Girl Genius by P Foglio, K Foglio, and C Wright

It seems like I've been reviewing a lot of graphic novels lately, but Girl Genius should be the last one for awhile ^_~ And to be honest, it's only kind of a graphic novel. I read it as a webcomic, but it was originally published in graphic novel form and I'd love to get my hands on the volumes at some point.

Overview
Our story takes place in an alternate universe Europe where the clothing is vaguely Victorian and the technology is Frankenstein meets Jules Verne. Political power rests in the hands of Sparks, people of extraordinary genius who invent, build and control all of the world's technology (some of which involves biological constructs and completely new races).

In a time briefly before the story begins, Europe was more or less united under the Heterodyne Boys, a pair of adventurous brothers who attained fortune and saved the world at least a couple of times before apparently disappearing, leaving behind fame and a set of legends to rival King Arthur.

The prominence of these enigmatic figures leaves no doubt that they and their legacy will be very important in the story, so it's no surprise to find that our bumbling young heroine Agatha is connected to the Heterodynes. This discovery launches her on a crazy course of adventure, excitement, romance and intrigue.

Recommended for: Adventure, fantasy and comic book fans ^_^ I recommend reading only the completed volumes, because reading the story one page at a time is a little excruciating and tends to highlight weaknesses in the art style. (I don't follow this advice myself, however; every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning finds me obsessively checking the newest page before leaving for work ^_~ )

Parental Warnings: I think the comic is deliberately written at about the PG-13 level. There's plenty of innuendo, a bit of running around in underwear and the occasional 'suggestive' scene along with a hearty (but not excessive) helping of violence.

Ramblings: (Spoiler Threat: Very Low)
I was skeptical of this comic at first--the art style takes a little time to grow on you and the first volume isn't colored, which makes things a bit cluttered. But it didn't take long for me to become completely hooked. The world of Girl Genius is complex, well-fashioned and just familiar enough to tantalize the imagination. The characters are lovable and hilarious, the dialogue is witty and the plot is engaging and rich.

If it sounds like I'm trying to sell something :-p maybe I am. This is the kind of story I'd love to see as a movie or tv series at some point--the comic's pacing and flow makes it seem a natural fit.

But since this is a review, I've got to fit some critiques in here somewhere. Possibly the biggest drawback is the art. It's very effective at illustrating the story and getting its point across, but every now and then the characters are drawn strangely--not very . . . pretty? appealing? I'm not good with art, so that's about the best I can do, sorry :-p

Another drawback is that many of the characters are just barely on the sane side of genius and occasionally make brief forays onto the other side. The mad scientist element is intentional and part of the fun, but sometimes instead of 'mad scientist' the impression is forced and comes off as merely bipolar or hyperdramatic.

But even with these drawbacks, it's still an excelent comic. I highly recommend reading it, and since it's free and available online you have no excuse not to :-p