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Meridian (collected editions) #1
Meridian: Flying Solo
Book by Kesel, Barbara
188 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
About the author
Barbara Randall Kesel
372 books32 followersBarbara Randall Kesel is an American writer and editor of comic books; her bibliography includes work for DC Comics, Marvel Comics, CrossGen, Image Comics and Dark Horse Comics. Kesel is a very outspoken opponent of sexism in the comic book industry. She is known for her strong female characters, influencing her then husband Karl's work on Lois Lane in the Superman titles and creating Grace, the ruler of the Golden City location in Comics' Greatest World.
Kesel initially came into the comics world after writing a 10-page letter to editor Dick Giordano regarding the portrayal of female comic book characters. At Dark Horse, Kesel was part of Team CGW, responsible for most of the design and creation of the setting and characters in the Golden City location. She is currently part of book packaging company The Pack, alongside Lee Nordling, Brian Augustyn, Gordon Kent and Dave Olbrich.
Kesel has been nominated for the 1991 "Best Editor" Eisner Award for Badlands, Aliens: Genocide and Star Wars. In 1995, she was nominated for "Best Anthology" and "Best Graphic Album of Previously Published Material" Harvey Awards for, respectively, Instant Piano and Hellboy: Seed of Destruction. She won the 1996 "Best Graphic Album of Previously Published Work" Harvey Award, for Hellboy: The Wolves of St. August.
Kesel initially came into the comics world after writing a 10-page letter to editor Dick Giordano regarding the portrayal of female comic book characters. At Dark Horse, Kesel was part of Team CGW, responsible for most of the design and creation of the setting and characters in the Golden City location. She is currently part of book packaging company The Pack, alongside Lee Nordling, Brian Augustyn, Gordon Kent and Dave Olbrich.
Kesel has been nominated for the 1991 "Best Editor" Eisner Award for Badlands, Aliens: Genocide and Star Wars. In 1995, she was nominated for "Best Anthology" and "Best Graphic Album of Previously Published Material" Harvey Awards for, respectively, Instant Piano and Hellboy: Seed of Destruction. She won the 1996 "Best Graphic Album of Previously Published Work" Harvey Award, for Hellboy: The Wolves of St. August.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
February 4, 2012
I managed to get some travel time and I saw the chance to move up ahead on my 2012 reading list. I picked the travel edition of Crossgen’s Meridian paperback. It has a smaller trim size than a regular paperback, but not too small as to diminish your enjoyment of the art and it had beautiful art.
Of the artists, whose work were featured in this collection, Joshua Middleton’s artistic voice has not yet emerged here, which will be more evident in later work like NYX. His figure work has some Bart Sears influence which was not a surprise as Sears served as Crossgen’s art director. Steve McNiven’s art stood out. His detailed line work, much apparent in his work in Marvel Civil War years later, was already distinctive, but blended it well with Middleton’s art in the preceding chapter that it didn’t look out of place.
The story itself was unlike the superhero fare Marvel and DC were churning out of its production line at the time. This was where Crossgen made their mark, the publisher was not afraid to try different genres.
This was an excellent read and suitable for a short plane flight. It size made it easy to carry around and read. It ended on a cliffhanger though, and I wished the second volume was readily available.
Of the artists, whose work were featured in this collection, Joshua Middleton’s artistic voice has not yet emerged here, which will be more evident in later work like NYX. His figure work has some Bart Sears influence which was not a surprise as Sears served as Crossgen’s art director. Steve McNiven’s art stood out. His detailed line work, much apparent in his work in Marvel Civil War years later, was already distinctive, but blended it well with Middleton’s art in the preceding chapter that it didn’t look out of place.
The story itself was unlike the superhero fare Marvel and DC were churning out of its production line at the time. This was where Crossgen made their mark, the publisher was not afraid to try different genres.
This was an excellent read and suitable for a short plane flight. It size made it easy to carry around and read. It ended on a cliffhanger though, and I wished the second volume was readily available.
August 27, 2020
(This is actually a review of the third issue of Meridian by itself, which is not in the Goodreads database.)
This is different than the comics I usually read: computer generated artwork, no ads except on the back cover, and no big-name hero like Superman, Spider-Man, or the Pink Ranger. Still, I enjoyed this story, even if I didn't fully understand it. Maybe I need to get my hands on the omnibuses, so I can experience the saga in full.
This is different than the comics I usually read: computer generated artwork, no ads except on the back cover, and no big-name hero like Superman, Spider-Man, or the Pink Ranger. Still, I enjoyed this story, even if I didn't fully understand it. Maybe I need to get my hands on the omnibuses, so I can experience the saga in full.
June 6, 2008
Written by Barbara Kesel, and penciled by Joshua Middleton, Meridian is a strong character driven comic (or graphic novel, for those who need to feel mature) that explores the conflict between balanced, sustainable living vs. greed driven overconsumption.
But mainly, the reason to read Meridian is that it's a brilliantly written and beautifully illustrated story.
I love it so much that I'm teaching this, the first volume of the trade paperback edition, which compiles the first 7 issues of the series, in my English Class next fall.
But mainly, the reason to read Meridian is that it's a brilliantly written and beautifully illustrated story.
I love it so much that I'm teaching this, the first volume of the trade paperback edition, which compiles the first 7 issues of the series, in my English Class next fall.
December 27, 2012
This book shouldn't be good but its terrific. The book was great when it came out about 8 years ago and its still fantastic. Kesel, Middleton, & McNiven deliver in this harrowing tale of young Sephie and her murderous uncle. Their world is rich and detailed and the book id perfect for all ages and genders. Its so depressing that this company bottomed out because this book could have been epic!
August 24, 2018
LOVED THIS. The artwork is beautiful, the story is so richly layered, and Sephie is an awesome protagonist.
May 22, 2021
The ground-level areas of the planet Demetria are toxic, so most people live on floating islands, each of which is governed by a Minister and specializes in a particular industry or type of work. Meridian, whose people specialize in building airships, is one such island. Meridian's Minister is Turos, and teenage Sephie is his heir. Turos' brother, Ilahn, is the Minister of Cadador.
A pair of gods (or something) decide to shake things up on Demetria by imbuing a pair of siblings with great powers: one with the power of destruction and one with the power of creation. They pick Turos and Ilahn, but the strain is too much for Turos and his heart gives out. Upon his death, his power is passed on to Sephie.
Ilahn has always been jealous of Turos and sees this as the perfect opportunity to take over Meridian and remake it as he sees fit. Sephie is initially naive and trusting but eventually realizes that she'll have to stand against her uncle if her people are to survive.
I found this and the second volume in a used bookstore and bought it primarily for the nostalgia aspect. I read it years ago, and all I could remember was thinking that the colors were pretty.
The colors were indeed pretty, but this was exhausting to read, and I ended up stalling partway through. Weeks later, I finally pushed myself to finish it. Although it did grow on me a little, eventually, I wouldn't be continuing on if it weren't for the fact that I already own the second volume.
There was a lot going on here: details about the world and its politics, a bunch of different characters and their relationships, the gods (or whatever they were) adding their own complications for their own reasons, the old lady who was maybe connected to those gods, etc. I'd have liked it a little more of it hadn't been for the "all-seeing gods imbuing unsuspecting humans with powers" aspect - grand-scale stuff like that kind of annoys me - but I'd still have had issues with how hard it occasionally was to follow what was going on. The characters weren't always drawn quite on model (the biggest offenders: Jad, who looked like every brown-haired guy ever, and his father, who looked like Ilahn), and different issues had different pencilers and inkers, so I had to put extra effort into keeping track of who everyone was.
Here's hoping volume 2 makes for more enjoyable reading.
Rating Note:
This is more like 2.5 stars, rounded down because I came close to just giving up on it due to lack of interest.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
A pair of gods (or something) decide to shake things up on Demetria by imbuing a pair of siblings with great powers: one with the power of destruction and one with the power of creation. They pick Turos and Ilahn, but the strain is too much for Turos and his heart gives out. Upon his death, his power is passed on to Sephie.
Ilahn has always been jealous of Turos and sees this as the perfect opportunity to take over Meridian and remake it as he sees fit. Sephie is initially naive and trusting but eventually realizes that she'll have to stand against her uncle if her people are to survive.
I found this and the second volume in a used bookstore and bought it primarily for the nostalgia aspect. I read it years ago, and all I could remember was thinking that the colors were pretty.
The colors were indeed pretty, but this was exhausting to read, and I ended up stalling partway through. Weeks later, I finally pushed myself to finish it. Although it did grow on me a little, eventually, I wouldn't be continuing on if it weren't for the fact that I already own the second volume.
