Download Air by G. Willow Wilson and M. K. Perker (.CBR)

Air by G. Willow Wilson and M. K. Perker
Requirements: CBR Reader, 531 MB.
Overview: 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.

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Review
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Air

Chris Chuckry

G. Willow Wilson

Jared K. Fletcher

M. K. Perker

Pornsak Pichetshote, Karen Berger

Vertigo, 2008-2010

Air was an ongoing series and G. Willow Wilson explained her plans: "I have a solid detailed topographical map for the first year and a half and a loose hand-written treasure map for another couple of years. If this follows the four year model that has become typical of good Vertigo series lately, I’ll be happy, and I’ve got ideas to fuel the whole run."

Wilson has also discussed the influences on the story, which partly comes from her non-fiction, journalistic work, but may also have been precipitated by one specific incident: "The concept behind Air came from Wilson’s own experiences after being grilled by a flight attendant in Amsterdam for the many visas in her passport."

Blythe, an acrophobic flight attendant for the fictional Clearfleet Airlines, is invited to join the "Etesian Front", who claim to be an anti-terrorist organization. The Etesians trick Blythe into transporting plans for a terrorist attack. When she discovers this, she and a man named Zayn are kidnapped and taken on board the plane that is the hijack target. Later, Zayn and Blythe leap clear of the plane as it crashes into the sea. The head of the Etesian Front, a man named Benjamin Lancaster, also survives. Zayn is later accosted by Lancaster in Narimar, a place that ostensibly disappeared from maps during the 1947 Partition of India, and interrogated as to the whereabouts of an Aztec artifact. Blythe follows him to Narimar, where she is designated by the Etesian Front a "hyperpract", that is, someone with the power to move into different dimensions or realities. The three escape Narimar, while their plane is followed by a mysterious winged serpent.

As the story progresses, the ambiguous concept of ‘hyperpraxis’ is introduced, as what seems to be a supernatural form of teleportation. The story develops more eccentric and fantasy elements, introducing Amelia Earhart and Quetzacoatl as supporting characters.

Neil Gaiman has compared Air to the works of Salman Rushdie and Thomas Pynchon. The series has garnered positive reviews from writers and critics including Gail Simone, Brian Azzarello, Jason Aaron, Brian Wood, The Onion A.V. Club, and The Wall Street Journal.

Greg McElhatton, reviewing the first issue for Comic Book Resources, felt it started too slowly and they were also lukewarm about the art: "It’s like a strange cross between early Brandon Peterson and the Pander Brothers, with elongated, exaggerated expressions and strange tousled bunches of hair. It’s not bad, but it’s also not knocking my socks off either." Comics Bulletin had a "slugfest" review in which three reviewers had their say on the first issue. Matthew J. Brady felt that the "plot doesn’t make any sense" and the art is "merely workmanlike," concluding "this book will have to improve by quite a bit to even raise itself to the level of passable." Joey Davidson was more positive as he felt that "the movement and pacing felt tight and well directed. There were never any moments when I found myself wondering why the hell we had been taken here." Chris Murman felt the story was interesting enough to keep him reading but felt there was a problem with engaging with the characters "I was left with an overwhelming sense of apathy that I feel comes from the dialogue used." Davidson reviewed issue #2 and remains positive, the story move along quickly and visually the comic "is a joy to look at and you’ll never be troubled or confused by layouts or scenes."

The first issue had sales estimates of 11,088 putting it at 163rd in the sales chart.
The series was cancelled after 24 issues due to low sales.

This better be going somewhere…

Still trying to fill that void that Y: The Last Man left in my heart and at Vertigo, and I don’t think this book will do it. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoy it, but I’m not sure where this book is going. There’s terrorist and counter-terrorists. Ok… Flight attendant sleeping with possible counter-counter-terrorist. Mystical lands between Pakistan and India, ok… I’m really enjoying the writing and the art, I’m just not to sure how I feel about the story yet. I usually give new books that peek my interest the "2 Issue Shuffle" If the first two issues don’t grab me, I drop it. Unfortunatly, this is a book in which three or four issues will help me make my decision. I can’t say I recommend or do not recommend this book yet.