tina Haigler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this anthology. I actually preferred this second volume to the first. The art was better and so were the stories. I think there were only two where I wasn't thrilled about the art and only a few stories where I was left wanting. Considering how many are in this, that's quite impressive. There were even some art and stories that were downright impressive and fantastic works. I would highly recommend this to anyone who likes short stories and art. I am looking forward to the rest of the volumes of FLIGHT.

[Mir · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty much the same review as vol 1: generally high quality of art, low amount of story-telling, probably not a lot that will linger in my memory.

A few stand-outs (good, bad, or simply noteworthy):

Michael Gagne's fox, whom I have encountered enough times now to remember. Super cute, although I don't really get what's happening.

"Monster Slayers" by Khang Le I thought was quite good, and like a really story. I.e. an episode of an ongoing plot with characters, not just a few-page experiment. Insert "friend and pho" pun that I'm too lazy to make.

Neil Babra's young tourist seems out of place in its realism. Isn't Flight explicitly sci-fi/fantasy? Maybe not. But I don't really care about [average person's attempt to get back to cultural roots/place of birth] stories unless something unusual happens.

Don Hertzfeldt, impressively trippy.

Solomon Fix, whom I don't like or understand, although I generally do enjoy TenApel's work.

Doug Holgate, kudos for having a giant scary tentacle alien monster that grabs the protagonist because they have an important message rather than to eat him/her.

I enjoyed Rad Sechrist's steampunky Ghost Trolley and will read more if there is more. Bucket the cat is my favorite character so far, but the kids may grow on me.

"La Sonadora" is stronger on narrative. The art is too cutesy for me. It would almost work as a standalone children's book, except for the bits where the mom goes insane and later the daughter puts out her eye, apparently with no distress.

Catia Chien, Jake Parker, Jen Wang, Hope Larson, Becky Cloonan, Rodolphe Guenoden, Justin Ridge, Clio Chiang, Sohane Matte, Kness, and Vera Brosgol have art I would be willing to see more of (and in some cases, have read elsewhere).

And of course KK himself rocks. Hurry up with that next Amulet book, yo!

[Debbie Zapata · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading the first volume of this series, I went back to my favorite onllne used bookshop and ordered this book and volume 7.

I was so totally blown away by Volume 1 that I wondered if 2 could live up to it. I did like it very much, but I did not think it was as awesome as the first book. There were some stories here where I could not figure out the connection between the story and FLIGHT, which is the theme for this series. Of course I wouldn't be surprised if that was all my own fault, since I have been a bit overtired lately and I imagine my little pea brain is not running on all cylinders just now.

Anyway, the artwork was lovely and the majority of the stories were great. One I especially liked was Musetrap by Johane Matte. The cat's attitude in this little story is pure CAT, right down to the whomp whomp whomp of his tail when the mouse makes his first escape. But what happens after that is priceless. You go, Mousie!

Cellmates by Phil Craven was another favorite, with another rodent, and I also liked The Plank by Ben Hatke. Mostly because when I was much younger I wanted to be a lady pirate. And if I had been, I hope I would have had two long braids like the female pirate captain in this story.

Wilford's Stroll by Justin Ridge was lovely, and such a clever idea about the cloud cleaner and his duties. All in all, a very enjoyable book and I'm glad i bought it. I know I will read it again and again. Someday I might even figure out the connections that I didn't get this time around!

[Lupe Dominguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

While a much heftier volume, this anthology was also radically different. More personal than the first, I think. Lots of good stories, a few head scratchers and some that made you go "wow". I enjoyed it very much.

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

So very, very pretty. That's the best thing that I can say. Like the original Flight anthology, the second one has a very wide variety of work from many different creators, with very different styles, but all beautiful to look at. A few differences, though. This collection is much longer than the first one, almost twice as long. The theme of flight seems to have basically been abandoned, in favor of just presenting a lot of variety. And the writing isn't as uniformly solid. But it's just so pretty that it's worth looking at, if nothing else.

[Matt Seraph · Rating 4 out of 5]

A riot of utterly different styles of line and colour, this collection melds good to exquisite art with shamelessly simple stories that radiate the joy their authors took in creating them. A play at a children's theatre. A sumptuous tea party crashed by a polite grizzly bear. Two best friends eating a moon together. An immigrant remembering how they learned to play baseball.

