This year’s graphic novel releases have been taking over our TBR, and we’re not mad at it! We at THP love indulging in all the new webtoons, digital web comics, manga and manhwa series, comic books, and of course, graphic novels.
Today, we’re reviewing two graphic novel series: Cherry Blossoms After Winter by Korean webtoon creator Bamwoo, and Flight, edited by Kazu Kibuishi. Cherry Blossoms After Winter is a popular boys’ love manhwa series turned K-Drama that we finally get to view in print form. Flight is a groundbreaking fantasy anthology series featuring a star-studded list of artists.
We don’t know about y’all, but both of these graphic novel series sound perfect for our reading lists. Luckily, we were able to secure volumes one to three of Cherry Blossoms After Winter and volumes one to four of Flight! Here are our reviews, along with more information on upcoming releases for each series.
Book Overview: Cherry Blossoms After Winter
Summary: Seo Haebom was seven years old when his parents died in an accident. With nowhere else to go, he moves in with the family of his childhood friend Jo Taesung, who suddenly grows cold and distant, destroying their friendship.
Now it’s their senior year of high school and, after years of barely speaking to each other, Haebom and Taesung are in the same class for the first time. Haebom struggles to make friends and is plagued by bullying, but after the handsome and popular Taesung fends off his most persistent bully, everything changes—they sit together at lunch and begin to act like friends again. Haebom is unsure what to make of the shift, but this could be his last chance to mend their relationship.
Our Review
Cherry Blossoms After Winter follows two estranged childhood friends: Seo Haebom and Jo Taesung. They’ve lived together with Taesung’s mom ever since Haebom’s parents died in an accident. Now that they’re in the same class for senior year, they can’t avoid each other any longer. We get the rundown of their current (awkward) situation in volume one, highlighting Haebom’s experience being bullied by his classmates and Taesung’s helpful way of fighting them off.
The second volume of Cherry Blossoms After Winter develops Haebom and Taesung’s budding friendship and potential relationship even further. We also take a look into Taesung’s difficult childhood. They’ve wasted so many years misunderstanding how the other person feels and have lots of catching up to do. Haebom soon joins Taesung’s friend group and sees how fun high school can be. And (spoiler alert!) Taesung finally admits his feelings for Haebom, but they decide not to let others know right away.
Finally, volume three of Cherry Blossoms After Winter introduces a new chapter for Haebom and Taesung: university life. The two of them still hide their relationship from anyone outside of their close friends. Unlike high school, they don’t see each other as often. And some of their classmates aren’t exactly safe to get close to or trust. They face unexpected challenges and increasingly complicated feelings, leaving us on a cliffhanger until volumes four and five come out in April and November, respectively. If we can wait that long…
Release date: April 14
Preorder Cherry Blossoms After Winter, Vol. 4 here!
Release date: November 10
Preorder Cherry Blossoms After Winter, Vol. 5 here!
Book Overview: Flight
Summary: From the maiden voyage of a home-built plane to the adventures of a young courier and his flying whale, this first volume of Flight brought the titular theme and its many incarnations to life and collected the voices of brilliant illustrators and animators before they launched to fame.
This comics anthology, featuring an afterword by Scott McCloud, is full of memorable and gorgeous tales from multiple New York Times bestselling authors, Eisner Award–winning creators, and Academy Award–nominated artists, including
- Kazu Kibuishi, New York Times bestselling author of the Amulet series
- Jen Wang, New York Times bestselling author of The Prince and the Dressmaker
- Hope Larson, Eisner Award winner for her A Wrinkle in Time adaptation
- Derek Kirk Kim, Eisner Award–winning creator of “Urgent Request”
- Enrico Casarosa, Academy Award–nominated director of Luca
- Clio Chiang, Academy Award–nominated artist on Raya and the Last Dragon
- Chris Appelhans, director of Wish Dragon and K-Pop Demon Hunters
- And more!
Our Review
If you’re looking for a collection of fantastical stories and comics, then we’d recommend the Flight series. Originally published in the early 2000s, Flight brought together dozens of graphic artists and animators from all over the world. The first volume features 24 unique stories involving flying, both in the literal and metaphorical sense. There’s a mix of lighthearted, escapist comics blending with those containing more serious themes of warfare.
Volume two of Flight continues this trend, with almost a dozen more stories and artists than the first. A few stories even pick up from volume one, so we definitely enjoyed the callbacks. Some of our favorites include Jen Wang’s “Destiny Express,” Hope Larson’s “Weather Vain,” and Justin Ridge’s “Wilford’s Stroll.” The different mediums, styles, and textures across each story are simply breathtaking.
The third volume pushes the theme of flying even further, taking on the perspectives of otherworldly beings. We go to the edge of the world, past it, then back in a manner of pages. Volume four doesn’t slow down one bit. We’re thrust into some of the characters’ subconscious states, while others face external forces. Even though this comics anthology was published over 20 years ago, many of these stories hit just as hard today. Some comics have dialogue. Others let the illustrations speak for themselves. It’s safe to say we’re obsessed with the reissue.
Release date: July 21
Preorder Flight, Vol. 8 here!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT KAZU KIBUISHI:
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What do you think of these graphic novels? Are you more interested in the boys’ love manhwa, Cherry Blossoms After Winter? Or do you have your eye on the fantasy anthology, Flight? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!
Want to hear some of our audiobook recommendations? Here’s the latest!
