Flight volume 1, by many different people, Image Comics

As with any anthology work by a bunch of different people, the work here is very hit or miss. There were a few stories that really stood out to me, either because of the storytelling or because of some unique artistic styles. The ones I liked include I Wish... by Vera Brusgol, and Paper String by Jen Wang. Then some of the stories are just pointless. Yes, I couldn't really do anything good story-wise with just five pages, either, but some people's entries just seemed to have no real thought put into them. Maybe they were offered the oppportunity to be in the book but only had a week to come up with something. Who knows. The end result is a very spotty book. It has some great moments, but also some stories will make you wonder why you spent the money in the first place. But if you can get it on sale, like I did, it's worth a shot.

Flight volume 2, by various artists, Image Comics

As I noted in my review of the first volume, the problem with a compilation like this is that some of the stories will be stuff you didn't care about. In fact, this time around some of the stories are absolute garbage. One guy does his story using stick figures, and the writing that goes along with it makes no sense. How on earth did this thing get green lighted? Then there's the bizarre stuff like the story where animals get their guts cut out. I kid you not. And it is pitched as some kind of love story. It's time to lay off the drugs, people. At least some of the stories were good. "The Ride" is very good, good art and a clever story. I also really enjoyed "Wilford's Stroll" and "Beisbol." "The Flying Bride" is also good, though it gets props more for the way it is done up like a silent film than for the art itself. Just personal taste. And, really, that's what it all comes down to with this book. With such a variety of works, you won't like all of it, and you might not like most of it, but you will definitely like some of it. You just have to decide if the cover price is worth the chance.

Flight volume 3, edited by Kazu Kibuishi, 2006, Ballantine Books

Now that I have read it, I must say that the concept is still good, but the focus of the stories within seems to be gone. Originally, the stories within the Flight anthology had something to do with flight, even if only in a very broad sense. That idea seems to be long gone, as only a handful of the stories deal with flying. The quality of the stories also seems to have slipped a little bit, as far as the writing goes. There are exceptions, of course. Specific bright spots in this third volume include Tony Cliff's "Old Oak Trees," Steve Hamaker's "The Brave Sea," and Rudolphe Guenoden's "Message in a Bottle." The utter bizarreness of some of the stories in volume 2 is also missing, which is probably a good thing. Not that stories here aren't bizarre, but there isn't anything totally off the wall like the story about skinning animals in volume 2.

Overall, this is a good addition to the collection, but I feel like the editor should either bring things back to the original intent, or have a stronger editorial arm as far as what stories to include. Each volume can have a different focus, even if not about the original concept of flight, but each volume would be improved by having some kind of focus.

Fanboy by Mark Evanier, Sergio Aragones, and friends, DC Comics

The star of the story is Finster, an everyman comic book geek. He works in a comic shop, draws his own comics at night, and fantasizes about the beautiful girl he goes to school with, but knows he'll never get, because he's a comic book geek. The great thing about this story, though, is that in every chapter Finster has fantasy sequences where he imagines he is involved in a different DC comic, like Batman, or Superman, or Green Lantern, etc. He imagines himself as either the main character or, more often, a sidekick. The genius here is that the creators got all sorts of comic big shots to draw these dream scenes, so they look spot-on authentic. Folks like Frank Miller, Bill Sienkiewicz, Gil Kane are all involved, along with some others whom I didn't recognize (I don't really read DC Comics, remember?). This gives the book a unique visual feel, and is handled very well.

The story itself is fairly average and predictable, but those fantasy sequences! The absolute best is the Batman sequence from chapter five, where the art style keeps changing to show how different artists and writers have handled the caped crusader over the years. Wonderful stuff, they even ape the old Batman: the Animated Series look. That alone made the book a worthwhile purchase, but then I've always had a soft spot for Batman. If you like classic DC characters you'll probably like this book even more than I did. Definitely worth checking out.

Fury: Peacemaker issue 5, by Gartn Ennis, Darick Robertson, and Rodney Ramos, 2006, Marvel Comics

This issue has the allied commandos continuing to camp out in the manor house as they continue to deal with their assassination target's supposed plan to murder Hitler and end the war. It is an interesting tactical problem that they have, and I am enjoying watching them figure out how on earth to get out of the situation. The fact that Fury is with a bunch of Brits is also a nice touch, as it moves away a little from the American Hero myth that has grown up around our WWII efforts. On the art front, the penciller gives a rough, realistic feel to things, which is necessary for a war story, so points are scored on that front. the colorer also does a good job of keeping things proper. For example, when the allies are sitting around in a dark room discussing strategy, the room is dark, as it should be. Overall, this has been a good series, and I am happy that I gave it a chance.

Four Letter Worlds, by various individuals, 2005, Image Comics

As is to be expected in an anthology like this, the end product is mixed. There are some excellent stories here (Anew by Chunna Clugston and Spin by B. Clay Moore and Steven Griffin, for example) but also some stuff that I didn't care for at all (Lust by Jim Mahfood and Loud by Jay Faerber and Steve Rolston, for example). In the end, I think the book is worth picking up if you can get it for less than cover price. Considering the mixed bag this book offers, $12.95 is a bit much. If you can snag it for less than $10, it should be worth your while.