Unlikely to be anyone's favourite graphic novel, but the best stories will leave a softly fading sweetness with you - like a literary meringue.

[Kim Lockhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

These short stories all contain some element of flight. Otherwise, they are all completely different in style. I was charmed by how many of the artists broke the rules of lettering and in general, followed their own ideas.

The work varies from good to great, but this is such a feast that you're sure to find a lot to love.

I'm very excited at the propsect of reading the other five volumes.

I'd like to see more themed projects like this.

[Dov Zeller · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a while to get interested in this thematic collection of graphic short stories and excerpts. As long as I don't think too hard about the theme (because it is so loosely employed and seems to worry my reading experience) I enjoy reading a bunch of graphic shorts by many talented graphic artists.

[Práxedes Rivera · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those rare instances where sequel surpasses its predecessor. Flight Volume II has more content and variety than Volume I, and is a lot more accessible to the average person. The first volume had too many stories featuring more abstract stories and artwork, making it difficult at times to follow along. This book has a bit of that, of course, but also tales that are readable!

It was surprising to me how many of these graphic short stories had nothing to do with flying...just as well, since that is a limiter to writers. Kudos to Kibuisihi for compiling such a delightfully unique set of tales, paeans, and odes!

[Elizabeth A · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been dipping in and out of this collection of short graphic novels over the past week, and as with any anthology, some stories are way better than others. Still, I quite appreciated the diversity of artists and styles represented in this one. It is a much fatter book than Volume 1, and a stronger collection overall.

[Natalia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great stories! I love that I get to see the work of many!

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have now read three of this Flight graphic story series, where each is a collection of stories by various artists that usually has some relationship to "flight". No intro or epilogue here, it goes straight to the stories and doesn't stop until it reaches the author bios on the final pages.

This one started strong, but I was worried when it hit a lull, or perhaps better described as a section of stories that didn't interest me much. But the last dozen really made up for it, and I ended up liking this collection the most of the first three volumes. (Still not quite 5 stars, because the ratings of the stories were so varied.) As a bonus, it has more stories than the other two. (Vol. 1: 24 stories, Vol. 2: 33 stories, Vol. 3: 26 stories)

It lives up to most anthologies, which is to say there is a lot of variety and mixed results. Also, there are both adult-oriented comics and comics for a general audience, and I tried to give a kind of G thru R rating for these as a guide. After reading the first three volumes, I'm not sure I will continue on, as the less-than-4-stars really dilute the experience for me. But these collections seem to be worth reading for those interested in this medium.

I give individual ratings on the comics below:

"Inner Sanctum" - 5 stars - Pretty, fun, surprising. (PG)
"Solomon Fix" - 4 stars - Bizarre, clever, touching. (G)
"Jelly Fruit" - 4 stars - Bizarre, organic, whimsical. (G)
"The Robot and the Sparrow" by Jake Parker - 5 stars - Sweet, romantic, poignant. (G)
"Dead Soul's Day Out" by Sonny Liew - 3 stars - Not sure what I got out of that.
"Monster Slayers" - 4 stars - Stylized, funny, shocking. (PG-13)
"The Golden Temple" - 3 stars - Didn't really get the prequel in Volume 1 either.
"Dance of the Sugar Plums" - 2 stars - What the? And "ethnic children"? Really?
"Destiny Express" by Jen Wang - 3 stars - Potentially profound, but not really.
"The Orange Grove" by Kazu Kibuishi - 4 stars - Sweet, surprising, vaguely cliched. (G)
"Weather Vain" - 3 stars - Unusual art, graphics, and storytelling, but I was not wowed by the actual story. (PG)
"Heads Up" - 3 stars - I have no idea what just happened, but I will give points for creativity. (PG)
"Tendergrass" - 2 stars - Okay, that was just strange. (PG-13)
"Last Things Last" - 3 stars - Beautiful skies. A touching and realistic moment, but nothing surprising (besides the skies). (PG)
"Cellmates" - 4 stars - Something eerie about this one, with some nice irony. (PG)
"The Ride" - 4 stars - I'm not usually into chasing women in negligees, but this one had a fascinating climax. (PG)
"Laika" - 4 stars - Fairly bizarre and disturbing, beautiful imagery. (PG-13)
"Ghost Trolley" by Rad Sechrist - 4 stars - Lovely, layered, and a little tense/spooky. (PG)
"Wilford's Stroll" by Justin Ridge - 4 stars - Fun, whimsical, refreshing. (G)
"Impossible" - 4 stars - Cute. But... okay, cute. (G)
"Dust on the Shelves" - 3 stars - Vaguely adolescent male obsessive. (PG-13)
"This Time!" - 5 stars - Mysterious, with a nice punch line. Poignant irony. (PG)
"Blip Pop" - 5 stars - Fun, ironic, unexpected. (PG)
"Mouse Trap" by Johane Matte - 5 stars - Clever, instructional, ironic. (G)
"Sirius and Betelgeuse" - 5 stars - Short and sweet. (PG)
"The Flying Bride" - 3 stars - Probably not a funny topic. Well drawn although a bit cliched.
"The Plank" - 5 stars - Clever, subversive, dramatic. (PG)
"Icarus" - 4 stars - Amusing, historical references. (PG)
"A Test for Cenri" - 4 stars - A little contrived, but I like the lesson, and the art. (PG-13)
"La Sonadora" - 2 stars - What the? That made no sense.
"Sky Blue" by Kness - 5 stars - Beautiful, creative, poignant. (PG-13)
"Beisbol" - 5 stars - Inspiring, educational, except I can't confirm if it is a real person. (PG)
"Salmoning" - 4 stars - Thoughtful and short. (PG)

[Jonathan Cook · Rating 3 out of 5]

Flight Volume 2 is heavier and prettier than Volume 1, and features some ringers in the form of Jeff Smith, Doug TenNapel and Don Hertzfeldt, but on the whole it feels less substantial than the first volume, which was almost a manifesto by it's very existence. The second volume continues the first's passion for beauty and design in comics, and the all-ages accessibility of the comics within is refreshing, but too few of the stories offer anything in the way of substance or (worse yet) surprise.

There are exceptions; Hertzfeldt's "Dance of the Sugar Plums" is characteristically original, series editor Kazu Kibuishi contributes a thoughtful, moving, and complete short story (too many of the contributions feel like the opening of something longer), while Vera Brosgol's one-page closing entry is perhaps the best piece in the book. Also effective are contributions by TenNapel, Jen Wang, Khang Le, and Rad Sechrist. And nearly every piece has some strikingly beautiful art from some of the most talented young comics and animation artists. If only more of the entries were as thoughtful or developed as the art deserves.

Definitely worth reading, but it's probably not an anthology that you'll want to return to it again and again. My Rating: Good, But.

[Andréa · Rating 2 out of 5]

My library shelves this whole series in the juvenile section. But personally, I really think the series is better suited for the YA or even adult sections. In this volume in particular, the bulk of the characters are grown-ups, there are several stories and scenes with violence, and the F-bomb is on page 132. I don't know about other parents, but I know my mom would have been furious if, when I was at the juvenile reading level, I had brought home a book with f*** in it, and if I had kids of my own, I would not be pleased if they read this. It's much more suited to the 15 and up crowd.

[Arianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked "The Ride" by Rodolphe Guenoden and "Skyblue" by Matthieu Forichon. This book is filled with some beautiful artwork.

[Sonja P.]

Flight is one of those books you pick up to see what different artists do with the concepts, and how different they can execute very broad prompts. This one has some amazing talents too: Hope Larsen, Kazu Kibuisha, Sonny Liew, and Jen Wang among others. Really beautiful art and some stories I didn’t want to end.

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this really takes me back to highschool and early college. It feels like visiting old friends. It reminds me why I fell in love with comics

[Steve S · Rating 1 out of 5]

I made it to "destiny express." Up to that, it felt like these were the cast-off that didn't make it into volume 1 and for good reason.

[Karissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second volume in Kibuishi’s Flight series. As with the first Flight volume this is a collection of graphic short stories. I thought this volume was much, much better than Flight Vol 1. The stories were just consistently more entertaining and better quality.

