Aetheric Mechanics (Paperback)

~ Warren Ellis (Author), Gianluca Pagliarani (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The newest addition to Warren Ellis' Apparat line of original graphic novels has arrived! The year is 1907, and Britain has entered into a terrifying war with Ruritania, whose strange metal planes darken the skies, and whose monstrous war engines cast looming shadows from across the channel. Doctor Robert Watcham, lately returned to London from the front, makes his homecoming to Dilke Street. There lives his old friend, and England's greatest amateur detective, Sax Raker. Even as his beloved city prepares for war, Raker is himself about to embark on the strangest (and, perhaps, the most important) investigation of his career: The case of the man who wasn't there. This is no simple matter of murder - Sax Raker faces haunting questions to which there are no cut and dried answers. Is the mysterious killer, at last, evidence for Raker's long-held belief in a secret criminal mastermind? Is it some apparition uniquely belonging to this singular city, a place that seems to have lost all semblance of sense two years ago? Or do all the signs point to something much, much worse? Following up the huge success of Crecy, Ellis turns his spark of mad genius to bring us a fantastical tale in this all-new original graphic novel illustrated in detailed perfection by Gianluca Pagliarani.

Product Details

• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Avatar Press (November 5, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592910483
• ISBN-13: 978-1592910489
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 6.4 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #69,432 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Challenging, entertaining fiction from a experimental publisher, November 2, 2008

By	J. Shurin "carnivore" (London) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    (VINE VOICE)

Aetheric Mechanics is one of the newest releases from Apparat, the independent line of Warren Ellis-dominated comics. As a vanity press, Apparat publications have a tendency to vary wildly in their quality of work. In Aetheric Mechanics, however, the creative team of Ellis and Pagliarani has produced something very close to perfect.

In Aetheric Mechanics, Doctor Richard Watcham reunites with his old friend, detective Sax Raker. Against a backdrop of zeppelin attacks and mysterious 'aetheric' technology, the pair chase down an elusive serial killer - one who flickers in and out of existence like a ghost.


Despite the short length (40something pages), Aetheric Mechanics manages to introduce a fantastic steampunk universe, craft an engaging mystery and then introduce a plot twist that successfully tossesevery other steampunk world into the backseat. If it sounds complicated, it actually isn't - thanks to the writing and the art, the story is so absorbing it is easy to follow from start to finish. In further testament to the creative team's skill, the clever narrative devices and plot twists are also all secondary to the characters. Although the reader is constantly rocked by fantastic revelations, the emphsis is always on the characters and never on self-congratulatory world building.

Gianluca Pagliarani is an inspired choice for an artist. Although black and white, Pagliarani manages to lever in the detail necessary to bring the world of Aetheric Mechnics to life. The layout - especially vital in a space this short - is neatly done, balancing small panels of minute detail with breath-taking city-scapes.

Aetheric Mechanics is clever, clearly experimental and very entertaining. It pushes the boundaries of a fledgling genre, challenges the reader and, above all, gives fans of the graphic novel another rare and must-have read. -- PORNOKITSCH

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Brilliantly Executed Alternate History/Sci-Fi, October 26, 2008

By	Daniel V. Reilly (Upstate New York, United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)

AETHERIC MECHANICS is the latest stand-alone graphic novel in Avatar/Warren Ellis' Apparat line of comics, and it's a welcome addition to the line. Returning home to civilian life after two years on the front lines of Britan's war against Ruritania, Doctor Richard Watcham resumes his life as sidekick to the World's greatest Detective, Sax Raker. The duo are soon drawn into a strange mystery involving missing and murdered Scientists and a "Man who wasn't there"....The game is afoot!

On the surface, AETHERIC MECHANICS combines Alternate History and Steampunk with, what appears to be, a complete and total rip-off of Sherlock Holmes. Stick with it though, as Ellis uses the last few pages to completely turn the story upside-down, shaking up everything the reader was expecting from the book. The art, by Gianluca Pagliarani, fits the story perfectly, and the amount of detail he includes on each page is staggering. Graphic novel fans looking for something a bit different will not be disappointed.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another great Apparat comic., December 1, 2008

By	M. Grandi "ContemplativeSoul" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Warren Ellis rarely disappoints. Aetheric Mechanics is a good little read at a very reasonable price. The story grabs ahold of your attention quite nicely and there are some intriguing plot twists and interesting ideas in there too. If you're a fan of Moore's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, or any of Ellis' own works, don't hesitate to pick it up. And share it with friends.