Agatha Heterodyne and the Clockwork Princess

Girl Genius #5

by Kaja Foglio, Kaja Foglio

Agatha Heterodyne is the last heir to the Maddest of Mad Scientist families, and on the run from the current ruler of Europe. In a fairy-tale castle on a mountain pass, she finds herself at the center of an evil plan to bring back one of the deadliest enemies of recent history.

Genres: Steampunk, Graphic Novels, Comics, Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction, Humor

112 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2006

About the author

An artist and comics author, Kaja Foglio writes the Hugo Award-winning Girl Genius comics with her husband, Phil Foglio.

She has also produced illustrations for Magic: The Gathering and various fantasy novels.

Awards:
Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story (2009, 2010, 2011)

Reviews

[Gwen (The Gwendolyn Reading Method) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these soooo much. you have no idea. Perfection

[Kristin Boldon · Rating 4 out of 5]

In which Agatha sets out to save a muse in distress, and adventure ensues. This is a steampunk pulp series. It's meant to be cartoony, fast, and fun with eye catching artwork. No gritty realism here, just escapist fantasy. It is often quite silly. I find a lot of people don't get or like "silly" but I enjoy it.

[Anniken Haga · Rating 4 out of 5]

REREAD 2019

I was never a big fan of this part of the story. When I first read it, I didn't mind, but on rereading it the first few times, I noticed how it changed the direction of the story completely.
It is good, and I'm glad to get more info on the spark and even the different characters, as well as info about Agatha's family. But, this album also introduces the Sturmavurs-clan and all the intrigue that come with them. This story line keep annoying be through the entire series - as long as to the last page on the website, even! - but the rest of the story is more than enough to make up for it, make no mistake.

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little side quest/plot on the way to greatness.

[Ronald · Rating 5 out of 5]

The adventures at the circus continue. This is some very solid steampunk adventures.

[Karissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 5th TP in the Girl Genius series. I have really been loving this series a lot. It’s a lot of fun to read, there is a lot of humor, and I really enjoy the heavy steampunk theme throughout.

Agatha and Krosp (the emperor of cats) are still traveling with Master Payne’s Circus of Adventure. Now the Jaggers have joined the circus too and they are awesome, always itching for a brawl. However, during a performance Agatha’s voice is recognized and she is kidnapped for evil purposes. Who will come to her rescue?

This whole series has been spectacular fun. Lots of comedy, wonderful steampunk elements, and tons of adventure. This book throws in some creepy automatons (particularly the Clockwork Princess) which were fascinating. There is also a horde of creepy monsters that have been devouring villages. In addition to this poor Prince Gil has thrown himself into his inventing after believing Agatha is truly dead.

I continue to really enjoy Agatha, she comes up with some awesome inventions and is just pretty darn funny. Krosp played a smaller role in this book, but was also hilarious. We do learn a little bit more about her background and the mythology surrounding the Heterodynes.

Then there are the automatons and the whole idea of souls or spirits inhabiting machines, which is something I love reading about.

Things move fairly slow in these books, but the events that do happen are highly entertaining. The illustrations continue to be brightly colored and all the women continue to look a bit manly. But I still feel like the illustration fits the story really well.

The book does start with a “the story thus far” which I really am happy is there. The story is getting more and more complicated and it is good to have a little refresher as to what is going on.

The only thing that was a bit disappointing is that this book ends on a horrible cliffhanger. I am dying to know what happens next!

Overall, this book was just as much fun as all the previous books have been. The story is getting more complicated and I continue to enjoy it. There are some wonderful steampunk things in here and the book is hilarious. My husband always rolls his eyes while I read these because I just sit on the couch and laugh and laugh until I am nearly in tears. I highly recommend this graphic novel series to everyone, especially those who love steampunk.

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Traveling with Master Payne’s Circus of Adventure has certainly been lively. Gil Wulfenbach and his family believe her to be dead so she’s safe from them—for the time being. The action and fun continue as three rescued Jägers join the circus.

Jägers are like Klingons only without their common sense (and that’s saying something). They love a good battle and, if they can’t find one, they make one. That increases the action and madcap mayhem considerably. Throw in a grieving machine, love-struck actor, scheming prince, crazed princess in a mechanical body, British Intelligence and the dangerous Baron Wulfenbach and you’ve got giggles and excitement galore. What a great series! What a wonderful story! Bring on the Jägers!

