Air, Volume 2: Flying Machine

Air #2

by G. Willow Wilson, M.K. Perker (Illustrator)

Ladies and gentlemen, there's been a change in our flight plan. You may have heard of a group called the Etesian Front -- vigilantes dedicated to taking the skies back from terrorism. Sounds like a noble cause, right? But there's more to them than meets the eye. They're after someone I know. Someone who is either an average frequent flier -- or a terrorist. And he's got a secret. Something that will change the way we fly -- and the way we see technology -- forever.

To find him, we've altered course. We're en route to a country that doesn't exist on any maps. Only one person knows how to get us there: me. My name is Blythe, and I'll be your stewardess today. So buckle your seatbelts -- this will be the flight of your life.

In this second volume, Blythe's mysterious rescuer reveals the truth behind one of the most shocking disappearances in aviation history - a secret tied to the origin of hyperprax flight. As the race to find the device begins, Blythe must master her skills as a hyperpract. But her fear of heights may get the better of her. Blythe has traveled through a country that doesn't exist to a dimension of lost things to search for the stranger she's fallen in love with -- a man who may or may not be a terrorist. Now, they will be reunited in the strangest way possible: Trapped in 10-year-old Zayn's body, Blythe will relive his life. The things she'll learn will shock her, and perhaps forever alter her course...

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Science Fiction, Romance

126 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Hugo, World Fantasy and American Book Award-winning author of novels and comics, including THE BIRD KING, INVISIBLE KINGDOM, and ALIF THE UNSEEN. Co-creator of Ms Marvel. Honorary doctor of letters, Rutgers University. I accidentally started a dutch baby baking cult during quarantine. Not very active on here right now, but often found on Twitter.

Reviews

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

So there’s a device discovered in Mexico in 1927. It allows special people, hyperpracts, to travel to the known and unknown using thought? Amelia Earhart was one of the first hyperpracts to use this device which is part of the reason she is alive in todays time. It is discovered that our main character, Blythe, is a hyperpract and Emelia is teaching her how to use this device. That training session takes a crazy train when Blythe’s psyche travels to the mind of Zayn when he was young. She lives in his mind growing up for 20 years even tho only 20 seconds has passed in the real world. Crazy. This helps them locate the device Zayn had back in vol 1. The book ends with showing us a time back in the far past where this device originated from. Still not sure what I was supposed to gather from this. This book continues to be a mystery as far as where it’s headed and continues to take odd turns.

[Elizabeth A · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book blurb: In this second volume, Blythe's mysterious rescuer reveals the truth behind one of the most shocking disappearances in aviation history - a secret tied to the origin of hyperprax flight. As the race to find the device begins, Blythe must master her skills as a hyperpract.

I've always wondered what happened to Amelia Earhart. Now I know. This four book graphic novel series is a fun romp into different dimensions, time frames, and even bodies; the part when our heroine ends up in the young body of the man she loves - creepy and cool at the same time. I've got the next book queued up.

[Brent · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some chapters are better than others, but the collaboration between writer Wilson and artist Perker is mostly successful. Some time travel is more successful than others: the Aztec chapter seemed superficial. But the air travel is fun, especially as a metaphor in this story.
Mildly recommended.

[eHawk · Rating 5 out of 5]

while I found the start to this series a little convoluted, it all pays off here. mk perker's art reminds me of sandman, or another era of comics really. it plays in really nicely with the time/place amorphousness of the series.

[Danger]

Lotta imagination in this and a good central character. Midpoint of the series. Curious to see where it goes next.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hypercube and travel through symbolism. Some interesting character interactions over time.

[Alex Sarll]

Much stranger and better than the first volume, as it becomes clear that the map is not the territory - the territory is a mere shadow of the map. And that's only the first three issues of the five here, which also find room for a personality crisis rendered with rare conviction. Then it's on to a sweet and almost small-scale done-in-one, and a flashback which hints at just how far back the story goes while also having interesting things to say about that old favourite of mine, the transition between ages. My library request for the next volume is in already.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very bizarre but I'm not sure if there's a plot... fun.

