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Girl Genius #19
Sparks and Monsters
Adventure, Romance, Mad Science! Agatha is the last of the Heterodynes-a notorious family of Mad Scientists that everyone had thought safely wiped out. When a rival scientist traps her family castle and the surrounding town in a time-freeze, Agatha must embark on a journey to find a way to reverse the effect and save the people she loves.
122 pages, Paperback
First published November 10, 2020
4 people are currently reading
65 people want to read
About the author
Kaja Foglio
59 books132 followersAn 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)
She has also produced illustrations for Magic: The Gathering and various fantasy novels.
Awards:
Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story (2009, 2010, 2011)
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 3, 2021
The continuing adventures of Agatha Heterodyne, Girl Genius! In a world of Mad Science!
As in, it begins so in media res that it mentions that a character is currently missing in the cast page.
Much talk features her. Also monsters, odd temporal effects, Albia's old memories, cultists, secret corridors, what Doctor Dim was like before the Baron operated on him, another unwelcome offer of apprenticeship to Agatha, a discussion of tactics midfight, and more.
As in, it begins so in media res that it mentions that a character is currently missing in the cast page.
Much talk features her. Also monsters, odd temporal effects, Albia's old memories, cultists, secret corridors, what Doctor Dim was like before the Baron operated on him, another unwelcome offer of apprenticeship to Agatha, a discussion of tactics midfight, and more.
March 28, 2022
While on originally reading this, I found it entertaining and a whole new story-line, I found that now this felt like just the first of multiple similar story-lines. Considering the one currently running is the same one, just change out the players and the monsters.
That said, it's still an entertaining read, and I am considering doing a full reread before vol 20 happens, because there are details I forget. It's a long series to reread, though, especially when one have eye issues that makes it hard to read anything at all, so I may just do the Second Journey, as things in the first have been reread on multiple occasions!
That said, it's still an entertaining read, and I am considering doing a full reread before vol 20 happens, because there are details I forget. It's a long series to reread, though, especially when one have eye issues that makes it hard to read anything at all, so I may just do the Second Journey, as things in the first have been reread on multiple occasions!
April 26, 2022
Perhaps Agatha Heterodyne’s sojourn in Albia was meant to be a relaxing break from her recent journeys, flights, and adventures, but relaxing is relative for a spark and a Heterodyne, particularly her. Especially when Agatha is adjacent to a lot of other sparks and manipulators. Especially when they’re looking to seduce, sacrifice, or acquire her or her entourage. An entourage which includes a baron’s son (off with his childhood hero), princes, princesses, kings, knights, ambassadors; all with goals and secrets of their own in spite of love and/or loyalty to her.
It’s a complicated and varied cast in this volume, at times difficult to keep track of; all involved with their own storylines which explode into action periodically, but it’s never dull. Are we finally going to return to the battle frozen at its height? Only Lucrezia has plans of her own and she may have left this particular volume on quite the cliffhanger right when her daughter was at her moment of triumph. So much was going on. It’s easy to get confused. As a writer, I marvel and wonder Kaje and Phil Foglio keeping it all going at once without getting lost. As a reader, I’m entertained yet impatient to return to certain plotlines. Like the riddle of how Agatha is Lucrezia’s daughter? What’s going on with Lucrezia? What going to happen to Mechanicsburg? At the same time I can’t say what’s happening isn’t fascinating along with related to the overall plot, theme, and mood of this series. Tarvek, his family, and their schemes are particularly intriguing, seeing what they’re all up to.
Overall this was another engrossing and engaging installment in Agatha’s adventures; a heady cocktail of science fiction, steampunk, romance, speculative historical fiction, and adventure, keeping up with the wild ride. Once again I look forward to the next book.
October 5, 2022
Girl Genius is always fun, but it feels like the series has been vamping for a bit and not progressing the plot a lot.
December 12, 2021
Still loving all the little quirks in this comic/ Graphic novel.
August 20, 2025
More complexities, mysteries, jokes and mad science or magic.
Wonderful artwork.
Start at GirlGeniusOnline.com to read the strips from the beginning.
I prefer buying the collections and reading months worth of strips at one sitting.
Highly recommended.
Wonderful artwork.
Start at GirlGeniusOnline.com to read the strips from the beginning.
I prefer buying the collections and reading months worth of strips at one sitting.
Highly recommended.
January 10, 2022
The latest volume of Agatha Heterodyne's adventures see her fighting sparks, monsters, and sparks who either create monsters or try to pull them out of another dimension. Agatha had hoped to be able to spend time in Britain actually working, but the world has other ideas. It's not easy being a mad scientist trying to free your town from being stopped in time.
This was a lot of fun, with lots of machinations, plots and counter-plots. We get to see some of the history of Albia and the time of the Queens and lots of setup for future action. We even get a reasonable amount of Jäger action.
As much as I enjoy reading Girl Genius on the web, page at a time, reading whole volumes like this is so much more satisfying. Roll on the next one!
This was a lot of fun, with lots of machinations, plots and counter-plots. We get to see some of the history of Albia and the time of the Queens and lots of setup for future action. We even get a reasonable amount of Jäger action.
As much as I enjoy reading Girl Genius on the web, page at a time, reading whole volumes like this is so much more satisfying. Roll on the next one!
December 8, 2021
I have eagerly read Girl Genius online for many, many, many years...and yet holding each new collected volume as a gloriously colorful printed book is still a huge thrill. So much detail one might miss onscreen! The twists and turns of story...the glorious and colorful over-the-top scenery...the characters we've been rooting for and rooting against...there is SO MUCH going on all the time that being able to flip around through a stack of the books is the only way to keep up!
March 6, 2025
4.5 stars. Agatha's still looking for a way to free her ancestral realm of Mechanicsburg from a time trap. As usual, she has other problems, such as various schemers plotting to summon monsters from beyond time and space, a disappeared and possibly dead friend and her own compulsive spark nature.
While the plotline, as usual for this run of the book, is sprawling as hell, it also brings together a lot of the cast as they try to exorcise Agatha's evil mother from inside her mind.
While the plotline, as usual for this run of the book, is sprawling as hell, it also brings together a lot of the cast as they try to exorcise Agatha's evil mother from inside her mind.
July 11, 2021
Following along and catching up via the online comic ... loved this one!
December 16, 2021
It's more Girl Genius. Agatha doesn't really feature that prominently in this volume. I enjoyed the monster summoning in the second half more than the buildup in the first half.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 26, 2023
A very nice entry in the series. I found the storytelling a little muddied; the last volume appeared to be setting up a murder mystery, but this volume moves almost directly into monster fighting and the twists were a little hard for me to follow. However, the plot advancements were well worth it, the battle at the end had echoes of the larger conflict, and the ending was great.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews