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Girl Genius #14
The Beast of the Rails (The Second Journey of Agatha Heterodyne Volume 1)
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. This volume is a great jumping-on point for readers wanting to discover the award-winning Girl Genius series! Available in Softcover and Hardcover editions.
126 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2015
3 people are currently reading
247 people want to read
About the author
Phil Foglio
167 books356 followersA 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)
Awards:
Hugo Award for Best Fan Artist (1977 and 1978)
Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story (2009, 2010, 2011)
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
October 24, 2015
Fair warning: This book is listed as Volume 1, but it's actually the continuation of a long, rather involved story.
That said, you can start here if you like. If you don't want to start at the beginning, this would be the perfect place to start.
That said, why they hell wouldn't you want to start at the beginning? That's how stories are meant to be read. And this one is GOOD from the very beginning, with subtle plotting and good character development. Why wouldn't you want to get all of that? Seriously, what's wrong with you?
But, y'know, do whatever makes you happy, man. It's your life.
That said, you can start here if you like. If you don't want to start at the beginning, this would be the perfect place to start.
That said, why they hell wouldn't you want to start at the beginning? That's how stories are meant to be read. And this one is GOOD from the very beginning, with subtle plotting and good character development. Why wouldn't you want to get all of that? Seriously, what's wrong with you?
But, y'know, do whatever makes you happy, man. It's your life.
October 26, 2015
Dense, wordy, funny, imaginative and all delivered with gorgeous colorful artwork. It's difficult to keep track of all the characters, so I appreciate the brief cast descriptions at the beginning. The living train monster is cool, and as usual, the interplay between the various characters is highly entertaining.
October 25, 2015
A graphic novel. Lots of fun. Amazing that the Foglios turn out three pages a week ... almost forever. (Except when there's a comic con to attend.)
January 7, 2022
Monks on a train! Talking, stalking bears! Winslow cameo! What _is_the deal w Higgs?
January 26, 2018
Agatha heads off via the rails to Paris in order to save Mechanicsburg from the time bubble it’s frozen it. One would think it would be a speedy journey, since the monks take an almost spiritual pride in making the trains run on time. Agatha has two powerful men hunting for her, whom could cause some unscheduled delays. Plus, there’s another passenger with a sinister agenda of her own, which could bring a stop to everything, considering some of secrets ready to rage out of the monks’s vaults.
This volume was fun, but not as much fun as previous books. The Corbetite order (who runs the rails) were quite interesting and well fleshed out, as the characters in this series tend to be. I missed Tarvek, though. At least Gil is returning to his old self (somewhat). He explained to Dupree the reason for the change in his personality, which made his recent behavior make more sense. I don’t care much for Martellus, who’s showing himself to be every bit one of those unpleasant relatives Tarvek warned Gil about in an earlier volume. Other unpleasant relatives appeared as well, although some of them like Tarvek much better than Martellus does (sensible of them). There were a few moments which gave Martellus a more sympathetic side for all my dislike. The Beast of the Rails managed to be scary and hilarious, forcing the book to move at ‘Girl Genius’s usual madcap, fast-moving pace, without giving the reader a chance to breathe.
For plot, character development, and my overall enjoyment of the story, I give this four stars.
This volume was fun, but not as much fun as previous books. The Corbetite order (who runs the rails) were quite interesting and well fleshed out, as the characters in this series tend to be. I missed Tarvek, though. At least Gil is returning to his old self (somewhat). He explained to Dupree the reason for the change in his personality, which made his recent behavior make more sense. I don’t care much for Martellus, who’s showing himself to be every bit one of those unpleasant relatives Tarvek warned Gil about in an earlier volume. Other unpleasant relatives appeared as well, although some of them like Tarvek much better than Martellus does (sensible of them). There were a few moments which gave Martellus a more sympathetic side for all my dislike. The Beast of the Rails managed to be scary and hilarious, forcing the book to move at ‘Girl Genius’s usual madcap, fast-moving pace, without giving the reader a chance to breathe.
For plot, character development, and my overall enjoyment of the story, I give this four stars.
July 24, 2015
Agatha gets on a train! Spoilers ahead for the prior books. Though it does begin with a sharper delineation of before and after than the ones just before it -- on the other hand, the tale clearly continues after.