[Fizzgig76 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reprints Air #6-10 (March 2009-August 2009). Blythe has met a legend. Amelia Earhart is not only no longer missing, but she alive…and she has a tale to tell Blythe. Bluthe learns about the true power of the hyperpraxis and its abilities, but Amelia is about to discover that Blythe might uncover more about the hyperpraxis’s abilities than she ever has. Blythe finds herself on an adventure through time and space and learns that she might become closer to Zayn than she ever expected as a result.

Written by G. Willow Wilson, Air Volume 2: Flying Machine is a DC Comics title released under the Vertigo imprint. Following Air Volume 1: Letters from Lost Countries, the science-fiction collection features art by M.K. Perker.

Air was a fluke purchase. I found all but one of the collections at a bargain sale and decided to pick it up. I like G. Willow Wilson’s take on Ms. Marvel and thought I would see some of her other writing. Air has its moments, but it also feels like it is still developing.

Air feels a lot like other Vertigo titles in format and telling. Like books like The Unwritten or House of Secrets, the format seems to be tell a core story then have a seemingly detached “origin” story to break up the telling. This process really seemed to pop up during The Sandman and Vertigo latched on to it. The problem is that you really have to have a main story that connects for the other stand-alone issue to work.

Air is still lacking that connection. I like Blythe, but the whole hyperpaxis storyline (which is the thrust of Air at least at the moment) is a little vague and ungraspable. The core idea seems to be that everything is arbitrary…words, names, and in particular maps. The basic concept of a map is real, but symbols are applied by humans…bypass the symbols and you bypass the map and the rules governing it. This might (or might not) be the idea being floated in Air, but it is having a difficult time explaining it.

The art for the series is nice, but it is also rather typical because it is meant to be. There aren’t any superheroes and there are no costumes. These are supposed to be people rooted in reality and dressing accordingly. The variety arises from the abilities of the hyperpraxis and it feels like since the series is rooted in reality that the hyperpraxis should be even more mind-blowing than it is presented.

Air is a work in progress. I am willing to take the ride and see where it goes, but at eleven issues in, I wish that it was covering more ground or developing a more compelling storyline for the characters. The conspiracy, the government agents, and the hyperpraxis might lead somewhere great, but it hasn’t gotten there yet. Air 2: Flying Machine is followed by Air 3: Pure Land.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, solid conspiracy stuff, a little magical reality. Not really my thing, and the art was no better than passable (mostly solid, despite some occasionally rocky figure work). I'd probably enjoy it as a stand-alone or shorter series, but it's not something I'm intrigued to follow long-term.

[Matthew J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess I liked the second volume better than the first, but that's not really saying much. There's a balance to be kept when you're dealing with reality & perception in a story, and this tips over so that it's hard to care about anything, because nothing feels real. The art is fine.

[Fiona Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm hooked on this series - the central character is great, its colourful with a good storyline - an ancient aztec relic has the power to move people through time and space - but only with the right pilot - a female pilot.

[Jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is still Very Not Good...

[star_fire13 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have no idea what's going on, but I'm really enjoying the journey!

[Eugene · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm hooked.

[Brett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Volume two continues to be intriguing with answers that aren’t really answers and questions questions questions.

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it better than the first volume. For one thing, the pace of the book has slowed down, which has the unfortunate side effect of making the book seem a lot shorter than the first. But it's worth it, as the book is a lot more focused and a lot less jumpy.

Instead of a madcap dash across the planet, Wilson sticks to explaining the central idea of hyperpraxis, giving us a greater sense of what's going on, while suggesting some intriguing ideas of where the story might go. Along the way, we get some character development for Zayn, and my biggest complaint about the book is that I wish Blythe's sojourn in his life could have been lengthened. Her suspicion that he might be a terrorist seems to come from out of nowhere (although it is done away with just as quickly).

If the first volume was all about setting up the pieces, this second volume belatedly describes the gameboard. Now that the groundwork has been done, I'm looking forward to volume three.

[A.L. · Rating 2 out of 5]

The stories in this volume were fine, well-written and drawn stories, but they didn't wow me. I think this is largely because they were mostly background stories about the characters that, although necessary, did not string together well to make a cohesive reading experience. This tends to happen when something that was originally serialized is compiled into one edition. What would have made a good, monthly, stand-alone comic book read, might easily get lost or seem boring amidst two or three other stand-alones.

