Using the Wright brothers' development of the first practical airplane as a structure on which to build the basics of machine flight, Wilgus and Brooks have created the most linear of the Science Comics I've read so far. It also happens to be the most beautiful, making it a lovely book and story as well as a useful introduction.

Katherine Wright, Wilbur and Orville's younger sister, is our enthusiastic narrator, walking us through her brothers' process, from building a glider to experimenting with wing shape to figuring out how to steer to finally getting a motor and second seat attached. We see their crashes, their brainstorming conversations, and their correspondence with both other enthusiasts and with the Smithsonian Institution--so the story's a clear depiction of research and development, not skipping the trial-and-crash phase to get to the flight. Some valuable lessons about science, there!

At the same time, we learn about other attempts at flight, from perfecting existing dirigibles to the enthusiastic French aeronauts with more money than sense, to Alexander Graham Bell. It's really remarkable to see, in a history of science that focuses so much on lone geniuses developing ideas on their own, how so many people were working together on the same problem at the same time, some coming up with some solutions and some creating others, until all the pieces come together in the end. Flying Machines actually goes a bit further than the Wrights, devoting several of the last pages to Englishman Frank Whittle, who developed the turbo jet engine.

As with several of the Science Comics, some of the science gets deep, quickly--creating an actual historical narrative takes up some of the space to break down Newton's Laws and some other technical details--but it's nothing that a second reading didn't clear up (for me, a 30-something who's technically not in the age bracket the book is designed for...). I also would have liked to see a panel or two of Katherine actually doing something to help her brothers instead of just gushing enthusiastically or worrying about their safety. Both the introduction and her biography in the back seem to argue that she was essential to the success of the airplane by conducting correspondence on her brothers' behalf and being the "PR manager" (Richard Mauer, author of The Wright Sister) during their tour of Europe during which they tried to sell their machine. We get a panel joking about coffee and one about waking up early. It might have been nice to see one of Katherine answering questions by mail, or for a European noble, instead of just being around.

That said, her enthusiasm is certainly infectious! For most of the book, Katherine Wright is in portrayed in shades of grey, narrating the story and cheering her brothers on. Periodically, the narrative will break and another character, again in grey, will join her to explain the mechanics of what's going on. These pages are beautiful in line, coloring, and simplicity, genuinely beautiful to look at, and a lovely contrast to the rich colors of the history happening around it. Like I said, this is probably the most beautiful Science Comic I've seen! ( )

I have always thought of the Wright Brothers as tinkerers, not engineers or scientists. This book lays that misconception to rest as it lays out their scientific method behind developing their aircraft. I didn't really understand the digression at the end into Frank Whittle's development of a jet engine. It didn't hurt the book, but I would have rather had more pages about the Wrights. ( )

Really fun addition to the Science Comics line. The art was tonally perfect and very enjoyable. I also enjoyed the use of the sister as a narrator, it grounded the story and information well. ( )