This volume contains short stories from a variety of genres and styles. Illustration style varies widely, as do the story types. Most of the stories were appropriate for all ages but there were a few that were best suited for older teen and up. I was reading this with my 9 year old son looking over my shoulder at times and there were some stories that I skipped and came back to when he wasn’t there.

Highlights of the book for me were:
- Inner Sanctum by Michel Gagne: Very cute story with beautiful artwork.
- Solomon Fix by Doug TeNapel: This was a hilarious story and I enjoyed it a lot.
- The Orange Grove by Kazu Kibuishi: Another touching story about a boy and his childhood friend being separated.
- Ghost Trolley by Rad Sechrist: About a young boy who runs away from home and boards a train that goes between realms.
- A Test for Cenri by Amy Kim Grant: I loved the fantasy theme to this one and the beautiful illustration. Not to mention is was action packed!
- La Sonadora: Another beautifully illustrated piece about a girl who is trying to retrieve a star.

Although the above were my favorite, there weren’t really any stories in here that I disliked...which given the variety is pretty amazing.

Overall this was a wonderful collection of graphic novel short stories; I definitely plan on checking out later Flight volumes. I would highly recommend this Flight volume to fans of graphic novels. There is just such a wonderful variety of art and story in this volume, it is all very high quality and just a pleasure to read.

[Lana · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Inner Sanctum" by Michel Gagne - 4 stars - Love the artwork and colours.
"Solomon Fix" by Doug TenNapel - 3 stars - Very odd, but funny, not a big fan of the artwork though.
"Jelly Fruit" Catia Chien - 1 star - The best part is the jelly moustache on the cat otherwise it was pretty lame.
"The Robot and the Sparrow" Jake Parker - 5 stars - Wonderful story and artwork.
"Dead Soul's Day Out - A Malinky Robot Story" Sonny Liew - 2 stars - I really wanted to like this comic, but it's not doing much for me.
"Monster Slayers" by Khang Le - 1 star
"The Golden Temple" by Neil Babra - 2 stars
"Dance of the Sugar Plums" by Don Hertzfeldt - 1 star - I can't read any of it. The handwriting is horrible!
"Destiny Express" by Jen Wang - 3 stars
"The Orange Grove" by Kazu Kibuishi - 3 stars
"Weather Vain" by Hope Larson - 2 stars
"Heads Up" by Beck Cloonan - 1 star
"Tendergrass" - Matthew Woodson - 1 star
"Last things last" by Kean Soo - 1 star
"Cellmates" by Phil Craven - 2 stars
"The Ride" by Rodolphe Guenoden - 1 star
"Laika" by Doug Holgate - 1 star
"Ghost Trolley" by Rad Sechrist - 3 stars
"Wilford's Stroll" by Justin Ridge - 2 stars
"Impossible" by Herval - 2 stars
"Dust on the Shelves" by Bannister - 3 stars
"This time!" by Clio Chiang - 1 star
"Blip pop" by Ryan Sias - 4 stars - Really cute and great artwork
"Mousetrap" by Johane Matte - 1 star
"Sirius and Betelgeuse" by J. Smith - 1 star
"The Flying Bride" by Giuseppe Ferrario - 2 stars
"The Plank" by Ben Hatke - 2 stars
"Icarus" by Johane Matte - 2 stars
"A Test for Cenri" by Amy Kim Ganter - 3 stars
"La Sonadora" by Joana Carneiro - 4 stars
"Sky Blue" by Kness - 5 stars
"Beisbol" by Richard Pose - 2 stars
"Salmoning" by Vera Brosgol - 1 star

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Complete Collection Rating: 7/10 (Good)

This is a much stronger collection of stories than those found in Flight Volume 1, both from a narrative and visual standpoint. There are still a few weak entries, but overall, I was pleasantly surprised with the uptick in story quality.

