This second volume leaves me with the distinct impression that everyone was on a very tight deadline and didn't have enough time to develop good plots cuz these stories suck compared to the first book. ( )

Kazu Kibuishi's follow-up anthology to the award-winning Flight series, Explorer continues in much the same vein except now each volume features a loose conglomeration of stories under a common theme. The first book centered around mysterious boxes and offered much the same quality of the previous series. While still relying on his regular cadre of talented contributors, the second and newest collection, Explorer: The Lost Islands fails to measure up to the standard of its predecessors. Even though every story is beautiful rendered, the often lackluster writing fails in execution and often feels forced into the theme. Of the seven stories, only three memorable tales emerge: the clever "Desert Island Playlist" by [a:Dave Roman|266715|Dave Roman|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1200331121p2/266715.jpg] and [a:Raina Telgemeier|21618|Raina Telgemeier|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1200153437p2/21618.jpg]; the gorgeous and poetic "Loah" by Michael Gagné; and the humorous "Radio Adrift" by the brother and sister team of Katie and Steven Shanahan. ( )

As good as the first. Really thoughtful, well-drawn stories. ( )

Explorer 2: The Lost Islands edited by Kazu Kibuishi is the second of the Explorer compilations of short comics. Each of these collections is based on a central theme, and this one is islands.

This collection has works by Kazu Kibuishi, Jason Caffoe, Raina Telgemeier and Dave Roman, Jake Parker, Michel Gagné, Kate and Steven Shanahan, and Chrystin Garland.

My favorite of the set is the collaboration between Raina Telgemeier and Dave Roman in which a girl is stranded on an island. She meets two other people, a young woman and and old woman. They share a bond through a song they all know. Are they all aspects of the same person, or just very similar? ( )

This book was an interesting graphic novel. It has been awhile since I have read from this genre. I thoroughly enjoyed a few of the stories and I was intrigued by many of them. The illustrations were beautiful and the stories were quite good. Because of the exploration theme I could see using this with a freshman English class first semester. They focus on adventures and exploring in short stories. It would be easy for a teacher or librarian to show the novel via Elmo and read all together. Students could write about connections and differences in the short stories and the graphic short stories.