Agatha Heterodyne and the Sleeping City

Girl Genius #13

by Phil Foglio (Illustrator), Kaja Foglio

Adventure, Romance, Mad Science! Agatha and her friends try to save her town from the vast armies of the Wulfenbach Empire.

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

160 pages, Paperback

First published July 8, 2014

About the author

A popular science fiction fan artist in the 1970s, Phil Foglio began writing and drawing cartoons and comics professionally in the 1980s. His work includes Magic: The Gathering, Buck Godot, and the popular series of comics and novels, Girl Genius, co-written with his wife, Kaja Foglio.

Awards:
Hugo Award for Best Fan Artist (1977 and 1978)
Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story (2009, 2010, 2011)

Reviews

[Mary Catelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Action! Adventure! Romance! Mad Science!

Another year, another books, and once again, the plot rushes on with no concern for boundaries of covers. Well, almost none. It does take up after the cliff-hanger, and end on one humdinger of a cliff-hanger. So -- spoilers ahead for the earlier volumes!

It opens with the Castle being recharged with lightning strikes, and so moving against the Wulfenbach forces. Gil tries to save Agatha by kidnapping her before his father kills her. Franz stops him and takes him off, without hurting hm because Agatha tells Franz she's somewhat in love with him. Some tender moments between Zeetha and Higgs -- she's afraid he will be angry she's up and about after her injuries -- and a charge out of the city. Agatha undergoes Dark Rites at the cathedral because some are integral to protecting the world. The Baron decides to deal with a problem himself. And Tarvek's cousin Marcellus kidnaps Agatha because he needs her to pull off his Storm King stunt; difficult, but he does it, and drags her to a portal. Unfortunately, going through that -- interacts with the Baron's decision.

The rest involves a very vain reindeer clank, a surprising bundle of joy, a new jaeger general (no, not one of the ones we know of but haven't met), a weasel being very necessary for Agatha, a guard slime that is very confused by Agatha telling it she doesn't want it to obey, pig clanks with wings, loyal hounds, and much more.

[Nicole (bookwyrm) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I still really enjoy the art and the characters in this series. However, the plot is a bit more out of control than it used to be. The early books seemed to tie the plot up nicely enough at the end of the individual books, even though there was still the main series plot left unresolved. In the case of the later books, however (including this one) I haven't really noticed any book-resolution to the plot. It's more of a pause between books instead of a conclusion. YMMV on if this annoys you, or how much. Personally, I find it a bit exhausting.

[Kristin Boldon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The conclusion to the first storyline, but spends far more time getting us into the 2nd storyline than out of the first! The serialized nature of the comic is part of its charm, but also means it can feel sprawling and out of control rather like some of Agatha's creations. I also very much wish for a visual dictionary of all the characters, because I'm losing track. Still, it continues to enthrall with its madcap adventures, brilliant colors, dynamic art, and delightful cast.

[Canavan · Rating 4 out of 5]

✭✭✭½

[Karissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 13th trade paperback in the Girl Genius series. This book was better than book 12 and ties up the Siege of Mechanicsburg story arc while starting a new one.

Castle Heterodyne is finally awakened and running at full capacity. Tarvek’s Cousin, Marcellus , tries to kidnap Agatha for his own nefarious purposes but the end results are very unexpected.

I really enjoyed watching Castle Heterodyne in its full awakened glory. I loved all the hilarity, the awesome traps, and the general chaos it caused. Agatha’s weasel dependence was also pretty darn hilarious.

We get to see a lot more of Agatha in this book and there are a lot more twists and turns in the story. I still have some trouble keeping track of who is who (especially with all of the Jagers) and would love a little chart of character pictures and descriptions.

I am still enjoying the brightly colored illustrations, crazy steampunk contraptions, and general mad science going on here. I don’t have a ton more to say about the book than that.

Overall this has been a great graphic novel series full of humor and steampunky goodness. I really enjoy the world, the characters, and the crazy plot. I would recommend to fans of steampunk or graphic novels with humor. This series has been a fun blend of science fiction, steampunk, fantasy, and humor elements.

[Anniken Haga · Rating 4 out of 5]

REREAD 2019

I found it a little weird that they didn't end one of the albums on the time jump, but what do I know? It's a good cliff hanger, but most people buying these albums have read the web comic, so cliff hangers don't matter much then, I bet.
Anyway, to the story here.

I was never a big fan of the time jump when I read it the first time, and I'm not really a fan now. That said, it felt a little less messy now than when I read it the first time - probably BECAUSE it happened in the middle of the album instead of before a long hiatsu for the authors/artists

It is also less messy than the previous album, even if it introduces some new enemies. It is still annoying, but I am also glad that they've put a few of the old stories to rest for now, even if I'm still missing a bunch of answers!
But, the story isn't over yet, so I may still get those

[Lorelei · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful romp. Looking forward to the next one.

[K.S. Trenten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Agatha Heterodyne takes back her ancestral city with a bang and the tide turns. Just when she thinks she’s ready to settle in and start rebuilding Mechanicsburg, the Baron steps into her city and Agatha finds herself stepping out. In fact, she’s dragged out by Martellus, one of Tarvek’s troublesome relatives through a device that takes them to a Sturmhalten stronghold. Only whatever trap the Baron sprung at the same moment messed with time as well as space.

Agatha finds herself two years in the future in a strange place filled with enemies and no allies other than Krosp the Talking Cat and Violetta, former Smoke Knight turned Heterodyne minion. Fortunately, this is familar turf for Violetta. Besides Agatha is very good, if not downright dangerous once you let her loose in a room full of mechanical heirlooms.

She’s going to need to be dangerous. Isolated from her home, unsure what’s happened to Tarvek of Sturmhalten, certain something has happened to Gilgamesh Wulfenbach, Agatha will need all of her sparky brilliance to protect her own.

I didn’t enjoy this book nearly as much as I did the previous one. I have mixed feelings about the time skips. This volume did focus a lot of Agatha, bringing the full force of the plot back to our main character. Violetta got a chance to develop considerably as well.

The scene where Agatha tells Tarvek about Gil is one of the sweetest, most touching moments in the entire series. I wanted to hug both Tarvek and Agatha at that point.

Later, I found myself putting down the book, intrigued and disturbed by the state Gil is in, all the while worried sick about Tarvek.

For plot, artwork, character development, and my overall enjoyment, I give this four stars.

Stars aside, I’m seriously hooked on this series now.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, I knew there had to be a good explanation for Agatha's hairdo, but the actual story behind it was very cute and very funny.
I'm still having trouble with the implications of the story in this volume, since it sort of involves teleporting out of a place just as someone freezes time at the place where you started. I can see why that might not go smoothly, but still...
Moving the battle away from the city and the castle was good. Changing the terms of the battle, not so much so, and the revelation at the end of this volume is remarkably scary, since it means that the Baron now has access to at least one of the technologies of Lucrezia, or has invented an equivalent version on his own. Neither one is a pleasant idea.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book Thirteen seemed a lot more thrown together, as if the authors had their conclusion in mind and then just rushed there, without the same care and attention they've shown in previous books. Also, I'm really ready for Agatha to get some good news--the breakneck speed, the constant "and now THIS is wrong" and the constant upping of the stakes isn't maintainable.

I have heard that the next book is a bit of a reset and starts a new plot arc, so I'm really curious to see how that plays out.

[Esme · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series, but these later volumes are a bit too action-packed. Sometimes we need a pause to let the readers and characters breathe, like the fourth act of a play where we get some funny banter or the characters have a cup of tea and regroup before the shit hits the fan in the climax. Volumes 9-13 are all climax, and it's exhausting. Still love the series, though.

[Sureyya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was hoping this volume would provide some resolution to the many subplots that have been started in the series. Instead most of the minor characters and a few major characters end up in a frozen time bubble and many loose strings are left untied. I liked the flying party sleigh but the Foglios keep introducing new characters and new plots and nothing seems to progress.