Story Ratings:

"Inner Sanctum" 7/10 (Good)
"Solomon Fix" 7/10 (Good)
"Jelly Fruit" 6/10 (OK)
"The Robot and the Sparrow" 8/10 (Really Good)
"Dead Soul's Day Out" 7/10 (Good)
"Monster Slayers" 8/10 (Really Good)
"The Golden Temple" 6/10 (OK)
"Dance of the Sugar Plums" 2/10 (Awful)
"Destiny Express" 6/10 (OK)
"The Orange Grove" 7/10 (Good)
"Weather Vain" 5/10 (Mediocre)
"Heads Up" 4/10 (Bad)
"Tendergrass" 4/10 (Bad)
"Last Things Last" 6/10 (OK)
"Cellmates" 6/10 (OK)
"The Ride" 7/10 (Good)
"Laika" 6/10 (OK)
"Ghost Trolley" 7/10 (Good)
"Wilford's Stroll" 7/10 (Good)
"Impossible" 6/10 (OK)
"Dust on the Shelves" 7/10 (Good)
"This Time!" 5/10 (Mediocre)
"Blip Pop" 7/10 (Good)
"Mouse Trap" 7/10 (Good)
"Sirius and Betelgeuse" 6/10 (OK)
"The Flying Bride" 6/10 (OK)
"The Plank" 6/10 (OK)
"Icarus" 7/10 (Good)
"A Test for Cenri" 7/10 (Good)
"La Sonadora" 7/10 (Good)
"Sky Blue" 5/10 (Mediocre)
"Beisbol" 7/10 (Good)
"Salmoning" 5/10 (Mediocre)

[Jeremy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the latest volume of the series I read, the first and third are both excellent. The talented Kazu Kibuishi contributes and edits the volumes. Volume 2 is over 350 pages of illustrated short stories by a variety of artists and authors. While each volume has a theme, they don’t stick to it too much s the stories cover a whole spectrum.

This volume is a little darker than the rest, many of the stories have depressing endings or deal with adult themes. So even though many of the illustrations are great for children, my daughter probably wouldn’t understand what’s going on in some of them. Because there are so many different artists, I never grew tired of the stories because there were so many interesting styles and colors used by each illustrator.

Some of the stories include an engineer driving a train for dead people, a fox saving an alien’s life and a young boy trying to figure out how to tell his friend he likes her while they put on a play. Stories range from fantasy settings to small personal settings in the author’s life. It’s very different than other comics, each author is going in a different direction, but it all fits together nicely.

[Zoltán · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worst first, as there's so little of it: ok, there were some simpleton comics in there. A few stories coming from nowhere, taking you nowhere and something a brain-dead could dismiss as boring throughout.
However. Almost all of it beautifully drawn and still most of the stories were nice too. A book of fairy tales for ... grown ups? I'm not sure about that. But it's not (entirely) for kids either, that's for sure. Or "just" fairy tales for people who like fairy tales? This in the best and nicest meaning of fairy tales of course, the mesmerizing magic, the beauty, the otherworldly.

It only saddens me, that I've got to read this book almost ten years after its launch as comic culture is practically non-existent where I live and while other things may be "to be found" on the world wide, beautiful anthologies like the Flight series are definitely not. Thus I fidgeted around a while in the comic shop where' I've found this and a few more of the series - which one should I start with, the first volume being unavailable - but are definitely happy with my find and will try to collect them all one by one ...

[Becky B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Typical of the Flight books I've read so far, this one is a rather eclectic mix of short stories in graphic novel form varying greatly in style and intended audience. Several of the stories are perfectly harmless and seem aimed at kids, while others have decidedly more adult themes and vocabulary/illustrations. I think I like Vol 1 or 8 better.

Notes on content: Several of the stories are completely inane with no content issues. There are several stories with minor swearing, and one with a very strong swear word. Two of the stories have pictures of naked women with some strategic wrappings to cover up certain parts. No other sexually-related content. Several of the stories have violence, including blood and gore at times. One of the stories is about impending collision between a comet and earth and various reactions. It is quite dark. Another is about a suicide. 2 or 3 stories have characters who smoke. In summary, parents of younger and elementary kids will probably want to preview the stories before letting a child read them. Teens will likely be able to handle most of the content.

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Independent authors and illustrators alike return with unique tales in the second Flight anthology. Featuring some continuing epics and some brand new tales, this Flight volume does explore the imagination. Michael Gagne's silent epic involving a lone fox creature continues, dazzling with simplicity and charm. Neil Babra is also back, adding another chapter to an American visiting the life left behind in India so many years ago. Major highlights include a robot that learns how to dream in Jake Parker's fun tale, a fizzy drink that provides flight in Ryan Sias's cartoony story, and a lonely inmate's relationship with a rat in Phil Craven's offering. Also of note is Rodolphe Guenoden's fun yet tragic bicycle ride and Justin Ridge's wordless adventure with a cloud-cleaning service. Major names like Hope Larson and Becky Cloonan provide slick visuals, while up-and-comers like Don Hertzfeldt use stick men and post-it note styles to oddly entertaining effect. The tome is not entirely perfect, but continues to serve as a platform for independent storytelling and creativity. Soar again with Flight for a fun reading experience.

[Potassium · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flight, Volume 2 is a collection of short stories except they're drawn. Does that make them short graphic novels? Graphic short stories? Who knows...
I see Flight, Volume 2 at the library every time I go. I just never really picked it up until now because I noticed that Jen Wang had a story in it. Because I liked her drawings so much in Koko Be Good, I decided that I wanted to read her story in Flight, Volume 2! It was really neat. I liked it a lot.
Anyway, in general, I really enjoyed this collection of graphic short stories. It had so many different styles and so many different kinds of stories. It ALSO had a lot of stories that had fat monsters with lots of teeth, which as you may or may not know, is a MAJOR plus for me. ;) I made myself read every story, even if I didn't like the drawing style or the topic of the story, and it turned out to be lots of fun.

[Fred Pierre · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like Kazu Kibuishi's art, and one of his stories is included in this anthology of the year's best graphic art. The artwork is top-calibre, featuring many young, up-and-coming artists.

Steampunk is a major theme, with flying whales, ghost-riding trolleys and monster-bounty hunters. There is a consistent theme of humor, and light-heartedness, only belied by two darker tales. All of these are teen-friendly, and are safe for kids to read. For the most part, Kibuishi rejects the darker side of the graphic novel for fun reads with inventive themes.

My personal favorites were the "Robot and the Sparrow," a story of two friends separated by winter, "Solomon Fix," a humorous tale about a tea party gone awry, and "Blip Pop," which uses color to tell a fantastic story about flying-bubble soda. With more than 400 pages of full-color artwork, you will find something that tickles your fancy, or even inspires you!

Did I mention that Bone's Jeff Smith is a featured artist in this volume?

[Astrid Terese · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeg har selvfølgelig favoritter blant alle de ulike tegneserieskaperne og tegneseriene i denne samlingen og den første er Rex. En liten rev som må klare seg gjennom ulike farer og som får uventet hjelp. Rex er reven i tegneserien «Inner Sanctum», «Underworld» og «The saga of Rex» av Michel Gagne (volume 3 og utover) og historien utvikler seg videre i samlingen.
Flight blir redigert av Kazu Kibuishi, en amerikansk tegneserieforfatter og illustratør. Kibuishi sier at Flight ikke er en tematisk antologi og at tittelen Flight ikke har noen spesiell betydning. Men likevel inneholder mange av tegneseriene noe som har med flygning å gjøre, i den videste forståelse av ordet. Utenom det er der et mangfold av ulike teknikker, og historier som dekker komedier, tragedier, eventyr og romantikk.
Flight er blant mine absolutte tegneseriefavoritter. De er fantastisk nydelige!

Hele min omtale finner du på bloggen min Betraktninger

[Chris - Quarter Press Editor · Rating 3 out of 5]

The worst part about gorgeous books like this is that it makes me feel so inferior as an artist. The collected artists here are nothing short of amazing. Every page is a new glory to behold. Truly, this is a comic-art lovers' book.

As for the stories themselves, many aren't very developed. While the art pops off the page, the writing is a bit weak for the majority of the comics. A few truly stand out, one of my favorites being about baseball--something I care nothing for, but most are lackluster, if not downright nonsensical.

Regardless, this is a fun book to check out, and I'm sure I'll read the other volumes.

[Eva Siagian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Better than volume one, most of the story and art in here, in my opinion, is promising to see it again in near future. I don't read many graphic novel yet, just assume I read this book in the published year, 2005, and yes some of the artist is already made their own books and some already translated in Indonesian, for example Vera Brosgol (I remember her works also appeared in volume one), Laika by Doug Holgate, and maybe other that I haven't crossed with their continuous works.