[Andrea]

Much travelling through dangerous places to be had.

[K.S. Trenten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Agatha continues on her journey, getting entangled in adventures, but never one more perilous than this one. A performance with the traveling circus exposes her to someone from her mother’s past, a clockwork princess, more potential romantic interests, and what may be the greatest danger that’s ever faced her, not to mention the world.

A score of new characters appeared in this volume, bringing intrigue, potential romance, fleshing out this alternate steampunk world in more detail. Readers meet Prince Arenev VI of Strumhalten, along with Prince Tarvek of Sturmhalten, another father and son doomed to cause Agatha as much…complication as the Baron and Gil. We also meet Prince Arenev’s daughter (Tarvek’s sister), the Clockwork Princess. We learn about the Storm King and his Muses, the varied minions of Lucrezia Mongfish, and one of Lucrezia’s greatest secrets. We get to know the Jagermonsters a little better, who’ve taken to following and serving Agatha.

Despite being exposed to a new cast whom bring with them new intrigues, the old are not neglected. Baron Klaus Wulfenbach continues to plot, scheme, and muster huge armies, once he realizes Agatha is alive and in her mother’s minions’s hands. Gil’s reaction upon finding out that Agatha is alive is absolutely adorable. He remains very much his father’s son, which he proves in a couple of the last scenes of the book and yet very much Agatha’s ally.

For a fun, fast moving story with admirable intricacy and detailed characters, this gets four stars.

[Esme · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually started out reading the novelization of this--you know, the version without pictures. When I went back to look at the comics, I hated the art. I thought it was cartoony and silly and busy and hard to understand what's going on. But I'd enjoyed the novelization, so I skimmed the first and second volume of the comics, then skipped to volume four. This series had won three Hugo Awards so I figured there had to be something to it. By volume 8 I was sold. I've now read the first thirteen volumes and am officially a die-hard fan. I think the art did get a little better as the volumes progressed, but mostly I think I just got used to it. I can't say I like how much Agatha ran around in her underwear in the first volumes, or that all the women have perfectly globular gravity-defying breasts, but after a while we get a lot of shirtless princes which sort of evens the playing field.

[Christine Fisher · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series keeps getting more and more interesting (and weird) as time goes on. I love it!

[Jdetrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fun comic....gorgeous art, enjoyable characters and plotting that keeps you guessing.

[Anthony Faber · Rating 4 out of 5]

girl genius #5. Same as the previous ones.

[Damian Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

another fun read in the steam punk world

[Barry Haworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

In which Agatha learns some disturbing facts about her mother, and Baron Wulfenbach and Gilgamesh discovers that Agatha is not dead after all.

[David Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite as great as the last volume, but still good. There was a 7 page segment of literal credited fanfiction that was included right in the middle of some plot, which I found kind of strange.

[Jackie B. - Death by Tsundoku · Rating 3 out of 5]

Agatha and Krosp are still travelling with the circus on their way to Mechanicsburg. During their travels, Agatha's voice is recognized as a possible Heterodyne (the magic of technology), and thus she --yet again-- does not receive a break.

I am fascinated by the relationship Agatha has with the Jagers. It's obvious they have some sort of allegiance with the Heterodyne family, but there has been precious little given about this. We did hear a few times that the jagers were once bad, but under a different era of Heterodynes, who were...also bad?

Either way, the final thing I'm starting to love is Agatha-in-Spark-Mode. It took me until Vol. 3 to understand that when people are using The Spark their speech bubbles have a different font. I think that's a very creative way to display a change in focus. Particularly, Agatha seems to be a totally different person when she is fixing something. Often distracted, she is suddenly hyper-focused on whatever needs work. This also makes her relationships with the Jager more interesting. They seem to respond more keenly to her when she is speaking in Spark-Voice.

All in all, this volume has shown me some more promise. It ended on a highly confusing cliff-hanger, so now I just need to wait until the next volume comes in. Hopefully, the pieces will all fit together more smoothly soon.

