This second collection is just as good as the first one (while there are certain aspects that are better, the "raw fun" of the first one is a little more controlled here). There is little I can say to praise it enough that has not been covered in the other reviews or in the description, but I do want to point out something that makes me love this series.

While Girl Genius starts out as sort of a silly story with an odd cast, it quickly exposes one of its themes: the nature of legend versus truth. In this second volume, we begin to see more and more of the legends that build up the world. In contrast, we get more and more hints that legends do not always tell the story as it truly happens. This juxtaposition between belief and reality plays an important part in the storytelling method. False thing become increasingly chipped away at, enabling a story that seemingly is given away at the start a chance to actually grow and mature. Though we are told in Volume 1 what will end up happening, we quicly learn that there is a big divide in the legends and the reality which brings them about.

You end up becoming entranced, nervous, even though you know "the outcome".

Great fun, this series.

I really enjoyed this comic, which is an unpretentious, clever, and fun story; something too uncommon in comics these days! However I can't rate it as a major work, and the art is only "good enough."

Agatha "Clay" unsuspectedly has mad scientist ("spark") abilities; desireable in a 19th-century-ish Europe where the princelings of the 100 Years War are all mad scientists with steampunk war engines. This adventure, part II of the series, finds Agatha a prisoner in the zeppelin/fortress of Baron von Wulfenbach and his son Gil, where she is mistaken as the girlfriend of a soldier mistaken as the inventor of her inventions! Adventure, danger, and romance intertwine as she makes sense of her new surroundings and finds clues to her true identity (which, by the by, isn't QUITE discovered in this volume, nor are her "spark" talents more than suspected - by the other characters!)

The Foglios do a first-class plotting and storytelling job here, and especial kudos for a part II that stands on its own! The art is humor-manga style, and acceptable if unremarkable. IMHO, however, the artist (McNabb?) drops the ball on opportunities to have fun with some of Phil's silly inventiveness. I was also not impressed by Agatha regularly awakening (after sleep-inventing) in nightwear of the babydoll/merry widow variety.

A 6-page stand-alone story, "Spark of the Realm", is also included. Trelawney Thorpe, a 19th-C Lara Croft, must outwit a mad scientist seeking the powerful crown of King Arthur. The story is ok and the art a bit better than the main feature.

I'd strongly recommend this volume to anyone who enjoys comic manga, fantasy, or steampunk.

In a cookie-cutter world, Phil Foglio's work is a breath of fresh air, truly original.

In this second installment of the Adventures of Agatha Heterodyne, laughter & danger intertwine as Agatha is held captive on an Airship Fortress, by mad (or perhaps very sane) Baron Wulfenbach, who is trying to conquer the world in order to save it, or vice versa.

And then, there's the Jagermonsters--orc-like beings, created by Mad Science as shocktroopers/Keystone Cops. A typical conversation between two Jagermonsters--

MINSK: Dis iz turnink into vun of *dose* plans ... And how do dose alvays end?
GORB: De dirigible iz in flames, everyboddyz dead an' I've lost my hat.
MINSK:Dot's right. Und any plan vere you lose you hat iz?
GORB: A bad plan?
MINSK:Right again!


The art is a cross between a vivacious cartoon style, & Art Nouveau, certain to please, & the use of color is grand & dramatic.

This series is a great gift, for young & old alike.

And Girl Genius is definitely a Quality comic. Out of all the comics I've enjoyed over the years, from Marvel to Viz to Keenspot to Oni Press, this is one of my absolute favorites. The superb writing, fantastic art, and beautiful coloring all come together to form an amazing piece of work. Phil Foglio and his wife Kaja are an amazing team and everything they've done is a pleasure to read.

I recommend this one for any comics, sci-fi, steampunk, or fantasy fan. Even those who dabble. I haven't met anyone yet who didn't enjoy it.

Volume two in the continuing adventures of Agatha Clay is in color, and the coloring work is as good as it gets. It opens with Agatha awakening aboard Castle Wulfenbach, mistaken for the lover of a soldier mistaken for a Spark (think supergenius mad scientist). She finds herself thrown in with a group of hostages kept by Baron Wulfenbach to guarantee the good behavior of their families.

The Baron's son Gilgamesh discovers Agatha's true talents, about which she has no clue. As she discovers her abilities, her true origin comes to light; she is the offspring of one of the Heterodyne Boys, Sparks who rejected their evil family heritage to battle the forces of chaos. Agatha's genius makes her both feared and prized, and everyone wants a piece of the action. As she gleefully explores her Sparkhood, plots hatch and thicken and characters both gonzo and fearsome appear in droves. It keeps getting deeper, funnier, and more charming with every page.

This is a brilliant, lighthearted adventure-romance. The characters are human, mechanical, animal, and/or artificial. The plot and background are deep and complicated, but loony and inventive without being silly. The artwork is marvelously detailed, and almost every frame is loaded with subtle comic touches.

Girl genius is a masterpiece, and it's the most entertaining thing of ANY type that I've read lately. After fifty years of reading all sorts of comics, this is now my all-time favorite.