There was a lot going on here: details about the world and its politics, a bunch of different characters and their relationships, the gods (or whatever they were) adding their own complications for their own reasons, the old lady who was maybe connected to those gods, etc. I'd have liked it a little more of it hadn't been for the "all-seeing gods imbuing unsuspecting humans with powers" aspect - grand-scale stuff like that kind of annoys me - but I'd still have had issues with how hard it occasionally was to follow what was going on. The characters weren't always drawn quite on model (the biggest offenders: Jad, who looked like every brown-haired guy ever, and his father, who looked like Ilahn), and different issues had different pencilers and inkers, so I had to put extra effort into keeping track of who everyone was.
Here's hoping volume 2 makes for more enjoyable reading.
Rating Note:
This is more like 2.5 stars, rounded down because I came close to just giving up on it due to lack of interest.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
May 12, 2016
I was in a graphic novel YA program at LAPL Central Library, way back when. The librarian gave us copies of the book to read for the next week, and we also got one comic from his personal program stash, to bring back and talk about next time. It was a neat deal. The caveat was, no Manga. No superheroes. We were reading Blankets and Maus and the like. The closest thing we got to a superhero comic series was the Crossgen universe, which was all indie and pretentious. Even then, I remember reading 'Sojourn' for its Lord of the Rings atmosphere, but not really comprehending much of it?
There was one Crossgen title that always seemed interesting, and yet I was distinctly disinterested: Meridian. It was the Disney-looking one about the sky pirates and the girl who flew around, and as taboo as it's become to admit, I was once a boy interested in Boy Things. Meridian seemed interesting. It was also a Girl Thing. So, I let it slip.
Years later, I'm a disgusting YA otaku, and that means I've read some of the girliest stuff to ever girl. I've read Emily Windsnap, people.
One day after work, I stop into a comic store and find Meridian volumes 1 and 2 for three bucks total. I snapped them up. I did some research: Meridian was one of the core Crossgen titles, it was one of the longest-lasting, and one of the best received. I was down.
Meridian...did not rock me as hard as I expected it to.
The artwork is impossibly gorgeous, and the world is so outrageously imaginative that you can almost smell the fresh air in the world around the characters. The character designs are similarly masterful, and Sephie herself deserves a $40 PVC figure on my shelf. The writing is lacking in the worst way: it's intentionally limp. The artwork is showing us that Uncle Ilhan is evil, so when he does evil things, we're supposed to expect it. The secondary cast look all meek and unassuming, so we're meant to immediately sympathize with them. Sephie is the only one to overcome this showing-not-telling of characterization, and her actions are repeatedly believable and easy to root for. There's also no arc tying this first volume together, and you just get a "what next?" feeling once the cover ends.
Funny enough: I feel like I would have given this more slack as a younger reader.
Ultimately, I'm not sure me at age 24 likes Meridian any better than myself at age 12 would have. Present Me wanted more in-depth writing and character motives; Past Me couldn't get past the presentation. (And, like...the guy that Sephie likes runs around with an open shirt and immaculate hair. Sephie's hair is its own character. Past Me can be forgiven.)
It's still a pretty book to have, though. And I've already got volume two, so there's that. =)
There was one Crossgen title that always seemed interesting, and yet I was distinctly disinterested: Meridian. It was the Disney-looking one about the sky pirates and the girl who flew around, and as taboo as it's become to admit, I was once a boy interested in Boy Things. Meridian seemed interesting. It was also a Girl Thing. So, I let it slip.
Years later, I'm a disgusting YA otaku, and that means I've read some of the girliest stuff to ever girl. I've read Emily Windsnap, people.
One day after work, I stop into a comic store and find Meridian volumes 1 and 2 for three bucks total. I snapped them up. I did some research: Meridian was one of the core Crossgen titles, it was one of the longest-lasting, and one of the best received. I was down.
Meridian...did not rock me as hard as I expected it to.
The artwork is impossibly gorgeous, and the world is so outrageously imaginative that you can almost smell the fresh air in the world around the characters. The character designs are similarly masterful, and Sephie herself deserves a $40 PVC figure on my shelf. The writing is lacking in the worst way: it's intentionally limp. The artwork is showing us that Uncle Ilhan is evil, so when he does evil things, we're supposed to expect it. The secondary cast look all meek and unassuming, so we're meant to immediately sympathize with them. Sephie is the only one to overcome this showing-not-telling of characterization, and her actions are repeatedly believable and easy to root for. There's also no arc tying this first volume together, and you just get a "what next?" feeling once the cover ends.
Funny enough: I feel like I would have given this more slack as a younger reader.
