Customer Reviews

Girl Genius Volume 4: Agatha Heterodyne & The Circus Of Dreams (v. 4)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Girl Genius is more fun than any mad scientist fan should be allowed to have. This quirky, deep, hilarious, adventurous romp became my favorite comic a bit over a year ago, and it just keeps on getting better.

Set in a Europe that has endured centuries of chaos caused by battles between Sparks (mad scientists who can twist the laws of probability and science into the most fantastic and deadly forms), peace has finally been enforced by Baron Klaus Wulfenbach, the strongest spark of them all. Agatha is the daughter of one of the long-lost Heterodyne boys, raised in ignorance of her heritage by two people constructed by her uncle and dedicated to keeping the Spark in her supressed. The earlier Heterodynes were horrors, feared by all until her father and uncle redeemed the name before their mysterious disappearance. Though she doesn't know that she has the Spark until the device that suppressed her talents was stolen from her, she's a potential danger to the peace, the world, and herself. Even though she's a really nice, gorgeous, buxom supergenius gal who just wants to get along. And build things.

The history and backstory implied in the comic are huge. The characters are over the top, complex, and often very, very unexpected. Even the lead villain has good motives most of the time, and Agatha is not without her own dark side.

Most of the story of Agatha is available online at girlgeniusonline.com in two parts: GG101, the early story, and GG Advanced, which starts about 2/3 of the way through this volume. 101 is only about 1/2 of the way from the beginning of the story to the beginning of Advanced, so there's plenty to see in the previous three volumes. If you like what you see online, please pay Phil and Kaja Foglio, the brilliant authors, the ultimate compliment: buy the books. Cash is a great compliment.

Another volume is due in July, and hopefully this one will be on time. Even though I've seen the story online, I just can't wait to get it into my hot little hands. It's the most fun I've ever had reading an adventure comic.

When last we saw her, Agatha had just managed to escape from Castle Wulfenbach with the failed King of Cats Krosp. But no sooner does their escape begin than they crash into the wastelands. There they meet a lost boy and join up with a traveling Heterodyne show. But in typical Girl Genius fashion, things just keep happening to complicate things.

Destructive devices, a visit from the Baron, the return of Othar, demonic beasts, and mysterious travelers all manage to complicate matters. Amongst the jokes and action we also get a little more history about the Herterodynes and their impact on the world. We also learn a little more about what it takes to be a spark.

This volume collects the last four issues of the Girl Genius comic (issues 10-13) as well as the continuing story from the Girl Genius online comic. Like in earlier volumes this collection also contains a stand-alone adventure at the end. All in all 127 pages of comic and comedic genius.

Note that this (excellent) book is shown with the wrong cover. See Kaja Foglio's livejournal for the correction.

Phil Foglio's 'Girl Genius' lives in a world where mad scientists create armies of steam-powered robots and scientific monsters. Our heroine is Agatha Heterodine, a budding mad scientist (called 'sparks'), daughter of great hero and all around charming heroine. In this volume she joins a circus and uncovers new mysteries.

This volume is filled with the same crazy inventions, charming characters and rip-roaring adventure we've seen in the last 4. There are legitimately funny moments, interesting supporting characters and lots of thrills.

So why not 5 stars?

First off, this is the first color collection I've read and I found the coloring garish, it really hurt the art.
Secondly this is Agatha's third status quo and third set of supporting characters in 4 volumes. After this many pages I expect more of a plot and less randomness.
Finally Agatha herself has more than a little 'Mary-Sue' about her. She's beautiful, brilliant, charming, has superpowers, AND is the heir to two different heroic lost families. She is just too perfect. But Foglio seems aware of this and even subtly mocks in a backup story called 'Fan Fiction'.

So it's worth a read, even if you've not picked up the previous volumes this is fun stuff for all-ages.

"Circus of Dreams" is the fourth "Girl Genius" collection (10-13 of the comic series, and the start of the web version), starting after Agatha and the talking cat Krosp have escaped into the (highly dangerous) wilderness. It lacks some of the great frantic feel of the latter part of "Monster Engine" but still has some excellent passages.

The art is slowly improving - the exaggerated expressions still don't work sometimes (mostly on distant characters where there's not enough room) but there's less of a problem with characters looking like posed dolls. Most of the action revolves around Agatha and the traveling circus she runs into; like a the comic in general, the circus is a creative bit of fun, and the Foglios use it well.

The setting change requires only a slight break in stride - this is the most consistent of the Girl Genius volumes so far, and the most entertaining. ****1/2

Agatha Heterodyne is all alone in the world. She's on the run from the ruling power of Europe, his airship fleet, his mechanical soldiers and military monsters, his homicidal maniac lieutenant (on furlough from her job as a pirate queen) and his handsome and intelligent son. Agatha is travelling incognito in the wastelands with her only talking cat. But not for long, for she has a knack for making friends.

It all makes sense, really it does.

You just have to be there, which is where Phil and Kaja Foglio come in. This is a rip-snorting tale with a well-developed universe, humor, danger, romantic overtones, clever references to our versions of the history books, terrific artwork, and lots of clues to future mysteries. Who are the geisterdamen? Who was the High Priestess? Who won the Race to the West Pole? What happens when a real mad scientist plays one on the stage?

And what is kolee-dok-zumil?

The Girl Genius webcomic from which these books are derived was awarded the Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story of 2008.

On the lam from Mad Baron Wulfenbach, Agatha's mini-zeppelin crashes in the remote wilderness. On foot & hungry, she & her companion, the genetically-engineered cat Krosp, locate a traveling circus, under attack by a robot war machine.

I bet you never thought you'd ever read the previous sentence. :)

Will Agatha improvise a ray-cannon out of wrecked machinery, that can take out the robot war machine?

Will Agatha escape the Baron's assault troopers?

Will the Baron's lovestruck son find her first?

And will the talking cat Krosp keep trying to stuff mice down Agatha's throat as field rations/bon-bons?

If you can stop laughing long enough, you'll find out. The humor/storyline here is well worth the effort.

The Hipster gives it a Big Thumbs UP!

I came late to the Foglio's wbcomic "Girl Genius," and it took me awhile to get into the spirit of things, but I am hooked now, and following the adventures of Agatha and her friends are a great joy. Yes, she is drawn plump, and, yes, everything looks like it was invented by Jules Verne, but there is a happy quality to the whole thing. Gilgamesh, Agatha's lover (in the old-fashioned sense: he loves her, but has not made love to her) is quite likable, and even minor characters like Dupree Bangaladesh, the homicidal pirate queen are quite fun. I'm even beginning to like Baron Wulfenbach, the nominal villain. All in all, great fun. Recommended.

Phil and Kaja Foglio's characters are brilliant, exciting and generally a lot of fun to follow. The Girl Genius bug bit me in December and I'm now a very strong fan. Agatha labours to find her heritage as the sole heir to the family Hetrodyne, those with the greatest Spark for genius. She's clever and often displays a streak of mischief in creating her inventions, with an affinity for dingbots and a really good death ray. The characters who surround her range in personality, but all are capable of moments of light humour or devilish delight.

Girl Genius has the same tongue in cheek humor you get with the old Bugs Bunny toons. They are funny satirical and with depth. The husband wife team can put volumes into an expression or a panel that takes am ordinary graphic novel to a classic. Recommended for anyone with a wry sense of humor