[Raj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Agatha Heterodyne is travelling under cover with her companion Krosp (the emperor of all cats) with a travelling circus on her way to her ancestral home of Mechanicsburg when they are attacked by a horde of monsters. They make it as far as Sturmhalten, a town ruled by a minor Spark, where Agatha's voice is recognised and she is kidnapped for nefarious purposes.

The volume ends with a stinker of a cliffhanger as Agatha seems lost to us, but I knew it was coming up (having read the webcomic online) and knew how it resolves, so it didn't bother me as much as these things normally do. This volume gives us more details on the Jägermonsters and fills in more of the Girl Genius world, while keeping a focus on the characters and the story moves at a decent pace, making it very readable. More is revealed about the Other, the war of recent history and the role that Baron Wulfenbach had in it. The story is well-paced so that revelations and plot resolutions are drip-fed to the reader as new plot threads are added, so it never feels too frustrating at any given time.

Recommended for mad scientists and minions alike (just remember to start from the beginning).

[Psychophant · Rating 4 out of 5]

For many years I have followed Girl Genius Webcomic as one of my daily rituals. I have been following the Foglio's quirky humour and idiosyncratic drawings.

What I really like of the series is the depth of scope and worldbuilding, with many details becoming obvious much later than when they appear. As such the recently appeared novels are the perfect complement, as you can finally be inside the head of Agatha, overcoming one of the limitations of comic: wordcount. So instead of being sparse with words, they can let out freely.

The series takes place in an alternate Europa, one where some kind of magical technology, the Spark, has made it diverge wildly from our own. The series follows the adventures, with some sadness and romance but mostly with good humour, of Agatha, the Girl Genius, and a huge supporting cast. I would call it Steam Fantasy instead of Steampunk, but it is better than most stories with than label.

I supported the kickstarter campaign, so I got the first 12 books. I suspect they are only scratching the surface so far...

I will recycle the review for the others, because they are really part of a continuum, and all are at a high level. If you do not believe me, just try it, it is free: www.girlgeniusonline.com

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This graphic novel series, suitable for teens or adults, is the best steampunk comedy in the world.
The series is the ongoing saga of a young woman, raised in secrecy by foster parents. What she did not know, until the first volume, was her own identity and the reason for the secrecy. It takes the "lost princess" concept and turns it on its head in remarkable ways.
By this point in the series, Agatha is on the run from various people who either know who she is, or think they do. With the help of a truly bizarre combination of characters, biological and mechanical, she has remained alive and free, only to run into...well, you've heard of "a fate worse than death?" Well, try to imagine something that would make that fate run screaming into the night, permanently traumatized and that's what Agatha is facing.
What makes Foglio's work so addictive is his ability to create truly bizarre humor in the middle of a serious situation, and have both work. Think of him as the Douglas Adams of steampunk, and you won't be far off.
The only reason I can't give this book a fifth star is that the story is so convoluted that readers need a running start and a good memory for characters.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

These graphic novels are quite clearly serials. I usually get really bored with the comic book serial style. Which I would characterize as create an interesting opening, then wander around doing not much for 7 years of real time while churning out issues until we sense that we better wrap up the actual story in a way that might have meant something a while ago, but is pretty anti-climactic now. I generally dislike the middle part of this process intensely. But that hasn't happened so far with "Girl Genius". These middle scenarios are enjoyable enough on their own to be worth reading. Perhaps because they feel like they are really part of a complete novel that happens to be told in graphic novel form over a very long period of time (because if you think about it, it takes a lot more space to tell a complicated story in a graphic novel form). At least it takes more space in this graphic novel with its lush panels and large scope for the visuals.

Anyhow, enjoyable middle chapter. I look forward to reading more.

[Tabitha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh poor Agatha, just can't catch a break.
I loved this volume of Girl Genius. I was glad to see a pick-up in the action again. I enjoyed the previous foray into backstory, but it was great to have the plot developments a little more integrated into the current action. The truth-serum induced re-cap was hilarious without really trying; I could just see a hovering mother-figure "shut UP Shut UP ShutUP"

---Spoily spoiler---
Maybe I should have seen it coming.. The reveal of Lucrezia as The Other really startled me. I'm still wondering if it's just Geisterdammen folklore or fact. Either way it's one of those little carrot-y tid-bits that keeps me chasing the string on this series.
----Done with spoiler---

There art felt a little different in this one. There was a little more of a free quality to it. It was sort of a subtle change, but I really enjoyed the look. The only question being, was it purposeful or just the natural progression of an artist drawing the same world for a long time.

[Mary Catelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

More episodes in the tale! Two, in fact, that aren't really connected overtly except in sequence.

Spoilers ahead for earlier volumes.

It opens with Agatha's having another adventure with the circus, full of drama. During a fight, the jagers from the last book show up and fight on their side, and attach themselves to the circus. And Agatha discovers the limits of the circus's willingness to act, and why.

After that, they go through another pass, where there's a prince they have had an unpleasant past with. The prince decides on a command performance, and makes a discovery about Agatha. So he invites her for dinner.

The rest of the tale involves being secretly descended from the half-legendary Storm King, a treacherous daughter, the discovery that the Geisterdamen are trying to atone for something, Gil's grieving (though he admits that he only had hopes with Agatha), Klaus's discovery when he tries to revivify Agatha, drugs in the wine, and much more

[Scott Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm doing a slow re-read of this series--not really a show re-read in that the books are slow, or that the individual volumes take any time at all, but slow in the fact that I'm not moving from volume to volume very quickly.

This is still one of the best comic series I've ever read. The art is unique and consistently excellent, the world building is fantastic and captures full societies through a very intriguing steampunk/science-fiction/fantasy alternate history version of Europe, and you have an absolutely wonderful handling of powerful female characters. I love it.

There are novels out there, and the added information necessary to make the novels work is interesting, but what often comes off as sly humor in the comics with the excellent art work comes off as slightly creepy and a bit misogynistic when just written down so read the comics instead.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

A novelized version of the start of the Girl Genius comics. In many places the comic seems more vivid because the Foglio's are such great visual storytellers. However I quite enjoyed the few parts that are new material. If she writes another book, I'd prefer to see something that was mostly original content, perhaps short stories from the back history of various characters? Hopefully including "our favorite bloodthirsty maniac", Bangladesh DuPree!

(For anyone who has read the comic, this book covers the first three volumes of the comic and I'm estimating it contains about 10% new material.)

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tarvek makes his appearance and Agatha's family history gets a LOT more complicated. I love that this story just gets bigger and bigger and more and more creative. Of course, that also means it's starting to sprawl sideways. I feel like Agatha's story is continuously sidetracking itself into tangents rather than resolving anything that came before, but I'm really enjoying the ride.

Girl Genius is ongoing and can be read online here. Volume 5 starts here.

[Miss Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Futher revelations about Lucrezia; Agatha takes after her mother; I'm starting to really crave more depth and consistency in her character. The writers only get away with writing Agatha the way they do because so many things keep happening you never think much about her characterization for long. The Van Rijns this volume were pretty though and I like the kitchen sink approach to mythology in this series.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published online as a Web comic (where it can be found at www.girlgeniusonline.com), this series follows the exploits of a young woman, Agatha, who discovers she is the lost heir to a long-feared dynasty. Instead of a terribly serious version of this tale, the author/artist stick to humor over horrors. Still friends and enemies die, leaving their mark on Agatha as she grows to understand who she is and what she can do.

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best thing about being late to a party like this is having a lot to catch up on. That means I can zoom right through the Agatha Heterodyne graphic novels just as quickly as I can get my hands on them. I've probably mentioned this before, but these are the kinds of books I wish comics publishers did more of. Yeah, I enjoy "grim and gritty" comics, I'll admit it. But I also really like the fun ones.

This one is fun. And I can't wait until the next one.

[MerryMeerkat · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars, Buy it

Very silly and fun. Love the art. Agatha Clay is hilarious. In fact most of the characters are silly, wacky and fun, even the “bad guys”.

Summary from Amazon: Agatha Heterodyne is the last heir to the Maddest of Mad Scientist families, and on the run from the current ruler of Europe. In a fairy-tale castle on a mountain pass, she finds herself at the center of an evil plan to bring back one of the deadliest enemies of recent history.