I recommend this book if you like conmplicated, out-of-the-box plots like those found in JJ Abrams screen projects. It's a fun read and I'm completely baffled as to where it's going. This last volume was just a little lackluster as compared to the first.

[Rick · Rating 2 out of 5]

Better than the first volume, but it's still hard to connect to any of the characters or get invested in the mythology of this series. Thankfully the rushed nature of the first volume isn't present here and with the groundwork already set you do get a chance to dig into the inner workings of the world Wilson is creating, but it still seems like a mish-mash of different ideas that don't really gel together. *Sigh* I don't know why I'm doing this, but I'll dig into volume 3 and see if it continues to get better or not.

[Carl Ingebretsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

With the destination set (characters being known, set-ups being done, situations and info revealed), the second volume wastes NO TIME with bringing you into the story. It picks up where the first volume left off, soaring further into the air, bringing up new mysteries, situations and reveals while slightly slowing down the pace to focus on the characters and the world outside of "the big conspiracy".

Wonderfully written, perfectly drawn... If you're a comics fan and haven't read this, you're in for a treat!

[Ezekiel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Content Notes for this book: islamaphobia

I first saw this a long time ago, without having read book 1. Let me tell you, it was more confusing that time through than this one. Though it was still a little confusing this time. Which it's supposed to be. Blythe's understanding of what is going on is pretty perfectly confused, so we as the readers are confused as well.
This isn't an amazing astounding second volume, but it keeps the mystery moving forward and I'm interested to see next volume.

[Kitap Yakıcı · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pynchon? Rushdie? The Eisner Awards? What in the hell were the four- and five-star reviewers smoking? I wanted this book to make more sense or be more compelling than the first volume, but it wasn't. Plus I couldn't get past the fact that Amelia Earhart was recognizable only because of the aviator hat and goggles; talk about mediocre artwork. I've seen more recognizable facial features on Mattel action figures. The comparison to LOST makes sense; that was another series that kept suckers hanging on, awaiting a payoff that would never come. Signing off on this series...

[H. Givens · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's more exposition and worldbuilding in this volume than in the first, and I don't think it works as well because it drags down the pace and doesn't even make sense some of the time... But it's still really good and I'm looking forward to more. The dream issue gives me chills, where Blythe lives twenty years in a dream and wakes up twenty seconds later. I've definitely had that experience and it's something that sticks with you!

[Mitchell Friedman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Odd and weird and definitely pretentious. But a cool book and a good read. Sure ancient technology gets old fast, but I haven't read much on that in some time so I suppose it's time. And there's still something odd by eye-catching about the art. And the pacing was interesting - not so much flashback as just starting the story earlier. And then the bits in the airport just ended up feeling very personal and believable. Very druggy book but not psychedelic.

[E.C.R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are some fantastically inventive ideas here that I felt weren't quite realized by either of the first two volumes. As a central character, I find Blythe a bit dull and too much of a cipher. The dialogue is also a bit bland and explicative. Given those criticisms, there's enough here to warrant my picking up the next volume.

[Josée · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this series. The female character is strong and interesting, and the mystery around the leading male character pushes the story forward. I can understand why it's gotten a lot of criticism on goodreads because it is a little confusing and character development is weak but it's still a good story.

[Val · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted this book to make more sense and connections than the first one, because I felt like what the plot was attempting to do was pretty cool. Unfortunately, while it cleared some things up, it wasn't enough to leave me wanting to read any further, especially with the combination of lousy artwork.

[Matt Shaqfan · Rating 2 out of 5]

After vol.1 (issues #1-5) ended with Amelia Airheart showing up alive and well, my curiosity was peaked, and while vol. 2 doesn't suck, sadly I've lost interest in this series. Plus I'm not digging the art. AIR has some interesting idea, but I'll let other people find out what they are.

[Brad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much better than the first volume, especially the second issue, where Blythe falls into Zayn's brain. Also, the more magical parts, like having Amelia Earhart become a trusty advisor, and spending a whole issue among the Aztecs, work much better.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know what it is about this series, but even though it's not great, I keep buying it and reading it. It might be the artwork and the intrigue of the idea of total freedom to travel through time? I know it's simple, but I like it.