Flight Volume Six edited by Kazu Kibuishi

What do a Ninja that can't get a job, a gunslinging female detective and an astronaut have in common? Flight! This eight volume set of graphic novel short stories features a multitude of great artwork. Each story has its own unique art style which seems to match the story perfectly and make it come alive.  Like every short story compilation, it has it's hits and misses.  But, in volume six, the hits far outnumber the misses.  The stories cover a wide range of genres but the one thing that brings them all together is the concept of flight.  Although in some stories it is difficult to understand how the theme of flight is represented, this offers a great opportunity for students to figure out the connection, and for teachers to explain the concept of theme.  One favorite in this volume was "The Excitingly Mundane Life of Kenneth Shuri," a story about a ninja freshly graduated from ninja school that can't find a job.  The employment office is no help, his wife complains about him not finding a job and his son wants to be figure skater. In a twist of fate it all works out in the end and the story is filled with hilarious moments.  Among other good ones are "Dead at Noon," a story about a cowboy with amnesia, and "Magnus the Misfit,” a Viking that, unlike the rest of his clan, is not very ferocious.  A definite must read for any comic book fan or short story lover.  Each story is only a few pages, and they range from having no text to plenty of it. --Claudio Leon

Kibuishi, Kazu, ed. Flight Vol 6. New York: Random House Inc, 2009. Print