A quick lesson: FLIGHT is the name for a series of loosely themed comic anthologies for older readers. The new FLIGHT EXPLORER: VOLUME 1, however, is a loosely themed comic anthology by the same creators, only for middle-school students. I happened to love it. As in, a lot. Does that make me 12 again? If so, I’ll take it – but this time, without the angst, please.

My only exposure to FLIGHT thus far (about to change, however) was from a sampler given away a few Free Comic Book Days ago. You need no introduction for FLIGHT EXPLORER; just open it, dive in and get lost.

The very first piece, “Copper: Mushroom Crossing” by series editor Kazu Kibuishi, sets the tone for the entire thing – a charming escapade about a boy and his talking dog, hopping across the tops of giant mushrooms in a fantasy world. Animals prove to be a permanent theme throughout, continuing with Johane Matte’s “Perfect Cat,” involving a real prima donna of an Egyptian cat, a pessimistic rat and a busy dung beetle.

“Jellaby: First Snow,” by Kean Soo, finds a little girl and her purple creature pal enjoying an evening of winter precipitation. Aside from being funny, it really captures the innocence of being a kid, when such simple things could bring so much joy. Philip Craven’s “Big Mouth” – about a circle with, well, a big mouth – is nonsensical, but no less fun.

There’s a quick shift in tone with Jake Parker’s “Missile Mouse: The Guardian Prophecy,” a science-fiction adventure starring a rodent who crashlands on a warring planet. Also in line with that is Steve Hamaker’s “Fish N Chips: All in a Day’s Work,” starring a goldfish and a cat saving the world from an errant asteroid. Well, at least the fish does, given how lazy cats are. Completing a sci-fi hat trick is Ben Hatke’s “Zita the Space Girl: If Wishes Were Socks.” Its highlight is a robot that complains of boils and bunions.

Next is “Wooden Rivers: Rain Slickers,” a quick tale of a fat cat, its owner and the weather. It’s cute, if insignificant. Equally brief is Bannister’s “Delivery,” a quasi-Tarzan parody, followed by the wordless “Snow Cap: 2nd Verse,” which has a monster that looks as if it stepped out of the pages of Maurice Sendak’s WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE.

Not a dud in the bunch, really, and an auspicious start to what hopefully will find enough hungry eyes to merit future excursions. There’s a wealth of top-FLIGHT talent here that certainly deserve it. –Rod Lott

Buy it at Amazon.