Although it seems somewhat unnecessary to me, I can, of course, understand why this book was written. Unfathomable as it is, there are still those who refuse to read a graphic novel, no matter how good it is, and this is a tale too good to go to waste, just because of its format. There is doubtless a wide, wide readership out there who will find Agatha Heterodyne’s journey from unappreciated lab assistant to castle heir apparent as enthralling when it comes to them first in print as I, and so many of my fellow webcomic fans, first did when we found it accompanied by all those pretty, pretty pictures. Me? Well, I definitely liked the book. But I love the comic, and a big part of that love comes from the perpetual twists and turns the narrative takes… which are somewhat diluted, obviously, in this written word retelling.

Still, I am ever one for a novelization (yes, I know they're probably all unnecessary; I can't help it, alright?) just as I am always up for a movie or TV show made of a favorite book or comic, and while this can often be a mine field of mediocrity, at least with the Foglios at the helm of this book version of their popular graphic story, it was with far less trepidation than is usual in such circumstances that I picked up this (beautiful) book.

Then I read the (did I mention beautiful?) book, and it pleased me.

Oh, the prose isn’t exactly remarkable, unless it’s in the way we flow effortlessly from one panel of the comic to another, from one snappy line of dialogue to another, without it ever feeling disconcerting, jarring, or like we’re missing out on anything vital. Here and there I noticed the odd wording change from the source material, but nothing outlandish or irritating, and while my semantic self couldn’t help but pick up on minor lapses in vocabulary that should have been picked up in revisions by the book’s editor (“palatable” in place of, I think, “palpable”; “access” instead of “assess”, that kind of thing), this are very minor gripes in what is, when all’s said, a perfectly enjoyable expansion of the first three volumes in Agatha Heterodyne’s action-packed life.

Now, for those who don’t know what Girl Genius is all about, it is (to quote… er… myself, from this month’s feature article on the subject):

“It is the story of one Agatha Heterodyne, a young and comely mechanical engineering prodigy living in a world in which mad scientists (called Sparks; as in “bright”, one assumes) rule with an iron (and copper, and bronze) fist. Among the creations of these “- and vanishingly rare madgirls -- are steam powered machines known as “clanks”, android-like beings called constructs, an assortment of genetically-modified beasties (Zombie wasps! A talking cat! Horses the breathe fire!), and various races of tailor-made minions.

With most of the action taking place at various locales in a post-Industrial Revolution Europe -- or “Europa” -- that is familiar and yet not (Fiefdoms! Airships! Some place called Mechanicsburg! Think Wild Wild West, but more feudal), and with the odd devilish anachronism to mess with you (a Beatles song; that “Yes, We Have No Bananas” ditty that is very difficult to get out of your head), Girl Genius is a delightful blend of the sublime, the zany, the fantastical and the downright insane that is simply irresistible.”

This first book in a projected series chronicles Agatha’s first steps towards taking hold of her family’s legacy of Sparkitude and we see her in all kinds of peril and strife as she is taken captive by the ruthless Baron Wulfenbach, throws herself into harm’s way a lot, and discovers that her life is never going to be the same. It’s a very entertaining ride through a sometimes bewildering but, withal, fascinating Alternate Earth, and one that I highly recommend to anyone as an enjoyable way to pass an hour or two, Girl Genius fan or neophyte alike.

And the good news is that after you finish the book and want more Agatha (as you are bound to do) then the story continues in comic form, at GirlGeniusOnline.com. Perhaps the Foglios will make comic fans out of you naysayers, yet.

    -- Rachel Hyland