[Christine Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

The pace of this book was crazy, but with so much happening it really needed to move fast. So far one of my favorites, especially since it wasn't so heavily drenched in all the science speak and other stuff some of the earlier books had. Very enjoyable, excited to start reading the Second Journey!

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice to read another issue. I must admit, there is so much going on, its hard to keep it all straight. The tension is high and keeps you sucked in.

[James Bowman · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Mechanicsburg arc finally comes to end, with an ending that's kind of awesome but kind of unsatisfying. But it does set up some interesting questions for the next arc! (B+)

[Blue · Rating 2 out of 5]

The time skip and all just seemed jarring in a reading binge. I hope as we learn more it gets explained better.

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't say it enough. I love this graphic novel series!

[Anthony Faber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Things took a weird turn and what looked nearly over turns out not to be.

[Yalonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a weird twist - let's do the time warp! - but I do enjoy Agatha's adventures. Keep 'em comin'!

[Britt, Book Habitue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gah! That wrapped up precisely NOTHING and we've reached the end of what my local library system has. 😭

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok. Some parts were fun.

[Raj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goodness me, I think this may be the best Girl Genius volume to date! Agatha has jump-started the castle and as it returns to full power, the full might and power of the fully armed and operational Mechanicsburg is unleashed upon the Wulfenbach hordes. In the middle of all this, the Storm King pretender, Martellus, kidnaps Agatha and teleports her to his refuge, far away. As you'd expect, it all goes horribly wrong.

What with a fully operational (and as twisted as ever) castle, and a full complement of Jagers, this book does not lack for action. The humour knob has also dialled up to 11 and there are many laugh out loud and 'punch the air' moments. The story is racing along and getting ever more complex, making these paper collections all the more important for those of us who struggle to remember what happened three hours ago, never mind the days between pages online. That doesn't stop me from reading them online, but you definitely get more out of it when you can read a whole volume.

The art, as always, is beautiful and the double page spreads definitely make an impact (moreso on paper than online). At the time of writing, this is the last available Girl Genius collected volume. No more binging, I'm going to have to start waiting a year or so between them which is nearly as frustrating as reading the story a page at a time. Ah well, I'm off to go and relieve the frustration by starting again from the start.

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

The complications never cease with this story. Having gotten the Castle fully operational, Agatha is informed that it will take three years for it to come up to full power.

This series is also available online for free to interested viewers (which is how this reader got hooked on it and determined to get hard copies in her hot little hands). So it has been running for years now. But the information that it will take three years for the Castle to be fully functional meant that it would take several years of online reading to reach that point. Even a devoted reader such as myself quailed at the thought.

However, the Foglios have neatly circumvented that set-up with a device that is too good for me to spoil here but was hinted at in the very first volume. Suffice it to say that Agatha has already gone through 2½ years of that time so the reader is spared any tedium of waiting.

Agatha proves once again that she’s no dumb blonde. Finding herself captured and drugged, she ably outwits and escapes her captor, displaying the spunky sparkiness that has made her such an endearing heroine to loyal followers of her adventures.

Will she be able to free a frozen Mechanicsburg, rescue a poisoned Tarvek, outwit the Baron and help a (possibly) wasped Gil? Tune in for the next thrilling installment of—GIRL GENIUS!

[Mark Schlatter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a big fan of practically everything Phil Foglio and Kaja Foglio do, and I have been following this series from the beginning. Lots of appeal factors for me: engaging characters, a lot of cliffhanger moments, interesting science aspects, and tons, tons, tons of humor.

However, the last few volumes seemed like they were bogging down. We were spending lots of time in Mechanicsburg and the Heterodyne castle, and the resolutions to the motivating questions ("Will Agatha fix the castle?" and "Will she save the city?") seemed to go on forever. In addition, I am just not as enamored of the romance triangle as I believe the creators are.

This volume is a definite change of pace from the last few. Without getting too spoilery, there are at least two large plot changes in the latter half of the graphic novel. If you have been waiting for something to happen, this is the volume to read. I'm glad to see a new direction in the plot lines and am looking forward eagerly to the next volume.

[Will · Rating 5 out of 5]

"You know, there's more to being an evil despot then getting cake whenever you want it."
"If that's what you think, then you're DOING IT WRONG!"

One moment Agatha has at last triumphed as the Heterodyne and tyrant of Mechanicsburg. The next, it is too and a half years later, she is trapped in a fortress in an unknown location, and everyone there wants to kill here. But she is getting used to that....

With this latest Girl Genius collection, I am able to spot the critical details I missed online, and get some idea of what is actually going on. (Adventure! Romance! MAD SCIENCE!)

And it the midst of the chaos, Agatha and her faithful, if somewhat baffled, companions are setting out to see more of this world. We can expect great revelations in the next collection. ("Agatha Heterodyne and the Master of Paris"?)

[A.J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for the 2014 Hugos

This is another comic that I read as it is published. The problem it has is that it is only published 3 times a week, and it moves at a much faster pace than that. Reading it "live" is like watching a movie's fight scene 2 seconds at a time. This is often a very fast paced story that works best when read as a whole, instead of individual comics.

This particular volume of Girl Genius is a lot of fun. As usual, it starts in the middle of the story and ends with a cliff-hanger, but it twists and turns in really fun ways as you go through it. It is written well enough that when characters show up they are explained pretty well. It doesn't require you to know too much about the characters to get into the story at this point. If you're not familiar with Girl Genius, this could be a pretty good place to start, I think.

[Norman Cook · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this story because it was nominated for the Hugo Award. I like Phil Foglio's artwork; it's dynamic and cute, with a nice steampunk feel. But the story leaves something to be desired; it's frenetic and characters pop in and out of the story almost at random. There's a lot of running around and fighting, and then some new threat pops up for no apparent reason. I'm sure fans of Agatha Heterodyne, and there seem to be many since they nominate it year after year, enjoy seeing all their favorite characters. For me, though, there were too many characters, and it was difficult to keep track of which side a lot of them were on. It didn't help that this is a slice of a much longer story that has been going for many years. And then, like most serialized graphic novels, it just sort of stops with a cliffhanger and no particular resolution.

[Elena Gaillard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Constant Reader keeps up with this series on its website, reading each of the three weekly installments the moment they are posted, but I'm one of those old-fashioned girls who just finds reading elaborate drawn pages like these MUCH easier in print. So I seized Vol. 13 the moment it was available -- as I have the rest of the series since it began.

This volume collects a particularly frenetic segment of story -- the Siege of Mechanicsburg is underway by the Wulfenbach forces, while the Storm King clan makes their boldest moves and \BIG SPOILER THINGY\ happens to maybe-kind-of-sort-of save the day for our heroine...

I'm only giving it 4 stars, though, I'm not quite sure that all the plot elements are making sense at this point...

That is one thing that is essential in this series, alas: constant re-reading of earlier volumes...

[Emilou · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Girl Genius, but this volume didn't have my interest as much as the others. The big plot twist where Agatha is taken through the portal was just too much. Not only was it too unexpected (no foreshadowing), but it made it so Agatha's problems are compounded, and I at least like to see some problems resolved before new ones arise, otherwise I feel stretched in trying to keep track of all the sideplots and details. This volume felt as if the writers are stretching out the storyline, trying to make it longer. I hope this is not the case, and that there is a good reason for the plot twist.

I am looking forward to the next book. Girl Genius is my favorite comic, and I love the characters, especially the Jagers. I can't wait to read the next one, although it took me years to realize that the creators aren't writing a vol 14, but are starting a sequel series.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A review of this book is kind-of pointless. If you are contemplating volume 13 of a series that has been running for over 10 years, then either you know what you are getting or you don't. This volume is more of the same. I like it and am looking forward to learning more about the broader world in Agatha's next journey.

At times, Girl Genius can be a bit hard to follow. It's not always clear what is going on (sometimes intentionally, sometimes not). All the characters can get pretty confusing as well as there are so many of them and almost nobody has straightforward motivations. Nearly everyone has multiple agendas and conflicting loyalties. That is fun to watch play out, but it can get confusing.