Amusing contretemps while everyone in her party gathers, starting with the way she has to confess before being allowed on -- tell truly who she is and where she is going and why. The journey does get interrupted by a change in route and a necessary stop. Adventure and comedy along the way. Meanwhile Martellus and Gil are looking for her -- with Gil doing a sideline in trying to work out how to save those in Mechanicsburg from the effects of his father's time-stopping device. While birds age so rapidly they not only die but turn to dust he does rescue someone.
An intruder begging for protection discovers it does matter whom she asks, bears smelling something make a discovery, a cook organizes a defense, a Spark gloats about how other Sparks invite him into their territory to make the trains run, Wooster explains something to Agatha who thinks it might be rather romantic, Bang gives Gil good advice, an avalanche occurs, Martellus does something that actually makes him look good in the readers' eyes, Violetta holds forth on her family, and much more.
Amusing contretemps while everyone in her party gathers, starting with the way she has to confess before being allowed on -- tell truly who she is and where she is going and why. The journey does get interrupted by a change in route and a necessary stop. Adventure and comedy along the way. Meanwhile Martellus and Gil are looking for her -- with Gil doing a sideline in trying to work out how to save those in Mechanicsburg from the effects of his father's time-stopping device. While birds age so rapidly they not only die but turn to dust he does rescue someone.
An intruder begging for protection discovers it does matter whom she asks, bears smelling something make a discovery, a cook organizes a defense, a Spark gloats about how other Sparks invite him into their territory to make the trains run, Wooster explains something to Agatha who thinks it might be rather romantic, Bang gives Gil good advice, an avalanche occurs, Martellus does something that actually makes him look good in the readers' eyes, Violetta holds forth on her family, and much more.
April 17, 2017
In the fourteenth (fourteenth!) volume of the Foglio's epic Girl Genius series, our heroine, Agatha Heterodyne, has escaped from the time-locked Mechanicberg and is trying to get to Paris, where she hopes to learn enough to free her city. The logical way to get there is by train, but these aren't just any trains. They're run by a monastic order, who have their own views about the sanctity of the timetable, and have the firepower to back them up.
The introduction to this volume says that it would make a good jumping on point for new readers, but I think that's crazy talk. We're thirteen volumes into an ongoing story with well-established characters and a pretty damn complex plot (besides, the whole thing can be read for free online).
The story is as fun as ever, as we rejoin Agatha, Gil, Martellus and the rest of the cast, each with their own, complex stories, motives and machinations. There's not nearly enough Jägers in it for my taste, but then I've always had a soft spot for the Jägermonsters. Now, roll on the next volume! (You see what I did there...? 'Cos they're on a train...? I'll get me coat...)
The introduction to this volume says that it would make a good jumping on point for new readers, but I think that's crazy talk. We're thirteen volumes into an ongoing story with well-established characters and a pretty damn complex plot (besides, the whole thing can be read for free online).
The story is as fun as ever, as we rejoin Agatha, Gil, Martellus and the rest of the cast, each with their own, complex stories, motives and machinations. There's not nearly enough Jägers in it for my taste, but then I've always had a soft spot for the Jägermonsters. Now, roll on the next volume! (You see what I did there...? 'Cos they're on a train...? I'll get me coat...)
June 15, 2019
Contrary to what Patrick, the first reviewer of this book said, this book would be a TERRIBLE way to jump into the series. When I first took a look at this book, I was only a little behind in reading the earlier volumes, and it made very little sense, because the series is so intricately woven. That said, I agree with him that what you really should do is go read the first 13 volumes and THEN read this one. You can even do it for free, on the Girl Genius website, but it's worth the money to support this comic by buying the volumes, if you can. We'll wait for you to do that, and then come back and finish reading this review.
Okay, you're back?
Best Train Story Ever!!!
I thought it was good from the very start, with the religious order of train guys, but it becomes an even better train story as it goes on. I've suffered from too many bad train stories to be a really big train story buff, but this one has redeemed years of misspent reading of them.
I do think that slightly simplifying the plot for the time being has helped, as in the previous volume it was becoming hard to tell the players apart, even referencing back. Now, we're down to a mere five or six factions, for the most part, with only a couple of them operating bodies remotely and...okay, so I guess it's still complicated.
Oh, and Patrick...please do finish more of your creative works "before the heat death of the universe."
Okay, you're back?
Best Train Story Ever!!!
I thought it was good from the very start, with the religious order of train guys, but it becomes an even better train story as it goes on. I've suffered from too many bad train stories to be a really big train story buff, but this one has redeemed years of misspent reading of them.
I do think that slightly simplifying the plot for the time being has helped, as in the previous volume it was becoming hard to tell the players apart, even referencing back. Now, we're down to a mere five or six factions, for the most part, with only a couple of them operating bodies remotely and...okay, so I guess it's still complicated.
Oh, and Patrick...please do finish more of your creative works "before the heat death of the universe."
February 27, 2019
REREAD 2019
3.5/5 stars rating.
We've finally reaches the parts I KNOW I've only read once, and it showed in the fact that I got confused over things that happened and such.
This wasn't a bad volume, as proven by the rating, but it wasn't great either. Something of the GG feel that I fell in love with early on seem to be gone. Some of the spark (hah! See what I did there?) I don't know what it is, but I really hope they get it back soon*
*I have a lot more thought on this, but am writing this review on my phone, so those thoughts have to wait
3.5/5 stars rating.
We've finally reaches the parts I KNOW I've only read once, and it showed in the fact that I got confused over things that happened and such.
This wasn't a bad volume, as proven by the rating, but it wasn't great either. Something of the GG feel that I fell in love with early on seem to be gone. Some of the spark (hah! See what I did there?) I don't know what it is, but I really hope they get it back soon*
*I have a lot more thought on this, but am writing this review on my phone, so those thoughts have to wait
April 13, 2021
I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this sort-of-reboot. The Foglios wrapped up some of the dangling plot threads from the previous 13 books (though let's be honest, they did so by playing Sleeping Beauty with Mechanicsburg, so nothing is actually resolved) and sent Agatha on a new, very nebulously-defined mission.
That said, I'm still enjoying it, and looking forward to the next installments of the series arriving from the library.
That said, I'm still enjoying it, and looking forward to the next installments of the series arriving from the library.
October 14, 2017
I was disappointed when Agatha's adventures abruptly veered away from Mechanicsburg, but the series has found its footing again. Fleeing the Storm King and hoping to free her city from the Empire's time trap, Agatha boards a train stuffed to the gills with mad scientists, spies, assassins, monks and old friends — in short, a typical Girl Genius adventure. Fun, as always.
July 12, 2017
This seems to be meant as a soft relaunch of the series, but I don't think it quite succeeds (despite some exposition early on). That aside, the train-centric setting for these stories is neat, and there are fun moments! (B+)
December 11, 2017
I appreciated seeing more of the world the authors had created, and the entire rail system was a segment I greatly enjoyed.
April 11, 2018
Love these graphics.
May 9, 2018
Like all the other Girl Genius comics it is a great read and I highly recommend to read it all from the beginning.
Mad science, romance, humour: what's not to love?
Mad science, romance, humour: what's not to love?
May 10, 2018
More Girl Genius. Takes up shortly after the end of the first series.
August 17, 2018
I had forgotten how good these stories were. So much humor and smart dialog.
Good Stuff! I should go back and re-read the earlier stuff.
Good Stuff! I should go back and re-read the earlier stuff.
November 4, 2018
I like the direction this second journey is taking. So many laugh out loud moments! Reading a section is the perfect way to end a day.
November 4, 2020
Entertaining, but doesn't do much to advance the plot of the series.
May 12, 2024
Excitement! A new adventure and things are definitely in motion, plus lots to resolve from the previous adventures conclusion.
December 10, 2018
It's great to see the Girl Genius graphic novels back! Go Krosp!
April 14, 2018
I still have so many questions from earlier in this series that are unresolved, and now a new adventure is beginning?! My head may explode!
Each new volume is a fun romp, even when it creates as many questions as it answers!
Each new volume is a fun romp, even when it creates as many questions as it answers!
December 30, 2019
As always, the team of Kaja and Phil Foglio throw around more madcap fantasy steampunk concepts on a single page than most writers manage in an entire novel, and do so in a way that keeps me smiling each step of the way. Here Agatha's off on a grand new adventure, fled from the Castle Heterodyne and trying to figure out a way to rescue it and her people from the time bubble slapped on it, all the while avoiding those who wish to exploit her genius and heritage for their own purposes.
If there's anything to critique here it's simply the overwealth of plot riches. Between a cast of several dozen (half of them introduced for this volume) and storylines both carrying on from the past and brought in brand-new here, there's hardly a moment for Agatha to get a word in edgewise, let alone the rest of her familiar entourage. At times the narrative edifice seems so top-heavy and rococo that it will topple over, and I find myself longing for the relative simplicity of the first several volumes of GG.
While labeled as a "good jumping on point" for new readers, there's simply too much baggage here, and I'd have to recommend (enviously) to a new reader start off (online) from the beginning -- a daunting but highly rewarding task.
If there's anything to critique here it's simply the overwealth of plot riches. Between a cast of several dozen (half of them introduced for this volume) and storylines both carrying on from the past and brought in brand-new here, there's hardly a moment for Agatha to get a word in edgewise, let alone the rest of her familiar entourage. At times the narrative edifice seems so top-heavy and rococo that it will topple over, and I find myself longing for the relative simplicity of the first several volumes of GG.
While labeled as a "good jumping on point" for new readers, there's simply too much baggage here, and I'd have to recommend (enviously) to a new reader start off (online) from the beginning -- a daunting but highly rewarding task.
September 20, 2015
I'm counting this as re-read since I'm up-to-date on the webcomic edition.
I find the restarting of the volume numbering very interesting and a nice change. While Mechanicsburg was quite a fun place, I felt like the wrangling with the castle and invading armies was becoming interminable.
The addition of the Corbetite Monks is welcome. They had been teased before in world descriptions, but they appeared as a much more formidable force than I expected. The Monks also bring up the issue of the Church. We've seen this before with the Red Cathedral in Mechanicsburg and some turn-coat nuns. I understand that a church (usually the Catholic Church or a reflection of it) figures prominently in the political maneuvering of psuedo-medieval fantasy settings. However, I have trouble seeing Christianity appearing in this world. So far, the ranks and terms of the Church seem to be lifted from our Catholic Church, we have no explanation of its actual beliefs. I'm not sure that we ever will, which is probably for the best.
I find the restarting of the volume numbering very interesting and a nice change. While Mechanicsburg was quite a fun place, I felt like the wrangling with the castle and invading armies was becoming interminable.
The addition of the Corbetite Monks is welcome. They had been teased before in world descriptions, but they appeared as a much more formidable force than I expected. The Monks also bring up the issue of the Church. We've seen this before with the Red Cathedral in Mechanicsburg and some turn-coat nuns. I understand that a church (usually the Catholic Church or a reflection of it) figures prominently in the political maneuvering of psuedo-medieval fantasy settings. However, I have trouble seeing Christianity appearing in this world. So far, the ranks and terms of the Church seem to be lifted from our Catholic Church, we have no explanation of its actual beliefs. I'm not sure that we ever will, which is probably for the best.
April 5, 2016
A great re-boot to this series. The previous "journey" of Agatha Heterodyne started to get really complicated with tons of characters who were very hard to keep track of. So when twists came in the story, (and they come), they were hard to appreciate. This refocuses on just a few main characters and is easier for my poor brain to comprehend. I loved how the railways were run by the church. That was fun and continues to give this series its very own feel. And it is a great feeling; full of possibility and danger and mad science.
During this book I finally realized that the "sparks" are just highly distractible geeks. They love doing things and coming up with new projects and just seeing what happens. That is probably why I love them so.
During this book I finally realized that the "sparks" are just highly distractible geeks. They love doing things and coming up with new projects and just seeing what happens. That is probably why I love them so.
August 26, 2015
Good, but not great. I do like the introduction of synopsis pages at the front, as the series is getting fairly complex. I also appreciated the revelations about general goings on, as events from last volume kept us in the dark. But I must being impatient with the series as a whole --- too many side quests and not enough getting to the point.
August 24, 2015
"This bear is König. Would speak with you. Promise conversation not end with 'aaaah!' and 'crunch crunch'." Best introduction ever! That, and the reaction of the Castle when seeing the thing upon Klaus: "Last time they were much smaller! [...] And they had hats." Also, is it my memory tricking me, or Margarella Selnikov was called Margolotta when the pages first appeared online?
August 30, 2015
The Foglio's steampunk webcomic is extremely popular, and collected annually. I don't think this is a great jumping-on point, but you can read all the preceding story online, so buy this one if you haven't already started the series.
September 16, 2015
I just love this series. I wait so long until I can buy the book then I read it in 1 night and have to wait some more. But it's worth it! I particularly like the Jagers. They crack me up. As always, the illustrations are top-notch. Wouldn't read this otherwise.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews