Hinges: Book One: Clockwork City

Hinges #1

by Meredith McClaren

HINGES is a fantasy webcomic, turned graphic novel, about a doll named Orio and her troubling companion Bauble. New to the city of Cobble, Orio must depend on help where ever she can find it, but her assigned familiar Bauble has other interests. And as the two explore the walls of their city, they find that they are not the only new arrivals. In a place that runs like clockwork, it only takes a little disruption to upend a city.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Fantasy, Steampunk, Young Adult, Fiction, Webcomic

112 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2015

About the author

Meredith McClaren is an illustrator and cartoonist who has no business doing either.

She sometimes entertains the idea of drawing the fourth book in Jen Van Meter’s Hopeless Savages series. And her journal comic Scraps indulges her closeted narcissism.

Supposedly she has a postal code in Arizona, but really, she could be anywhere.

Oh.
And don’t touch her stuff.
Seriously.

Reviews

[Magdalena aka A Bookaholic Swede · Rating 3 out of 5]

A graphic novel about a doll named Orio and her familiar Bauble. Usually it's the doll that picks it's familiar, but this time it's the familiar that picks the doll...

What an odd graphic novel, I really wanted to like it and I was in the beginning intrigued about the story then just the story became a bit confusing. Orio is suppose to find herself an occupation, but Bauble ruins it for her all the time and then something else shows up in the Clockword city.

I actually found the ending a bit confusing so I reread it on the computer after reading the graphic novel on the iPad and the story did make much more sense on the computer. But I still feel that this story is really odd.

But the art was really good and I would like to read more about Orio and Bauble.

I received this copy from the publisher through Netgalley in return for an honest review!

Review also posted on And Now for Something Completely Different and It's a Mad Mad World

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meet Orio

Meet Bauble

Orio + Bauble

Lilo & Stitch anyone?

I really enjoyed Hinges!! The artwork was simple yet absolutely beautiful! Very similar neutral tones are used all throughout Hinges that I felt just worked perfectly with the plot and lack of dialogue. Some might complain that there wasn't enough actual dialogue but I feel like that added to the overall story.

Orio is so shy and timid and overwhelmed by her surroundings and the world she's been thrown into. Now, Bauble...opposites attract, right? I feel like because Bauble is so different from Orio, they'll develop a strong bond, or at least I hope they will!

*Cue music* I knew you were trouble when you walked in... Troubling companion indeed! I'm still trying to figure out what Bauble is! I don't want to think the worst of him...it is a him right? Anyways, but I have a feeling he's up to no good. I mean look at that face!

Dear Meredith McClaren, when can we expect book2?! I just can't wait to get my hands on it!! I hope as readers we get to learn more about the necklace, I'm also really curious to know what Bauble is up to. I can't even imagine what's next in store for Orion and Bauble in Cobble City :).

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This webcomic turned graphic novel is strange, veeeery strange.

It focuses on a doll named Orio and her Odd, Bauble. Unusually, there is hardly any dialogue so you really have to focus on the illustrations in order to glean what is actually happening in the story. I have to admit that, at times, I was utterly confused. The scenes don't all link together and seem to miss out bits in-between which didn't help.

We don't really find out what an Odd is, or what it's purpose is in the story. I found Bauble to be simultaneously cute whilst being a little wayward bugger!

Clockwork City depicts Orio and Bauble arriving in a city named Cobble. With the help of Alluet, they go in search of a job for Orio, although this proves extremely difficult when the roguish imp, Bauble, scuppers all of her plans.

The ending left me pretty confused but I shall persevere with the second volume since the artwork was absolutely beautiful.

Overall, a strange little tale which poses lots of questions. I just hope the second volume answers them!

[Benjamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful and well thought out. A little light on dialogue and plot, but I feel it has the potential to build itself into something rather unique and beautiful. Also the pacing of the overall arc didn't feel rushed in the least, something that I think will make this patchworks comic a great ongoing series. I feel as if there is a lot more to discover about the clockwork city.

[Melanie Schneider · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hinges entführt einen mit klaren Zeichnungen und kräftigen Farben in eine atmosphärische Welt, die unserer ähnelt.

Orio erwacht eines Tages als neue Bürgerin und darf sich unter anderem einen Kauz aussuchen. Eine Art Begleiter für die Bewohner der Stadt. Orio sucht sich den quirligen Bauble aus und schultert sich dadurch einiges an Problemen auf. Der Kauz, der von Anfang an eine Persönlichkeit hat, die sich normalerweise erst im Laufe der Zeit mit dem Charakter seines Partners entwickelt, zeigt durch seine Taten, was alles nicht geht. So führt er Orio und den Leser in die Welt ein und nach und nach bekommt man ein Bild dieser Stadt und um die beiden entwickelt sich eine Geschichte von Freundschaft und Nähe, Zuneigung und Zusammenhalt. Fast die ganze Geschichte über sagt Orio kein Wort, was es zum Schluss noch eindrucksvoller macht, wenn sie es doch tut.

Der zweite Band ist bereits erschienen und ich freue mich auf das weitere Abenteuer mit den beiden!

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an interesting, beautiful, and bizarre story. It's so minimal, and yet, the world feels so vast, HINGES: CLOCKWORK CITY may end up being the most peculiar book I read this year.

The main character is a doll who rarely speaks named Orio and her mischievous companion Bauble. Although Orio doesn't talk, her fears, nervousness, and intrigue is very palpable throughout the pages, and I really appreciated that.

I loved the artwork and how subdued it felt. It was almost peaceful even when there was chaos on the pages.

I'm definitely looking forward to discovering more of Orio's story and picking up the next book when I can. I'm going to recommend this to most of my friends, and even though the format is a lot different than other graphic stories, I still think it's worth the read!

[erika · Rating 4 out of 5]

if you pointed a gun to my head and told me to explain this comic i would literally just die.
and i really can't explain why i loved this so much, either. all i can say it's that it's just so freaking beautiful. most panels don't have dialogue or narration in them, just breathtaking, gorgeous art that explores this fictional world perfectly. mcclaren's style is so defined and convincing. she does such a wonderful job conveying emotion in the expressions of the characters... and it's so weird and unique and it's the reason i read graphic novels, tbh. so i can find gems like these.

[Frédéric · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like it when an author doesn’t feel the need to overexplain his/her book but here McClaren overdoes it a little bit and I’m nonplussed as to what’s the subject of the plot, what with all these silent pages going on forever.
Still the art is beautiful.

[Akylina · Rating 3 out of 5]

My thoughts on this first volume could be summarised as such: very interesting premise, rather peculiar art style, kind of confusing story at times, very beautiful and mysterious atmosphere.

Looking forward to see where the story goes in the second one.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic start.

Review: https://derailmentsofthought.com/2017...

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hinges is a webcomic that, thanks to a Kickstarter, is now collected here.

There is an manga feel to McClaren's art--the obvious being the large eyes and slim bodies, but also in the stark black and white and the shades of gray, and in the silence of many of the panels. This is what drew me to the book. I am fond of graphic novels that do not rely on words so much to tell their story, and I like artists who can be powerfully expressive through monotones. McClaren's art is "cute," but you can't get away from the subtle, spine-tingly creepiness of her clockwork world.

Not a lot seemingly goes on within the pages of this first book, but McClaren's web is enticing, luring me in with the mystery of the town of Cobble and Orio's impish partner, Bauble. The story begins with Orio's arrival in Cobble, where she is introduced to their strict rules. This is a clockwork town, after all, so everything must run like, well, clockwork. But when Bauble chooses Orio, and when Orio is later unable to find her place within society, you know that things are not going to go as smoothly as Margo, the town's organizer, expects them to. But where will things go? That is the question that I am left with and I definitely want to find out the answer.

With thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

www.Bibliosanctum.com

[Maxine Marsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

4*

I liked this graphic novel. The artwork and the story were well in synch. The expressions on Orio's face are simply rendered, yet somehow endearing. The panels are simple, silent, with minimal dialogue.

Orio is a new 'citizen' to a small town of seemingly totally animatronic 'people.' Bauble is her mischevious "Odd" (animal-like/dollish companion who keeps her company). The affection between them is sweet. I only wish I knew more about the world they inhabit, but this was pretty well done for the first short.

[Ken Yuen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty and very minimal dialoguewise. Not totally sure what's going on, but it's a neat world that's been made.

[Ambs ❤❤ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the artwork, it was simple with a limited color pallet, but I think that is the artistic appeal. The characters were beautifully drawn and I enjoyed their facial expressions. As for the story, it was interesting enough, however, I feel it is more of an introduction. I was left wanting to know what happened next, and depending on the next in the series, my rating could go up. I was hoping for a little more information on the situation and the setting, but I think Meredith McClaren is attempting to slowly pull in the reader.

Orio and Bauble, the two main characters, are interesting. Orio is quiet, and seems somewhat shy, but that may be because she has found herself in an unfamiliar situation and is just observing for now. Although quiet, she has proven she will take on the unimaginable to protect Bauble, who is a mischievous friend/pet/companion (I haven't quite figured out that situation yet). He has already caused Orio a lot of trouble, but they seem drawn to each other and I'm interested to see how their relationship grows.



I'd like to read/see the next volume before recommending this to just anyone, however, if someone requests something in this style, I would not hesitate. Looking forward to seeing more from Meredith McClaren, good job so far!

_________________________
My ratings system
5 stars - I absolutely loved it
4 stars - Good book and would recommend
3 stars - Decent book, but wasn't spectacular
2 stars - Not good, but was able to finish it
1 stars - Did not finish (DNF) and I don't usually rate a book I haven't finished (just to be fair to the author)

[Elizabeth (Elzburg) · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars, maybe 3
(A thanks to Diamond Book Publishers for sending me this.)

Okay let's cut right to the chase.

It was kinda interesting, but a lot of times it was quite hard to follow. There were a lot of close ups that I had to look long and hard at before I understood what the heck was being depicted. Even just in general, whenever a character was doing something it was quite difficult to follow. After a few panels I would be able to get the gist of what characters were doing, but I couldn't get an actual picture of it. Which is bad considering this is a graphic medium.

Another thing about the art: It looked very juvenile to me. It's the type of art style that you would expect a teenager to have, not one you would find in print. The type of style that you'd find in a web comic, perhaps. These are the thoughts that were going through my head as I was reading, so when I looked on Goodreads and saw that this actually WAS from a webcomic, I wasn't surprised. Buuuutttttttttt. I am not saying I didn't like the art. It was nice, all things said. I found myself really liking how McClaren draws hands, and the backgrounds were nice too.

Okay okay okay art specs aside, HOW WAS THE STORY!?!? Well I guess it was alright. I mean, like I said earlier, half the time I didn't know what the heck was going on. But there was something charming going on, something that makes me want to read more. I have no idea what or why that is.

I wouldn't recommend this to someone who's never read a comic or graphic novel before, but if you find the synopsis interesting I say go ahead.

Please give this review a "Like" if you've made it this far, and follow me if you want more!

[Siina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hinges is a very interesting and different comic - a little like manga actually. The main character is a doll named Orio, who gets to choose a toy companion to aid her. She ends up with Bauble and all the toys are very much alive. Bauble just isn't your typical companion and Orio gets in trouble of course and overall the city that works like a clockwork is very strange too. This first volume basically introduces us Orio and how she and Bauble try to work together in a sense. I really like how most of the comic is without words and moving with pictures alone. There's this eerie feeling to the story and the world especially. The structure works OK and McClaren is quite creative with her panels. The transitions between panels are sometimes out of place and the storyline feels somewhat scattered from time to time. This is quite common when you don't use words to move the story - the panel flow needs to be seamless and it hardly ever is.

The art looks weird and wonderful. The brownish colors work amazingly and the sepia-like world is very haunting. McClaren still needs some practice with drawing though, as Orio looks quite different in some of the panels. Some kind of steadiness and even quality would make this better, but I do have the feeling she'll get there. The idea of the comic is great and I'm quite interested where McClaren will take this - practice will eventually make (almost) perfect!

[Theediscerning · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an abject lesson in any comic artist planning a wordless issue or more – make sure the artwork is up to it first. On this occasion, so often is the scale distorted and the line just too odd for us to make anything out, that the wordless approach does not really help understanding. This is a particularly odd world, too – one where a new young girl in town is named after a patchy engraving, told to get a familiar, and is allowed a companion with which to choose a job – only this time the critter has other plans… There seem to be people strung up like patchwork dummies, the familiar seems to want to be a monster-slayer while disguised as a seamstress/repair worker, and I'm not really sure why it's particularly flagged up as a YA title, which suggests a theme or something beyond just a recommended audience categorisation. I feel there is a lot to be had here, if one can work the images and imagery out, but yet again far too much that is a missed opportunity.

[Dan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just couldn't get into this E for everyone book. Are they doll people? No real story, as it's mostly told through pictures.

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the art, and I like the idea of a city of clockwork parts (it appeals to my steam punk era). The color palette, in particular, is soothing. It's not a difficult read, but I really found myself questioning what exactly was going on for quite a bit of it. There isn't a ton of text, and a lot of the bigger scenes rely entirely on images, but since we know so little about the world and characters yet, that doesn't work as well as it could. I probably won't go out of my way to continue it, but I am a bit interested in reading the next book to see if establishing a firmer ground helps.

[Tyler Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Steampunk comic following a clockwork girl as she befriends a creature and takes it on as her familiar, then tries to discover her role in her clockwork town. Artwork was lovely, I was just confused by the plot and wish the world building was a bit more detailed.

[Cecilia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as good as I hoped it to be. :'(

[Clemy-chan · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a beautiful artstyle! I just hope the story clears up in the next volume, because I only got the bare bones of the plot in this one!

[Eric Mesa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although Hinges began as a web comic, I was not familiar with the story prior to reading this book. What attracted me to this book was the interesting cover and interesting art style. The decompressed storytelling style has been in vogue for about ten years now. While many different writers (such as Brian Michael Bendis) in the commercial world are responsible for spearheading the idea at the idea at the big publishers, two different trends have lead to readers becoming familiar with the idea: manga and webcomics. Manga, beginning its tradition much in the same was as cheap pulps in the USA had a need for a great number of pages. Web comics, of course, can have infinite page counts because it’s taking place in an electronic medium. Of course, much of what makes web comics so innovative makes them hard to transition to paper. Often various compromises have to be made. And, of of course, the decompressed story telling means that those discovering the story for the first time on paper may find that at the end of the book, nothing much has happened.

Of course, it’s always odd to read a story or comic and say that nothing happened. For if nothing happened, the book would really only be a sentence long. Instead it’s more accurate to say that at the end of Hinges Book 1, we barely know more than we did when we started reading. But quite a lot has actually happened. And we’ve also been exposed to a pretty interesting universe.
Hinges Book 1 - Senior Orderly Margo
Hinges Book 1 – Senior Orderly Margo

It’s often said that those in charge are puppet masters. In this world it appears to literally be true. Just a few pages into the book we meet Senior Orderly Margo. She appears to be a marionette-style puppet. What kind of world has a need for puppets in charge? And who is controlling the puppets? Is it some kind of computer or is someone actually behind the actions?

The story also deals with the idea of self-determination. In this town, which we find out is called Cobble, each person is given a list of possible jobs and then applies with the various masters in town to be able to undertake those jobs. Our main character, Oreo, is amazing at sewing, but since that’s not on the list, it’s not a job she can pursue. Her adjustment officer tries to help her get an appeal, but when that is rejected, she is stuck trying to fit in with her list of jobs. In fact, near the end of the book she’s told by a marionette, “I just have a hard time bleieving that you’re suited for a job that hasn’t been pre-approved for you and this is a system that has worked for us…pretty much forever.”
Hinges Book 1 - Oreo Hangs there
Hinges Book 1 – Oreo Hangs there

Also adding to the idea of self-determination is the fact that, in a flashback, we see Oreo hanging with other marionettes. It is her bauble a weird cat-like being, who knocks into her and drops her onto the floor where Margo finds her. While reading this book, this just filled me with so many questions. What were the extra marionettes for? Why were they not being used? What does it mean that her bauble caused her to be seen as a non-marionette? Is that why she has such a hard time fitting in? Was she made for some other purpose?

Speaking of her bauble, through a bunch of flashbacks we learn he stole the Oreo pendant (which is why Margo names our main character Oreo) from a couple and was fleeing when he fell through the roof and dropped her out of the rafters. He spends nearly the entire book causing problems for Oreo and attempting to steal the pendant. Eventually Oreo defends him from some creature and he appears ready to stay with her for a while. I have a feeling Bauble will be the clue to what’s going on in this world.

The boldest choice for author Meredith McClaren is that Oreo does not speak at all until page 106 of 111. As an avid player of Japanese RPGs in the 1990s I’m quite familiar with the idea of the silent protagonist, but it’s certainly a lot more rare in comics than it is in the video games. It does speak to McClaren’s great artistic abilities that she’s able to convey so much through facial expression and body movement that we can have the main character silent for nearly the entire book and never be in doubt about how Oreo feel about what’s happening around her. (With the exception of when she first wakes up)

One of the things I’ve enjoyed the most about exploring the indie publishers has been discovering books that push the boundaries of the medium. Hinges Book 1 certainly succeeds in that aspect.

[Cecilia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I was confused but in a good way

[Bookschatter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hinges Book One: Clockwork City was first serialised on the author's blog, Hinges.  This publication compiles the first book in the series, where some boards have been revised and improved.

This is one of those works that need to be read twice to be fully comprehended and appreciated.  The artwork is beautiful, but as the author builds up the tension in the story, some boards are quite difficult to understand without knowing what you are meant to be seeing, which unfortunately makes this work rather confusing and difficult to understand to begin with.

Dialogue is very sparse, and the main character, Orio, pretty much does not utter a single word - her facial expressions (masterfully portrayed by the author) are all we need.

As Orio prepares to leave the factory (she is a mechanical doll) and is introduced to her new life, she appears very lost and shy, Bauble, an odd (familiar), steps in from the very beginning to help her.  The seemingly troublesome character is the real hero of this story, as something dark lurks in the city of Cobble.

This is a promising beginning to the series, worth persevering with, and definitely something that will work best in printed format.  If you are reading a digital copy, please be aware that pages 40 and 41 are meant to be a double spread (i.e. they need to be viewed next to each other).

The second book in the series, "Paper Tigers", is available online in full.
The third book, "Mechanical Men", is currently being serialised, with updates on Mondays and Fridays.

[ARC received via Netgalley]

BooksChatter

[osoi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Давно не встречала такой бесполезной плюшки. За 100 страниц повествовательные элементы либо вообще отсутствуют, либо старательно намекают на что-то эфемерно неведомое. Я не против красивых картинок, пока из них не пытаются сделать цельную историю с помощью нескольких стежков. Hinges – как раз такой случай.

Арт можно разглядывать долго, и вовсе не благодаря его intricacy, как можно подумать вначале, а исключительно из-за невнятных переходов. Зачастую невозможно понять, где кончается один персонаж и начинается другой, и что вообще происходит в кадре (особенно это касается динамических сцен). Парой стрипов подобного толка я еще могу насладиться, но когда это превращается в целую книгу продираний сквозь одногаммовые, слившиеся воедино сценки – хочется закинуть эту симпатичную, но утомляющую муть подальше на антресоли.

Девочка попадает в новое окружение, находит друзей, попадает в переделки-приключения, попутно ступая на путь осознания своей судьбы. Это если суммировать все произошедшее и придать оному хоть какую-то форму общими фразами. На самом деле недосказанность во многих эпизодах заставляет мозги закручиваться в трубочку в попытках придумать объяснение происходящему. Например, почему ее дружок постоянно творит какую-то хренотень и убегает драться с чудовищами – отражает ли это ее скрытую бунтарскую натуру, подчеркивает неверность попыток заключить ее в рамки списка, или он просто маленькое исчадие ада и ему доставляет удовольствие всячески ее мучать? Или он призван тонко намекнуть на то, что у каждого своя судьба? К концу книги я даже начала склоняться к тому, что он может быть комплиментарным воплощением ее души.

Как же грустно иметь постоянно работающие на всю катушку мозги. У меня в процессе этого получасового чтения столько мыслей циркулировало в голове, и все они абсолютно бесполезны – потому что автор предпочитает полунамеками и недосказанностями убивать всяческую мыслительную деятельность, взамен щедро лаская взор бессмысленными картинками хрупкой девочки и ее вертлявого спутника. Незачет.

annikeh.net

[Raquel Maia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gentilmente oferecido pela Image Comics, tive a oportunidade de ler a graphic novel de Meredith Mcclaren.

Hinger era inicialmente uma webcomic e posteriormente é que foi publicada como graphic novel. Tendo como espaço um lugar completamente inventado meio steampunk e fantástico, conta a história de Orio e o seu amigo Bauble que são recém chegados/despertados neste mundo.
Todos que despertam ou chegam a este mundo tem de arranjar uma função e Orio depois de varias tentativas fica numa loja a concertar animais (pelo que foi dado a entender), porque a história em si não descreve muito bem esta parte.
Este volume é introdutório por isso mesmo tem tantas perguntas que ficam pelo ar, o mistério de um relógio, e o que é exactamente a cidade, mas acho que isso ficará para um outro *espero*
Orio não fala muito, por isso o que nos dá a entender é mais por meio faciais e não por pensamentos ou falas, tudo está estampado na cara dela e isso agradou-me muito.

Eu em geral gostei de toda a arte envolvida, é limpa e simples, no entanto a capa deixa muito a desejar a nível de enquadramento, sinceramente haveria muito por onde explorar.

Acho que vale a pena, embora eu esteja ainda a espera do restante, porque acho que tem potencial. Espero não me enganar.

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this graphic novel so much! It was so interesting and fun. The artwork was beautiful. I really liked Orio but Bauble was so awesome! He was so cute and funny. Hinges reminds me of Lilo and Stitch in a way.

The concept is so cool and different. I like that Orio is a doll. It’s just so awesome and interesting.

This isn’t a very large graphic novel, only 112 pages, and it does feel a little too short. There isn’t a lot of dialogue so it’s a really quick read. I wish I could have spent an hour reading this instead of 15 minutes. And I wish I had #2 right away! But that’s just a little thing.

Overall, I loved Hinges: Clockwork City. If you’re looking for a new graphic novel series to fall in love with or you’re just wanting to get into graphic novels and you don’t know where to start, I highly recommend Hinges. I read this in an ebook format and I’ll definitely be getting it in paperback soon.

[Selena Pigoni · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is technically a reread of chapters 1 through 4 for me.

There are a lot of things that I'm catching this time around that I missed entirely in the original web version. I'm not sure if that's because this is a second read or because it's a physical copy.

Hinges as beautiful artwork and a muted color scheme that matches the slow-paced, largely understated narrative style. Expressions and emotions are McClaren's specialty, and that really shines in this first volume.

It's a very quick read, as large portions are just images without any dialogue, and that works wonderfully here.

I'm still left with more questions than answers, but that's okay because I found answers that I didn't realize were there to questions that I didn't realize I had.

Even if you've read the web version, the print edition is definitely worth a read.

[Tiamatty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this as a webcomic. And damn, it's good. The dialogue is very sparse, but when it's there, it's great, laying out information in an interesting manner and highlighting the personalities of the characters. The story is very strange, and the reader learns about the world as Orio does. McClaren doesn't trust the readers' hands, trusting in our intelligence and our ability to follow along.

But the real draw is the art. The art is gorgeous. Absolutely stunning. Just some amazing stuff. Pretty, and expressive, and with a good sense of motion. It catapulted her into my top 10 favourite comic artists, and I read a lot of comics.

This is well worth checking out for the art alone, but the writing and story are great in their own right.