Ultimately, I'm not sure me at age 24 likes Meridian any better than myself at age 12 would have. Present Me wanted more in-depth writing and character motives; Past Me couldn't get past the presentation. (And, like...the guy that Sephie likes runs around with an open shirt and immaculate hair. Sephie's hair is its own character. Past Me can be forgiven.)
It's still a pretty book to have, though. And I've already got volume two, so there's that. =)
December 2, 2015
TCL CALL #: YA GRAPHIC NOVEL KESEL
Chris’ Rating: 3.75 Stars
Two very opposite brothers are meeting together when a mysterious bird flies close and brands them both with symbols of power. One is Minister of Meridian, the land of down to earth shipbuilders, the other Minister of Cadador, a place of wealth and commerce. Being old the minister of Meridian can’t take the stress of the mark, which passes to his daughter, Sephie, during a last embrace. Seeking power the Minister of Cadador takes his niece with him to his own home, seeking to secretly subdue any resistance in Meridian. But Sephie is troubled by her uncle…and won’t stay locked up in Cadador forever, even if no one will let her leave.
Meridian Flying Solo is beautifully illustrated. Sephie visits different lands in this world with floating cities, all characterized by a specific industry. Good and evil will clash, even as an evil uncle wants to make Sephie more like himself. The main downside is the somewhat cliché aspect of the traders/corporations all being bad guys while only naturalist and simple people are the heroes. Would be a good read for those who like the Amulet Graphic Novel series by Kibuishi.
Chris’ Rating: 3.75 Stars
Two very opposite brothers are meeting together when a mysterious bird flies close and brands them both with symbols of power. One is Minister of Meridian, the land of down to earth shipbuilders, the other Minister of Cadador, a place of wealth and commerce. Being old the minister of Meridian can’t take the stress of the mark, which passes to his daughter, Sephie, during a last embrace. Seeking power the Minister of Cadador takes his niece with him to his own home, seeking to secretly subdue any resistance in Meridian. But Sephie is troubled by her uncle…and won’t stay locked up in Cadador forever, even if no one will let her leave.
Meridian Flying Solo is beautifully illustrated. Sephie visits different lands in this world with floating cities, all characterized by a specific industry. Good and evil will clash, even as an evil uncle wants to make Sephie more like himself. The main downside is the somewhat cliché aspect of the traders/corporations all being bad guys while only naturalist and simple people are the heroes. Would be a good read for those who like the Amulet Graphic Novel series by Kibuishi.
October 24, 2012
This comic was... okay. I felt most of it was rather dull and the plot was re-hashed from other works. The characters aren't memorable and the atmosphere just fell flat. Mind you, it wasn't a BAD read. Just a "meh" one. One thing that really stood out, however, is the artwork and its coloring. Seriously, I have never seen such beautiful coloring ever in ANY comic book. Call me impressed. There's really not much else to say about this graphic novel. I was a bit bored reading through it. However, just because I wasn't a huge fan of the book doesn't mean you won't be. Give this book a shot. You might end up liking it. If anything, you can at least appreciate the art. Trust me. It's beautiful! <3
September 11, 2015
A good start to a series (even if it falls into tropes at times). Our lead starts at a cliche fairy tale princess and grows and learns as this book progresses. I have the sequel, but haven't begun to read it as of yet. I'll be interested to see how this series plays out.
The pacing is inconsistent, but generally kept me engaged. I get the feel that the story is about to pickup with our lovely cliffhanger ending.
Cliche of good vs evil. Pretty obvious with the story line. However, the lead does not stand alone there are others who push against this evil. I really hope for more development of the side characters because I feel there is a lot of potential there.
The artwork is lovely.
The pacing is inconsistent, but generally kept me engaged. I get the feel that the story is about to pickup with our lovely cliffhanger ending.
Cliche of good vs evil. Pretty obvious with the story line. However, the lead does not stand alone there are others who push against this evil. I really hope for more development of the side characters because I feel there is a lot of potential there.
The artwork is lovely.
January 15, 2009
An interesting little fantasy story filled with flying airships, floating cities, and evil family members that hold the power of ultimate destruction within them. It starts out as a fairly standard YA adventure story, kept afloat by Kesel's strong characterizations, and near the end of this first volume starts branching out in some interesting directions.
The more Crossgen titles I read, the sadder I am that the company went bankrupt - they really were creating some interesting, complex books and it would be interesting to see them keep going.
The more Crossgen titles I read, the sadder I am that the company went bankrupt - they really were creating some interesting, complex books and it would be interesting to see them keep going.
May 5, 2014
Colorful and fresh; Meridian is/was a welcome break from the growing trend of arbitrarily grim comics in the 2000s. Sephie is an enjoyable and sympathizable heroine for girls, while also a nuanced enough character not to grate on the nerves of older readers -- when it comes to young female characters, this balance seems to elude many writers! The gorgeous art speaks for itself, and the premise and worldbuilding puts some fresh twists on a traditional hero's-journey/"learning to lead" narrative. Fans of alternative and fantasy comics will want to check this one out.
October 27, 2014
I've retread it multiple times. I really like a lot of the other CrossGen graphic novels also, but I love the Meridian series. The art took a moment for me to get used to but I love it a lot. The storyline's awesome! So creative and pulls you right into their world. I wish this graphic novel was more popular. I first read it from the library a long time ago, but now it's difficult for me to find. I might just get my own copy from amazon or the next time I see it from a bookstore I'll snag it haha.
October 6, 2008
Reprints Meridian #1-7. Sephie is given a sigil and faces off against her uncle Ilahn to protect her home of Meridian. Meridian is one of Crossgen's better titles. The art is strong and the colors are bright. The digest editions are nice beause the quality of the print doesn't seem to have deteriorated with the price. It is unfortunate that Crossgen never was able to fully realize their storylines.
November 2, 2011
The art was great. However, I did find it a little jarring that they kept switching artists and styles. I supposed that happens in the graphic novels. I wouldn't know.
The story caught my interest, but in the end I found it a little too hard to keep up with. Or maybe it was that some of the political parts were just boring enough that I didn't bother to invest much concentration. I would read the next in the series if it fell in my lap, but I'm not going to go looking for it.
The story caught my interest, but in the end I found it a little too hard to keep up with. Or maybe it was that some of the political parts were just boring enough that I didn't bother to invest much concentration. I would read the next in the series if it fell in my lap, but I'm not going to go looking for it.
August 15, 2013
Meridian is full of politics like any good fantasy. Selphie learns of how the poor situation of this world has lead people to dark decisions, and they are not as nice as they first seem. She has gained powers from a yet unidentified source and seeks to save her people. These other people make her into a stronger more worldly person; she may start out naive but she learns quickly and will make a strong heroine in the end.
December 10, 2014
I read most of the Meridian series, with the exception of a couple issues. The first volume had incredibly beautiful artwork, reminiscent of Maxfield Parrish paintings. Later volumes switched artists and were not nearly as good, which did dampen my enjoyments in some small part. The writing stays the same, though, and the worlds that Kesel creates are fascinating and lovely.
December 17, 2014
A beautifully-drawn fantasy comic. The conflict is interesting (although the evil uncle is pretty stereotypical). The powers are unique (destruction vs. creation). And the main character is a lovely, strong, powerful female character. Well done for the first volume! I can't wait to find the next one.
June 14, 2018
I’ve read and re-read this graphic novel since high school! CrossGen was to Western comics what classic Bioware was to story-driven video games as far as I’m concerned. Meridian still has valuable lessons to teach about power and how it affects people in their public and personal lives. And I’ll always be appreciative of how Sephie makes a great role model for young women.
June 8, 2020
I remember buying this in 3rd or 4th grade at my elementary's book fair (over 15 years ago). It was my first ever comic book and it was so exciting! The art amazed me. I've always wanted to read the rest of the series.
September 15, 2008
I really enjoyed this. The story was actually good and caught my interest. I enjoyed the art work througout.
February 18, 2009
Awsome action packed book
January 11, 2010
was trying something new liked it but probally won't read more.
October 19, 2010
This is an amusing tale but it seems lacking somehow. Maybe men just can't write a women's tale well. Considering the story heroine is a woman you would think she would be more than one-dimensional.
September 27, 2012
Read this way back in middle school, it's stuck in my mind ever since. Love the plot line. c:
March 26, 2013
I love this book but i am confused by the way they wrote the page numbers.
April 11, 2014
Gorgeous and exciting fast paced story telling. Female lead character is filled with turmoil and sorrows, fear and the thrill of adventure! I loved the series and the art is breathtaking!
November 21, 2014
Interesting debut, although I don't like the full pages explaining the process that are interspersed with the story.
December 31, 2015
It was an interesting start of a plot. I liked the heroine and the world. The art is amazing in some parts.
October 7, 2016
my first graphic novel to have read when i was 10yrs old. loved the whole story and series. so sad to see that they discontinue printing and creating this amazing comic.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews